Sad Sack Comics #v1#5

(May 1950)

Blondie Comics #19 (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Dick Tracy Comics 28 (Table of Contents: 2) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

[Ace City Rodeo] (Table of Contents: 3)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (p. 3)

Pencils

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (p. 3)

Inks

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (p. 3)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 3, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (p. 3)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; Cowboy Joe; Doctor; Paymaster

Synopsis

Sad Sack tries to one-up guitarist and country-western singer Cowboy Joe by wrangling a bull.

Keywords

bull riding; country; doctor bill; entertainment; injuries; injury; pay; rodeo; western; wrangling

Indexer Notes

[pantomine; no dialogue]

Assumed title taken from yellow banner over stadium entrance in panel 2.

Bobby Shelby and His Pals Form a Bike Safety Club (Table of Contents: 4)

Bobby Shelby / public service announcement / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Lee Elias (credited) (signed as Lee Elias) (p. 4)

Inks

Lee Elias (credited) (signed as Lee Elias) (p. 4)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 4, uncredited)

Letters

typeset (p. 4)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

I have called this meeting to tell you about my new bike safety club.

Genre

adventure; children; sports

Characters

Bobby Shelby; Pals

Synopsis

Bobby forms a club to promote bicycle safety. Very brief plug for new Shelby Donald Duck Bicycles.

Keywords

be courteous; bike safety; it pays to play safe; ride carefully

Indexer Notes

The PSA appears on page 4. Verified Lee Elias signature in panel 5 at left on page 4 upper half.

Extra Help (Table of Contents: 5)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 5, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 5, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 5, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 5, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 5, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; farmer

Synopsis

Sad Sack gets cheated out of 10.00 USD by a farmer when lightning finishes a tree to be chopped down.

Keywords

axe; chop down tree; chop tree; farm; farmer; farmhouse; lightning; lightning strike; thunderstorm

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

All for One (Table of Contents: 6)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 6, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 6, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 6, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 6, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 6, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; plumber; housewife

Synopsis

As assistant to A. Jerk Plumber, Sad Sack carries an overloaded heavy tool bag on a house call to find that the plumber only needed one tiny tool to fix a leak.

Keywords

bag of tools; house call; leak; plumber; plumber's bag; plumbing; plumbing leak; plumbing repair; service call; water leak

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

A Day's Work (Table of Contents: 7)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 7, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 7, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 7, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 7, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 7, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; hired lady

Synopsis

Ace Electric Appliances salesman Sad Sack offers a free washing and ironing demonstration to a woman he thinks is a housewife.

Keywords

Ace Electric Washer; clothes washer; cold call; door-to-door; electric washer; free demo; free demonstration; iron; ironing board; sales; salesman; wash; washer

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Don't Look Now (Table of Contents: 8)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 8, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 8, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 8, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 8, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 8, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; policeman; random pedestrians

Synopsis

A policeman turns a blind eye as pedestrians litter the street while sanitation worker Sad Sack cleans up the mess, however, the second Sack tosses a gum wrapper he's hauled away by same policeman.

Keywords

do not litter; enforce; enforcement; litter; police; refuse; sanitation; sanitation department; trash

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Cost of Living (Table of Contents: 9)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 9, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 9, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 9, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 9, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 9, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Joe (steakhouse owner); Sad Sack; steakhouse employee

Synopsis

Angered and disgusted by a worker kicking up dust from sweeping and odors from taking out the trash at Joe's Steak House, Sad Sack loses his appetite then tosses out his steak only to be charged 4.00 USD anyway.

Keywords

diner; dust; eatery; garbage; grill; Joe's steak house; odor; pay; restaurant; smell; steak house

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Being Helpful (Table of Contents: 10)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 10, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 10, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 10, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 10, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 10, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

wife; husband; Sad Sack

Synopsis

Sad Sack unwittingly insert himself into a domestic dispute and gets beaten to a bloody pulp.*

Keywords

beat; bloody; disagreement; domestic dispute; heated dispute; husband and wife argument; incapacitate; knock out; knock unconscious; pummel

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

* This type of humorous/satirical story with illustrated violence would probably have been rejected by the Comics Code Authority had it been in place five years earlier.

