Sunday Funnies - June 4, 1955 - part 2

Good morning and happy Sunday Funnies to you all!  This week is part 2 of a 4 part posting of the Chicago Daily News SATURDAY Sunday supplement from June 4, 1955.  16 pages of 4 color deliciousness brought a day early back in the day.

Here in pages 5-8 we learn that the age of mediocrity had finally eclipsed the golden age of newspaper comics.  The 1950's may have brought great lights like "Peanuts" and "Pogo", but for the most part it was a reflection of a lot of the homogenization of America.  Still brought to you at full tabloid size though, the Sunday funnies still had the respect of their publishers, who still understood what sold papers!

Fist off is NOT an example of what I was just talking about.  "Mopsy" by Gladys Parker was a slickly designed and easy-on-the-eyes strip with the fun bonus of some fashion paper dolls for the kids...

...and I have to imagine, the delight of seeing a pretty cartoon character in her underwear wasn't exactly unappealing to Junior or old Dad either.

Rex Morgan, M.D., a staple of newspapers for a few decades in the same soap opera vein as Mary Worth or Judge Parker or the Girls in Apartment 3G...I suppose Mom needed the funnies, too.

Here the water-mark drops.  I'm not sure if the artist of "Little Debbie" (who's signature in the first panel is unknown to me) was trying to make the strip look like "Dondi" or not, but in retrospect I can see where the artist of "Li'l Jinx" in Archie comics got their inspiration.  Anyone know if it's the same person or not?  The frustration with humor comics of my childhood, is the publishers never listed credits and I'm never sure.

Here's another strip I know little about.  The creative team of Al Fagaly and Harry Shorten are even unfamiliar to me, but this is a really well-laid out and well-timed strip.  The boss's attitude and mentality aren't very far removed (actually right on the money) from some of the higher ups in the corporation I work for to this day!  

Maybe I spoke to soon.  Them 1950's may not have as many recognizable features for me as papers from the 40's, 30's or 20's...but they do hold their own and make for good Sunday morning reading!

More next week!

Talk to you soon!

Chicago Daily News - November 13, 1948 - Sunday Funnies!

Sunday Funnies this week gets it's lead from a few newspaper comics sections I bought at a reasonable price off of eBay a few years ago.  This one;s from the November 13, 1948 edition of the Chicago Daily News and has some real honeys in it!

Two helpings of Al Capp with "Li'l Abner" and "Abbie and Slats" with Raeburn Van Buren.  A pretty much forgotten adolescent strip called "Dotty Dripple" by Buford Tune.  Some of Ed Dodd's tried and true "Mark Trail".  A fashion type strip that looks about 20 years too late for it's art deco stylings, but pleasant to the eye none-the-less...with even some fun paper doll action.  A little soap opera action with "Rex Morgan, M.D.".  Another forgotten children strip that has a really interesting drawing style (if a bit forced feeling) by someone named Cecil Jensen and finally a sign that the good ol' days weren't always so good...Fred Neher's "Life's Like That" - ugh!

All in all though a fun and varied grab bag that oughta make yer oatmeal taste good as you longe over it this Sunday!

Talk to you soon!