Bugs Bunny #140 [Whitman]

Western, 1962 Series
< Previous Issue |
| Next Issue >
Price
0.15 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
?
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Western Publishing Company Inc.
Brand
Whitman W [with Face]
Editing
?

Issue Notes

This issue is a variant of Bugs Bunny (Western, 1962 series) #140.

[The Unfathomable Snow Rabbit] (Table of Contents)

Bugs Bunny / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Tony Strobl
Inks
?
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop

Genre
humor; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Bugs Bunny; St. Bernard
Synopsis
Snowbound Bugs is happy to see an approaching St. Bernard… but, seems inexplicably happier than he ought to be, given the situation as-seen. (See "Notes" below.)
Reprints
Keywords
anticipation; art modification or omission; happiness; snow; St. Bernard

Indexer Notes

For this reprint, the words “Carrot Juice” were left off the barrel carried by the St. Bernard, which would explain why Bugs was so suitably happy on the original cover – but more so than he ought to be, on this cover reprint.

The Dingo Kid Trips a Thief (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Dingo / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

Dum-Dum Dentist (Table of Contents: 2)

Bugs Bunny / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script
Michael Maltese
Pencils
Phil De Lara
Inks
Phil De Lara
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
Bill Spicer

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Ah, there’s a likely prospect for my wares! What better place than a dental office?
Feature Logo
Bugs Bunny [Dell / Western Logo Rounded Letters Two Lines]
Genre
humor; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Bugs Bunny; dentist’s receptionist; Elmer Fudd; Dr. Drill (dentist)
Synopsis
Magazine salesman Bugs calls on a dentist’s office to peddle his wares. There he finds a nervous Elmer Fudd waiting in the dentist chair, and dons a white coat and surgical mask simply to heckle and bedevil him! “I know I shouldn’t do this, but I just can’t resist an opportunity to bug that guy!” …Ain’t he a stinker?
Keywords
change in artist’s style; dentist; heckling; imposter; return of writer

Indexer Notes

This story presents a pair of “firsts". It is the first Bugs Bunny comic book story to be written by animation writer Michael Maltese, after his long and prolific career at Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera had wound down. The “heckling attitude” and humorous dialogue was of the type not seen in the Western Publishing Bugs Bunny comics of the time – but was a hallmark of the animation scripts of Maltese, who was one of the creators who literally shaped Bugs Bunny into a cartoon icon.

It is also a first example of artist Phil De Lara, himself a Warner Bros. animation veteran, employing what may best be described as his “DePatie/Freleng style” – presumably developed for drawing Western’s new Pink Panther title (1971) – for a story featuring characters born of classic-era theatrical animation. All characters, other than Bugs and Elmer, are “simplified” and the backgrounds are “minimalist”, compared with De Lara’s work on funny-animal comics up to this point. Dr. Drill, the dentist, actually looks as if he stepped out of a Pink Panther cartoon – protruding big nose, one-eyed side profile and all. De Lara would occasionally work in this new style on characters such as Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, and others, along with his work on The Pink Panther. Readers can compare this new artistic style of De Lara’s with his more classic style of the reprinted Beep Beep the Road Runner story seen later in this issue.

Jokes by Cracky #7… has 7 big sections! (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Western Publishing Company; Jokes By Cracky / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Mark Jewelers / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Guest Who (Table of Contents: 5)

Bugs Bunny / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Massimo Fecchi
Inks
Massimo Fecchi
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Package for Bugs Bunny!
Feature Logo
Bugs Bunny
Genre
humor; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Bugs Bunny; butler; Antone (chef); Count of Fargonia
Synopsis
Bugs receives an invitation to a dinner given in his honor, in the far off country of Fargonia. Once there he finds that he is to be the dinner for the Count of Fargonia, who has never tasted rabbit stew – and would never dine upon an “ordinary rabbit”, but only one like Bugs, whose name and address is in “Who’s Who” under “famous rabbits”.
Keywords
chef; dinner; invitation; one-character-desiring-another-as-a-meal; rabbit stew; royalty

Indexer Notes

Another first for this issue… the first story published by Western to be drawn by Italian artist Massimo Fecchi, known for drawing European stories of Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy. For Western, Fecchi worked primarily with Warner Bros. and MGM characters, rather than Disney. He brought a unique visual style to these comics, to the point where the expressive character of Antone the chef, could easily have been an adversary in a Bugs Bunny theatrical short.

