Hee Haw #1(2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's a common misconception that the variety TV series Hee Haw was created as a 60-minute commercial for The Grand Ole Opry based in Nashville, TN. While the series, which ran for 26 seasons from 1969-1993, did incorporate a large number of cast and crew that performed at the Opry, the series was originally developed to complete against Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, which was dominating the ratings over at NBC. Canadian TV producers Frank Peppiatt and John Aylesworth were tasked by CBS to present a variety series that catered to rural audiences with backwoods comedy sketches and country music. 

The series debuted as a summer replacement series after CBS executives tired with feuding with the Smothers Brothers over their controversial topical humor and choice of guest stars, cancelled The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Quickly picked up for the 1969-70 television season, Hee Haw was a top 20 hit. However, as part of CBS's rural purge of popular small-town set series such as Green Acres, the thriving country variety series was terminated in the Summer of 1971.

All was not lost for Hee Haw. Thanks to the new Prime Time Access Rule (PTAR), the FCC declared that the major networks had too much control of their affiliates programming time. This opened up more free hours in need of programming, in particularly, on the weekends. PTAR resulted in a golden opportunity for Hee Haw to go into syndication.

While still airing on CBS, a number of licensed products were produced bearing the logo for Hee Haw nailed together as wooden planks as well as the show's animated mascot, an overalls wearing donkey, including T-shirts, patches and shot glasses. Images of Hee Haw's breakout stars, hosts Roy Clark and Buck Owens soon graced products such as lunch boxes and of course country music albums. 

In 1970, Charlton Comics signed a licensing deal with CBS entertainment to produce a comic book series based on popular characters from the show. Along with Owens and Clark, performers Grandpa Jones, Lulu Roman, Gordie Tapp and Junior Samples were featured. They were joined by the show's second most popular mascot, the sad-eyed hound dog, Kingfish. 

All 7 issues of the series were written and drawn by Frank Roberge. His facial likenesses of the stars were spot on. However, their bodies as well as the full image of the supporting characters who were not based on real persons were cartoony to the likes of Mort Walker's Beetle Bailey, a comic strip Roberge assisted on in the 1950s.

With exception of a 2-page spread at the center of the comic, based on the Cornfield segment where cast members told jokes and one-liners, none of the stories followed the format of the show. Adventures in the first issue include Roy and Kingfish starting a music group together, Gordie trying to learn the secret of Grandpa's success at fishing and Junior entering Kingfish in a dog show. There's a couple of one-page gags, along with an article about the career of Buck Owens as well as a coloring page of the co-host. 

While the comic book didn't last a full year, Charlton also produced a quarterly magazine devoted to the series. It featured full color photos, interviews, a joke page and sheet music to popular songs performed on the air. The magazine ran from 1970-74 for 14 issues.

Going back to the opening statement about Hee Haw not being affiliated originally with The Grand Ole Opry. In 1981, Gaylord Entertainment, the production company of The Opry, acquired Yongestreet Productions, officially absorbing Hee Haw into The Grand Ole Opry family. Gaylord Entertainment quickly created a Hee Haw themed variety show that ran in Branson, Missouri and eventually moved taping of Hee Haw to the home of The Opry, Ryman Auditorium. In 1992, Hee Haw stopped production of new episodes. For the 25th anniversary of the show, classic clips were repackaged with segments hosted by Clark as Hee Haw Silver. Despite a slight uptick in ratings with the clip shows, popularity in variety series were at an all-time low and Hee Haw was eventually cancelled altogether in June 1993. 

Completing this review completes Task #5 (A Comic Book Based on a Live Action TV Show) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Walt Disney Comics Digest #22

A while back, I was at my favorite comic shop, checking out when I saw this stack of Disney digests. I'm a fan of the books from Gold Key and Dell. I know that these treasuries are in high demand. Plus I just adore the Disney Ducks. So I took a chance and asked if they were for sale. Thankfully they were; but the owners hadn't come up with a price yet. After a touch of friendly haggling, we agreed upon a fair price and based on how much money I had left to spend, I bought 3. 

Wouldn't you know, I then misplaced these for about a year and I would have forgotten all about them if I hadn't been working on organizing my comic book collection during my summer break. 

The cover for this June, 1970 volume is what sold me. It's got Donald and Uncle Scrooge in a victory pose on the very center of the cover. While Scrooge is dressed as a champion prizefighter, his contest to prove he's got more money than anyone in the world isn't quite so pugilistic. Challenged by Flintheart Glomgold, McDuck must liquidate his assets to prove that he's got more money, by volume, than that of his legendary foe. With assists by nephews Huey, Dewey, Louie and Donald, Scrooge has to outfox Glomgold who's clearly cheating. Only without proof, it looks like McDuck's going to lose the contest. Should Scrooge fail, he has to eat his opponents hat, which for the Scottish businessman is a fate worse than death or losing all his money to the Beagle Boys!

A pleasant surprise running throughout this book was the team-ups. In one adventure Tinkerbell saves Dumbo the elephant from the clutches of Captain Hook. In another, Jiminy Cricket visits his bug friends of Silly Symphonies fame for a picnic! Chipmunks Chip and Dale have had a number of capers driving Pluto and Mickey Mouse crazy. But they've never teamed with Bambi's best friend Thumper to get the upper hand over Mickey and company before... At least to my knowledge!

Something Disney was noted for was its nature films. In this issue, we get part 3 of the comic book adaptation of 1953's Bear Country. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short, it's not a read where you have to know everything that has happened beforehand in order to enjoy it. There are also non-fiction one-pagers called 'Real Life Adventures' about dolphins and robins along with a longer essay on famous trains. Being that he was a lifelong railway enthusiast, I wouldn't be the least surprised to find out that old Walt Disney himself wrote that segment. 

