How about an entire Spirit Section from 1940 to start your day, complete with Mr. Mystic and Lady Luck?

http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/2012/08/blog-post_27.html

Here’s the one-off illustrated prose Batman story by Marshall Rogers and Denny O’Neil. Did it work? You be the judge.

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2012/08/grooves-faves-death-strikes-at-midnight.html

Pappy reminds us that today marks the 100th anniversary of Tarzan of the Apes and shares a Manning/Royer story.

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2012/08/number-1217-happy-100th-birthday-tarzan.html

Speaking of Tarzan, here’s a 1970 interview with Joe Kubert conducted by Steve Mitchell and Alan Kupperberg.

http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2012/08/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know.html

From the August 1912 issue of Cartoons Magazine, a page of cartoons on the Prohibition Party — still a small political movement at this point, and a favorite butt of jokes for cartoonists, but which will become powerful in future years. Its radical extremists calling for law-enforced morality, will eventually join with the Republican Party, helping both win elections initially, then costing the G.O.P. dearly later, when public backlash builds against the reality of Prohibition made Law.

Artists above include E.A. Bushnell and W.A. Ireland.

Click on the above page of cartoons, to view them in detail, and be able to read their captions.

Doug Wheeler

ElectionComics

For August 1912, the two cartoonists hilighted by Cartoons Magazine, are William (“Billy”) A. Ireland (above), and Thomas A. Schroeder (below).

In addition to the photos, bios, and example cartoons of each artist, is a cartoon portrait of Ireland, above, by Harry J. Westerman, plus one of Schroeder, below, by McConache of the Detroit Free Press.

Click on the above & below pages, to view the cartoons & photos in greater detail, and to read the bios.

Doug Wheeler

W.A. Ireland Billy Ireland

Today’s posting is New Fangled Speed Machines, starting with the motorcycle daredevil above, in “One of Them”, by Ole May.

Below, by John T. McCutcheon and others, aviation was frequently targeted along with the other new means of travel (automobiles, motorcycles) as vehicles of death.

Both the above and below cartoons are extracted from the August 1912 issue of Cartoons Magazine.

Click on the below & above cartoons, to enlarge them, and read their text.

Above (from September 1912), and below (from October 1912), two European cartoons, continuing the aviation leads to death theme.

From November 1912, above & below, still more on the dangers of flying. Ole May, above, combines all three featured vehicles, noting that Science is conquering disease, “But she keeps right on digging up new ways to die.”. Below, aviation worry wart McCutcheon, again.

Above (from October 1912) by Perry, the young seem unperturbed by the threat. While below (by Fontaine Fox, French, and Billy DeBeck) we have a set of speeding auto cartoons. The latter are from the September 1912 issue of Cartoons Magazine.

Above, from August 1912, one result of outmoding the horse. By Ralph Everett Wilder, Harry French, James H. Donahey, and Frank Michael Spangler.

From October 1912, below, the result that followed (demonstrating how laws/regulations usually have a reason for having been first created). By Richard Keith Culver, Burtt, William Charles Morris, and W.A. Ireland

Doug Wheeler

Science Tigwissel Tuesdays

Title of the cartoon above: This is the way the trusts “visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.” The posted sign in the background reads, “Doctors say children are dying for want of ice.”

Once again we focus on the cartoons by Homer Davenport, found in his 1900 collection, The Dollar or the Man? The Issue of To Day. And not only the “Today” of 1900, but, with the Conservative Activist Supreme Court having thrown away 100+ years of election fundings reform, giving corporations the level of power in election that they had — and abused — more than a century ago, Davenport’s The Dollar or the Man? is now just as relevant in 2012, as it was in 1900.

Yesterday’s focus having been on Summer Heat in pre-air conditioned times, and the importance of the Ice Man / Ice Deliveries, delivering blocks of ice to homes. (How “refrigeration” worked back then.) A few of those cartoons focused on the plight of the urban poor, trapped in overheated cities, and unable to afford regular ice deliveries.

Davenport’s cartoons, depict that plight even more starkly, at a time when unregulated corporations openly colluded with each other, as monopolistic “trusts”, together deciding on what prices they would demand. (As shown by actual history, in an unregulated environment, corporations eschew the “free market”, taking from the people every extra bit they can squeeze out). Pages 25 through 29 of The Dollar or the Man? dealt with the “Ice Trusts” — the companies which manufactured & delivered ice, which rather than compete against each other and truly let the “Free Market” set the price of Ice, instead — as unregulated corporations will do when permitted to do so — decided to only produce so much, and squeeze their customers hard. Davenport here depicts the “Ice Trust” just as he does all other monopolies — embodying them in the person of a giant Goliath-like behemoth, against whom the people are tiny underdogs, whom may some day, like David, win the battle.

