Porky Pig #31
(August 1970)

Western, 1965 Series
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Price
0.15 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
bimonthly
On-sale Date
1970-06
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Western Publishing Company Inc.
Brand
Gold Key
Editing
Chase Craig (editor); Del Connell (editor)

Issue Notes

Publication date is derived from the last three digits of the cover code (008 = August, 1970). On sale date (month and year) is derived from the issue code appearing in the bottom tier of page one (706 = June, 1970).

[Scuba Diner] (Table of Contents)

Porky Pig / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Phil De Lara
Inks
Phil De Lara
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop

Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals; humor
Characters
Porky Pig; Sylvester Pussycat
Synopsis
Thanks to a scuba-diving mask and snorkel, Sylvester eats Porky's caught fish before he can even pull it out of the water.
Reprints
Keywords
fishing; scuba-diving; trickery; unexpected intrusion

Grow Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Sea-Monkeys / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Aztec Eye (Table of Contents: 2)

Porky Pig / comic story / 14 pages (report information)

Script
Don R. Christensen
Pencils
Tony Strobl
Inks
John Liggera
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
Rome Siemon

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Look out, Elmer!
Feature Logo
Porky Pig [Dell/Western Logo Single Line]
Genre
adventure; anthropomorphic-funny animals; humor
Characters
Porky Pig; Elmer Fudd; Professor Torina; Bowarti Natives; mischievous monkeys
Synopsis
Porky and Elmer are on an archeological expedition as assistants to Professor Torina. While exploring Aztec ruins in a jungle surrounded by a mysterious fog, they find a huge egg-shaped sapphire that carries a curse which hypnotizes Elmer into believing he is the descendent of an Aztec tyrant. He goes to a nearby hostile native village where the inhabitants think he is a great spirit from out of the fog. Can Porky break the curse, and shock Elmer out of his hypnotic trance and back to normal, by uttering a key emotion-stirring phrase?
Reprints
Keywords
Aztecs; exploring; hostile natives; hypnosis; jungle setting; monkeys; ruins; sapphire

Indexer Notes

"Reprinted by popular demand".

Gold Key Comics Club News (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Gold Key Comics Club / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Reader's Page Animals (Table of Contents: 4)

Gold Key Comics Club / illustration / 1 page (report information)

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

Indexer Notes

Reader-submitted drawings of animals.

Reader's Page Airplanes (Table of Contents: 5)

Gold Key Comics Club / illustration / 1 page (report information)

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

Indexer Notes

Drawings of various airplanes submitted by readers.

Jokes on You (Table of Contents: 6)

Gold Key Comics Club / text article / 1 page (report information)

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

First Line of Dialogue or Text
What question can never be answered "Yes"?
Characters
Gold Key Kid
Keywords
jokes; riddles

Indexer Notes

Jokes and riddles submitted by readers.

A Trunkful of Trouble (Table of Contents: 7)

Mary Jane and Sniffles / comic story / 1 page (report information)

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

First Line of Dialogue or Text
One day Mary Jane hid Sniffles in her picnic hamper and took him along with her for a visit to the zoo.
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals; fantasy-supernatural; humor
Characters
Mary Jane; Sniffles; elephant
Synopsis
Mary Jane takes Sniffles to the zoo, where he gets in trouble in the elephant's pen.
Reprints
Keywords
elephant; zoo

The Pestered Puddy (Table of Contents: 8)

Tweety and Sylvester / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Pete Alvarado
Inks
Pete Alvarado
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
Rome Siemon

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Come on, Puddy! Be a sport! Wead me some nursewy wimes!
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Tweety Bird; Sylvester Pussycat
Synopsis
Tweety pesters Sylvester into reading to him from a book of nursery rhymes.
Reprints
Keywords
canary; cat; nursery rhymes; pestering

The Great Stagecoach Robbery (Table of Contents: 9)

Porky Pig / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Carl Fallberg ?
Pencils
Phil De Lara
Inks
Phil De Lara
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Hustle along there, feller! I have to catch that stagecoach!
Feature Logo
Porky Pig [Dell/Western Logo Single Line]
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals; humor
Characters
Porky Pig; Yosemite Sam; sheriff; Hank (stagecoach driver); shotgun-rider; Del (owner of "Del's Cargo Express" stagecoach line); tall, thin stagecoach robber; Dawg Dawson (short, ornery stagecoach robber)
Reprints
Keywords
creator reference; robbery; stagecoach; western setting

Indexer Notes

New story.

