September/October 2009

VOLUME XXVIII, NUMBER 3
BACK
COVER
BIG LITTLE BOOK COLLECTOR’S CLUB
P.O. BOX 1242
Danville, California 94526
FRONT
COVER
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
The FAWCETT
DIME ACTION BOOKS®
by
Jon D. Swartz (Member #287)
The Oklahoma Alliance of Fans (OAF) Show
will take place in October. There will be comics,
Big Little Books, and other nostalgia for sale. I’ll be
there, and I hope some Club Members will be attending. For those
who can make it, October 9 and 10, I’ll hold a BLB Club Meeting on the
lovely Biltmore Hotel premises where this wonderful Show will be held.
The Fawcett Publishing Company of Greenwich, Connecticut entered the
Big Little Book field in 1941 with four titles. The characters for these books
—Captain Marvel, Bulletman, Minute-Man, and Spy Smasher — were
taken from two of Fawcett’s monthly comic books, Whiz Comics and Master
Comics; and all four of them also appeared in their own titles, although all
but Captain Marvel were for relatively short runs.
The time for the meeting will be on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. After the
meeting, perhaps we can all go to lunch together. If you plan to attend, I’d
appreciate it if you would drop me an e-mail or card to let me know. Eight
members have already let me know that they will attend the meeting.
These books were 192 pages in
length, 4” x 5 1/2” x 5/8” in size,
and had four-color soft board
covers with glued bindings. The cover
i l l u s t r a t i o n s w e re b a s e d o n
previously published comic book
covers. Because they sold for 10¢,
Fawcett called them Dime Action
Books. They were very similar to
Dell’s Fast-Action Story Books, which
had been published in 1936-1943.
There has been speculation that
Fawcett entered the field because
of the success of the Fast-Action
books.
Way back in Volume XI, Number 6 (1992) Bernie McCarty wrote an article for
the BLT on the Fawcett Mighty Midget Comic Books, and in Volume XXIV,
Number 5 (2005) I wrote one on Fawcett’s Dime Action books. In this issue, Jon
Swartz provides us with more information about the Fawcett products. These
four BLB-type books have been well covered in our newsletter.
Also in this issue, Robert Barrett introduces us to H. J. Ward, and artist whose
work was used for a cover of a Lone Ranger Big Little Book.
Once in a while the BLT contains an article about a BLB Club Member. In this
issue, cartoonist Bob Weber is featured. The article is written by his friend and
BLB Club Member Walt Needham.
The picture at the right is of a very
new and unusual BLB item. I’ll not
tell you more about it at this time,
but in the next issue this item and
others like it will be described in
detail. All will be of great interest
to Club Members. And Members
who attend the OAF Show will
get a preview of them.
LARRY LOWERY
Editor
BILTMORE HOTEL
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA
1-800-522-6600
TELL THEM YOU ARE WITH THE COMIC BOOK SHOW
TO GET THE DISCOUNTED RATE !!
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FAWCETT PUBLICATION
SHOWING ITS MORE POPULAR CHARACTERS
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Bulletman and Minute-Man came
from Fawcett’s Master Comics while
Captain Marvel and Spy Smasher
were featured in the company’s Whiz
Comics. The inside front and back
covers of all the Dime Action Books
had ads for Fawcett comic books, and
some of their comics are mentioned
in the stories. Dime Action Books
resembled traditional BLBs in many
respects, and they are hard to find
today, especially in good condition.
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LITTLE BIG SHOT PUBLICITY STILL, 1935
Bulletman and the Return of Mr. Murder
Captain Marvel and the Return of the Scorpion
Captain Marvel was Fawcett’s
most popular character, appearing
in several of its comic books on
a regular basis and starring in a
12-chapter Republic Pictures
movie serial in 1941.
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In the story he declares open season on
all doctors because “they cure people
faster than I can kill them off!”
TOM TYLER as CAPTAIN MARVEL - 1941 Serial
Mr. Murder captures Susan and
takes her to his castle on a deserted
island. He wants her to become Mrs.
