(April 1956)

Harvey, 1955 Series
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Volume
1
Price
0.10 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
monthly
On-sale Date
1956-02-16
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Harvey Publications Inc.
Brand
Harvey Comics [Stamp]
Editing
Leon Harvey (credited) (editor, vice president)

Issue Notes

On-sale date from regular feature, Harvey Comics News.

A "circus" theme runs through the entire issue, with the exception of the "Tee Vee Serial" and the "Inky and Dinky" story.

[Felix Springs into Action] (Table of Contents)

Felix the Cat / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Joe Oriolo
Inks
Joe Oriolo
Colors
?

Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Felix the Cat; frog
Synopsis
Felix puts two springs in his step to catch a frog.
Keywords
butterfly nets; frogs; springs

Indexer Notes

Pencils credit from Michael Morgan via the GCD Error Tracker (http://errors.comics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10638), 2016-08-26.

[A Game of Hoops] (Table of Contents: 1)

Felix the Cat / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Otto Messmer
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Zaccini's Trained Dogs
Feature Logo
Felix the Cat [Harvey Comics logo]
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Felix the Cat; Zaccini (circus dog trainer); poodle; sailor; drowning guy
Synopsis
Felix wants to practice tricks in order to get a job with the circus, but gets in trouble when he interferes with a lifesaving attempt at the beach.
Reprints
Keywords
circus; getting carried away; jumping through hoops; life preserver

Indexer Notes

Pencils credit from Michael Morgan via the GCD Error Tracker (http://errors.comics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10639), 2016-08-26.

According to Felix expert and historian David Gerstein, author of "Nine Lives to Live a Classic Felix Celebration by Otto Messmer" (1996, Fantagraphics Books), Messmer did some pencil art during the Harvey run - but with different inkers, so his work here less reflects his more classic works of the newspaper strip and the Dell and Toby Press comics. Per indexer's personal conversation with David Gerstein (2022).

In a Messmer touch, while imagining himself taking bows as a circus performer, Felix "doffs his ears" from the top of his head, as if they were a hat.

The Big Top (Table of Contents: 2)

Felix the Cat / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Joe Oriolo; Otto Messmer ?
Pencils
Otto Messmer
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
We're having enough trouble without your bringing home a stray cat to feed!
Feature Logo
Felix the Cat [Harvey Comics logo]
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Felix the Cat; Henry; Henry's wife; circus crowd; circus ringmaster; Leo (circus lion); man serving food to lion; man carrying manhole cover
Synopsis
Felix has been taken in by a jobless man named Henry, but when he helps himself to milk from the refrigerator Henry chases him out of the house and down the street, where their chase entertains the crowd waiting to get into a circus. This gets Henry a job as a clown, but Felix is rejected, and his efforts to get in as well only pay off when an injury gets him into the circus hospital.
Reprints
Keywords
chase; circus setting; joblessness; lack-of-funds; lion

Indexer Notes

Part One of Three.

Pencils credit from Michael Morgan via the GCD Error Tracker (http://errors.comics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10640), 2016-08-26.

[Memory Jogger] (Table of Contents: 3)

Kitty / comic story / 1.75 pages (report information)

Script
Joe Oriolo ?; Otto Messmer ?
Pencils
Otto Messmer
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Dear me! I know I made an appointment for this afternoon, but I can't remember what!
Feature Logo
Kitty
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Kitty; various circus performers and animals; line of reducing salon women
Synopsis
Kitty hopes that something at the circus will remind her of what she was supposed to do; a line of elephants reminds her that she was going to the reducing salon.
Reprints
Keywords
circus setting; forgetfulness

Indexer Notes

Shares page two with the Statement of Ownership.

Pencils credit from Michael Morgan via the GCD Error Tracker (http://errors.comics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10641), 2016-08-26.

Statement of The Ownership, Management and Circulation (Table of Contents: 4)

statement of ownership / 0.25 page (report information)

Script
Robert Harvey (business manager)
Letters
typeset

Keywords
government reporting; regulations

Indexer Notes

Statement of Ownership for October 1, 1955. No circulation figures appear as part of this report. Occupies the bottom 1/4 of page two of the "Kitty" story.

Clowning Around (Table of Contents: 5)

Felix the Cat / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Joe Oriolo; Otto Messmer ?
Pencils
Joe Oriolo
Inks
Joe Oriolo
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Ah! Circus life is the life!
Feature Logo
Felix the Cat [Harvey Comics logo]
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Felix the Cat; Henry (now known as Clowno); circus ringmaster; various circus performers; circus cook; ring tailed baboon; seal; seal trainer; Katrina Katt
Synopsis
Henry's first performance as Clowno is a bomb until Felix runs out and joins him, but Clowno gets all the glory and Felix is left looking for food; when he does manage to get a fish he gives it to his new crush, tightrope walker Katrina Katt.
Reprints
Keywords
circus setting; clown; love-at-first-sight

Indexer Notes

Part Two of Three.

Pencils credit from Michael Morgan via the GCD Error Tracker (http://errors.comics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10642), 2016-08-26.

