The Lady and the Tiger Return!


August 7, 2020

In our last episode of Cathy Hill’s comic story; “The Lady and the Tiger”, the lady was going in to a hypnotic trance as she entered the jungle and imagines she’s riding on a pterodactyl. Her feline friend, the Tiger, takes her by the hand and over to a mysterious castle.

The Lady’s Tiger friend tried to protect her from a monster bird in the mysterious castle, but apparently perishes in the attempt, only to transmogrify into another sort of friend, human, male and without stripes. I love Cathy’s style in this story, she used doilies to add an abstract pattern in pages 4 and 5, and her use of black in pages seven and eight weaves a note of horror and mystery into the panels. This is the story’s first publication anywhere.

Here’s Myrtle from 19490620 to 19490626. I love the whistling Bingo in the 6-25, and the action pose on Myrtle in the 6-26 as she socks a croquet ball around the backyard. I am continually drawn to Myrtle at this point in the feature’s life. She evolved from a skinny rube in the early 1940s, to a cute little girl with pigtails coming out of her bonnet as you see here.
In Felix, from 19330918 to 19330924, Felix and Danny find jobs for their fellow animals, cats and pigs, and a French tutor for Danny, much to his disgust. The NRA gets a plug in the 9-24. The Sunday page has Felix driving his rickety car, with power supplied by a goat. He tries to substitute a carbonated beverage for Danny’s Pop in a pun that’s strictly on ice. Otto Messmer did the art on these.
In Krazy Kat, from 19440207-19440212, Garge is doing the artwork in this week’s comics. I like Krazy’s action in the 2-10, as he does a “summa salt” in midair to avoid a brick, and the touch of Spanish tile roof under Krazy and Offissa Pupp in the 2-11. After this week, Garge’s drawing disappears from the strip until March.
In Krazy Kat from 19440214-19440219, Bob Naylor once again takes the pen, and of course, signs the strip “Herriman”. Naylor does the dailies until the end of March. The stories seem to fit the Coconino looniverse, and Naylor’s art looks OK, but it’s not as loose as Garge. This is the first time this particular week of Kats has been reprinted. Herriman passed away on April 27th, 1944. He was very ill with cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis and had one functioning kidney, but kept at the drawing board, turning out his beloved Krazy until the end. He died with nearly two months of strips ready to publish.

Kurt’s Corner

      Here’s a couple of columns for the Irish Independent by James Hilton, compiled by my much-missed brother, Kurt. He put together a very comprehensive file on nearly all of Mr. Hilton’s newspaper articles. The “Timing Laughs” column, from 19380328, gives a little insight in to how comedy writers functioned in 1938 Hollywood. The audience’s laughter was law!

In his Irish Independent column from 19380530, Mr. Hilton tried to explain away the escapism of Shirley Temple, Charlie McCarthy and Walt Disney’s Snow White, over more weighty dramatic faire. He chastises the public in the last paragraph for expecting a cinematic “masterpiece” every week.
Kurt’s Corner signs off this time with a collection of 10 rare British cigarette cards of the 1930s featuring Ronald Colman. These represent him as he appeared in “Clive of India”, “Beau Geste”, “Under Two Flags” and “Bulldog Drummond”. The reverse side of the cards is just above, so you can read all the vintage British advertising and the captions.
I hope all my readers are well and sheltering at home as much as you can. When you go out, stay socially distanced and become a “Zorro” in reverse, wear a mask over your nose and mouth. Love to you all.

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