Murder and have little Murders to
follow after him. Bulletman frees
Susan, apprehends the fleeing Mr.
Murder, and knocks him into the Pacific
Ocean. Bulletman then discovers that
Mr. Murder and his gang worked for
“a mad dog European dictator.”
TOM TYLER SAVES Louise Currie
- 1941 Serial
T
In this follow-up story The Scorpion
and his gang capture Billy, the scientist John Malcolm, and two of their
friends—Betty and Whitey—and take
them to Siam where The Scorpion has
made a deal with the native chieftain
Rahman Bar, to deliver them for human
sacrifice. As a reward, The Scorpion
is to receive a local deposit of radium
worth millions. Billy changes to Captain Marvel several times in order to
save his friends. In the end, Captain
Marvel routs the natives, survives an
acid-gun, and yanks The Scorpion’s
hood off—exposing him as a racketeer
who had invaded the natives’ temple
before. Once they see who The Scorpion
really is, the angry natives throw him
off a cliff.
In the book Army private Jack
Weston (alias Minute-Man, the
One Man Army) is confronted by
Illyria, “Queen of All Spies,” who is
attempting to steal America’s secret
new metal, thelium, and sell it to a
foreign power. Illyria has “a thirty
room apartment on Park Avenue,
a country house on hundreds of
gorgeous acres in Southhampton,
a private yacht, a fleet of motor
cars, and servants—servants everywhere.” Thelium, invented by
an elderly scientist named Thorgerson, is described as lighter than
aluminum, stronger than steel, and
bulletproof.
Bulletman was the second major
superhero to star in Master Comics,
replacing Master-Man in issue #7.
Bulletman was himself knocked
out of the lead story (and off the
cover) by Captain Marvel, Jr. —
who teamed up with him to defeat
Captain Nazi — but continued
to appear in the comic book until
September 1949 (Issue #106).
In Bulletman and the Return of Mr.
Murder (although Bulletman and
Bulletgirl is the title on the book’s
cover) the duo of Jim Barr and
Susan Kent fight the gigantic
“ M r. M u rd e r, P u r v e y o r o f
Eternity,” who kills just for the sake
of killing.
This Dime Action story was created
as a sequel to the serial. It seems that
The Scorpion was not really killed in
the climax of the serial.
Minute-Man and the Mystery of the Spy Ring
The “Red, White, and Blue Man” captures Illyria and her gang, but she
escapes by drugging Minute-Man and leaving him in her place in a jail cell
He escapes and pursues her as she flees with Thorgerson to force him to
tell her the thelium formula before killing him. As she and her accomplice,
Count Resnoff, attempt to leave the country aboard The Yankee Clipper,
Minute-Man arrives and stops the Clipper before it can take off. The Count
is captured and the formula recovered, but the Queen of All Spies escapes
(“I’ll be seeing you, and when I do, I’ll be the one to laugh.”). Illyria, who
resembles The Dragon Lady from Terry and the Pirates, was described in
some Fawcett comic books as “a Nazi spy mistress.” Inconsistencies in the
story include having Weston alone in a jail cell, dressed only in his shorts,
but escaping as Minute-Man in his complete uniform.
Minute-Man was Fawcett’s major patriotic superhero, its answer to Timely’s
(later Marvel’s) Captain America and MLJ’s The Shield.
Inconsistencies in the story include having a thug biting Bulletman’s
ear—even though Bulletman’s gravity helmet is described as filling
“snugly over Bulletman’s head and around his ears” and is so pictured
in the illustrations.
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Spy Smasher and the Red Death
Spy Smasher (later Crime Smasher)
also had a movie serial that featured
his exploits. This serial, Spy Smasher,
was made in 1942 by Republic
Pictures and starred Kane Richmond,
an actor who portrayed several other
BLB heroes in movie serials during
the 1940s (e.g., Brick Bradford and
The Shadow).
