April 26, 2008 01:34 pm
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LARRY LARKIN Column
Being sick as a youngster had one good benefit. I knew my parents would usually purchase a couple of comic books for me to help the recovery time.
Going to the store myself and checking out the newest editions on the racks was a major event. The colorful covers usually offered a hint of the 50-some pages of joyful reading material inside.
Readers could fly with Superman, laugh at the antics of Archie and all his pals, or help Roy Rogers or Gene Autry catch a lowdown crook.
Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck were just a couple of the many Disney characters that had their own series of comics.
Then there were the likes of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Little Iodine, Nancy (and boyfriend Sluggo), Little Lulu, and Richie Rich.
In a carryover from the newspaper comic strips, you followed the adventures of Dick Tracy, Buz Sawyer, Blondie, and King of the Royal Mounted. Ironically, one of the longest running strips apparently never stepped over to the comic book field. Why Little Orphan Annie didn't show up remains unknown.
Following the television popularity of the 1950s, the comic book publishers fell in line. Westerns were the leaders here as Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, and Maverick started showing up beside the older line of comics. Right beside the main westerns were the lesser-known shows like The Restless Gun, The Rebel, and Brave Eagle.
Over a short period of time, there were more than 60 different comic books stemming from the western theme TV shows. This followed the time Roy and Gene and some 30 other movie cowboys had their own comic adventures.
Many other non-western TV series also showed up on the comic book racks. “I Love Lucy,” “77 Sunset Strip,” “The Real McCoys,” and “Leave It to Beaver” were just a few.
A tidbit of comic book history reveals that Benjamin Franklin created the first editorial cartoon in an American newspaper in 1754.
In 1895, a series called "Yellow Kid" started appearing and it has been cited as being the first actual comic strip. It was the first to use the balloon for the characters' spoken words.
At first, all the strips were comical and humorous in nature. This resulted in the term “funny papers.” This stuck even after the serious titles like (space adventure) Flash Gordon, (the jungle's) Tarzan, and (cowboy) Red Ryder joined up.
The longtime dime novels and the popular pulp adventure magazines started giving up space for the comic books in the late 1930s. The comic business was growing at a fast pace.
During the next decade and after the start of World War II, maybe to help improve morale on the home front, publishers felt the country needed more super heroes. This brought about the creation of the likes of Captain Marvel, the Phantom, the Green Hornet, and many others to help Superman to battle the bad guys.
Then a full twist came about. By the end of the war, many adults felt the comic books had become too violent. This wasn't proper reading for the youngsters, they said. By the time I started making my delightful dime purchases, the comics were tame once again. Like the movies, the comic makers had to live up to various codes and rules.
While I was always willing to pick up a Batman or a Chilly Willie or a Don Winslow of the Navy to read, only the books with the Dell Company trademark would cause a purchase. I could read the others at a friend's house or the barber shop, but all my dimes went to Dell. This was due to the fact that Dell had the major market on the television comics by this time.
When needed, I did break this rule and would purchase a Classics Illustrated at times. This company would turn a popular classic novel (thus the name) into comic book form. This was perfect when it came time to write a book report for school.
While the westerns rated No. 1 with me, I also enjoyed the various sports-topic comics that appeared. One of my favorites was entitled “Cotton Woods.” A one-time-only issue, one story had Cotton's baseball team winning the World Series. He then joined a football team in the second story. As you might guess, yes, his team won another championship.
Life stories about Jackie Robinson and other great athletes were common, too.
Another enjoyment came on the back cover of many comics. Usually a cereal or shoe advertisement, some athlete in panel form would explain that he owned his playing skills to the fact he used that product. Corny, yes, but still fun to read.
Junior-high years were the best for me as far as collecting comic books. I had to walk by a Crown Drug and a TG&Y on the way to and from school. Saving lunch money meant being able to buy four or five comics each week.
That was in Tulsa. After moving to Claremore, my comic-buying days came to an end. The only place I remember seeing a comic stand was at the Rexall Drug. Surely there must have been other locations here, but none come to mind. It didn't really matter by that time.
Dell was no longer putting out the TV versions and the cowboy comics had long ago ridden off into the sunset.
Another topic had also helped end my desire for comics.
Girls were more expensive, but they were also more interesting.
Sorry to say, today's so-called comics are not for children. There is nothing "comic" about them. Death and violence appear to be the main subject. They even killed off Superman in recent years, only to bring him back to life. Scantily clad heroines are common.
Today's comics are geared toward adults.
Anyone finding this hard to believe can see for themselves just by picking one up and flipping through the pages.
To purchase a comic, be prepared to dig deep. The old 10-cent comic has climbed to $3.99 to $4.99 for a regular issue. That beats even the gasoline prices. To make matters even worse, a separate story line may continue over three to five issues.
Sadly, the comic book publishers have turned to the adult readers, and turned away from the kids.
No longer are Beanie and Cecil, Elmer Fudd, and all the other great comic characters around to laugh at.
They all belong to another time.
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