Click on the above & below cartoons, to view them in greater detail.

“I can’t get any ice, mamma. The trust man says they won’t sell any more small pieces to poor people.”

No more five cent ice!

The hottest day on record. Yet there is a master far more cruel than heat.

“We simply follow the law of supply and demand. No ten cents, no ice.”

Doug Wheeler

Waifs

Let’s start off with some always welcome Harry Lucey art on a seventies Archie written by Frank Doyle.

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2012/08/grooves-faves-mental-block-by-doyle-and.html

Speaking of Archie, here’s Dan DeCarlo with what seems like an alternate world version of Betty and Veronica.

http://fourcolorshadows.blogspot.com/2012/08/linda-and-laurie-dan-decarlo-1958.html

Here’s one of our favorites, the late John Severin, uncharacteristically at Charlton on Billy the Kid.

http://charltonlibrary.blogspot.com/2012/08/billy-kid-21-march-1960.html

Finally today, some interesting black and white scans of some advertising comic strips.

http://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2012/08/selling-with-stars-wednesday.html

From the August 1912 issue of Cartoons Magazine, proof that 100 years ago, it got warm in the Summer! Take that, believers in Global Warming! (P.S. — no need to compare the temperatures involved — these cartoons are “fact” enough! It got hot back then, okay? What do NASA and climate scientists know about planet-wide climate science, anyway?? Stick to what your politicians and preachers tell you, who can speak clearly on the subject, as their brains never got muddled by having to study it!)

Helping to prove that Earth got hot in summers past, are cartoonists Harry J. Westerman, Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, and Billy DeBeck.

Click on the above & below pictures, to view the cartoons in detail, and read their word balloons.

Above & below, from Cartoons Magazine‘s October 1912 issue, cartoons on the End of Summer, and, the End of Summer Vacation. By W.A. Ireland, Fontaine Fox, William Charles Morris, and Gaar Williams.

Below (from August 1912), in pre-air conditioning days, relief from heat came from the back of an ice truck, if you could afford that ice (see tomorrow’s posting). Or steal it. (Or — if you could really afford it — by leaving the cities, and getting out to the countryside.) Art by Ole May, Billy DeBeck again, and Arthur G. Racey.

Doug Wheeler

Waifs Billy Ireland

Believe it or not, The Dark Knight Rises is still showing in theaters. That means our tribute to Batman continues! Naturally, our focus is on the 1966 TV show which was a big deal at the time and its reverberations continue to this very day.

And who better to epitomize the Batman phenomenon than good old Adam West, the original TV Batman? Not only did he play Bruce Wayne/Batman, but Adam also contributed his own bat-song. Man, is there anything he can’t do? Enjoy these vintage photos of Mr. West as you listen to his song “Batman and Robin.”

Click to supersize

Click the link below to listen!

Batman and Robin - Adam West

This week for Tigwissel Tuesdays, we touch again on Polar Exploration — the goal of reaching either pole being the 19th Century’s (and before) equivalent of landing on the Moon.

Above, by artist William Heath, from the November 14th, 1825 tenth issue of Glasgow Looking Glass, we find Jack Frost consuming ships engaged in a North Pole Expedition.

Beneath, artist F. Graetz, in the August 20th, 1884 issue of Puck magazine, questions the sacrifice of lives to the then-as-yet unattained goal of reaching the North Pole, in his cartoon titled, The World’s Morgue.

Click on the above & below pictures, to view the cartoons in greater detail, and read their text.

Next, Tigwissel Tuesdays more typical silliness, finds Professors O. Howe Wise and I.B. Schmart engaged in “The Professor’s Dash for the Pole”. By artist Ed Payne, from his 1910 published collection of Billy the Boy Artist’s Book of Funny Pictures.

Finally, we close out with artist William Baxter, in the centerspread of the December 16th, 1874 issue of Judy magazine, comparing Britain’s weather with that of polar regions, in a reference to Captain Howard Howgate‘s proposal to colonize the North Pole…

(P.S., note the hat, boots, gloves, and umbrella in the bottom right of the cartoon, implying that continuing Judy comics character Ally Sloper, is buried in the pile of snow beside the family. The old lady, top right, is magazine mascot Aunt Judy.)

Doug Wheeler

LookingGlass NYPuck BritJudy Frederick Graetz AllySloper