I would love to collect reprints of old non-licensed-character animal comics, but I don't know if anybody has ever reprinted them! You know, the Dell, Atlas (old Marvel) or ACG stuff? I've found digital copies on the internet, but I want to physically hold a book of them in my hands. I'd also like to get into something not Fantagraphics.
Milt Stein really interests me. He was a Famous Studios animator, who tragically committed suicide in 1977. I like the mix of cuteness and cartooniness of his work. Milt Knight said "he drew far more imaginatively than Barks", but that's just his bias against all things Disney, which with him has reached the point of fetishism.
Dan Gordon also did some good stuff, with a sort of Jim Tyer screwiness, and it sure looks funny! Gordon was an animator at multiple studios (mainly MGM), and he seemed to draw better than he animated.
Cy King's characters have the zoned-out look that the March Hare has in Disney's Alice in Wonderland, which is of course real nutty.
Howard Post is straight-up squatty cute stuff. It seems like a lot of these guys were Famous Studios alumni!
I know there were two collections of these types of things, one called The Golden Collection of Klassic Krazy Kool Kids Comics by IDW and the other The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics by Abrams. I know they have some Walt Kelly and Carl Barks, but what about Stein and Gordon? Supermouse is on the cover.
What's funny is on the back on The TOON Treasury it says "COMICS: NOT JUST FOR GROWN-UPS ANYMORE!" This is good, since I've noted before that comic fans doth protest too much that they are really "for adults."
So anyway, help me out here!
On a totally different topic, it looks like the legendary cartoon blog Tralfaz has stopped. It was totally abrupt. Considering most of Don Yowp's blogs are retired, what could be happening?
Not all of Yowp's blogs have been retired. His Old TV History blog is still going. I think he has posted all he can at this point and decided to bow out. Though I feel Tralfaz will have sporadic posts popping up when he feels like it, like with his H-B blog.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see, then.
DeleteYour ol' pal TCJ might be able to help ya out!
ReplyDeleteThere's a publisher of public domain comics material, Gwandanaland Comics (yes, that's their name) that I have ordered several volumes from over the past few years, and I have always been happy with their product. Their stuff is scanned from the original books just like Yoe's stuff is. They have their selections available at barnesandnoble.com and lulu.com. And, yes, they have Golden Age funny animal material among their offerings. I have a collection of Jim Tyer's non-Terrytoons work from the Forties and a Super Duck treasury that I loved reading, and bet you would, too.
Now the bad news: The books available at the two online shops are only about 1/4th of what was previously up for sale at their previous retailer Amazon, who unscrupulously sabotaged the operation ultimately resulting in their dismissal from the site. Two omnibuses obtainable right now are a Hoppy the Marvel Bunny ("Funny Animals") collection and a first volume of "Funny Films", with art by Dan Gordon, Bob Wickersham and Ken Hultgren (This is likely what you are most looking for). As these books are made to order, you might inquire of the owner (Forlance Jones at gwandanaland@yahoo.com) if he could possibly set you up with copies of formerly accessible titles such as "Zoot Comics Treasury Vol. 1", "Coo Coo Comics Vol. 1" (includes first Supermouse appearance), and "The Complete Supermouse Vol. 1".
Hope this suggestion was of service to you. Good luck.
Thanks a billion, TC! I'll check them out!
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