In Spy Smasher and the Red Death
members of the underworld discover
that Spy Smasher is actually playboy
Alan Armstrong and the Red Death
decides to get rid of him. (“Spy
Smasher is really Alan Armstrong.
Kill Armstrong and there will be no
Spy Smasher.”).
Attempts to assassinate Armstrong by the Red Death’s gang fail, however,
and Spy Smasher uses his famed gyrosub to capture one of the Red Death’s
henchmen and trace the Red Death to his water tower headquarters atop
an old warehouse.
The Red Death plans to split Spy Smasher’s
skull with an ax as he enters the tower, but
Spy Smasher tricks the Super Spy and captures
him. Alan Armstrong’s girl friend, Eve Corby,
and her father, chief of Naval Intelligence
Admiral Corby, also appear in the story.
In the comic book Spy Smasher #2, the Red Death
andhisgangcommittedatrocitiesfortheFatherland. He started his crime spree in the U. S. by
killing a prominent general at a meeting of
military leaders. He, himself, was later apparently killed when globes containing a deadly
gas were broken while he was in a fight with
Spy Smasher. Spy Smasher escaped this encounter, but the plane in which he and the
Red Death were flying crashed into waters
overlooked by the Statue of Liberty.
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Artists/Writers
C. C. BECK
CAPTAIN MARVEL and C. C. BECK
The writer of the Captain Marvel book was Otto Binder (1911-1974), the
youngest of six children born into a family that had emigrated from Austria.
The family settled in Chicago in 1922 during a period when science fiction
was becoming popular in the pulps, and this type of literature “enthralled
Otto and his brother Earl.” The two began writing in partnership and sold
their first story, “The First Martian,” to Amazing Stories in 1930; it finally
saw publication in 1932 under the pen-name “Eando Binder” (“E” and “O”
Binder). Some authorities list Bill Parker, one of the Captain Marvel writers,
as the author of this book, but Parker left Fawcett on October 15, 1940 (for
National Guard duty) and did not return until November 1945 when he
by-passed the company’s comic books to work on Fawcett’s magazines).
There is little doubt that this was Binder’s first writing assignment at
Fawcett—and led to his 12-year writing career with the company.
During his time with Fawcett, Binder worked mainly on Captain Marvel
(1941 to 1953), writing “986 stories out of 1,743” or over half the entire
Marvel Family saga. He helped create such characters as Mary Marvel,
Uncle Dudley, Mr. Tawky Tawny, Black Adam, and Mr. Mind — as well as
Dr. Sivana’s “evil progeny, Sivana Jr. and Georgia Sivana.” His first script
for a Captain Marvel comic book was “Captain Marvel Saves the King” in
Captain Marvel Adventures #9 (dated April 1942).
OTTO BINDER, drawn by C. C. BECK
MARC SWAYZE
TOAST TO THE GOLDEN AGE
L-to-R: JACK BINDER, C.C. BECK, OTTO BINDER
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C. C. Beck (1910-1989) was the principal artist on Captain Marvel at
Fawcett and the principal artist on this Dime Action Book featuring the
hero, although at least one other Fawcett artist also contributed. This artist
was Marc Swayze, who later stated, in a tribute to Beck: “One of the first
projects Beck and I joined forces on was “Captain Marvel and the Return
of The Scorpion” (the book’s format being that of a Big Little Book). It
apparently had a deadline of yesterday because Beck and I worked evenings
and a weekend to finish it. It was the beginning of a 48-year friendship.”
While it is not known conclusively, it is reasonable to assume that since
Fawcett assigned Beck, Swayze, and Binder to the Captain Marvel book,
the principal artists/writers for the other three books would be the men
who wrote/drew these heroes on a regular basis. During 1941 these men
were artists Phil Bard (aka Oliver Ashford) (Minute-Man), Jack Binder
(Bulletman), Austin Briggs (Spy Smasher), Charles Sultan (Minute-Man,
Spy Smasher, Bulletman), Mac Raboy (Bulletman), and the principal writer
was Otto Binder. Since Sultan worked on the comic books of all four of
these Fawcett characters, it is reasonable to suppose that he was involved
in these Dime Action Books. Furthermore, although Binder only spoke
of his work on the Captain Marvel book, he may have written the others.
