In Search of Ancient Bertrams # 2 "What’s Buzzin’, Bertram?"

 

One of a number of things I've become known for as a translator and dialogue writer/creator for European stories published in American Disney comic books is the use of the name "Bertram"! 
 

More is explained HERE! 

But where did my fondness for the name come from?  Well, it was first seen a comic from "my sainted sixties" of course - and, I'll identify it at some point - but for now "In Search of Ancient Bertrams" will spotlight various uses of "Bertram" in vintage comics that would eventually result in making the name a standard of my comics writing work!

Today's "Bertram" is courtesy of MARCH OF COMICS #81 (Western Publishing, 1952) Oswald the Rabbit!  Art by Lloyd White. 

Tired of the rabbit-routine, Oswald's adopted sons, Floyd and Lloyd, try living as birds.  Unfortunately, they still look like rabbits - and that attracts the hungry attentions of Bertram Buzzard, and his wife Beulah.  

 Look out kids, here comes "Big Bad Bertram"!

I'd venture to guess that Bertram might be a cousin (or something) to another, more famous Walter Lantz character... Woody Woodpecker's regular foe, Buzz Buzzard!  

Note the family resemblance!

Barely escaping, as all little comic book animals are wont to do (...and wouldn't we be sad if they didn't), Floyd and Lloyd do not fare well in the roles of fish or bears either! 

And, as expected, they resign themselves to being just plain rabbits, much to the relief of Poppa Oswald! 

Thanks in part to another "Ancient Bertram"... Bertram Buzzard! 

We've got a bounty of Bertrams in store for future installments of "In Search of Ancient Bertrams", so do come on back! 

...Come for the "Bertram"... Stay for the "Burgers"! 

Happy "Last-Day-of-2021"!

Any auld acquaintance can wish you "Happy New Year"... but here is where you'll always get the unusual and the unique -- so "HAPPY LAST-DAY-OF-2021"!

And I *AM* indeed happy that it's the "Last-Day-of-2021"... a year that only looks good when compared with its predecessor!

...Or, to put a more optimistic spin on this... 2021 was, all things considered, better than 2020... let's hope that trend continues with 2022!   

Watchin' the Detective (Comics) with Mark Evanier!

 

My one-time mentor for all things "comics-writing" (whether he knew it at the time, or not), Mark Evanier, has posted at his Blog, a truly excellent SEVEN-PART (!) ESSAY on the day a "New Look" came to Batman in DETECTIVE COMICS!

Mark does so (as he always does) with the proper perspective of "someone who was there at the time" - and that's a perspective that you don't always get from the myriad of folks that fancy themselves as comic-book experts or historians.  

As someone who also endeavors to present that same "perspective" in his many musings on the subject of comics, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE this when I see it!

You will too, once you TAKE THIS LINK and begin reading Mark's account of a true "game-changing event" (...Yes, that phrase is waaay overused but, in this case, it's quite accurate!) in the history of comic books!

Mark doesn't publish comments at his Blog (he'd probably be swamped with them if he did), so feel free to leave your impressions here... perhaps he'll see them.

Enjoy!

Amid Construction... a Little Christmas!

Our great friend Elaine offered a suggestion in the comments section of our previous post, and I like it, so I'll hand it over to her...

"Speaking of eye-catching covers...maybe you could do a Christmas post where you just ask us to nominate our favorite Christmas covers. I realize you can't currently access your own favorites to post images, so this might have to wait till next year to satisfy your blogging standards...but I'd enjoy finding out everyone's favorites. I myself use some comics with Christmas covers for Christmas décor--I set them up around the living room!"

Since, as I said in response, "Oh, and MY “Christmas décor around the living room” this year is plaster and drop cloths… and they’re not even festively colored. (Sigh!)"

I think we should give it a try... but with one additional wrinkle...

Since, under these construction-hampered circumstances, I can't (as Elaine says) "access [my] own favorites to post images", I would suggest that anyone offering an example PROVIDE A GCD LINK (OR INDUCKS, IF YOU PREFER) to the particular comic in question!

That way we can all see the Christmas images you hold special!

You can access GCD here!   And INDUCKS here!

Have at it, and have the happiest of holidays!

Adventures in Comic-Boxing: Superman Catches a Bus!

 As a local Bus Transit Advocate for several years...

...You just KNOW I had to get a copy of ACTION COMICS #199 (DC Comics, Cover Date: December, 1954)!  

You know the old Henny Youngman joke about when his wife "sits around the house"... "she SITS AROUND THE HOUSE!"  

So it would seem that, when "Superman catches a bus"... "Superman CATCHES A BUS!"

...Let's just hope it's never one that I'm on!

Talk about "unanticipated delays"!

"Horrifically Busy" Just Got More "Horrifically Busy"!

Just when ya thought it couldn't get worse, there's another reason this humble Blog is not up to its (kinda, sorta) usual standards of posting frequency!

Yes, it's the dread task of HOUSE CONSTRUCTION!

It would seem that two amazingly cute little grandchildren are not the only "additions" to our lives!

Averi (right) and Cici - September, 2021

We need a place to put 'em for their (hopefully) frequent future visits, thus the expansion.  

One day, half the house was GONE, and the next a new wooden frame was in its place!  And don't get me started on the number of things I had to move and crowd into awkward (but, so far, reasonably safe) places!  

My den, from which I write these posts, remains inaccessible, and I've resorted to moving my Blogging activities to a less-familiar laptop - on my kitchen table!  And, to do so, had to go through more corridors and alleyways of Google than I thought possible in order to just get to where I could Blog on the darned thing!  

But, since "perseverance" is one of my many middle names (...Just don't call me "Percy" for short - 'cause HE won't like me appropriating his name)...

Of course, you remember where HE comes from!

...Here I am, and ready to resume under these sometimes-trying circumstances, to the relief and (dare I say it?) joy of all!

Let's see how this first kitchen-laptop post - and its follow-up comments (AHEM!) go - and, as a result of my "Google-tampering" to do so, will anything be out-of-whack once I get my desktop computer - and my DESK, and my swivel chair... and my DEN - back!   

I leave you with this image of a hole in my living room, leading out to the back yard... mostly because it's the only other picture I took of the whole affair as of yet, and hope the "next six weeks" (Groan!) go smoothly!

Questions You Never Asked: Why Did Huckleberry Hound Start Wearing a Mask?

A question for our crazy times...  Why did Huckleberry Hound start wearing a mask? 

No, it wasn't because of a skunk! 

...Give up?  

He was concerned about catching the "O-M'DARLIN" variant of COVID!

Y'know, like this here one...

Now, you know why you NEVER asked that question! 

You just never can tell what a feller's got to protect himself from these days!