Separated at Mirth: Hickory Dickory Dock - A Mouse Ran Up TWO Clocks!

Yep, SAME mouse, but TWO DIFFERENT CLOCKS! 

As I wrote at Grand Comics Database for the "Little Roquefort Feature Object" entry:  

"Beginning in 1950, Little Roquefort was Terrytoons’ “other starring mouse character (of the non-mighty variety)", during the theatrical amination era. Paired with the requisite “cat-co-star”, Percy Puss, they were Terry’s answer to MGM's Tom and Jerry."

So, lessee... what do mice generally do?  Um, they eat cheese!  They flee from and/or torment cats!  And... and.. and... THEY RUN UP CLOCKS!  Yeah, that's it!  

While most mice usually run up ONE clock (...or maybe run up and down the same one over and over again), Little Roquefort runs up TWO DIFFERENT CLOCKS (and for two different publishers, yet) for today's Mirth Separation!  

Here's "An Olde Rhyme", from DINKY DUCK # 4 (St. John Comics, Cover Date: May, 1952), followed by "Nursery Rhymes", from MIGHTY MOUSE # 70 (Pines Comics, Cover Date: September, 1956).

Pines was the successor-publisher for the Terrytoons properties, following St. John - and I must say that, looking at this 1955-1956 transition, it feels not unlike the transition of the Hanna-Barbera properties from Gold Key to Charlton in 1970 - with Pines in the role of Charlton!  

...But that's another topic for another day... Here's Little Roquefort "Separating Himself at Mirth" first at St. John and then at Pines!  Click to Enlarge!  

In this case, the Pines version may actually be the better gag (even if the rhyme is totally and awkwardly abandoned)... but, ooohh, that LETTERING is so hard on the eyes! 

I’m Not an Artist, But… The (Star) Man of Steel!

 I’m Not an Artist, But… I can't help but feel that the logo atop ADVENTURE COMICS #471 (DC Comics, Cover Date: August, 1980) and other issues in that run could have been better designed than it was.  

The ADVENTURE COMICS logo itself is just fine, as is the PLASTIC MAN portion of the secondary-logo.  But the STARMAN portion of the secondary-logo kinda, sorta gives the wrong impression.  

Yes, I know they're supposed to be STARS studding the Starman logo but, in both this image and in the full-sized actual comic, it gives more of an impression of RIVETS giving the logo more of a "steel" look rather than a "starry" one!  

G'wan... Tell me it's not so!  

Now, it's not quite as pronounced as DC's later logo for STEEL - a long running character and series of perhaps the best of the "substitute Superman" quartet that emerged following the epic "Death of Superman" storyline of 1992. 

At least here, DC accomplished it's goal of designing a suitably "steel-y" logo!  

Now I’m Not an Artist, But… I think that maybe a starry background, instead of the "steel-studded, on-logo stars" would have better served the feature of this version of Starman.  

Cynical Blog Post: Shut Up, Shaggy!

I've been feeling a bit more cynical about Blogging these days, and it's time I showed some of it by presenting the cover of THE BATMAN & SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES #9 (DC Comics, 2022 Series - Cover Date: August, 2023 - On Sale Date: June 13, 2023)... 

... and telling Shaggy to SHUT UP!  

The idea of a "Scoob-Signal" is actually a great one, and is nicely rendered by artist Scott Jeralds... but Shaggy's line adds NOTHING to it!  

Yeah, we know that Shaggy is a Master of Bad Jokes (a title that has been bestowed upon me as various times as well), but most of his "Bad Jokes" are good!  This cover, however, would have been much better by letting the visual of the "Scoob-Signal" BE the gag, rather than the set-up for one!  

I'm not even sure that it's really called the "Scoob-Signal", as I've just come home with the issue, and have not read it yet!  But, "Scoob-Signal" seems as good a name as any! 

I'm betting that the story therein, is a goody - as all issues of the series have been, to one extent or another - but Shaggy's needless and unfunny line dims even the otherwise blinding brilliant light of the "Scoob-Signal"!  

Okay commenters, if you're still out there... tell me why I shouldn't be cynical over this - if you dare!  ...Or if maybe I should become more so?  

The comedy stylings of Shaggy, in better days! 

ADDED: June, 17, 2023: The SILENT VERSION!

Adventures in Comic-Boxing: A Most Unusual - Yet Familiar - Sound Effect!

I wonder if anyone has ever tallied the number of unusual sound effects used in comic books...

I know I've created a few of my own... 

...But, as the host of this humble Blog, a certain sound effect from THE FLASH #168 (DC Comics, Cover Date: March, 1967) jumped out at me...

Anyone who DOESN'T get this is banned from my "BLOGG!"... er, Blog for a month!  

That includes YOU, Melvin! 

Coming Soon from Fantagraphics "The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library Volume 28: Uncle Scrooge: Cave of Ali Baba"

Depending on when you first read this, here's your first alert for a milestone book from Fantagraphics - or it's my "Go Out and Buy It, Already!" request for - "The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library Volume 28: Uncle Scrooge: Cave of Ali Baba" (Fantagraphics, 2023)!

What makes this a "milestone" is that it covers the period of transition from Dell to Gold Key - meaning that it contains UNCLE SCROOGE #39 (Dell)-40 (Gold Key). 

Its coverage of UNCLE SCROOGE #40 (the first Gold Key issue) is something we've seen relatively little of in the past. 

While the text article for "Oddball Odssey" by Matthias Wivel hits on this in a minor way, my piece on Gyro Gearloose's "Posthasty Postman" may very well be the most comprehensive examination of the radical formatting changes introduced (...and quickly abandoned) by Gold Key that... well, that *I* have ever seen anywhere!  An aside: It well exceeded my allotted word count for the piece, forcing me to cut from some of the other pieces I wrote just to get it all in - but it was worth it! ...And thanks to editor Mike Catron for allowing that!  

I've written about this several times in the past... fanzine articles, this very Blog, Gemstone letter columns, etc., but pulled it all together and put it in one place - with some new information to boot! So, anyone who has as great an interest in this sort of thing as I do, will enjoy it. 

EVEN MORE MILESTONING: This volume also includes Daan Jippes' finished version of Carl Barks' "unfinished" Gyro story "The Pied Piper of Duckburg"!  

Not to be confused with the previous printing of Don Rosa's version of the tale, this is a new (...and different!!!) Fantagraphics Exclusive presented in English for the first time!!!  

Oh, and this book MUST be a "milestone" in that it kicked me back into Blogging Mode... something I hope to better sustain going forward!