Mac Raboy mainly did cover illustrations, his artwork is distinctive, and it
doesn’t look like his work in any of these books — although it is possible
he did the Bulletman cover art.
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Conclusions
While some reference books state the Dime Action stories were adapted
from ones in the character’s regular comics, this is not true. Instead, the
stories were new ones based on the characters. The plots of these books
— with the possible exception of the Captain Marvel title — have been
criticized as being illogical and inconsistent, with espionage elements
clumsily superimposed onto common gangster themes — perhaps due
to the approach of America’s entry into World War II.
According to Fawcett historian Dan Fabrizio, in a very informative
article in the 2001 Fawcett Companion, all the Dime Action books are scarce
today with the Captain Marvel and Minute-Man titles the hardest to find.
Moreover, depending upon condition, current prices for each of these
10¢ books are in the $50 to $500 range. The entire series of four books
has been sold for more than $2000.
During 1942-1943, nineteen 36-page booklets (including covers) called
Mighty Midget Comics were published in three sets by the Samuel
Lowe Publishing Company of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Lowe had worked
for Whitman during the period the first BLBs were developed and
subsequently headed his own company. These Mighty Midget Comics
featured Fawcett superheroes and other comic characters. Each book was
about 4” x 5” in size and because such a size is close to that of traditional
BLBs, many popular culture authorities feel they qualify as peripheral
BLB collector’s items.
Bibliography
Bails, Jerry and Hames Ware (eds.). The Who’s Who of American Comic
Books, Volumes 1-4. Detroit, MI: Bails, 1973-1976.
Hamerlinck, P. C. (ed.). Fawcett Companion. Raleigh, NC: Two/Morrows
Publishing, 2001.
Harmon, Jim and Donald F. Glut. The Great Movie Serials. Garden City,
NY: Doubleday, 1972.
Lowery, Lawrence F. The Golden Age of Big Little Books. Danville, CA:
Educational Research and Applications LLC, 2007
Overstreet, Robert M. The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. NY:
Gemstone Publishing, 2000.
Steranko, Jim. The Steranko History of Comics 2. Reading, PA: Supergraphics, 1972.
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H. J. WARD:
UNLIKELY BIG LITTLE BOOK COVER ARTIST
by Robert R. Barrett, Member #860
One of the fun things about collecting, no matter what it is that
you collect, is finding out new information about what ever it is
that is one’s passion. My own particular passion, when it comes to
Big/Better Little Books, is Tarzan and the Lone Ranger.
For decades the cover artist for The Lone Ranger and the Menace of
Murder Valley has been recorded as by Robert R. Weisman. And why
not? After all he is credited on the title page as the illustrator and
the back cover painting is signed with a capital “W.” Added to this
is the fact that Dave Holland, in his excellent book, From Out of the
Past: A Pictorial History of The Lone Ranger, The Holland House, 1988,
credits the painting that graces the cover of the Big Little Book as
being by Robert Weisman, writing that “Robert Weisman adapted
historical images of the cowboy and his lariat into a gloriously
romanticized painting for a Big Little Book cover. It became the official
image of ‘The Lone Ranger.’”
The truth of the matter is that Robert Weisman did not paint this
cover, nor was it painted for the Big Little Book cover. The Lone
Ranger Magazine debuted with a cover date of April 1937, published by
Trojan Publishing Corp., with a cover painting by Kidd, an artist of
which little to nothing is known.
