"Team-Up" Has Been "Put Down"!

The following news came to me from our intrepid contributor Debbie Anne Perry!  Normally, when Deb contributes something to this humble Blog, it is warmly welcomed!

While ANYTHING Deb contributes is warmly welcomed, the "warmth" quickly gave way to a bitter chill...

SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP #50 

written by SHOLLY FISCH
art and cover by SCOTT JERALDS

Magical fanboy imps Bat-Mite and Scooby-Mite are back—and they’ve brought along a host of Batmen and Scooby-Doos! But when the mites conjure up the ultimate trans-dimensional menace for our heroes to battle, will even a League of Batmen and Society of Scoobies be enough to save their infinite Earths? Plus, can they unravel the mystery behind the shadowy figure known only as…Scrappy-Doo?

ON SALE 09.25.19
$2.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED E

FINAL ISSUE

Things just keep getting worse and worse, don't they?  

First that unfortunate matter with the IDW Disney comics that has, for the FIRST TIME EVER, caused me to intentionally stop purchasing them!  

Now, the loss of my favorite current comics title... the amazing SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP!  

A comic that never fails to "read as clever and funny" as our team used to make the IDW Disney comics read... thanks to the extraordinary talents of writer Sholly Fisch!  

And expertly handling guest characters from all over Hanna-Barbera-Land...

...And the far corners of the DC Comics Universe!

And handling each with equal fan-friendly dexterity!  

Like this parallel reference between THE NEW SCOOBY-DOO MOVIES and BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD animated series!  

Or commenting on characters' VOICE ACTORS that change over time!  

...Or (above and below) the conventions of SCOOBY-DOO itself!  

And finally, just plain old wonderful silliness!  

HERE is the story of how, by complete chance, I discovered SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP... 

...And, alas, this post notes its end!

But, we've been here before... starting in 1984 with the demise of Western Publishing, and periodically to the present day... and Scooby and GOOD Disney comics always seem to come back... somehow!  

...I've no doubt they will again!  

And, besides... by today's standards, 50 ISSUES is a very respectable run for ANY comic book title, in this age of rapid cancellations and reboots!  

And SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP has had a VERY respectable run!  

Thank you, Sholly Fisch for those 50 wonderful issues!  

Everyone, do yourself a favor and read some issues of SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP, or just live vicariously through some of my Blog reviews...

You won't be sorry!  

Bat-Mite's honor!  

Adventures in Comic-Boxing: "Peeping TOM!"

Our last post on Dell Comics' TOM AND JERRY # 168 (1958), that uncharacteristically excluded TOM from its cover...

...got such a great reaction in our Comments Section that we've moved this post forward from its "lingering draft" state into a follow-up position, as it addresses a similar - but earlier - situation!  

The Dell Comics' TOM AND JERRY title evolved from the MGM anthology OUR GANG (a sort of "MGM's Comics and Stories", if you will) beginning with its 60th issue in 1949.  

The previous 59 issues went under the title of OUR GANG,which began by depicting Tom and Jerry in their earliest incarnation...

...leading to OUR GANG WITH TOM AND JERRY, with the Cat and Mouse in a more recognizable form!

A hallmark of these later issues of OUR GANG, as well as earlier issues of its successor TOM AND JERRY, was the "film-strip of characters included therein", down the left side of the cover!  

Tom eventually settled into the TOP SPOT of the "character stack up", seen above and below, while also appearing in the cover-gag!

For TWO SUCCESSIVE ISSUES (# 46-47), however, OUR GANG presented cover gags that, like Dell's TOM AND JERRY # 168, were centered on Jerry and Tuffy, excluding Tom!  

But, TOM had a way of GETTING AROUND THAT LITTLE PROBLEM... going from THIS...

...To THIS!  

Yeah, BIG, isn't he?  He looks ready to POUNCE from that strip of faux-film!  

A far cry from his usual modest station!

Say... Maybe if we reconfigured the cover image of TOM AND JERRY # 168 to look like THIS?  

Yeah!  Whadaya think?   In this aspect ratio, the GLASSES would even FIT Tom!  

Now, they can finally get back to business!  

Adventures in Comic-Boxing: WHO and Jerry?

It should be perfectly obvious, but I'll ask the question anyway... just to get things started!  

What (...or, more precisely, WHO) is missing from the cover of TOM AND JERRY # 168 (Dell Comics, Cover Date: July, 1958)?

Well, unless "Tuffy" (at left) has undergone a legal name change to "Thomas", thus satisfying the title-billing, it's our old cat friend - and their old cat nemesis - TOM! 

ABOVE: Tom DOES seem to be a bit alarmed at not being invited to the party!  

It's particularly odd that Tom be omitted from this cover, because there are plenty of covers centered on the antics of Jerry and Tuffy, on which Tom still appears as a bemused, or annoyed, observer!

So, why couldn't he hang out in the background here?

As he does here!

Your guess is as good as mine, as the addition OR absence of Tom has no impact on the gag, except to make the "TOM AND JERRY Title Logo" seem just a wee bit strange!

Oh, wait... There's Tom now!  Hopefully, he'll catch up with those pesky mice by the next issue's cover!  

Adventures in Comic-Boxing: Yogi's "Behind" in This Debate!

Today's "Bear-ish Debate", over whether or not Cindy Bear should join a bathing beauty contest, is brought to you through the... er, um... "courtesy" of YOGI BEAR # 25 (Charlton Comics, Cover Date: April, 1975) - and artist Ray Dirgo!  

(Below:) Perhaps Yogi's "behind" in this debate, but there's no question he's also "on-top of things"...

...And, with the "weight" of wisdom on his (back) side (...he IS "smarter than the av-ver-age bear", after all), he "crushes his opponent flat"! 

Perhaps that's what lead to other "un-bear-buddy-like" Charlton stuff like THIS! 

Ya gotta love the idea that, only in a Charlton Comic, Boo Boo could actually be squashed into something resembling a flattened paper-doll!  

That would never happen in the "more realistic world" of the Dell and Gold Key comics! 

But, I guess it's good that we have them both!  ...Even if Boo Boo disagrees! 

EXTRA:  A BOO BOO BONUS by Charlton: 

Notice how Boo Boo's word "LOOK" has a pair of EYEBALLS!  

Now, there's something you'd NEVER see outside of Charlton! 

...And, that's why Charlton, this truly offbeat publisher, remains so fascinating to this day!