Harvey Comics found established, popular newspaper features to be a safe bet in 1951.
Blondie and Joe Palooka began in 1930, with Dick Tracy following in 1931. The strips found good homes in America’s 1,772 daily newspapers.
“By the time the 1950s arrived, the company was doing well but still searching for its real identity, the aspect that made it look unique,” wrote Bill Schelly in American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s. “Harvey historian Mark Arnold wrote, ‘Alfred (Harvey) was the guiding light and led the direction of the company. Somewhat similar to Martin Goodman, Harvey wasn’t an innovator, but chose to follow trends rather than invent them.’
“Black Cat road her motorcycle into the new decade, but the publisher turned to licensed comic strip properties to keep Harvey going. They had just introduced their first Sad Sack book in 1949. In 1950, Harvey picked up Dick Tracy from Dell and Blondie from David McKay. Both were successful and long-running.”
Later, Harvey would shift focus to supernatural and/or surreal humor for small children.
Johnny Williams:
ReplyDelete"Dan, did You know that the above mentioned Joe Palooka has the distinguishing historically significant status of having been the First comic strip character to enlist in the service what with the US’s burgeoning involvement in World War II? Below is a quote from an article about this fact.
“Joe Palooka became the first comic strip character to sign up, a move that may have helped persuade some young Americans to do likewise. Fisher immediately began communicating patriotic messages in the Palooka strip, and the U.S. Army responded with encouragement. Apparently he was even in a POW camp run by the Japanese military. These things were rare for a popular fictional character back then and now."
Joseph Lenius:
ReplyDeleteWithout really meaning to, I read lots of Harveys as a kid, because I got them as "unwanted purchases" in those 3-for-15¢ coverless comics packs -- when I was really trying to snag Marvel and DC comics, especially back issues I had missed. I wasn't about to let them go to waste, and I did enjoy them on a certain level. More enjoyable were the John Stanley comics (Little Lulu and others) that I came across in a similar manner, and likewise Barks' Uncle Scrooge. In those coverless comics packs, I was lucky enough to come across the Harvey 25¢ issues of Black Cat, Joe Palooka, and Blondie, which I considered good reads.