By the second issue, cover dated May 1937, the cover art was by
H. J. Ward. Ward was to paint the covers for seven of the eight
issues of the magazine that were published. It is an interesting
side-note that the Trojan Publishing Corp., was owned by Harry
Donenfeld, whose chief editor was Frank Armer (and perhaps minor
equity holder in some of Donenfeld’s companies), Culture/Trojan Publishing Companies, besides The Lone Ranger Magazine, also
published Spicy Detective, Spicy Mystery, Spicy Adventure, and Spicy
Western. H. J.. Ward produced an impressive number of covers for
these Spicy pulps. One might reasonably wonder why Ward was
asked to produce paintings for The Lone Ranger Magazine.
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Hugh Joseph Ward was born on March 8, 1909
in South Philadelphia, the youngest of eight
children. A tall, thin man, Ward became a heavy
smoker. He studied at the Philadelphia College
of Art and began his professional career doing
line drawings for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He
soon found himself painting covers for the pulps
and appears to have done little or no other work.
Ward’s wife, Viola, posed for many of the covers
that he painted for the Spicy titles. He passed
away at the young age of 35, on February 7, 1945,
from a tumor in his lung, no doubt brought on by
his heavy smoking.
1938 COLOR GIVE-AWAY
USING THE BLACK AND WHITE PAINTING
THAT WAS USED FOR THE BLB COVER
(It is mounted on a wood tile)
H. J. WARD
George W. Trendle, owner of radio station WXYZ and The Lone
Ranger, kept a firm hand on the products devised for his popular
character. No doubt he found himself impressed with Ward’s cover
paintings for The Lone Ranger Magazine. In June of 1938 Trendle entered into an
agreement with
King Features to produce a newspaper strip
featuring the Lone Ranger, however, talks for the new strip began as early as
mid-1937. Trendle, as with anything licensed and bearing the Lone
Ranger name and image, had to approve of the drawings for the new
strip even before King Features saw them.
THE BLB
THE WARD PAINTING
1940 COLOR GIVE-AWAY
OF THE PAINTING THAT WAS A
BOND BREAD ITEM
In preparation for the Lone Ranger newspaper strip, Trendle and King
contracted with H. J. Ward to produce a black and white painting that
was, ostensibly, going to be used to advertise the new strip. Ward kept
a record book in which he recorded the date, who his client was, price
he was paid, as well as the subject of the painting. For the painting in
question, Ward recorded in his record book for 1937:
“LONE RANGER (radio job) King-Trendle Broadcasting Corp. - June
15 - $85 - “Black & White Full Length – Ranger and Silver.”
The painting Ward recorded, depicted the Lone Ranger astride
Silver, right arm raised and holding a coiled lasso. The first use of the
painting was as a full page newspaper advertisement for the Lone
Ranger newspaper strip. One such was the September 11, 1938 issue
of the Sunday Chicago Herald and Examiner. The painting went on to
become the first iconic image of The Lone Ranger, featured on give-away
pictures, games, and other premiums and licensed products. Although
almost a fourth of it was cropped, it also was published as the cover art
for the 1938 Whitman Big Little Book, The Lone Ranger and the Menace of
Murder Valley.
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1938 7-UP
BLACK AND WHITE
PERSONALIZED GIVE-AWAY
1939 GIVE-AWAY
OF THE SECOND WARD
LONE RANGER PAINTING
THAT BECAME THE SECOND ICONIC IMAGE
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WARD’S FIRST COVER
FOR
The Lone Ranger Magazine
May 1937
Between 1937 and 1944 (only a year before he passed away) Ward painted
sixteen paintings depicting the Lone Ranger, seven for The Lone Ranger
Magazine, and another seven for George W. Trendle. All of the paintings
commissioned by Trendle, with the exception of one which Ward noted
in his record book as “Not Repro,” were eventually used as give-away
pictures for reporters and fans. One of these paintings, painted in 1938,
subject: “Silver Running,” was to become the second iconic image of the
Lone Ranger, used from 1939 well into the 1950s (although the later ones
had some changes incorporated). With the exception of the one used for
the Big Little Book cover, Ward was paid $125 for each of the others.
