Not quite certain if this should be pigeonholed into the "I’m Not an Artist, But…" subset. Maybe more like "I’m Not a Cover Editor, But…".
Here is MY COPY of FELIX THE CAT #83 (Harvey Comics, Cover Date: May, 1957). See anything unusual... especially after taking a clue from the TITLE of this post?
Okay, I dunno about you but, when I see this, I can't help but wonder if it's telling me that the FELIX THE CAT *comic book* is "STILL 10¢" (the presumed purpose) -- OR if Felix *himself* is "STILL the World's Most Famous Cat"!
That little bit of cover copy should have been left above the title logo, as it usually was.
But, then again, "I’m Not an Artist, OR a Cover Editor, But…"!
7 comments:
Well, considering "still" is in black, as is "10 cents," whereas "world's most famous cat" is in blue, I would have to say it's clear enough what the intended message is, and it ain't a commentary on Felix's relative popularity in 1957. But I agree with you that the "world's most famous cat" tagline would have looked better in its usual location.
The change begs the question of whether the cover editor intended to send the subliminal message that Felix was still the world's most famous cat. It's highly debatable whether, by 1957, Felix could still truly lay claim to that title. I would imagine that Warner Bros.'s Sylvester and MGM's Tom were already more famous at that point. So I could imagine an editor trying to challenge this by subtly suggesting that Felix was *still* the world's most famous cat.
It's unsurprising that Felix is red with embarrassment at this cock-up!
(Also, there's something about that cover art itself… the inking's nicely done, but that bulldog really should have a shadow, shouldn't he? As it stands, he almost looks as though he's hovering a few feet off the ground, and/or colliding with that fence.)
Sergio:
I completely agree with you that the cover is *trying* to say that the *comic* is “STILL 10 Cents” but at a quick glance it briefly looks as if it could apply to Felix’s fame as well. This, of course, begs a couple of questions…
Again, why did they move "world's most famous cat" to such a out of the way position on the cover, when it typically (and deservedly, if your purpose is to “build-up” the character) should be prominent? The banner position above the title logo is perfect for that!
It’s not as if there was a “big announcement” of some contest or special content therein that would be best placed above the logo. In fact, there was NOTHING out of the ordinary, as far as cover elements go, that would account for the unconventional placement.
Just look at the covers as displayed at GCD – from #77-on – and you’ll see that #83 was the ONLY issue to NOT have "world's most famous cat" in the banner position!
Not only was Felix’s status challenged (and surpassed) by Sylvester and Tom but, coming up on the outside was the “dark horse” (actually, an orange cat) of Hanna and Barbera’s Mr. Jinks – and even Harvey’s own Katnip! …Though, as much as I LOVE Mr. Jinks and like Katnip, I’d say Felix “outlasted” them in the popularity department.
Also, why, in 1957, was it necessary to declare that your comic book titles still sold for TEN CENTS? The price increases to twelve and fifteen cents would not begin phasing in for another few years (more or less 1961). I wasn’t quite “there” yet, so I can’t offer my usual “perspective from the times” but, from all observations I was to make later on, such a declaration seemed needless in 1957.
While Harvey was never quite as “unpredictable” as Charlton – and this was the period I actually thought they were good, before dumping all their licensed properties in favor of flooding the market with thousands of Richie Rich titles (UGH!), with only a “minor presence” for Casper – there was still never much of a clear view into their methods – and later their madness!
We’ll just consider this one an oddity, and leave it at that…
Achille:
You write: “It's unsurprising that Felix is red with embarrassment at this cock-up!”
Not only a good observation, but a prescient one as well. In the story, circumstances play out so that Felix becomes a “Cat of Many Colors” and we see his reactions to those carousel-ing colors and how others *to* his quick changes.
In short order, Felix becomes YELLOW (“blonde”) by applying too much peroxide to a wound and, as such, gets too much attention from female cats. He turns GREEN from a dousing of waste liquid from a “Dye Works” (shades of The Joker's hair) and is hunted by the authorities as a plague victim. And finally RED, after hiding from said authorities in a “One-Hour Auto Painting” drive thru shop, and (as luck would have it) just in time to run into a bull! While the RED was characterized as being “angry”, rather than “embarrassed”, you’re still pretty “right-on” for a comic you (presumably) never read!
And, yes, now that you mention it… the bulldog DOES look as if he’s “stepped-out from being a drawing on the fence”! Maybe it’s the residual effect of THIS Felix adventure!
Joe:
Yup, there were definitely some unfortunate layout decisions made on this cover. I don’t have anything else to say about this cover however I have been eagerly awaiting more information on the new Felix comic book series we were supposed to get this year (https://www.comicon.com/2021/09/28/nycc-2021-exclusive-felix-the-cat-returns-in-january-2022/)
My interest is particularly high as the comic is supposed to be drawn by Tracy Yardley. Yardley, along with Jon Gray, illustrated Ian Flynn's run on Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog which I grew up reading. Yardley’s experience with Sonic makes him a great fit for Felix as Sonic’s original design was heavily inspired by Felix (https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/800444-sonic-the-hedgehog)
Ryan:
It would seem that Felix missed that January 2022 window by a little bit – and, hopefully, it remains no more than just “a little bit”. I’m so unplugged from new comics these days (unless Scooby-Doo, Lobo, or Groo are in them) that I know nothing about this.
Perhaps Felix camouflaged himself SO WELL on the cover featured in this post, that his new publisher was unable to locate him in time to make the book’s deadline!
HERE is Ryan’s first link.
And HERE is his second link.
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