Carl Fallberg suggested as author, as the story reads like an abbreviated "Mickey Mouse and Goofy" western tale. Michael Maltese is also a possibility but, if so, the story would have more gags in it aside from the ending kicker.

"Del's Cargo Express" looks to be a double-pun. "Wells-Fargo", of course, and a reference to editor Del Connell, which Fallberg had done before in the opening splash panel of "The Secret of Drake's Island" in Mickey Mouse (Dell, 1952 Series) #67, reprinted in Mickey Mouse (Western, 1962 Series) #153. That "Del's" is spelled with ONE "l' and "Wells" is spelled with TWO "l's, points to the additional Del Connell reference.

It seems unlikely that "Del's" would be a reference to "Dell Comics" as the story appears eight years after the "Dell/Gold Key split".

A Doggy Tale (Table of Contents: 10)

Bugs Bunny / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Tony Strobl
Inks
John Liggera
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
Rome Siemon

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Yes, I did advertise for a handy man, but...
Feature Logo
Bugs Bunny [Dell / Western Logo Rounded Letters Single Line]
Genre
humor; anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Bugs Bunny; lady of the house; dog
Synopsis
Bugs exercises a lady's dog.
Reprints
  • Story is reprinted from an undetermined issue.
Keywords
dog; exercise

Indexer Notes

Top half of page.

Super Brain (Table of Contents: 11)

Bugs Bunny / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Tony Strobl
Inks
John Liggera
Colors
Western Publishing Production Shop
Letters
Rome Siemon

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Come on, Elmer, I'll share my umbrella with you!
Feature Logo
Bugs Bunny [Dell / Western Logo Rounded Letters Single Line]
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals; humor
Characters
Bugs Bunny; Elmer Fudd
Synopsis
During a pouring rain, Bugs shares his umbrella with Elmer - but Elmer ends up wetter than before.
Reprints
  • Story is reprinted from an undetermined issue.
Keywords
frustration; rain storm; slow burn; umbrella

Indexer Notes

Lower half of page.

Your Future as a Cosmetologist/As an Air Traffic Controller (Table of Contents: 12)

Gold Key Comics Club / text article / 1 page (report information)

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

Genre
non-fiction
Keywords
editorial feature

Indexer Notes

Two half page articles on possible careers accompanied by illustrations. © 1970, Western Publishing Company, Inc.

204 Revolutionary War Soldiers (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

Revolutionary War Soldiers / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Amazing $1 Art Offer (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

Colonial Studios Wall Art / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Do You Need Extra Money? (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

Cheerful Card / Cheerful House Cards and Stationery / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [Scuba Diner]
    Porky Pig
  2. 1. Grow Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys
    Sea-Monkeys
  3. 2. The Aztec Eye
    Porky Pig
  4. 3. Gold Key Comics Club News
    Gold Key Comics Club
  5. 4. Reader's Page Animals
    Gold Key Comics Club
  6. 5. Reader's Page Airplanes
    Gold Key Comics Club
  7. 6. Jokes on You
    Gold Key Comics Club
  8. 7. A Trunkful of Trouble
    Mary Jane and Sniffles
  9. 8. The Pestered Puddy
    Tweety and Sylvester
  10. 9. The Great Stagecoach Robbery
    Porky Pig
  11. 10. A Doggy Tale
    Bugs Bunny
  12. 11. Super Brain
    Bugs Bunny
  13. 12. Your Future as a Cosmetologist/As an Air Traffic Controller
    Gold Key Comics Club
  14. 13. 204 Revolutionary War Soldiers
    Revolutionary War Soldiers
  15. 14. Amazing $1 Art Offer
    Colonial Studios Wall Art
  16. 15. Do You Need Extra Money?
    Cheerful Card / Cheerful House Cards and Stationery
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Donald Dale Milne
  • Lou Mougin (R.I.P.)
  • Jim Stangas
  • Joe Torcivia
  • Jim Van Dore