While the original painting used on the Big Little Book was painted in
black and white, several of the reproductions used for premiums were
colored, but none of these seem to duplicate the coloring used on the BLB
cover. It could be speculated that Robert Weisman colored the black and
white photograph given to Whitman by Trendle. There may, however,
be another answer as to who colored the cover. In the late 1930s Gerald
Gregg, an artist working for the Western Printing and Lithographing
Company, one day happened to watch a man using an airbrush to re-touch
photographs. Intrigued Gregg asked Russell Stone, then Western’s art
director, to allow him to try the technique. Soon Gregg was utilizing
the airbrush for covers of Big Little Books. Eventually, when Western
began producing paperbacks for Dell, Gregg used the airbrush to produce
covers for these paper bound books. Could Gregg have used the airbrush
on the picture used for the cover of The Lone Ranger and the Menace of Murder
Valley? Probably no one will ever know, but it is an intriguing speculation.
At least Hugh Joseph Ward will finally be acknowledged as the cover artist
for this particular Big Little Book.
Sources:
1. Ward, H. J., Record Books, 1937-1944.
2. Holland, Dave, From Out of the Past: A Pictorial History
of the Lone Ranger, Holland House, 1988.
3. Hake, Ted, Official Price Guide to Pop Culture Memorabilia:
150 Years of Character Toys & Collectibles, House of
Collectibles, 2008.
4. Mechem, Neil, “Damsels in Distress: The Art of H. J. Ward,”
Pulp Tales No. 2, 2000.
5. Lyles, William H., Putting Dell on the Map: A History of the
Dell Paperbacks, Greenwood Press, 1983.
6. Wilson, Buck (pseudonym of Gaylord Dubois), The Lone Ranger
and the Menace of Murder Valley, Whitman Publishing
Co., 1938.
WARD COVER
FOR
THE FIRST ISSUE OF
Spicy Western Stories
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Portrait of a Club Member
BOB WEBER
BIG LIT TLE BOOK CLUB MEMBER #1193, CARTOONIST,
and ALL-AROUND GOOD GUY
by Walt Needham (Member #1102)
Once you meet Bob Weber you will never forget
him. Physically he is a very imposing man,
tall, with white hair combed in pompadour
style, and possessing an ever ready smile.
However especially most memorable is his
personality which is outgoing, enthusiastic,
filled with good humor, and crowned with a
broad knowledge of popular culture, especially
cartooning and movies. He has a scholar’s
knowledge of big little books and can usually
come up with a personal story of many of the
artists who created them.
In 1965 King Features published Bob’s first comic strip, Moose Miller,
a “family” comic which appeared both daily and on Sundays throughout
the country. Moose at that time was a good natured but lazy chap who
imposed on his neighbors, and avoided employment in a variety of
creative ways.
Moose has become increasingly likeable and more devoted to his spouse
over the years, the name of the strip being changed in 1998 to Moose &
Molly. It is remarkably traditional in many ways. Molly wears an apron
for example and is imperious to new fashions. Moose and Molly have a
loyal, heart-warming and accepting relationship between them although
their families present various transient difficulties. At times, the plot of the
comic will illustrate their affection for each other rather than provide a gag.
Bob’s friends often find their names in Moose & Molly under surprising
circumstances.
Born in Baltimore in 1934, Bob was raised by his parents along with
five brothers and two sisters. He began drawing early in life, his work
appearing in various school publications over the years. By the time he
was 13 Bob had decided to become a cartoonist. Financial pressures and
the need to make a living insured that his was not an easy path, however.
He learned his craft as he drew single panel cartoons for industrial journals
and magazines that offered their readers a quick laugh. He was able to sell
gags to established cartoonists and began to develop a reputation in the field.
He traveled between Baltimore and New York his time spent both holding
down industrial jobs and attempting to become established as a cartoonist.
During this time he attended New York’s famed School of Visual Arts.