Peter and the Wolf, Little Hiawatha, Li'l Bad Wolf, Pinocchio, Cinderella and many more stars of Disney's A, B and C level tiers appear in this digest filled with some puzzles, jokes and stories galore. A really enjoyable gem that felt like those Christmas mornings when I'd open a grab bag of comics up as a gift and just pour over the contents inside while the world outside melted away.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Valley of the Dinosaurs #11 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Debuting on the very same day in September 1974 as Sid and Marty Krofft's Land of the Lost, Hanna-Barbera's animated series Valley of the Dinosaurs is the missing link when it comes to TV series about people being sent back in time to the age of the caveman. 

The same date of premier isn't the only similarities between the forgotten cartoon series and the live action classic. Valley of the Dinosaurs starred the Butler family who are sent through a vortex back in time to prehistoric ages while on a rafting trip. Father John Butler is a scientist who uses his knowledge to educate both his children, daughter Katie and son Greg, along with viewers on how to survive the many forms of thunder lizard that roam the valley. Unlike the Marshall's on Land of the Lost, the Butler consists also of mom Kim and family dog Digger. 

The Butlers are met by a Neanderthal family who befriend the displaced family. While Land of the Lost had a heavy sci-fi influence, Valley of the Dinosaurs was more like Gilligan's Island with the Butler's introducing modern technology like pulleys and the wheel to their primitive allies. Together, the two families fight for survival against dinosaurs and warring tribes while looking for a way to return the Butlers back to the present.

Like the Marshall's, the Butler's are never shown to return to the 1970s. However, the Marshall's have had the longer staying power, with Land of the Lost airing on NBC for 3 times as many episodes over a trio of seasons. Land of the Lost has also spawned a 1990s reboot series as well as a comedic live action film starring Will Ferrell. 

One thing that Valley of the Dinosaurs surpassed the Krofft Brothers creation in was a comic book adaptation. As part of Charlton's Hanna-Barbera line of comics, Valley of the Dinosaurs ran for an impressive 11 issues. Okay, compared to the number of issues Charlton produced of sister series such as Yogi Bear and the Flintstones, 11 issues may not seem like much. That is until you realize that the entire run of the Valley of the Dinosaurs comic occurred 1-2 years AFTER the animated series had been cancelled! 

In this issue, John Butler races to reinforce a dam before a looming maelstrom threatens the safety of his Neanderthal neighbors' village. As repairs are made, daughter Katie goes foraging for food. Unfortunately the girl unknowingly enters the territory of a tribe of ape-like warriors who kidnap Katie and force her to become a slave worker for them. With the storm looming, teenage primitive Lok races to save Katie from not just the ape creatures but a rampaging Tyrannosaurus! 

The one page prose story included in this issue sees Katie and Lok once again facing that fierce T-Rex. Only this time the two teenagers are stuck in between a battle with the king of the dinosaurs and an equally hungry Allosaurus. 

Issue #11 concludes with a one-page factual strip about sea otters.

Valley of the Dinosaurs featured an impressive vocal cast. Frank Welker voiced several characters including Lok and Digger. Child actor Jackie Earle Hailey was Greg. Sharon Farnon, Alan Oppenheimer and Don Messick were other notable voice talent on the series developed by Hanna-Barbera's Australian based studio. 

As for acknowledging the talent that worked on the comic book, there's not a lot of resources to cull from. We do know that the cover of this issue was by TV advertising director turned illustrator Fred Himes. Himes was a Charlton Comics work horse, drawing covers and interiors for many of the Connecticut based publisher's horror and war titles. According to Comicvine, Himes was also the writer for this issue with additional art provided by Don Perlin. However, no credits other than Himes' signature on the cover are attributed to other creators anywhere else in this issue.

Issue #11 was the last issue of the series.

Completing this review completes Task #23 (Something Bought From a Dollar Bin) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Where Monsters Dwell #5

    The bargain bin- it's where I find lots of great little gems and this one was no exception. It's like mining for gold at those little tourist traps in the mountains. The stuff you find might be unique and maybe even a little rare but it's so flawed that there's very little value to it unless you polish it up. In my case, that would mean having it graded. But I don't care, I was extremely happy to find this monster book from 1970 even if the cover is almost about to fall off.
    This issue has 4 stories. The first is the cover story involving a giant mud monster who has returned to turn earth with plans of turning our planet into it's private global kingdom. By Jack Kirby along with Dick Ayers, this is one of the last Kirby stories before the King left for DC. An interesting read with touches of the King's mastery and a bit of an ending ripped from the Classic Trek episode "Charlie X.'
     The next story by the legendary Steve Ditko, involves an American sailor enthralled by the ship of an Asian warlord. The sailor goes as far as to shanghai the crime lord to commit piracy but it turns out that the criminal leader also has magical powers. This story had an ending that I figured out pretty quick but it was still an entertaining read.
    Then a country bumpkin helps a trio of aliens repair their ship in return for a special treasure. But when the earthling discovers that the visitors are planning to return with an invasion fleet, the man promises to make things right. It was okay but clearly the weakest story of the bunch.
     Lastly, a man wanting to buy a haunted house is encouraged by the realtor to spend a night in there. It's a classic version of an old ghost story but with a great twist. 
    I think the biggest surprise to me about this book was it's age. I really thought Where Monsters Dwell was a Marvel book from the early 60s- like pre-Fantastic Four early. I had no idea that it ran in the 70s. But man, was I glad I found this- it was worth early penny of the dollar I spent on it and then some. What a great way to start my Halloween haunted reading for the 2016 season!!!
   
   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.