Does anyone still look forward to reading the comics in the newspaper each day?
With the decline in newspaper readership, and with many papers having closed down or publishing less frequently, I doubt that many make it a priority to follow the funnies these days.
Websites like GoComics.com make it possible to read some favorites without having to buy a newspaper, but I wonder how many people take advantage of it?
Anyway, seventy years ago comic strips were still going strong. The Lorain Journal didn't publish on Sunday yet, so it was up to the Lorain Sunday News to provide some color comic pages for the locals. I've posted a few below. It's an odd sampling with few (if any) that the average person today would remember or even have heard of. There's no Li'l Abner or Blondie here. But it reveals just how much times have changed.
Captain Easy and Wash Tubbs lead off the comic parade in the Sunday, May 30, 1954 edition. Tubbs (the little bespectacled nerdy guy) originally has his own comic strip, but the steel-jawed Captain's popularity eventually resulted in the two strips merging.
Next we have Our Boarding House starting Major Hoople. (The Major has been featured on this blog before on this post.) The 'topper strip' (a filler comic that usually ran above the main comic strip) was The Nut Brothers, who were popular as well.
I like that the times were such that Major Hoople could simply hitchhike his way to and from the country as a form of entertainment on a spring day.
Next we have Alley Oop the caveman. If I remember correctly, Alley Oop was carried by the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.
Remember the popular song based on the strip?
Our last sample is Out Our Way, another slice-of-life strip that reflected the simpler times. Note that its topper strip (placed below it on the page, strangely enough) is The Comic Zoo, featuring cartoon animals.
I like the little strip of cartoon heads that runs at the bottom of each page. Aside from Alley Oop (which is still running today, believe it or not), Major Hoople, Captain Easy and Bugs Bunny, I'm not entirely sure who the others are.
****
It wasn't until the end of August 1968 that the Journal began publishing on Sunday. Comics were added a few weeks later. Here's a promotional ad for its comic section that ran in the paper on August 31, 1968.
The ad isn't entirely accurate. The list of comics mentions Mickey Mouse, but it was Donald Duck that appeared. Moon Mullins carried over from the small comics section that used to come with the Saturday paper for a while, but despite the appearance of Li'l Abner's wife Daisy Mae in the montage, Li'l Abner was not included. I do remember the offbeat comics like The Strange World of Mr. Mum and Henry that did run.
Interesting, Dan - I’m surprised it was as late as 1968 that the Journal began the Sunday paper and comics, seems it was always a Sunday pleasure, ever since I began reading. Thanks for the memories - I loved Brenda Starr, Gasoline Alley and Lolly - still read the comics in the newspaper every day. I thank my dad for my appreciation of them - when I was about the age of 8 or nine, he would ride me downtown from the East Side on the back of his motorcycle to Rusines, where he would buy me Casper the Friendly ghost or of course, Wendy the Good Little Witch, while cautioning me to stay right next to the children’s comics and not move anywhere else in the store! I’m not quite sure exactly what he purchased for himself…
I don't read the newspaper anymore at all.Are comic strips still offered in them?I used to cut out some strips of a comic back when I was in middle school.I can't remember what is was though,but I did it for a year or two and Mom probably still has them stuffed away in a dresser or album somewhere.
Dondi was a favorite. Forgot about Lolly. I agree w Wendy, seems like they were always there. Maybe it was the daily in in B & W. Know I played w Silly Putty and the paper earlier than 68. Enjoyed seeing these.
5 comments:
CAPTAIN EASY and OUR BOARDING HOUSE also appeared in the Chronicle-Telegram.
Interesting, Dan - I’m surprised it was as late as 1968 that the Journal began the Sunday paper and comics, seems it was always a Sunday pleasure, ever since I began reading. Thanks for the memories - I loved Brenda Starr, Gasoline Alley and Lolly - still read the comics in the newspaper every day. I thank my dad for my appreciation of them - when I was about the age of 8 or nine, he would ride me downtown from the East Side on the back of his motorcycle to Rusines, where he would buy me Casper the Friendly ghost or of course, Wendy the Good Little Witch, while cautioning me to stay right next to the children’s comics and not move anywhere else in the store! I’m not quite sure exactly what he purchased for himself…
I never paid much attention to the comic pages, but I did like Major Hoople because he wore a fez around the boarding house.
I don't read the newspaper anymore at all.Are comic strips still offered in them?I used to cut out some strips of a comic back when I was in middle school.I can't remember what is was though,but I did it for a year or two and Mom probably still has them stuffed away in a dresser or album somewhere.
Dondi was a favorite. Forgot about Lolly. I agree w Wendy, seems like they were always there. Maybe it was the daily in in B & W. Know I played w Silly Putty and the paper earlier than 68. Enjoyed seeing these.
Post a Comment