Bob credits cartoonist Orlando Busino for encouraging him, along with his
wife’s support, to move his family to New York on a permanent basis. Bob
and Orlando have developed an active and close friendship that endures
today. Dick Cavelli provided his first job as a full-time cartoonist, Bob
being employed as Cavelli’s assistant. Subsequently he, Busino, and Cavelli
moved to Connecticut where they could enjoy country life but still be close
to New York. Cartoonists at that time made their rounds, hoping to sell
their work to the various magazine editors who were located there.
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COLLECTOR’S CORNER
Bob always gives his readers their monies-worth with many
background objects and new characters, drawn in the early “big foot” style.
Doing this lately has been made more difficult as newspapers have been
reducing the size of their comics. Bob has adapted to this in a creative way
by using fewer panels to tell his story. Moose and Molly has remarkable
newspaper longevity, lasting for well over 40 years. Readers are devoted
to his efforts and when an editor has tried to drop the strip to limit the
number of comics or add a new strip, this decision has often been over-ruled
by a barrage of letters from Moose’s fans. Moose and Molly has become
literally one of a kind.
Laurie Powers is a writer with a blog (www.lauriepowerswildwest.
blogspot.com) and a website (www.pulpwriter.com). Her blog includes
articles, and recently she reviewed the new Dream City book in which
BLBs and comic characters play an important part. Laurie has written
many reviews and books.
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Jerry O’Hara, Member #1315, recently put up for sale a Tim Tyler BLB
that was released as a sample for sales purposes. It tells the retailer how
much the books cost wholesale in quantity units. Sample books have
shown up from time to time with retail information attached. They are
a very scarce BLB collectible.
One of Laurie’s books, Pulp Writer,
has special interest to collectors in
our Club. Her grandfather, Paul S.
Powers, was a free-lance writer
during the 1930s. He wrote many
Western tales for pulp magazines.
Some of those tales were adapted
by Saalfield and published as Little
Big Books and Jumbo Books.
Although Moose and Molly continues, in 1987 Bob collaborated with his
son, Bob Jr., in creating the extremely successful Slylock Fox and Comics
for Kids. It is also syndicated by King Features. This strip consists of
puzzles, riddles, and even drawing lessons that appeal to a wide range
of ages. In 2006 Wikipedia estimated that it reached over 30 million
readers. It has won awards for its educational merits from USA Today and
Best of the Net.
Bob is very much a teacher, this being an activity which he enjoys so much
that at times he feels that he should not receive a gratuity. He often “forgets”
to cash those checks he receives in payment. He has taught cartooning at
the Smithsonian Institute and continues to give cartooning classes at various
schools and libraries. At present Bob divides his time between Connecticut,
Arizona, and Maryland. Besides at his drawing desk and in the classroom,
you can find him at Sons of the Desert (Laurel & Hardy) meetings, slapstick
festivals, old-time radio gatherings, and film conventions.
Under the name Ward Stevens,
Paul S. Powers wrote The Ranger
and the Cowboy, Buckskin and Bullets,
Desert Justice, and Spook Riders on the
Overland. The characters in these
stories were big names in the
pulps: Sonny Tabor, Kid Wolf, and
Freckles Malone. A look at the cover
illustration of a Street and Smiths
Wild West Weekly, clearly told you
who were the featured characters.
•
LAURIE’S BOOK
Powers also wrote western novelettes for Thrilling Western, Popular
Western, and Weird Tales.
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•
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•
Ken Ladd, Member #1172, sent
a note and a picture saying that
“not only did Henry Vallely
draw fine pictures for many Big
Little Books, but he drew pictures
for painting/coloring books as
well.”
Ken has the Whitman Lone Ranger
Paint Book that was drawn by
Vallely. On the first page it says
“Drawings by H. E. Vallely”. The
book has a 1940 copyright date.
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•
HIGH GRADE BLBs FOR SALE
Larry Johnston 4171 Pepper Avenue, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
[email protected]
(714) 345-6111
Shipping is $5 or free on orders of 3 books or more. Insurance is extra.
Larry Johnston 4171 Pepper Avenue, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
[email protected]
(714) 345-6111
Shipping is $5 or free on orders of 3 books or more. Insurance is extra.
