Altergott + Hernandez = Greatness

While we wait for our banner-artist Rick Altergott to finish his concluding installment of RAISIN PIE, we will have to content ourselves with these great covers he did for two Gilbert Hernandez graphic novels. I just finished reading both of them, and they are of course superb.

The third one, due out at the end of this year, seems to lack the distinction of Altergott cover imagery, but will no doubt repay your attentions as well.

More Pepsi

I haven't been able to post much lately, and now that the semester is over it is time to go back home where I won't be able to post at all due to dialup being the only internet connection. I'll try to post at least once more before I leave, but for now here are some great (and confusing) Pepsi ads from some 1940s issues of Popular Science. There are too many to list which issues they came from, so click the picture to go to the original source.

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Herbie

When I learned that the fabled exploits of Herbie Popnecker were finally going to be reprinted, I rushed to place my order for the first two volumes, and was not dissatisfied.

But somehow, I neglected to order the concluding third volume for almost a year. It arrived this week, bringing more pure comics weirdness. It's hard to convey the essence of Herbie, but just check out the sloppy scan below.




Herbie goes time-traveling to the era of the Pilgrims and meets--Beatnik Indians!

Think of the brain that could conceive of Beatnik Indians--and stand in awe! (Click image to enlarge.)

Hot Stuff and Old Forky

As we observed in this prior post on Harvey Comics, the stories told about Richie Rich, Casper and the gang were frequently weirder than any Grant Morrison or Warren Ellis tale. Here's one from Devil Kids Starring Hot Stuff, Volume 1, Number 6, May 1963, that illustrates my point. You can read the entire five-page story at the end, but I've included some single panels to make my points.

First, we learn that Cupid inhabits the same universe as Hot Stuff and friends. Nothing like mixing your mythologies up. In any case, Cupid hexes Hot Stuff's trident--or phallic symbol--known as "Old Forky," to become gay.



Gay anthropomorphic trident on display.



Unwanted Public Display of Affection.



Hot Stuff's gay trident attracts unwanted queer suitors.



Including a giant grape wearing an extremely fetching hair ribbon and spats.



But Cupid realizes his error and undoes his spell, whereupon all is "he-man" regular again. Even though Old Forky's first action upon reverting was to impale Hot Stuff's butt.

They just don't write 'em like this any more.

Milt Gross

I am currently enjoying a great book about cartoonist Milt Gross. (See link at right.)

If you watch the embedded cartoon, you'll get a sense of why he was idolized by R. Crumb and the founding artists of Mad magazine for his supreme wackiness.







Jitterbug Follies (1939) Milt Gross
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The A To Z Of Awesomeness!

British comic book artist Neill Cameron has been posting one letter a day of sheer awesomeness, based on suggestions from fans. Now the alphabet is complete everyone can view such wonders as "Aztecs in Atomic Armour Attacking Anomalous Amphibians" and "Doctor Who Defeating Doctor Doom in a Deadly Disco Dance-off" for themselves.

So if you've ever longed to see Lois Lane, Lana Lang and Lori Lemaris lasciviously licking lollipops at a London landmark, why not have a look-see at Neill's A to Z of Awesomeness. You'll love it!

Life Imitates Comics

A real-life Batman villain! Read about Two-Face here.

Dick Tracy Cartoon

When you read the down-and-dirty naturalism and noir in the early Dick Tracy strips, you have to ask yourself how the concept ever came to include a canine detective named Hemlock Holmes.

The Caterer

One of the weirdest books you'll ever read is by my pal, Steve Aylett, and it's titled Lint. (You can order it through the Amazon link below.)

Lint is the "biography" of Jeff Lint, poverty-stricken, mad genius, hack writer, who is basically a cross between Kilgore Trout and Salvador Dali.

One of Lint's fictional creations was a comic-book character dubbed "The Caterer." And now you can read an actual issue of this gonzo masterpiece, thanks to Floating World Comics. A sample is to the right.

You must investigate this saga of one man and his senseless quest for perfect absurdity in a violent world, or risk being rendered null and void!

Cartoon Character Sex

Recall the court decision of a few weeks ago, determining that cartoon depictions of sex by underage characters were child pornography?

Does that mean that there will be retroactive prosecutions against Tijuana Bibles, a comic book tradition that frequently featured popular underage cartoon icons of the day having sex? Or perhaps contemporary scholars will come under fire, such as this site, where scanned samples exist.

The main page is Safe for Work, but of course, not the scans themselves.

All original content in posts is Copyright © 2008 by the author of the post, either Alex Boese ("Alex"), Paul Di Filippo ("Paul"), or Chuck Shepherd ("Chuck"). All rights reserved. The banner illustration at the top of this page is Copyright © 2008 by Rick Altergott.