Mark Kausler’s CatBlog

A Duane Crowther Christmas!

 This is a special Christmas card that Duane printed from a linoleum block in 1954. It was designed to be folded out, with Santa on the front of the card. The recipient unfolded it and found a very Gerald-like little boy up late on Christmas eve watching TV. I’m not printing the next two letters that Duane wrote to Bob Balser in this post, because the language is a bit unexpurgated for Christmas, but I’ll run them soon!

 Here’s more of the Moldy Figs! Flintstones Sundays from 12-23, 12-2, 12-9 and 12-30. These are 1/3rd page versions, to see the 1/2 page versions go over to Yowp’s blog, (click on the link in the blogroll on the right side of this page) he has the 12-16 episode as well. I like the image of Fred’s sleigh pulled by 8 huge brontosaurs. The names might have been an in-joke. Like Yowp, I like the multiple Freds in the 12-9 as he reacts to a cave woman. This looks like the work of Dick Bickenbach to me.

 Felix from 10-14 to 10-20-1935, continues his adventures aboard ship, trying to hide Danny’s diamond from the sailors. I like Felix’s expression as he feigns sleep in the second panel of the 10-15 and Felix’s pleased expression with the “oo” mouth in the third panel of the 10-18. In the Sunday, Felix turns magnetic energy against the chemist he’s living with. I like the drawings of Felix and the chemist being pulled back by the magnet.

 Krazy from 8-25 to 8-30-1941, centers on Krazy’s conversation with Mr. Bum Bill and other Bees. Including “Witamin ‘B'”. I love Krazy’s expression of schock in panel 4 of the 8-26 as Bum Bill Bee confuses him. The series winds up enigmatically as Ignatz overhears Bum Bill Bee explaining that both he and Vitamin ‘B’ are full of “pep, vigor and vitality”. In the last panel of the 8-30, Ignatz is outside a drug store, either full of anticipation of the vitamin B he’s going to get, or pepped up from the vitamin B he has just taken, the drawing can be interpreted at least two ways. This quixotic quality is what makes Krazy Kat loved and also disliked by Herriman’s readers.

Speaking of readers, thanks to all you readers for sticking with me through 5 years of this blogging madness. Stay with me for more arcane bits of comicana through the coming year, I couldn’t do it without you! Merry Christmas, from Duane Crowther and me.