A Bear for Punishment

Happy Fathers Day!

Four Color #200: Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears

During Chuck Jones tenure as a director with Warner Brothers, he developed some memorable nemeses for Bugs Bunny such as Marvin the Martian, Gossamer (also called "Rudolph" in early appearances, The Crusher, the incredible bull from that bull-fighting cartoon, Baby-Face Finster, and Witch Hazel. He also created a hilarious version of the Three Bears, featuring a quick tempered Papa Bear, a ditzy Mama Bear, and a half-wit giant Baby Bear. Here is their debut from 1944:





One odd thing about this comic is that Bugs is completely out of character. He is almost timid in his encounter with the Bears, and never once does he give them the business. In fact, the only character who gets physically hurt is Bugs himself, and that's just wrong. But I present it here for historical purposes, since I don't believe the Three Bears made many appearances in these early comic books, and it is pretty fun to see them in print.

The artwork is credited to Roger Armstrong.

"Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears" is from Four Color #200 (1948):

More Churchy la Femme and Howland Owl by Walt Kelly

"Down With the Sea and Ships" is from Pogo Possum #10 (July-Sept. 1952):

A quick helping of Junior Woodchuck

"Helpless on Purpose" is from Huey, Dewey and Louie: Junior Woodchucks #1 (1966)

Pencils by Tony Strobl, inked by Steve Steere

Adventures with Gran'pa Feeb

While I decide whether to post more of my own comics, here's some fun with Granpa Feeble to pass the time!

"Operation Gumdrop" from Tubby #24 (Sept.-Oct. 1957):
















"Circus Daze" from Tubby #31 (Nov.-Dec., 1958):

Superkatt by Dan Gordon

Dan Gordon is a great cartoonist. His comics are lively and violent and crude and a little mean-spirited...exactly what a good cartoon should be. I love his organic panel borders as well...so much so that I fully intend to steal them.

Cartoonist/storyboard artist Sherm Cohen has quite a lot of DanG goodies at his blog, including the biography he wrote for the Comics Journal. Read it at Cartoon Snap.

There's a great SuperKatt story as well over at Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine: Number 506.

Giggle Comics #46 (October, 1947):



















Giggle Comics #24 (December, 1945):



















Here's a bonus! An advertisement for Milt Gross Funnies, from Giggle Comics #46:

Little Ambrose by Bob Bolling

A while back I posted "Camera Caper", the second story in the Little Ambrose one-shot by Bob Bolling. You can read that story right here.

This time we have the other two stories from that issue, also by Bolling. Poor Little Ambrose! The Good ol' Gang can't be rid of him fast enough. But they're perfectly willing to take his money and exploit his inventiveness. Small wonder, then, that Ambrose apparently moved far away from Riverdale well before his tormentors reached High School.

"Spook Spree" and "Bus Fuss" are from Little Ambrose #1 (September, 1958):