NOTE: This listing is exclusive for BLB Club Members,
but hurry if you want any items because after September 15, the list will go out to a public auction.
NOTE: This listing is exclusive for BLB Club Members,
but hurry if you want any items because after September 15, the list will go out to a public auction.
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CLASSIFIED ADS
CLASSIFIED ADS
FOR SALE
WANTED
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
Over 150 BLBs and related items.
Most are FN to MT. Many rare, very
rare, and scarce books. Pictures upon
request.
For list send SASE to:
Fast Action books
Dick Tracy and the Frozen Bullet Gang
Flash Gordon and the Ape Men of Mor
Over 10,000 comic books 1930-1990
7 mags Astounding S.F. 1950
(before analog)
Good to VG
March, May, July, August, October,
November, December
New Stories: Heinlein Bush,
Paul Anderson
First article on Dianetics,
Ron Hubbard.
Best offer over $4.00 ea.
$5.00 postage.
Saalfield
Chandu the Magician
BRYAN CAMPBELL (Member #977)
709 Brookside Place
Colwich, KS 67030
or call 1-316-796-0650 evenings please
or by internet:
[email protected]
ART FOR SALE
Western art from the
cowboy artist
Member #1165
at
www.etsy.com
then put in CM Okerwall in search.
Happy Trails to all BLB Lovers.
All books to be FINE or BETTER
JACK SWORD (Member #200)
(310) 937-2232
[email protected]
WANTED
Children’s items
and other neat, different, unique,
odd, curios, strange, odd ball, weird,
wonderful, items from the New York
Worlds Fair of 1939.
Lamps, lunch boxes, 3-D, radios, etc.
Must be in nice condition.
Save this ad.
Call
ANDREW MARTIN (Member #567)
202-726-3995
Or e-mail: [email protected]
Thanks and good hunting!
CONRAD OKERWALL (Member #1165)
[email protected]
WANTED
Disney items
Almost all Dell Disney Comics and
Stories
from 1940-1990s
Carl Barks lithographs wholesale
Still have some Chronicle books left +
1400 series BLBs
in FINE to NEAR MINT
BOB WILDERMAN (Member #946)
11814 Beckett Fall
Florissant, MO 63033
Send want lists to
JERRY JURMAN (Member #362)
75 Parkway Drive
Syosset, NY 11791
FOR SALE
WANTED
Four Big Little Books:
Lone Ranger GW241 #1465
GOOD $10.00;
Mandrake the Magician SW10 #1431
FAIR $10.00;
Buck Rogers SW13 #1437
FAIR $15.00;
Vic Sands SW199 #1455
VERY GOOD $25.00
plus postage on each.
All 4 for $50.00 plus postage.
Collector buys tickets for
network radio and TV show
broadcasts, previews, and tapings
1925-1975.
Send e-mail to [email protected] for a
prompt reply.
RICK PAYNE (Member #1300)
974 Ridge Crest Dr.
Gahanna, Ohio 43230
Contact:
lostumbo@comcast .net
or call
(301) 983-9066
WANTED
High grade 3-color softcover
Big Little Books
In VFN or BETTER condition.
576 page hard cover Mother Goose
Bugs Bunny #1435
Whitman All Pictures BLB
Mickey Mouse and Pluto #16
Dell Fast Action book
The Practical Pig #1095
Disney hard cover
LARRY JOHNSTON (Member #681)
[email protected]
or
(714) 345-6111
DICK HOFFMAN (Member #223)
348 Walnut Lane
Youngstown, NY 14174
(716) 745-9534
Also 4-color versions
in FINE condition
320 page Paint books
30
FOR SALE
BLBs recently found stored for
decades in an old trunk. Many in VF
to NM condition.
WANTED
Looking for
Buck Jones items
Send email request to
[email protected]
and I’ll return an attached list.
MELBOURNE ROBISON (Member #125)
3825 Wagoneer
Reno, Nevada 84507
STEVE ROBINSON (Member #840)
31