Carrying Charges (Table of Contents: 11)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 11, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 11, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 11, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 11, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 11, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Joe (steak house owner); Sad Sack

Synopsis

Sad Sack gets sick to his stomach at Joe's Steak House, passes out, gets swept out with the garbage, then hauled off to the city dump when Joe realizes Sad Sack hadn't paid for his steak.

Keywords

bill; check; diner; dump; eatery; food poisoning; garbage; get sick; Joe's Steak House; restaurant; steak; steak house

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

You Can't Win (Table of Contents: 12)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 12, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 12, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 12, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 12, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 12, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Owner (Tim's Grill); Employee (on strike); Sad Sack

Synopsis

Sad Sack gets caught up in a labor dispute outside Tim's Grill.

Keywords

diner; eatery; grill; labor dispute; on strike; restaurant; strike; Tim's Grill; unfair

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Room for Rent (Table of Contents: 13)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 13, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 13, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 13, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 13, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 13, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Landlady; Sad Sack; Policeman

Synopsis

Sad Sack complains to a policeman after being violently evicted for not being able to pay his 50.00 USD rent, but the policeman pleads with the landlady to offer him Sad Sack's apartment instead.

Keywords

apartment; eviction; landlady; landlord; overdue rent; rent; rent due; tenant; unpaid rent

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Rags to Riches (Table of Contents: 14)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 14, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 14, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 14, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 14, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 14, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; bum; policeman

Synopsis

Dressed in his finest suit, tie, and top hat, Sad Sack is robbed at gunpoint by a bum who exchanges his slovenly clothes for Sad Sack's, but Sack gets arrested upon seeking revenge.

Keywords

billy club; bum; cane; choke; choke hold; choke-hold; exquisite clothing; fine clothes; gunpoint; night stick; robber; suit; threaten; tie; top hat; violence

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

[Town Hall] (Table of Contents: 15)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (p. 15)

Pencils

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (p. 15)

Inks

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (p. 15)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 15, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (p. 15)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; Doorman; Clothier; formal patrons

Synopsis

Sad Sack shows up at Town Hall for work but is refused entry by the doorman because he's not dressed in formal wear.

Keywords

black tie event; formal dress; formal wear; full dress; suit and tie; suits; town hall; tuxedos; uppity

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Water, Please (Table of Contents: 16)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 16, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 16, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 16, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 16, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 16, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; waiter

Synopsis

After being chewed out by patron Sad Sack for not refilling his water, the waiter collapses onto a chair after which Sad Sack rushes to the kitchen to get him a glass of water.

Keywords

collapse; diner; dizzy; eatery; glass of water; grill; kitchen; restaurant; service; waiter; water

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Schwinn Black Phantom (Table of Contents: 17) (Expand) /

Schwinn Bicycle / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Are You a Sad Sack? (Table of Contents: 18)

Are You a Sad Sack? / activity / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

Alfred Harvey ? Leon Harvey ? (p. 18, left half)

Letters

typeset (p. 18, left half)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

If you're not a Sad Sack yourself, perhaps you know someone who is.

Genre

humor

Synopsis

Sad Sack Contest offers 10.00 USD for first prize and 5.00 USD as a second prize or a special one year subscription by sharing a 'Sad Sack' experience in a letter or on a penny (0.01 USD) postcard.

Keywords

contest; first prize; prizes; Sad Sack Contest; second prize

Indexer Notes

Three current entries are typeset: P.K., Conn.; L.C., Mass.; D.L., New York.

Entrants could submit their sad stories to:

SAD SACK CONTEST
1860 BROADWAY
NEW YORK 23, N.Y.