Foiled in Oil (Table of Contents: 6)

Bugs Bunny / text story / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Fred Abranz
Inks
Fred Abranz
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Bugs Bunny sleepily climbed to the entrance of his rabbit hole to answer the loud call of an irate Elmer Fudd.
Genre
humor; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Bugs Bunny; Elmer Fudd
Synopsis
Bugs becomes suspicious when Elmer suddenly strikes oil in his backyard, digging only with a pick and shovel.
Reprints
Keywords
fortune teller; oil

Keys of Knowledge: The Chimpanzee (Table of Contents: 7)

Keys of Knowledge / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Chimpanzee, the most intelligent and advanced of all the animals, is an African ape, which is related to the gorilla family.
Genre
non-fiction; nature
Synopsis
Illustrated text feature on the chimpanzee.
Keywords
chimpanzee; educational feature

Indexer Notes

Five illustrations of chimpanzees with accompanying text. © 1971, Western Publishing Company, Inc.

Blow Yourself Up (Table of Contents: 8) (Expand) /

Gandalf Products Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Backward Beeps (Table of Contents: 9)

Beep Beep the Road Runner / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Phil De Lara
Inks
Phil De Lara
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
Rome Siemon

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Pop, we have an idea! If you don’t think it’s strange! Instead of him chasing us, let’s chase him for a change!
Genre
humor; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Beep Beep the Road Runner; Beep Beep's three sons; Wile E. Coyote; tunnel construction crew
Synopsis
Beep Beep and the boys turn the tables on Wile E. Coyote, by arranging things so that they wind up chasing him.
Reprints
Keywords
chase; desert setting; one-character-desiring-another-as-a-meal; tunnel; turning the tables

Indexer Notes

See notes on Phil De Lara above.

The Abominable Snowman (Table of Contents: 10)

Bugs Bunny / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Massimo Fecchi
Inks
Massimo Fecchi
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Hey, Elmer! What’s that crazy rig?
Feature Logo
Bugs Bunny [Dell / Western Logo Rounded Letters Two Lines]
Genre
humor; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Bugs Bunny; Elmer Fudd; little snowbird; Abominable Snowman
Synopsis
Bugs and Elmer are off to the Himalayas to capture the legendary Abominable Snowman, and bring him back alive.
Reprints
Keywords
Abominable Snowman; capture; Himalaya Mountains; hunt

Indexer Notes

See notes on Massimo Fecchi above.

Bobby the Superbuilder (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Funtime Products, Inc.; Mix’n Build Super Construction Set / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

Own Your Own (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

Kodak / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Get This Original Spiro Agnew Watch from the Dirty Time Co. (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

Gandalf Products Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Safari Starts Here! (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

Daisy Manufacturing Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Kenner Smash-Up Derby (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

Kenner; SSP Super Sonic Power / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [The Unfathomable Snow Rabbit]
    Bugs Bunny
  2. 1. The Dingo Kid Trips a Thief
    Dingo
  3. 2. Dum-Dum Dentist
    Bugs Bunny
  4. 3. Jokes by Cracky #7… has 7 big sections!
    Western Publishing Company; Jokes By Cracky
  5. 4. ["25 Years Service to Military Personnel"]
    Mark Jewelers
  6. 5. Guest Who
    Bugs Bunny
  7. 6. Foiled in Oil
    Bugs Bunny
  8. 7. Keys of Knowledge: The Chimpanzee
    Keys of Knowledge
  9. 8. Blow Yourself Up
    Gandalf Products Co.
  10. 9. The Backward Beeps
    Beep Beep the Road Runner
  11. 10. The Abominable Snowman
    Bugs Bunny
  12. 11. Bobby the Superbuilder
    Funtime Products, Inc.; Mix’n Build Super Construction Set
  13. 12. Own Your Own
    Kodak
  14. 13. Get This Original Spiro Agnew Watch from the Dirty Time Co.
    Gandalf Products Co.
  15. 14. The Safari Starts Here!
    Daisy Manufacturing Co.
  16. 15. Kenner Smash-Up Derby
    Kenner; SSP Super Sonic Power
This issue was modified by
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)