Matthew Hunter
08-07-2001, 06:22 PM
Well, I'm back from my trip to Philly, and I found a whole ton of Looney Tunes stuff to add to my collection. First of all the most interesting finds, the comic books. There is a shop like none other in Bryn Mawr, PA (right outside of Philadelphia, my grandmother lives there.) It's called "Showcase Comics", I always look forward to going, because here in Fort Worth we have nothing like it, and I can almost ALWAYS find something cool in there. Here, for some reason, nobody carries "cartoony" comic books, and comics in general are neglected. Back East, everyone likes comics, because you can find them on newsstands and in stores everywhere. Anyway, I found several of this year's Looney Tunes comics that I had missed, and several old antique Dell and Goldkey comics. The oldest I got was from 1947, a Dell issue of "Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies", the cover of which has Bugs Bunny with a headache after being hit by his morning newspaper, which is tied to a brick. I recognized it from one of the Looney Tunes animation history books. It's issue # 73. There is another old one with Bugs fighting a boxing kangaroo on the cover, it is issue 103 from 1950. next, there is "Bugs Bunny's Christmas Funnies", #2, from 1951, similar to one I found last year, (big, thick book with christmas-themed stories) . Its cover is still glossy! Apparently, Dell had some separate series devoted to certain characters, as well as specials. I found several, including "Bugs Bunny no. 30", from 1953. Notice my avatar: I found the very comic book I got that picture from! It's called "Porky Pig: The Isle Of The Missing Ships", from 1952. In what I suppose was the "Porky Pig" series, it is # 385. This one was really interesting, it teams Porky with Sylvester, and they solve a ship-pirating mystery. A weird teamup, but it works wonderfully. Then there is, for all you cartoon history buffs, something people may have overlooked..."Bugs Bunny's Album", #498 (1953). I know there was a "Bugs Bunny" series, so this probably was a special in it. Anyway, it has Bugs showing Porky and Petunia Pig his family album, with ancestors from the times of Paul Revere, ancient Egypt, and Christopher Columbus, (in a story that is STRIKINGLY similar to "Hare We Go".) However, it's always been said that the character Honey Bunny was created for merchandising by Robert McKimson in the early 60's....but she is in this one! Yes! She is Bugs Bunny's Cousin here, she is a white rabbit instead of gray, but still has the same expression as the Honey I remember on the 1980's merchandise, and the same bow in her hair! Honey is an explorer in modern times (well, 1950's) and takes Bugs along to Africa with her. Definitely a McKimson-influenced story, I think one of the McKimson brothers worked on these comics, as did many of the cartoon writers, so there you have it....where the heck Honey Bunny came from!
Oh, but there's MORE. I found a very nice copy of Goldkey's "Tweety and Sylvester", # 44, from 1975, which was very well-written and well-drawn for that era. Plus, a Goldkey "Looney Tunes" comic from 1977, remarkable only for the fact that is contains a story featuring Cool Cat, and another very well-wrtitten Sylvester/Tweety story. Other than that, I found a bunch of newer issues from the DC series, and many of them are excellent, they have really improved since I last followed them. New writers, and new artists are working on them, and David Alvarez still does most of the hilarious covers and many of the stories. I got issues # 72, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, and 80, and all are good, find them if you haven't read them.
As if the comics weren't enough, my dad and I took a side trip to New York City on Saturday, and while browsing the amazing music store in Times Square, the Virgin Records Megastore, I found a copy of "Superior Duck". I thought the cartoon was one of the best modern ones WB and Chuck Jones have done. I liked it. I also found a pvc figure of Sylvester on a star while in NY. Phew............that's about everything Looney Tunes related. I hope to read up on what happened while I was gone...is there anything majorly important?
-Matthew
Oh, but there's MORE. I found a very nice copy of Goldkey's "Tweety and Sylvester", # 44, from 1975, which was very well-written and well-drawn for that era. Plus, a Goldkey "Looney Tunes" comic from 1977, remarkable only for the fact that is contains a story featuring Cool Cat, and another very well-wrtitten Sylvester/Tweety story. Other than that, I found a bunch of newer issues from the DC series, and many of them are excellent, they have really improved since I last followed them. New writers, and new artists are working on them, and David Alvarez still does most of the hilarious covers and many of the stories. I got issues # 72, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, and 80, and all are good, find them if you haven't read them.
As if the comics weren't enough, my dad and I took a side trip to New York City on Saturday, and while browsing the amazing music store in Times Square, the Virgin Records Megastore, I found a copy of "Superior Duck". I thought the cartoon was one of the best modern ones WB and Chuck Jones have done. I liked it. I also found a pvc figure of Sylvester on a star while in NY. Phew............that's about everything Looney Tunes related. I hope to read up on what happened while I was gone...is there anything majorly important?
-Matthew