Few cartoonists before or since knew funny like Sheldon Mayer, and no one understood children any better. In Sugar & Spike, we move in a baby’s world with fresh perspective. Mayer didn't portray innocent cherubs, however. His world of babies is no less jaded and scheming than the world of the adults; it’s just less experienced. That's the cool, funny part - all done so breezy, easy. Mayer makes brilliant feel like a graceful afterthought. This is from Sugar & Spike No. 89, April-May 1970. Mayer did the cover as well
As a natural born rebel, I see the appeal this comic would have for kids, using their innate chaotic natures to manipulate and abuse authority figures ! Does Wilson always work for Snerk, or just in this issue ?
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely simple compositions. The round corner panels are nice too.
ReplyDeleteLysdexicuss: What I love about Mayer is that his kids completely and utterly think for themselves - everything is a scheme, a plan, a plot to improve their station or get something from their parents. Their only hindrance is their lack of experience in the world, which leads to (as you say) pure anarchy and chaos. Yep, it's a rebel's paradise all the way. The parents are scheming, too, just not quite as successful - they come off as the innocents.
ReplyDeleteAbout Snerd – He may be a marginal recurring character, but I don’t think he factors into the series. – I’m only judging, though, from the few other S&S I have where Snerd is not around.
David: You bet - that's one of the great elements. You get to the end of the story and something about it is nearly subconsciously pleasing.
Thanks for the comments, guys! -- Mykal
Sugar & Spike always were a favorite of mine. I thought Mayer was better on the first 40 issues or so. I remember buying the comic and hiding it, not wanting anyone to know I bought this "kiddie" comic book. Glad I did.
ReplyDeleteI remember this strip from when it originally appeared. At the time there was a lot of disagreement among readers of this strip about Sheldon' Mayer's decision to show the faces of Sugar and Spike's parents. For most of the strip's run we only saw adults from the knees down, not unlike the way that Schulz never showed the adults in "Peanuts." We the readers saw things from a baby's eye view. Have to wonder how well this episode could have been pulled off had it been done in that way.
ReplyDeleteGary: I think you're right about the early ones of this title being the best stuff on average, but this particular story I liked because it involved the parents more. I wish I had collected more of this title as a kid - I didn't have your insight and collected mostly "adult" titles. Yuck. Now I'm playing catch up.
ReplyDeleteBrent: That's an interesting observation. I don't have a ton of Sugar & Spike, so I didn't know about the earlier issues consistantly not featuring the parents like that. This story, Mayer uses the parents and other adults so well as characters to sharpen and accentuate the world of the babies, he at least proved that they could be used to good effect. -- Mykal
Great fun Mykal. I'm liking Mayer more and more as I read Sugar & Spike (I got my first taste here, and then in Spiegleman's huge tome).
ReplyDeleteStupid Wrinkled Boxes-- love it.
"There's no problem that cant' be solved by a good kick" Sugar is the brains of the two.
"First I gotta grab something to hit 'em with" Doll Boy (Spike) is the brawn.
Mayer is the heart and soul.
re: "Mayer is the heart and soul"
ReplyDeleteAgreed! -- Mykal
"You just can't do business with grown-ups!" I concur, Spike!
ReplyDeleteThe action words coming from the truck are great!
Jacque: It seems the grownups can't even do business with grounups in this comic! -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteFor some time, Mayer only showed adults from the neck down, similar to the human characters in Tom & Jerry cartoons. Sometime around 1967-68, he began showing their faces. I would assume some fans liked it and some didn't. The only published letter I remember seeing about it was in favor of showing the parents; something like, "Now I look forward to seeing six friends in each issue instead of two."
ReplyDeleteI don't remember Snerd as a regular character, but my memories are fuzzy after 40+ years. IIRC, since the stories were from the kids' point of view, the adults' jobs were usually not portrayed in any great detail.
ReplyDelete