It's not always different properties, or different characters, that find themselves "Separated at Mirth"!
Sometimes it's the SAME CHARACTERS, the SAME TITLE, or even the SAME ARTIST!
Two out of three apply here, as we present the "Mirth Separation" of Dell Comics' MUTT AND JEFF # 106 (Cover Date: December, 1958) and Harvey Comics' MUTT AND JEFF JOKES # 3 (Cover Date: February, 1961).
Things to Note:
The POSITIONS of Mutt and Jeff are the SAME in each instance. They are not flipped.
Which one is funnier? I dunno! In one, Mutt and Jeff have "painted themselves into... not quite a corner", but into uncomfortably close quarters, in classic comedy style. In the other, Mutt hasn't fully realized what has happened until he's PAINTED UP JEFF'S SHOES AND ONTO HIS BUTT!
In fact, by the looks of the MOTION of Mutt's right arm, he's JUST NOTICED - but is STILL reflexively brushing Jeff's hind quarters with paint, because his brain has not yet told his arm to stop... again in classic comedy style! ...Take your pick!
One is INDOORS. One is OUTDOORS.
Both cover illustrations are by Al Smith. The first one is even signed!
The REVERSE of this gag occurs on the cover of MUTT AND JEFF # 120 (Harvey Comics - October, 1960), also by Al Smith! All of these gags (and many, many more) play off the differences in height between Mutt and Jeff!
Dell Comics published only 12 issues of MUTT AND JEFF. Harvey Comics published 33 issues of MUTT AND JEFF, with 7 more as "M&J JOKES" and "M&J NEW JOKES" for a total of 40 issues.
Prior to this, DC Comics published 103 issues of MUTT AND JEFF... but NOT ONE of those 103 issues did any variation of the "Height Differential Painting Cover Gags" seen here!
The closest they came was Issue # 5 (Summer, 1942) and Issue # 98 (October, 1957), both are drawn by Sheldon Mayer.
Oddly, ALL of the MUTT AND JEFF "painting gag" covers seen here have YELLOW BACKGROUNDS - except Dell Comics' MUTT AND JEFF # 106!
You will see more of MUTT AND JEFF being "Separated at Mirth"! Indeed, they were probably "Mirth Separated" more often than most characters, given various covers and interior gags that formed the basis for those covers! But, for now...
There you have MUTT AND JEFF # 106 and MUTT AND JEFF JOKES # 3 - Separated at Mirth!
Anyone got some YELLOW PAINT?
2 comments:
I really like all of these covers. I was never a collector of Mutt and Jeff, not through any dislike, but just through limited awareness, but your interest is definitely contagious. I think of all of the covers I prefer the Dell one. It seems to focus more specifically on the gag and I like the closer positioning of the characters. It looks extremely awkward, which is how the gag is supposed to look in order to work. But then for contrast it's interesting to observe the layout of the Harvey and DC covers. I love those old Harvey Giants. Amazing how a similar gag of painting was employed on so many different covers.
I may soon start collecting some of the Mutt and Jeff titles myself, as these covers have really grabbed my interest.
Happy Easter!
Scarecrow:
I vote for ALL the covers as well, though my favorite is the Harvey cover – simply because (as I've said) Mutt has REALIZED what he has done, but is “still doing it” because, despite the realization, his brain has not yet told his arm to stop! That, to me, is comedy gold!
The early DC cover is also commendable for the “pictures coming alive”!
You can’t go wrong with Mutt and Jeff! Most of the comic books consist of reprinted daily and Sunday newspaper strips. The Dell issues were new stories. The Harvey issues were a something of a hybrid of the two.
Happy Easter to you!
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