Thursday, December 7, 2023

Holiday Reading Room WALT SCOTT'S CHRISTMAS STORIES "Jeremy Christmas"

Here's another one-off Christmas newspaper comic strip by Walt Scott...
...this one from 1951, as it appeared, reformatted by Scott himself, in Dell's Four Color Comics: Walt Scott's Christmas Stories #1062 (1959-1960).
Notes: the Little People in this tale aren't the regulars in Walt Scott's Little People newspaper strip, but one-shot characters in this story which is set in the same fictional universe.
Despite the numbering, this was the second (and last) of the reprint compilations of Scott's short-run Christmas newspaper strips.

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AGAR-AGAR "Forest of Life and Death"

If you were expecting a synopsis of what came before...why?
This story from New England Library's Dracula #10 (1971) was written by Luis Gasca under the pen-name Sadko  and illustrated in a Peter Max-esque style by Alberto Solsona.
In prepping these scans, I discovered the stories had been published out of order!
A week ago, I ran the tale from Dracula #8, so logically, this week should have been #9...except the storyline from #8 leads directly into this story from #10...which leads into #9, and finally #11!
Next week, you'll see #9, which follows up on the conclusion of this tale.
It'll be a groovy trip, baby!

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Holiday Reading Room WALT SCOTT'S CHRISTMAS STORIES "Music Box Trio"

There was also Walt Scott, a newspaper comic strip writer/artist!
More about him after the story...
Scott was working as an assistant on the newspaper strip Captain Easy when he pitched a short-run Christmas strip (which were very popular from the early 1900s to the 1960s) featuring his own creations, Little People, in 1950.
The audience response to the strip led Walt to create a Sunday-only series based on the characters which debuted in 1952 and ran through 1969, when he died.
In addition, he continued to do an annual short-run Christmas strip, which formed the basis for Dell's annual Walt Scott's Christmas Stories anthology!
This particular feature from Dell's Four Color Comics: Walt Scott's Christmas Stories #1062 (1959-1960) was the 1957 Christmas strip, reformatted by Scott for comic books!
Trivia:
Except for the reprinting of newspaper strip material in Dell's comics in the 1950s, Scott's work has never been reprinted in book form!
Both Walt Scott and Walt Kelly worked for Walt Disney's studio early in their careers!
BTW, you'll be seeing more of Scott's work here during the Yuletide season!

Watch for it!

Monday, December 4, 2023

Monday Madness BIZARRE ADVENTURES "Slay Bells!"

This never-reprinted tale is rendered in black and white...and red!

Lots of red!
No, there never was a "Weird Easter" issue.
In fact, this issue (#34 [1983]), was the final one of Bizarre Adventures!
Apparently, "Slay Bells!" writer/artist Mike Carlin, and the rest of the contributors decided to let it all hang out in this "Hate the Holidays" issue!
After all, the book was being cancelled...what was anybody going to do about it?

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Sunday, December 3, 2023

Design of the Week "BAH, HUMBUG!"

For the Christmas season, we've brought back one of our most popular features: posting a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another!
This week...
Express your true feelings about the holiday season!
None of this "Happy Holidays!" or "Good will towards men!" BS!
Say what you feel!
"Bah, Humbug!"
Say it on hot cocoa mugs, ornaments, sweatshirts, hoodies (both light AND dark!), and MANY other goodies!
Give the gift that keeps on giving, even if you, personally, don't!
And "Bah, Humbug!" to all this Holiday Season!