Talkin’ ‘Bout Comics

Walt Kelly’s Pogo first appeared in a comic strip 70 years ago today.


hat tip Tom Heintjes for above

Pogo, of course, first showed up in a comic book seven years earlier.

 

On the other hand Ripley’s Believe It or Not first (digest) comic book was 70 years ago this year.

It was a hundred years ago this year that it had debuted in a newspaper with a slightly different  attitude.

 

Reed Brennan has issued an announcement for The Amazing Spider-Man comic strip:

The byline for King Features’ daily comic feature THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN has changed and should be updated on all templates and layouts, both print and online.

When it appears, former artist Larry Lieber should be replaced with current artist Alex Saviuk.

The full byline will read: “by Stan Lee and Alex Saviuk

Doubt every editor will follow that advice, I’m sure some newspapers still list Hagar by Dik Browne.

On the other hand a couple of weeks ago  Andrews McMeel switched the credit line to In The Bleachers from Steve Moore to Ben Zaehringer without any notice.

No switch and no notice, other than Wikipedia without a source, is that Janet Walker-Yates and Mike Yates are the art team now on Beetle Bailey.

After Mort Walker‘s death, his granddaughter Janie Walker-Yates and her husband Mike Yates began illustrating the strip.

Can anyone confirm? And is Mike part of the Bill Yates family?

 

87 years ago today saw Dick Tracy‘s debut.

 

Speaking of action and adventure…

The current (Girl) Phantom story by Tony DePaul and Mike Manley have scored on that.

 

Today’s Pickles and the Fourth Wall

 

30 years ago yesterday the first Curtis by Ray Billingsley:

 

Hey! How about Yesterday’s Papers?

John Adcock and Richard Marschall have made that site a daily must-visit for any comic strip fan!

 

We were talking comic books up above, so let’s return to that with another anniversary –

the 50th anniversary of Zap #1 and Underground Comix.

This year is the 50th anniversary of underground comix. The official beginning was the publication in February 1968 of Zap Comix No. 1

R. C. Harvey at The Comics Journal details that and the pre-history.

(Showcasing a Joel Beck comic because I’m upset Bob didn’t mention him in his u.g article.)

 

As long as were mentioning anniversaries of comics…

Happy Buster Keaton’s birthday, born October 4, 1895! (hat tip Roger Langridge)

 

This is getting posted really late, so if you read this in the morning there’s still time to grab a jet to Idaho and be a part of the Cartoonists Take Over the Village at Meridian event.

  • Michael Ramirez– Editorial cartoonist
  • Bill HindsTank McNamara
  • Mason MastroianniB.C.
  • Todd ClarkLola
  • Steve MooreIn The Bleachers
  • Kasey Fagerquist Hotel Transylvania
  • Jeff MyersRick & Morty
  • Dave Mowder– Disney
  • Chip Bok– Editorial cartoonist
  • Sam VivianoMAD Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

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