Walter Lantz New Funnies #211

(September 1954)

[Strength and Fish-ness] (Table of Contents: 1)

Andy Panda / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Lloyd White

Inks

Suzanne Seaborne

Letters

Suzanne Seaborne

First Line of Dialogue or Text

This looks like a good fishing spot, Andy!

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; humor

Characters

Andy Panda; Charlie Chicken

Synopsis

While fishing, Andy and Charlie hook each other's lines. When Charlie is pulled overboard by Andy's line, he declares that Andy is "stronger than [he is]".

Keywords

fishing; strength; working-at-cross-purposes

Indexer Notes

Black and white on inside front cover.

[Inventor] (Table of Contents: 2)

Woody Woodpecker / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

Carl Fallberg

Pencils

John Carey

Inks

John Carey

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

John Carey

Job Number

N.F. #211-549

First Line of Dialogue or Text

There must be something left to invent!

Feature Logo

Woody Woodpecker [Dell Nuts as "O"s Logo Single "W"]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Woody Woodpecker; Knothead; Splinter; Wally Walrus; banker; police officer

Synopsis

Wanting to be a great inventor, Woody searches for something to invent that has not been invented before.

Keywords

bank robbery; black snow; frustration; inventions; inventor; mama doll; roller skates; unintended slapstick consequences; workshop

Indexer Notes

Title from Fallberg's notes.

[Yellowstone] (Table of Contents: 3)

Andy Panda / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Script

Carl Fallberg

Pencils

Lynn Karp

Inks

Lynn Karp

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

What's that? He is? Oh, this is terrible!

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; humor

Characters

Andy Panda; Charlie Chicken; Chief Ranger; bears; other ranger

Synopsis

Terrible tourist Charlie Chicken is heading for a vacation at Yellowstone National Park, where his pal Andy Panda is a park ranger. The Chief Ranger assigns Andy to escort his out-of-control, crazy chum around the park and keep him from wreaking havoc. Can Andy do it, or will he turn... chicken?

Keywords

annoying visitor; bears; forest ranger; forest setting; geysers; national park; tourist; wreaking havoc

Indexer Notes

Title from Fallberg's notes.

[Curious Fox] (Table of Contents: 4)

Oswald the Rabbit / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Carl Fallberg

Pencils

Ken Champin

Inks

?

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Aren't you going to take us out to gather nuts today, Poppa Oswald?

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Oswald the Rabbit; Floyd; Lloyd; Reddy Fox

Synopsis

Oswald invokes some approximation of the old saying about "curiosity" and "cats", and tries to illustrate the point to Floyd and Lloyd on a nut-gathering expedition. However, it is the kids' curiosity that routs hungry Reddy Fox and saves the day.

Keywords

best of intentions; best-laid-plans; curiosity; forest setting; nut gathering; nuts; old saying; one-character-desiring-another-as-a-meal; pumpkin patch; unintended slapstick consequences; wet paint

Indexer Notes

Oswald can’t quite tell his kids, Floyd and Lloyd, that “Curiosity KILLED the cat!” (The "Dell Comics Are Good Comics" Code at work?), instead offering “And you know the old saying about what too much curiosity does to cats!”. Oswald's version seems a bit too roundabout for the usually limited balloon lettering space, suggesting that some sort of editorial intervention may have occurred here. Title from Fallberg's notes.

The Birthday Cake (Table of Contents: 5)

Woody Woodpecker / text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

John Carey

Inks

John Carey

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

"Hey kids," Woody Woodpecker called, "Are you doing your homework?"

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Woody Woodpecker; Knothead; Splinter; Wally Walrus; Buzz Buzzard

Synopsis

Knothead and Splinter surreptitiously bake a cake for Woody’s birthday. Only problem is, they do it two weeks in advance, so that it’s stale and hard on the big day. Buzz Buzzard steals the still-good-looking cake, and cracks his beak on it.

Keywords

best of intentions; birthday; birthday cake

Homer Pigeon Meets Chilly Willy (Table of Contents: 6)

Chilly Willy; Homer Pigeon / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

Del Connell

Pencils

Veve Risto

Inks

Veve Risto

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

Veve Risto

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Homer, we've started a new air mail service to the south pole... and guess who has been selected to fly it there?

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Homer Pigeon; Chilly Willy; air mail boss; various other penguins; Burly Bear (not the later "Bully Bear" character); Elby Eel

Synopsis

Air Mail pilot Homer Pigeon delivers an electric heater to Chilly Willy at the South Pole. As they hook it up to be powered by an electric eel, good natured but impulsive Burly Bear, who always wanted to fly like a bird, takes an uncontrolled ride in Homer’s plane. Once the plane is recovered, Chilly accompanies Homer for the trip back to the USA - where the chronically cold penguin looks forward to warmer climes… and will have an extended stay with his pigeon host.

Keywords

air mail; electric eel; electric heater; first appearance of recurring character; jet plane; penguins; polar bear; South Pole

Indexer Notes

This is Chilly Willy’s comic book debut, and an unconventional and indirect one it was. First appearing here as a guest-star in the “Homer Pigeon” feature, Chilly Willy would share several months’ worth of stories with Homer Pigeon (whom he’d quickly eclipse in popularity), finally achieving a feature (in Walter Lantz New Funnies #222) and later a comic book of his own.

The Biggest Dollar's Worth of Fun Your Money Can Buy!! (Table of Contents: 7)

Dell Comics; Walter Lantz New Funnies / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Dick Hall (Woody Woodpecker figure only); Bill Weaver (cover reproduction of Walter Lantz New Funnies #211)

Inks

Dick Hall (Woody Woodpecker figure only); Bill Weaver (cover reproduction of Walter Lantz New Funnies # 211)

Letters

?; typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

...A full year's subscription to New Funnies comics!

Keywords

comic book house ads; mail subscriptions

Indexer Notes

Ad offering one, two, and three year subscriptions to Walter Lantz New Funnies at a discount off the newsstand price, and with a free "genuine Lucky Rabbit's Foot" (hopefully not from Oswald) as an added premium. Illustrations in this ad: Repurposed image of Woody Woodpecker by Dick Hall holding an issue of Walter Lantz New Funnies #211 (this issue) and a realistic rendering of the "Lucky Rabbit's Foot". Black and white ad on inside back cover.

How Chuck's Fineline Pen Got Him in the Movies! (Table of Contents: 8)

W.A. Sheaffer Pen Co. / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Hollywood's biggest star!

Characters

Chuck (movie theatre usher); Gene Troy (western movie star); cowgirl actress; movie producer; large crowd of onlookers

Synopsis

When Gene Troy's autograph-signing pen fails to work as his adoring crowd gathers for his new movie premiere, theatre usher Chuck steps up to offer the star his Fineline pen. The producer in attendance taps Chuck to co-star in Gene Troy's next film. In the final panel, both Chuck and Gene (as floating heads) extoll the virtues of Fineline pens.

Keywords

pencils; pens; product-spawned fame

Indexer Notes

"Gene Troy" would appear to be an amalgam of famous cowboy stars Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Both of their "first names" are used in creating the name of "Gene Troy". Color ad on back cover.