Remembering Artist George Baker

Remembering artist George Baker on his birthday (May 22, 1915 - May 8, 1975) with a couple of his covers featuring Sad Sack (Sad Sack Laugh Special #35 and #36, April and June, 1967) featuring Sad Sack and crew working on a ship!

Sad Sack Laugh Special

 

A few out of this world laughs with Sad Sack Laugh Special (#1 and #18, and Winter 1957-1958 and October, 1963), with covers by George Baker, featuring Sad Sack in out of this world adventures, from Harvey Comics!

Richie Rich Holiday Digest

Just a little bit of the adventures of the richest boy in the land, Richie Rich, and the covers to his 5 Richie Rich Holiday Digest issues...

...to help you into the holiday mood.

Richie Rich Holiday Digest #1 and #2 (January, 1980 and January, 1981)

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Richie Rich Holiday Digest #3 and #4 (January, 1982 and March, 1988)

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Richie Rich Holiday Digest #5 (February, 1989)

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First Football Romance

 

A long time ago, Harvey Comics put out romance comics, with First Romance being one of them, which lasted for 52 issues from August 1949 to November 1958.

Here, in First Romance #20 (February, 1953) with a cover likely by Al Avison, is the love triangle of Carol Emrick, Phil Taine and Roger Mayo, as these college students fell in love, first Carol and Roger, then Carol and Phil....but, when Carol finds out Phil cheated on her, she went back to Roger.

Richie Rich Black Friday

Be careful out there today using your credit card for purchases on Black Friday...

...as, unlike Richie Rich, you don't have unlimited funds to spend and a plethora of credit cards, as Richie has on this cover to Richie Rich Success Stories #40 (October, 1971).

Richie Rich And Casper Enjoy Christmas

There are things even Richie Rich can't do, as the world's richest boy...but, thankfully, with friends like Casper, the Friendly Ghost, reaching the top of a Christmas tree isn't one of them, as shown on the cover of Richie Rich and Casper #22 (February, 1978) by Warren Kremer.

Writing In The Chamber Of Chills

Working hard on more Halloween scary stuff, just like the skeleton in this Lee Elias cover for Chamber of Chills #21 (January, 1954).

While working, take a look at a few horror covers from this title run which lasted 26 issues from June 1951 to December 1954 by Lee Elias, featuring tales of terror and suspense!

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Chamber of Chills #5 and #6

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Chamber of Chills #8 and #11

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Chamber of Chills #14 and #15

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Chamber of Chills #16 and #17

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Chamber of Chills #24 and #25

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Chamber of Chills #4 and #10

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Casper The Friendly Ghost Goes Ape

The first thing I think of when thinking about a giant ape is Casper the Friendly Ghost?

Well, not really, but Casper did face a giant ape in two of his issues, Casper #129 (May, 1969) where he had to rescue Wendy the Good Witch from the super-sized simian....and later, in Casper #218 (October, 1981), where he put the fright into the giant ape.

Sadly, no records of the artists of these Harvey comic covers is available.

Happy Halloween From Richie Rich and Casper The Friendly Ghost

Amazingly, these two Harvey Comics characters, Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost, shared a comic book in the 1970s and 1980s for 45 issues.

Here's the cover to #21....just in time for Halloween!

Harvey Comics' Spirit

You may know of Denny Colt, the man who was the Spirit...creation of Will Eisner that first appeared June 2nd, 1940 in a syndicated Sunday supplement by the Register and Tribune Syndicate that continued until October 5th, 1952, wherein Denny Colt faced menaces such as the crimelord the Octopus, P'Gell the femme fatale, childhood crush Sand Saref, mad scientist Dr. Cobra, adventurer Silk Satin all for Commissioner Dolan, often with help from the chief's daughter (and Spirit's girlfriend), Ellen Dolan and sidekick Ebony White all in a stylish blue suit,  white shirt, red tie and domino mask armed pretty much only with his wit and determination.

These stories also ended up being published in Police Comics #11 (September, 1942) by Quality Comics through Police Comics #102 (October, 1950) along with Plastic Man, Modern Comics #102 (October, 1950) with Blackhawk and 22 issues of the Spirit by Quality Comics from 1944 until August of 1950.

This could have been the end of the Spirit, but Will Eisner was a smart businessman as well, and owned the rights to his character....and ended up having 2 comics of the Spirit in the 1960s at Harvey Comics (known more for characters like Richie Rich, Little Lotta, Little Dot and Casper the Friendly Ghost).

Harvey Comics Spirit #1

Harvey Comics' Spirit #1 came out in October, 1966, with 8 stories including a new origin for the Spirit written and pencilled by Will Eisner (with an inking assist by Chuck Kramer) to lead off the book (it was the third version of his origin, but still just Denny Colt going off to fight crime and thinking he died, becoming the Spirit....)...


...with 7 other stories from 1948 and 1949 newspapers, and an "interview with the Spirit" by Marilyn Mercer, as well as a 2 page featurette by Will Eisner called the "Spirit Lab Invincible Devices".

Not bad for 25 cents (a large amount to spent on a comic in those days....it was a "Giant Size Harvey Thriller" after all!).

Harvey Comics Spirit #2

Harvey Comics Spirit #2 came out in March, 1967, and was also a larger issue, with a new story by Will Eisner and to lead it off...this time featuring the Octopus, who was given an alter ego, Zitzbath Zark, for the first time, as well as an origin tale here.

There was a two page text feature by Marilyn Mercer wherein the Spirit answers your mail...as well as a 2 page story likely inspired by the Man from U.N.C.L.E. by Will Eisner in the "Spirit Lab, The Man from MSD" as well as 7 different reprints of newspaper features from 1948 through 1950.

These two comics showed the Spirit (and Will Eisner) was able to adapt to the times, and find a home no matter the odds, dealing with everything including the kitchen sink (ironic, as Kitchen Sink Press was the next home of the Spirit in the 1970s!).