Harvey Comics News (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Harvey Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

The Big Finale (Table of Contents: 7)

Felix the Cat / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Joe Oriolo; Otto Messmer ?
Pencils
Joe Oriolo
Inks
Joe Oriolo
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Sigh! - My heart skips a beat every time I look at Katrina!
Feature Logo
Felix the Cat [Harvey Comics logo]
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Felix the Cat; Katrina Katt; clown; circus ringmaster; elephant; Splasho (high diver); The Great Asbestos (fire eater); circus crowd; mouse
Synopsis
Felix's continued attempts to get a job with the circus and impress Katrina Katt ruin several of the acts, but the customers love it.
Reprints
Keywords
circus setting; fire eater; high diver; impulsiveness; tight-wire walker; unrequited love; wreaking havoc

Indexer Notes

Part Three of Three.

Pencils credit from Michael Moore via the GCD Error Tracker (http://errors.comics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10643), 2016-08-26.

Sweet Revenge (Table of Contents: 8)

Inky and Dinky / text story / 0.75 page (report information)

Script
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Inky and Dinky were as happy as two kittens ever were.
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Inky; Dinky; Bully Bulldog
Synopsis
Bully tries to get Inky and Dinky's candy away from them, but his plan backfires.
Reprints
Keywords
best-laid-plans; candy; fighting; outsmarting one’s-self

Indexer Notes

A rare Inky and Dinky text story.

[Boxing Octopus] (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

Fearless Fosdick; Wildroot Cream-Oil / comics-form advertising / 0.25 page (report information)

House Hunting (Table of Contents: 10)

text story / 0.75 page (report information)

Script
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
"Randolph! Randolph Rabbit!" called Mrs. Rabbit loudly.
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Randolph Rabbit; Mr. Rabbit; Mrs. Rabbit; Oliver Owl
Synopsis
Little Randolph Rabbit keeps wandering away, so his parents teach him a lesson by making him think they have disappeared along with their house.
Reprints
Keywords
forest setting; learning one’s lesson; rabbits; there’s-no-place-like-home; wandering away

[Bird Limerick] (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Curtiss Candy Company; Baby Ruth / advertisement / 0.25 page (report information)

[Abandoned Ship!] (Table of Contents: 12)

Felix the Cat Tee Vee Serial / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Joe Oriolo; Otto Messmer (original concept)
Pencils
Joe Oriolo
Inks
Joe Oriolo
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Felix has stumbled on a strange box at the bottom of the sea.
Feature Logo
Felix the Cat Tee Vee Serial
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Felix the Cat; Fish-Eyed Fred (sailor); nameless sailor; ship's cook; lion; leopard; elephant
Synopsis
Felix and a treasure chest are hauled on board a ship; the crew takes the treasure and deserts the ship, leaving it to Felix--and a cargo of wild animals.
Reprints
Keywords
redrawn story; reused story; sea or island setting; ship; tough predicament; treasure; wild animals

Indexer Notes

Pencils credit from Michael Morgan via the GCD Error Tracker (http://errors.comics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10644), 2016-08-26.

Art and coloring simulate a black-and-white television program. Continued from issue #69 and continued in issue #71.

A reworking of several of the elements of a story titled "Felix the Cat Modern Jonah" in Felix the Cat Winter Annual (Toby, 1954 Series) #2 (Winter 1954), which was reformatted from an original Otto Messmer Felix newspaper strip continuity of the 1930s.

In Messmer's original story the ship's cook was a Chinese stereotype, who spoke as one might expect. For this version the character is more suitably anglicized.

Snow Fun (Table of Contents: 13)

Inky and Dinky / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Otto Messmer
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
C'mon, Inky! Let's take a sleigh ride down Dead Man's Bluff!
Feature Logo
Inky and Dinky
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Inky; Dinky; general store proprietor
Synopsis
Dinky wants to sled down Dead Man's Bluff; Inky doesn't want to, but accidentally ends up on the sled with Dinky. After a series of close calls, Inky falls off, and Dinky ends up in front of a general store stove, stuck inside a snowman.
Reprints
Keywords
general store; kids-at-play; sled; snowman; stove; wild ride; winter setting

Indexer Notes

Pencils credit from Michael Moore via the GCD Error Tracker (http://errors.comics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10645), 2016-08-26.

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [Felix Springs into Action]
    Felix the Cat
  2. 1. [A Game of Hoops]
    Felix the Cat
  3. 2. The Big Top
    Felix the Cat
  4. 3. [Memory Jogger]
    Kitty
  5. 4. Statement of The Ownership, Management and Circulation
  6. 5. Clowning Around
    Felix the Cat
  7. 6. Harvey Comics News
    Harvey Comics
  8. 7. The Big Finale
    Felix the Cat
  9. 8. Sweet Revenge
    Inky and Dinky
  10. 9. [Boxing Octopus]
    Fearless Fosdick; Wildroot Cream-Oil
  11. 10. House Hunting
  12. 11. [Bird Limerick]
    Curtiss Candy Company; Baby Ruth
  13. 12. [Abandoned Ship!]
    Felix the Cat Tee Vee Serial
  14. 13. Snow Fun
    Inky and Dinky
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Joey Beretta
  • Steve Coates
  • Katy Hayhurst
  • Jean-Francois Masse
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Jim Stangas
  • Joe Torcivia