Starting Raccketty Ann and the Lost World!


Here they are! Cathy Hill’s Mad Raccoons in “Raccketty Ann and the Lost World”! Raccketty Ann is loosely based on Raggedy Ann, a character from old children’s books who was made into charming rag dolls the world over. Raccketty Ann is a real adventurer, she is fearless and remarkably adaptive to nearly any situation, dangerous or not. Her constant companion is “Bla-Bla” a long-suffering canine of indeterminate breed, who loves Raccketty Ann more than any other raccoon. Raccketty Ann’s stories in the community of raccoons were depicted in previously published issues of Mad Raccoons, published by MU Press. The raccoons look up to Raccketty Ann and hang on every word as she regales their imaginations with her tales of travel. In this episode she encounters a Preranodon, wait until you see the other prehistoric creatures she meets!
Felix is from 7-24 to 7-30-1933. Felix is forced to sleep outside by the hard-hearted farmer, and Danny tries to help find Felix a softer bed. The 7-24 strip recalls the story of “Babes In The Woods” as Felix leaves a trail of corn to mark Danny’s way through the woods. The Sunday has Felix trying to crash his way in to the circus, only to be slammed around by athletic trained mice who all look like Messmer’s “Skiddoo” the mouse.

Here’s Myrtle from 4-25 to 4-31-1949. I like the 4-29 and 4-30 dailies as Myrtle’s skirt and sweater are criticized by her mother, and Dad Freddie breaks Mom’s hand mirror as he spanks Myrtle with it. The Sunday page depicts the pioneering days of home TV sets as the neighbors put up makeshift antennas as status symbols even though they don’t yet have the sets to go with them!

Krazy is from 10-18 to 10-30-1943 this time. World War 2 enters the strip in a subtle way in the 10-21. Herriman was in a mood to cross-hatch in the 10-27 through 10-30 strips. The 10-27 takes on a mysterious feel in the last panel, due to the shading, giving the feel of twilight blanketing Krazy as she peacefully dozes under the gaze of Ignatz and Offissa Pupp. Krazy sings a hit song from “Oklahoma”, a hit musical of the early 1940s, as Ignatz hurls a brick at his head. Clocks play a big part in the 10-29 and 10-30 strips, a grandfather clock in the 10-29 and alarm clocks in the 10-30 as Krazy is once again wrapped in cross-hatched twilight in the last panel.

KURT’S CORNER In the corner this time are a collection of very rare stills from my brother’s Clark Gable collection. There are from November of 1937, when Clark was married to Carole Lombard. Gable loved horses and this was probably photographed on his ranch. I like the way he captioned the pictures as a film “Short”, labeling himself as a “Villain” and the Calf and Horse as the “Heroes”. I don’t know who Walt Cady was, who took the pictures. Maybe that’s Mr. Cady helping to brand the calf in the last photo. I have no idea how Kurt came by these rare pieces of Gableana, but aren’t they just fresh off the ranch? Look for more rare photos soon, as my tribute to my sadly missed brother continues.

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