Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Three Cheers (and 3 covers) for the Red, White, and Blue – with Porky Pig!


Let’s celebrate our nation’s b-b-b-bir … aw, “founding” with this trio of Porky Pig comic book covers. 
1 – RED

2 – WHITE.

3 – BLUE… and peppermint candy for all! 

And just because it's my favorite color, here's ANOTHER Blue!  

Now, go watch the great Porky Pig cartoon “Old Glory”!  You won't be sorry! 

Happy f-f-f…  Aw, Wednesday! 

4 comments:

Ryan Wynns said...

Joe,

Neat motif! And what a coincidence ... I acquired a copy of the Dell "Lucky Peppermint Mine" issue last week. Read it yesterday, and really enjoyed it -- as I've found with issues that I've read of their Walter Lantz titles, Dell's `40's/early `50's non-Disney funny animal comics were typically of, at the least, pretty good quality.

And Porky worked a lot better for the "average chump" formula they used in adapting a lot of characters from their animated shorts ... while their take(s) on Bugs has never sat right with me.

And, wow, that "Phantom of the Plains" cover is gorgeous ... I gotta find a copy!

(And is it just me, or does this "Phantom" resemble a certain other of such, but with a pointy head?) ;)

-- Ryan

joecab said...

I love this short too. According to the first edition of the Warner Bros. Cartoons book by Friewald/Beck, it was also Porky's first color appearance (not counting proto-Porky from "I Haven't Got A Hat"); Chuck Jones' first Porky Pig cartoon; and "perhaps the only totally, 100-percent gagless Warners cartoon ever."

Joe Torcivia said...

Ryan:

I can’t say it enough, the late ‘40s thru mid ‘50s Dell Comics – and the 1964-1966 Gold Key Comics – may very well be the BEST comics of them all! You can almost pick any one of them at random, and have a great time!

I can understand how those more super hero-centric might not agree but, in many cases, it’s because they have not read them! As you know, I’m a huge super hero comics fan myself, but these ARE the best!

And, yes… about 1 ½ years after first reading “The Return of The Phantom Blot” in WDC&S, along comes the Gold Key reprint of “Phantom of the Plains” in GK’s PORKY PIG # 5! Imagine how thrilling that was, in those young-reader days!

Joe C:

“Old Glory” was one magnificent short! Thanks for the additional insights on it! Porky (and Chuck Jones) sure picked a great vehicle for his modern-look color debut!

And now, in addition to being on “Looney Tunes Golden Collection” # 2, it is ALSO in BLU-RAY on the “Looney Tunes Platinum Collection” # 1! I’ll not let the day go by without watching it in Blu! …Probably right after tonight’s Yankees game!

Joe Torcivia said...

Just watched “Old Glory” in Blu-ray. Wonderful! (If I was on Twitter, I could have “tweeted” that!)

Some things noted:

It had a running time of 09:05! Longer than the average theatrical cartoon.

When the transparent “spirit” of Uncle Sam takes the transparent image of (the actually sleeping and dreaming) Porky aside for his history lesson, Uncle Sam goes to pick up Porky’s discarded “U.S. History” book…

…but he picks up a “transparent IMAGE OF THE BOOK” (which “comes forth” from out of the discarded book), and takes it along! The actual book REMAINS strewn on the ground, as Porky left it! Nice touch – and not all that easily noticeable.

Porky HARDLY STUTTERS, when finally reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance”. And, when he does so, it is in a very minor and unobtrusive way! Keeping character, without disrespecting the “Pledge of Allegiance”. Again, nicely done!

“Old Glory” does not end with “That’s All Folks!” – but with a “The End” credit – with the names of “Merrie Melodies” and producer Leon Schlessinger superimposed over the closing image of the waving American flag!

What are you waiting for… go see it for yourself!