Mark Kausler’s CatBlog

L.A. Junior Times March 1927

 Here at last are the L.A. Junior Times comics from March, 1927. I ran a few comics from junior cartoonists who DIDN’T go on to fame as animators or strip cartoonists, but did some pretty good stuff anyway. I like Berk Anthony’s drawing about the Artist’s Meetings, especially when he does jokes about his fellow cartoonists such as Bob Wickersham (” ‘Wicky’ looking for an idea”) I like the “Karikaturist at work” surrounded by curious juniors.

 Here’s a prize winning cover by “Wicky” from 3-20-1927 and a Times Junior Club promo by future animator Phil De Lara. Phil stayed with the Junior Times into 1930, producing a lot of strips and filler drawings, such as the three episodes of “Hezy Tate” below and his panel feature “Pearl Handle”.

 Here you will also find drawings and strips by Morey Reden, Bill Zaboly and I. Ellis doing a strip about “Willyum Tell” for his occasional feature, “Incidents in the Lives of Famous Characters”. I also threw in a couple of panels illustrating “Variations on a Single Theme”, by Scott Crosby and Bob Phillipi, showing Boy Cartoonists struggling to get an idea for the Junior Times. I know nothing about these two guys, but maybe Bob Philippi was some relation to Charlie Philippi, the Walt Disney art director in the 1930s.

 Myrtle is from 5-12 to 5-17-1947 this time. I especially like the 5-14; Freddie sits on a chair his wife has just decorated with a few flower paintings and tries to hide the wet paint on his clothes by standing in Myrtle’s “time-out” corner. The 4th panel of the 5-16 has a funny drawing of Junior with his stomach bloated by golf balls he’s swallowed, and the 5-17 has a subtle gag, a conspiracy between Mom and Myrtle to get Freddie to wash the dishes by giving Mom a manicure just after dinner. Watch this blog for a little Christmas post coming soon.