More Val

Another '50s full-page Prince Valiant, as my celebration of the American comic strip (in honor of this Friday's release of Big Funny) continues.  I recommend the new editions of Val that Fantagraphics have just started issuing.  Nicest versions ever.  And if you can get your hands on one of the foreign B&W volumes just published (a limited number available from Fantagraphics), I recommend that, too!  

A tip o' the Hatlo hat!

Today we're offering a sample of Jimmy Hatlo's Little Iodine.  Iodine also had a long run in Dell comic books.  I grew up with Hatlo's They'll Do It Every Time in the local paper -- though his finest moment may be Hatlo's Inferno (cover of paperback collection shown below).

Big Funny is almost here!

Prince Valiant 1945

Here's another full page format Val Sunday -- from 1945 -- with "The Medieval Castle"  bottom strip.  I'll post a few more from the '50s later this week. (As always, click on the art for a larger view.)  Scary Terry's World continues its celebration of  the history of the Sunday comics in anticipation of the Aug 7th premiere of Big Funny.

"Lance" by Warren Tufts

Warren Tufts was best known for his Western strip Casey Ruggles -- but in the mid to late 1950s he drew the full-page Sunday feature, Lance.  By this point, it was quite unusual for any strip, other than Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, to be printed as a full page.

More comic strip ads circa 1954

The previous comic strip ads I've posted seem to have been rather popular, so here are two more.   If anyone has any idea who drew these, I'd sure like to know -- Peter Pain looks to be signed "Betts," but I haven't heard of any cartoonist by that name.  Any info would be appreciated.

UPDATE: Here's a link to some info on Jack Betts -- artist of the Peter Pain strip.  And some more examples of Peter Pain.

Capp and Caniff -- girls, girls, girls!

From a magazine article on Al Capp and Milton Caniff -- a double page spread of their female characters (white strip in the middle is missing image from where the pages were clipped from the magazine).  I told you that sometimes cartoonists just like to draw pretty girls.  Al and Milt were no exception to that rule!

Yogi Bear -- patron of the arts.

Never mind the Jellystone Art Gallery -- come to the Altered Esthetics gallery in Minneapolis this Friday evening for the Big Funny show opening.  And remember, the first 70 (approx.) buyers of the Big Funny publication will get a free '60s vintage Sunday comic section as well -- maybe even the ones containing these strips!