"Knights of the Round Table" - March 1954

"M-G-M's Knights of the Round Table" comes from Four Color No. 540, March 1954. This comic is an adaptation of the 1954 movie starring Robert Talyor as Sir Lancalot (cover). This post goes out to Four Color expert, Gary Brown, who remembers this great comic as being the first he ever read (more about Gary after the story). Download THIS POST!

"Knights" has a very fine script by Paul S. Newman as well as spectacular art by long time Milton Caniff collaborator and Steve Canyon artist, Dick Rockwell. Rockwell's artwork is stunning throughout; and his layouts achieve a beautifully formal structure appropriate to this romantic take on England's emergence from the Dark Ages. "Knights" is also a fine example of the kind of exquisite coloring seen in Four Color during the title's heyday.

Comic collector and Four Color expert, Gary Brown, has been publishing and distributing the comic book fanzine, Ibid, since 1967. I've been reading every issue for a while now and recommend it highly. Recently, Gary and frequent cohort and comic expert, Alan Hutchinson, have undertaken the publication of the Four-Color Four Color Index - a beautiful, multi-volume effort cataloging cover and contents of every, single issue of Dell's Four-Color. The volumes also contain articles about Four Color comics and artists. Volume I is available now. I have it and love it. Please click on flyer thumbnail for contact and purchase information.

STUPENDO-DOG! No. 1, October 2010

While it's sometimes easy to believe the glories of kids' comics lay in the past, the happy reality is that talented artists exist in every era! Stupendo-Dog! is the work of J. Simmons (artist and writer) and Jerry Fuchs (Fooksie) (colorist).

It's very refreshing to find a modern-day kids' comic that doesn't have its tongue in its cheek with a hip wink for the adults. Nothing here but a quality kids' comic. Here is the first issue of Stupendo-Dog!

Here is our hero, clearly poised to save the world. I feel safer just looking at his noble visage. Barely restraining Stupendo-Dog (Henry) from a new, world-saving adventure is J. Simmons. Please follow the glorious adventures of Stupendo-Dog at his BLOG!

RICHIE RICH No. 54, February 1967

Richie Rich was one of my favorite Harvey comics when I was a kid. Richie's extravagant possessions, like the snowball-throwing machine in our second story, were always so darn cool. The magic of the character was his unpretentiousness and generous character. For a rich kid, he was alright. In fact, he was such a nice kid it was hard to be jealous of his toys.

These next three stories are all the work of Harvey-master, Ernie Colón, who always drew the best Richie Rich stories. Whenever I recall my favorite RR stories, it is always Mr. Colón's work that I have cataloged in memory.

Artist identification for today's post was confirmed by Harvey expert & cartoonist, Bill White, and (the man himself via Bill) Ernie Colón! Thanks, gentlemen! 

Reginald Van Dough, Jr. was a great character, if for no other reason that he brought the devil out in Richie!

No one drew Cadbury the Butler like Ernie Colón.

This ad is from the same issue. I love that this speedometer goes up to 50 miles per hour.

Thanks again to Bill White for confirming artist ID; AND for contacting Mr. Colón. For anyone wishing to see some wonderful cartooning, please visit Bill at his blog: Bill White Cartoons!