New Funnies #81

(November 1943)

Can You Name It? (Table of Contents: 1)

activity / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Dot drawing fun!

Keywords

connect-the-dots; rebus; scrambled word puzzle

Indexer Notes

Activity page with connect-the-dots, rebus, and scrambled word puzzles. Color on inside front cover.

[A Snowman and his Dog] (Table of Contents: 2)

Andy Panda / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

John Stanley

Pencils

Dan Gormley

Inks

Dan Gormley

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

Dan Gormley

First Line of Dialogue or Text

There, our snowman is finished!

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; humor

Characters

Andy Panda; Charlie Chicken; snowman; snow dog

Synopsis

Andy and Charlie's snowman and snow dog come to life causing unexpected difficulties.

Keywords

snowman; winter setting

Indexer Notes

Three-tiered pages. “Copyright 1943 by Walter Lantz Productions”

[The Magic Walk in the Secret Garden] (Table of Contents: 3)

Raggedy Ann / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Gaylord Du Bois

Pencils

George Kerr

Inks

George Kerr

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Who can be knocking on our door so early?

Genre

humor; children; fantasy-supernatural

Characters

Raggedy Ann; Raggedy Andy; Old Horse; a squirrel family; mean wizard

Synopsis

Old Horse takes Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy on a trip to The Secret Garden via the flying Magic Walk, where a mean wizard makes thing tough for a family of squirrels.

Keywords

children's fantasy; garden; rag dolls; stuffed animals; toys; wizard

Indexer Notes

Credits per info in Michael Barrier's book Funnybooks the Improbable Glories of the Best American Comic Books. “Copyright 1943 by Johnny Gruelle Co.”

[The Brownies Fight a Fire] (Table of Contents: 4)

The Brownies / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Walt Kelly

Pencils

Walt Kelly

Inks

Walt Kelly

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

Walt Kelly

First Line of Dialogue or Text

In the deep, cool woods where the giant-like toad stools grow, the dark night is reaching an end.

Genre

humor; fantasy-supernatural

Characters

The Brownies; a squirrel family; Jerry Grasshopper; Billy Beaver

Synopsis

The Brownies' fire department, with assistance from Jerry Grasshopper and Billy Beaver, save a family of squirrels from a tree fire.

Keywords

fire; fire department; forest setting; rescue; teamwork

Indexer Notes

“Copyright 1943, by K.K. Publications Inc.”

Adventure on Halloween (Table of Contents: 5)

text story / 3 pages (report information)

Script

Robert Callender (credited as R. S. Callender)

Pencils

George Kerr ?; L. Bing ? (spot illustrations)

Inks

George Kerr ?; L. Bing ? (spot illustrations)

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

It was a perfect Halloween night.

Genre

fantasy-supernatural

Characters

Johnnie (boy); black cat; witches; Witch Queen; Johnnie's mother

Synopsis

Little Johnnie is home with a cold and cannot trick-or-treat on Halloween. A black cat takes him on a magic broom ride to a mountaintop, where he observes a dance of the witches.

Keywords

black cat; boy; fantasy setting; Halloween; magic broom; star

Indexer Notes

“Copyright 1943 by R.S. Callender”

[Tin Can Man] (Table of Contents: 6)

Oswald the Rabbit / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Gaylord Du Bois

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

What a beautiful day to have to cut grass!

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Oswald the Rabbit; Toby Bear; the Woodchuck Boys; Papa Woodchuck

Synopsis

Oswald creates a power mower by attaching a motor to his old push lawn mower and adds a baby carriage to the side to catch the newly mowed grass. The Woodchuck Boys do him one better by creating a bogus mechanical man that supposedly cuts lawns, and trick Oswald into buying it.

Keywords

buyer beware; con job; lawn mower; mechanical man

Indexer Notes

Du Bois script per info in Michael Barrier's book Funnybooks the Improbable Glories of the Best American Comic Books. “Copyright 1943 by Walter Lantz Productions”

The Woodchucks seem to be the same characters as in this issue's Li'l Eight Ball story.

[Peril of the Pitcher Plant] (Table of Contents: 7)

Billy and Bonny Bee / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

Frank Thomas

Pencils

Frank Thomas

Inks

Frank Thomas

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

Frank Thomas

First Line of Dialogue or Text

There go the junior honey-gatherers to do this morning's honey collecting, your majesty!!

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Billy Bee; Bonny Bee; Queen Bee; worker bees; various insects; Woodrow Tick; pitcher plant

Synopsis

Billy is caught in a pitcher plant, which plans to devour him.

Keywords

bees; community of insects; one-character-desiring-another-as-a-meal; pitcher plant; trap

Indexer Notes

A very well drawn, but sort of creepy, entry for this series. “Copyright 1943 by R.S. Callender”

[Police Cat] (Table of Contents: 8)

Felix the Cat / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Otto Messmer

Pencils

Otto Messmer

Inks

Otto Messmer

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

Otto Messmer

First Line of Dialogue or Text

It worked! I knew if he picked at those seeds, he'd burst the balloon and fall down overcome by the gas!

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Felix the Cat; Phyllis; goat; pipe salesman; pipe customer; tailor; tailor's customer; four gangsters; police chief; various police officers; other black cat; guy hit in head

Synopsis

Felix single-handedly captures four wanted gangsters and earns the respect of the police... until the jailing of the gangsters leads to a drop in crime, and the police are laid off.

Reprints

• From Felix the Cat dailies (King Features Syndicate) 1932 dates undetermined. Part of a multi-issue running continuity.

Keywords

arrests; best of intentions; fame-is-fleeting; gangsters; jailing; layoffs; newspaper strip reprint; police

Indexer Notes

“Copyright 1932, King Features Syndicate, Inc.”

[Kidnapped by The Cabbage King] (Table of Contents: 9)

Mister Tweedeedle / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Justin Gruelle

Pencils

Justin Gruelle

Inks

Justin Gruelle

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

Justin Gruelle

First Line of Dialogue or Text

I ate so much turkey that I'm sleepy -- ho-hum!

Genre

fantasy-supernatural

Characters

Mr. Twee Deedle; Dicky; Dolly; The Carrot Kid, a highwayman; Big Chief Woodenhead; a flock of cowboy bugs; the Cabbage King

Synopsis

Dolly is kidnapped to become the new queen of The Cabbage King.

Keywords

abounding oddities; cigar store Indian; fantasy setting; highwayman; jumping beans; kidnapping; king; queen; strange land; vegetables

Indexer Notes

“Copyright 1943 by Johnny Gruelle Co.”

[The Great Race] (Table of Contents: 10)

Li'l Eight Ball / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Out of the way, small and slow! Go race a turtle!

Genre

humor

Characters

Li'l Eight Ball; the Woodchuck Boys; Papa Woodchuck

Synopsis

Li'l Eight Ball sets out to win a cross country race vs. the cheating Woodchuck Boys and their pop.

Keywords

best-laid-plans; cheating; race; trickery

Indexer Notes

The Woodchucks seem to be the same characters as in this issue's Oswald the Rabbit story.

“Copyright 1943 by Walter Lantz Productions”

This Swell 8" x 10 1/2" Picture in Full Color Suitable for Framing Free! (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Dell Comics; Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Free! This 8" x 10 1/2" picture of lovable Andy Panda, in full color - Suitable for framing (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

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