Mark Kausler’s CatBlog

Moreno and Wick 6-1926 Jr. Times!

 Here’s some strips from the L.A. Junior Times from June 6th to the 27th, 1926. I heard from Mario Manuel Prietto, Manuel Moreno’s grandson! In honor of that letter, I’m putting up a whole month’s worth of Manuel’s Jr. Times Comic Strip. Go back a few posts to : “Introducing the L.A. Jr. Times, 1922-23” to read Mario’s letter. He filled me in on some very interesting details of Manuel’s production efforts in Mexico in the 1940s. I still don’t know if the mysterious “Tat” of “Tat’s Tales” studio is Manuel or not. He used the title “Keen and Feeble Tat” in his ongoing strip for the Jr. Times in 1926. You’ll note that Feeble visits Fred Richards’s studio in the 6-13 entry, one of Mario’s fellow Jr. Times cartoonists. Manuel has a pretty mature sense of gags for a youngster, and he always tacks on an extra: “Today’s Can of T.N.T.” at the end of each strip. Bob Wickersham’s Fido Bark continues as Fido gets lost in the African jungles. It’s amusing that so many of the kids used the “world travelling” or “African Explorer” plotlines in crafting their strips. This was a good ploy to make sure that the kid cartoonist would find their strip (and check for $2.50) in the Jr. Times each week. Finally, Aunt Dolly said that she would accept no more “Continued Stories” with “Bad Grammar” in the Jr. Times, but this did nothing to abate the tide of chapter plays (the grammar did improve a bit). Last we have Larry Martin’s panel cartoon of 6-27-26 featuring the World applying for T.J.C. membership from a very glamorous Aunt Dolly! I wonder if she was really that fetching? Her columns in the Jr. Times indicate a very worldly lady with a big heart, who lived a rough life in the Wild West before she settled in Los Angeles. Aunt Dolly should be better known to all of us, she made it possible for a whole generation of cartoonists and animators to get started on their careers.

 Make sure you visit Allan Holtz’s Stripper’s Guide blog this week for some great posts on the history of Bob Kuwahara, including some of his extremely rare “Miki” strip! In Bob’s Barker Bill this time, we wind up the story of “Floating Bill”, as Ali K. Zam buys the spell which will bring Bill back to Earth. In the 5-21-55 episode, Bill meets Count Yuhchange from the kingdom of Screwbalia. He wants Puddy to be the King of Screwbalia because he can talk! Puddy takes the entire Barker Bill Circus to Screwbalia with him on one airplane (they’ll never get it off the ground). Puddy learns to his surprise that he is to have a Queen! This reminds me a lot of “Puddy’s Coronation”, which Castle Films released as “Hail the King”. The Sundays this time are from 5-29 and 6-5-1950(?). The color Sunday page was supplied by our reader Ger Apeldoorn, who claims the 1950 date. Since the first Barker Bill didn’t appear until 9-27-1954, I would vote for a 1955 date for this page. I’m really happy to have a color Bill Sunday page, thanks Ger! Go to Ger’s blog for more comics than you’ll ever have time to read. It’s called “The Fabulous Fifties” and there is a link over on the Blogroll.

 In Felix, 7-29 to 8-4-1935, Danny once again gets lost, this time in a cave (7-31). There is an odd story gap from between 8-1 and 8-2 as a charging hippo gets mixed up in the continuity. Maybe Otto fell asleep at his desk that day. In the Sunday, Felix controls a boxing match from Dreamland. I think Otto might have been a fight fan, judging from the “Socky” character in the 1936 Felix strip. You can find his adventures in the blog Archive.

 In “K” this time from 6-9 to 6-14-1941, the theme is “Big and Little”. I love the giant Ignatz in the 6-10. There is a flea circus on Krazy’s back in the 6-12 and 6-13. I had to get the 6-12 episode from Newspaper Archive, so it is not the same quality as the others. Note the rabbit design in the 6-14, sort of like a cousin of Oswald. 

 In Myrtle this time from 2-24 to 3-1-1947, most of the week is taken up with Myrtle’s phony diamond ring. You will note in the 2-28 how Myrtle’s punishment is to stand in the corner, sort of a “time-out” in modern parlance. Once in a while Myrtle endures corporal punishment ala Little Lulu, but there is a slightly more liberal, loving atmosphere in the way Myrtle is being raised by her parents. They are quite tolerant of Myrtle’s high spirits, just look at the way she springs through the front door in the 2-26! Well, this blog has taken too much time once again. See you after Yowp puts up a new batch of Yogis.