[Relax in the West] (Table of Contents: 19)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (pp. 18-19, centerfold)

Pencils

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (pp. 18-19, centerfold)

Inks

George Baker (signed as by George Baker) (pp. 18-19, centerfold)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (pp. 18-19, centerfold, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (credited) (signed as by George Baker) (pp. 18-19, centerfold)

Genre

humor

Characters

Sad Sack; various sales people; Native American salesman

Synopsis

Sad Sack cannot seem to escape sales people pestering him. So, he takes a road trip to camp and relax in the West only to be pestered by Native Americans hawking their handicrafts.

Keywords

candy; clothing; handicrafts; hawk; Indian blankets; Indian jewelry; Indian pottery; indigenous goods; insurance; Native American handcrafts; native crafts; newspaper; sales; sales people; salesmen; sell; shoe laces; solicit; travel

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Eleven panel comic strip printed as a full-bleed centerfold spread across pages 18 and 19.

Assumed title taken from sign in travel agency front window of panel 6.

[Swell All-Purpose Jacket] (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

Jacket / comics-form advertising / 0.5 page (report information)

Fleer's Dubble Bubble Gum (Table of Contents: 21) (Expand) /

Dubble Bubble Gum / comics-form advertising / 0.5 page (report information)

Stay on the Beam (Table of Contents: 22) (Expand) /

Delta Electric Company / comics-form advertising / 0.5 page (report information)

Generous Guest (Table of Contents: 23)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 21, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 21, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 21, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 21, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 21, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Room Clerk; Sad Sack; hotel guest

Synopsis

Bellhop Sad Sack staggers with a professional weightlifter's luggage and weights only to be tipped with a free weight lifting exhibition pass.

Keywords

1313; 13th floor; Ace Hotel; barbells; bellhop; elevator; free pass; guest; hotel; hotel room; Palace Theatre; Room 1313; tip; weight lifting exhibition; weights

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Hit and Miss (Table of Contents: 24)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 22, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 22, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 22, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 22, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 22, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Woman motorist; Sad Sack; I.M.Crook Lawyer

Synopsis

While parallel parking, a woman motorist barely taps Sad Sack as he's stepping off the curb when a crooked lawyer and witness intervenes.

Keywords

1940s sedan; accident; automobile; back up; crooked lawyer; feign injury; injury; lawyer; motor vehicle; parallel park; pedestrian; reverse; sedan; taken advantage of; woman driver; woman motorist

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Win or Lose (Table of Contents: 25)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 23, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 23, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 23, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 23, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 23, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; Doctor O'Rook; Patient

Synopsis

Sad Sack seeks medical attention after eating at Lousy Food but fully recuperates while in the waiting room only to be billed anyway.

Keywords

billing practices; doctor's bill; doctor's office; food poisoning; greasy food; headache; indigestion; lousy food; malpractice; medical billing; tummy ache; upset stomach; waiting room

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Split Decision (Table of Contents: 26)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 24, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 24, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 24, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 24, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 24, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Pedestrian; Sad Sack; Hat Salesman; Policeman

Synopsis

Sad Sack is arrested after trying to be a good Samaritan over a disputed man's hat.

Keywords

damage; dispute; gust of wind; half a hat; hat blew off; hats; men's hats; split

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Jobs for All (Table of Contents: 27)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 25, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 25, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 25, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 25, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 25, uncredited)

Genre

humor; military; satire-parody

Characters

various personnel managers; Sad Sack; army recruiter

Synopsis

Sad Sack has no luck finding any work until he spots a poster offering: high pay, steady work, room+board, veterans preferred; only to realize after chasing down the address that it's an army recruiting office.

Keywords

army recruiting office; Army Recruiting Office; enlistment; fringe benefits; military; pay; re-enlist; re-enlistment; recruiting; room and board; room plus board; U.S. Army recruiter; work

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

Pursued (Table of Contents: 28)

The Sad Sack / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker (p. 26, uncredited)

Pencils

George Baker (p. 26, uncredited)

Inks

George Baker (p. 26, uncredited)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 26, uncredited)

Letters

George Baker (p. 26, uncredited)

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

undercover policeman; Sad Sack

Synopsis

Sad Sack becomes paranoid of a man who's following him and when Sack carelessly crashes through a meat store window the man turns out to be an undercover cop.

