This story comes from M-G-M’s Lassie no. 3, April-June 1951; and produces the too self-satisfied melancholy of nostalgia for a time when men smoked pipes and dressed in suit jackets throughout the day - for the age of simple adventure before mass media morphed boys' dreams from hunting treasure to performance stardom. And, of course, it makes me miss Lassie.
I am also nostalgic for the time when comics had this kind of craftsmanship; before panels became full pages that screeched like babies for attention. This artist, who is sadly unknown to me, draws and inks each panel to a specific purpose with a disciplined, beautiful touch. Part II will come in a couple of days.
I am also nostalgic for the time when comics had this kind of craftsmanship; before panels became full pages that screeched like babies for attention. This artist, who is sadly unknown to me, draws and inks each panel to a specific purpose with a disciplined, beautiful touch. Part II will come in a couple of days.
Part II will be posted February 26th.
Hey, this artist is good! Too bad he is uncredited. I love some of the facial expressions, especially Rocky in the last panel of page 7, and Ben in the last panel of page 8. I also love page 3; Lassie running into Rocky underwater, then seeming to laugh about it in panel 2; and Rocky's cool reaction to the shark, where he pauses to tell Lassie to get in the boat, before taking care of business. He doesn't seem to mind the huge shark on page 21, either!
ReplyDeleteThe dialogue is above average as well! Any idea who wrote this?
I saw the original Lassie on TCM a few months back, and it still holds up. Highly recommended family film.
Thanks, Mykal!
Doug: Agree on all counts! The standard for these Lassie comics (as with so many of the Dell comics) was just very high - real professionals that simply knew their jobs. The character of Rocky I found fascinating as he is supposed to be a boy, but among the men -even the salty sailors - he is treated as an equal.
ReplyDeleteI have researched the dickens out of this with regard to script and art and have come up with zilch.
I was inspired for this post by Lysdexicuss of TEN CENT DREAMS. For a gander at his Lassie post, just click HERE! -- Mykal
I'm trying to link up who this artist is with my fading brain, but haven't been able to yet. Nonetheless, a very nice story. Well written, well-paced and the art is superb.
ReplyDeleteGary: Wait till you see second installment! Everything gets cranked up a degree.
ReplyDeleteI have really worked to find this artist's name, and nothing. I am going to get some more MGM Lassies, and hopefully this artist's name will come forward. Thanks for coming by, and thanks for the effort to think of the name (I had a secret hope that you, being the Dell Guru, might have something!) -- Mykal
We may look back and think this was too formulaic. But, for the time, it definitely qualifies as a classic.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Steven G. Willis
XOWComics.com
The artist is Morris Gollub.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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