Keywords

accidental destruction; breaking glass; careless; cop; detective; nervous; paranoid; policeman; undercover

Indexer Notes

[pantomime; no dialogue]

[Chain of Champions] (Table of Contents: 29) (Expand) /

Old Nick; Bit-O-Honey / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

The Gala Opening (Table of Contents: 30)

Sad Sack / text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Baker ? (p. 28 (realization)); Alfred Harvey ? (p. 28 (idea))

Pencils

George Baker

Inks

George Baker

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 28, uncredited)

Letters

typeset

Genre

humor; satire-parody

Characters

Sad Sack; scruffy dog

Synopsis

Sad Sack holds his grand opening shoe shine parlor during a heavy downpour.

Keywords

business; downpour; flooded; flooded out; flooding; grand opening; puddle; rained out; rainy; shoe shine; shoe shine parlor

Indexer Notes

The story behind the cover was likely owner/president/publisher Alfred Harvey's idea which was rendered as a sketch (pencils and inks) in collaboration with cartoonist George Baker. A miniature reproduction of the full-color cover complements this text story.

New Chapeau (Table of Contents: 31)

Winnie the Waitress / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Vic Herman (signed as Vic Herman) (pp. 29-30)

Pencils

Vic Herman (signed as Vic Herman) (pp. 29-30)

Inks

Vic Herman (signed as Vic Herman) (pp. 29-30)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (pp. 29-30, uncredited)

Letters

Vic Herman (signed as Vic Herman) (pp. 29-30)

Genre

humor; fashion; romance; teen

Characters

Winnie the Waitress; brunette; M'Sieur L'Adora; Dean Madame Smith; college girls; college boys

Synopsis

During free time Winnie puts on a red polka-dot bikini to work on her tan when shortly afterwards she's lustfully spotted by a visiting French designer, M'sieur L'Adora, just as she climbs into a compromising position atop a ladder* in a cherry tree. Startled, but falling harmlessly to the ground with her cherry basket strewn about, Winnie is cast in a fashion show by M'Sieur L'Adora.

Keywords

American college girls; beautiful; bikini; blonde; booty; cherries; cherries for dessert; cherry; cherry tree; chick; college girls; compromising; curves; dessert; dessert special; double entrendre; double meaning; Georgette Washington; good-looking; hot; lustful; lusty; romantic; shake her booty; shake it; tan; teen; young adult

Indexer Notes

Vic Herman's signature in lower right corner of panel 11 on page 30.

Vic Herman cleverly scripts and illustrates this borderline 'good girl' cartoon strip filled with double entendres that would escape comprehension by most children readers, yet likely appeal to older teen and young adult readers.

* This type of mature lusty/romantic story would probably have been rejected by the Comics Code Authority had it been in place five years earlier.

Can You Solve These Puzzlers? (Table of Contents: 32)

activity / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

George Baker (p. 31, Sad Sack thumbnail upper left)

Inks

George Baker (p. 31, Sad Sack thumbnail upper left)

Colors

Ken Selig ? (p. 31, uncredited)

Letters

typeset

Genre

humor

Synopsis

Activity page features four different puzzles with upside down answer key in lower right corner.

Keywords

puzzlers; puzzles; thinking games

The Birthday Present (Table of Contents: 33)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Colors

Ken Selig ?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Tuesday was Clyde's birthday, and he knew exactly what he wanted.

Genre

humor; children

Characters

Clyde Hunt; Mr. Willoughby; Mr. Hunt

Synopsis

Despite initial skepticism, Clyde gets the giant Erector set he was wishing for as a birthday gift.

Keywords

birthday gift; construction; display; Erector set; erector set; toy store

[Monark Super Deluxe] (Table of Contents: 34) (Expand) /

comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

Gladiolus (Table of Contents: 35) (Expand) /

Michigan Bulb Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[Motor's Auto Repair Manual] (Table of Contents: 36) (Expand) /

comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

Red Ryder Daisy BB Guns (Table of Contents: 37) (Expand) /

Daisy BB Guns / advertisement / 1 page (report information)