Little Audrey TV Funtime #10 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

If you ever thought that the character Little Audrey was a nicer version of Marge's Little Lulu, with way less attitude, you might be on to something. After Paramount decided to not renew the contract to produce further Little Lulu cartoons under their Famous Studios division, Little Audrey was created as a replacement for which the studio would have full creative rights to. That also means that the early Harvey Comics staple didn't debut to the world in comic book form. Little Audrey got her start as an animated cartoon designed by animator Bill Tytla. 

The first Little Audrey short debuted on the silver screen in the December, 1947 holiday tale  'Santa's Surprise.' In it, the New York based Audrey along with separate children from around the world, all get the idea to stow away in Santa's sleigh. Tired from his trek around the globe, Santa falls asleep back at the North Pole. Silently, Little Audrey and friends sneak out of the sleigh and clean up St. Nick's workshop for the many gifts he's bestowed the children of the world. Then using an unexpected mastery of Santa's sleigh, the children all return home without Santa being none the wiser.

From 1947-1958, Little Audrey starred in 16 animated shorts for Paramount. 17, if you count her cameo in a 1948 Popeye cartoon featuring Olive Oyl. Little Audrey's appearance with Popeye's girlfriend was fitting as both characters were voiced by Mae Questel, who also was the voice of Betty Boop from 1931-37. 

Little Audrey's move from the silver screen to comics was spurred on by competition. Disney and Warner Bros were poaching the best of the best in the animation business. The quality of Famous' new releases were showing major signs of decrease. Paramount began to sell off its catalog in order to keep the animation studio afloat. The character had previously been licensed to St. John's Publications from 1948-52. 24 issues of her own self titled publication were released. But during that time, Paramount still owned the rights to Little Audrey. With the purchase by Harvey in 1952, the publisher owned the character outright along with Casper the Friendly Ghost, Baby Huey and others.

Over the course of the 1950s, Little Audrey's design evolved from how she looked in the animated shorts to a style that was more uniform with the rest of the Harvey line. Instead of a Kewpie doll with rosey cheeks dressed in blue, she adopted a red and white ensemble and a face that looked more like she was a distant cousin to Richie Rich. 

Little Audrey TV Funtime was one of 4 titles that started Little Audrey and friends during her heyday at her new home. The series ran from 1962-1971 for 33 quarterly issues. This book was a tie-in for a weekly syndicated TV series than showed Harvey's inventory of shorts produced by Famous in the 40s and 50s. This issue has at least 2 ads for the TV series. Though why Harvey Comics only released a TV Funtime based on Little Audrey and not her fellow co-stars is unknown. However, this reviewer speculates that it has something to do with how strikingly different Little Audrey looks on TV compared to her Harvey Comics adapted style. 

Little Audrey's cast was nearly identical to Little Lulu. Her best friend and sometimes foil, Melvin had a clubhouse with a sign out front that said 'No Girls Allowed', just like Tubby. Lucretia, Audrey's best gal pal, was a poor little waif who's not very bright, in the vein of  Annie Inch, while diminutive Echo was a less bratty version of youngster Alvin Jones.

One thing that Little Audrey outpaced Little Lulu at was diversity. One of her best friends is a bald black child named Tiny. Just like with The Little Rascals, Tiny interacted freely with the white children in a community that seemed to ignore racial segregation. Tiny's vernacular was not made up of broken pigeon English like the character of Ebony White from Will Eisner's The Spirit and his mother appeared as an upper middle class stay at home mom who isn't afraid to clash with anyone, including the local police, when Tiny is confused as being a bank robber in this issue.

Other stories inside this issue includes Little Audrey confusing an insect collector and a hobo both as her long lost uncle, her trying to keep cool with pals Melvin and Lucretia and Tiny accidentally scaring his friends when they turn a haunted house into their new clubhouse. There's also an improbable farce where Lulu thinks she broke her father's favorite chair and is able to replace it with a new one at the department store for just a dollar down.

By 1976, Little Audrey was all but forgotten at Harvey. All of her titles were quietly cancelled; replaced by Wendy the Girl Little Witch, a polka-dot loving clone named Little Dot and the ever hungry Little Lotta. Little Audrey  did return in the 1980s; albeit for a very brief period. In 1988 Harvey reissued several classic Little Audrey stories in a 3-D gimmicked one-shot. During Harvey's short-lived revival period when it was purchased by MHM Communications, Little Audrey returned with all new stories in the early 90s. Unfortunately, that series along with several others was quickly cancelled with the new owner focusing on cartoon and live action franchise opportunities. 

Since then, the character has been relegated to just a couple of blink and you miss it cameos in media based on Richie Rich and Baby Huey. A classic design of Little Audrey was to appear in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, but had to be scrapped as the license couldn't be cleared in time.  Little Audrey along with her contemporaries who succeeded her were all given contemporary makeovers the animated series Harvey Girls Forever that aired for 4 seasons on Netflix. 

Still no return to comic book form in almost 35 years. 

Completing this review completes Task #2 (Comic from the Silver Age (1956-1970) ) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Stan Lee: A Life of Marvel (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Just weeks after the death of comic book legend Stan Lee, Entertainment Weekly issued this commemorative magazine. The 80 page book was filled with dozens of photos of Lee through the years from his days in the US Army as a playwright to editor of Marvel during its heyday in the 1960s all the way through to the end of his life where he spent the last 4 decades making memorable cameos and appearances in virtually every Marvel movie made up until that time. Stan also appeared on a variety of TV shows such as Heroes and The Big Bang Theory. He was also animated as himself on shows such as The Simpsons and Ultimate Spider-Man. Let's not forget his two season stint as the creator and host of the reality series Who Wants to Be a Superhero? But according to the Man himself, Stan's favorite movie role was as himself offering sage romantic wisdom to Jason Lee's (no relation) Brodie in Kevin Smith's Mallrats.

There are a number of tributes to Stan in this retrospective. Kevin Fiege thanks Stan for laying the foundation of the Marvel universe. Todd McFarland reflects on the day he met Stan when he was only 16 and gained a mentor for life. Finally, many of the stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are quoted, presumably from their social media accounts, mourning the death of the Marvel legend. 

The impact Stan's creations made on television and movies are explored with Spider-Man receiving the most attention. If you're expecting an in-depth look at the comic book industry, you'll want to look elsewhere. While his time as a writer and editor are covered in this book, a majority of the comic book images inside are of titles Stan had very little to do with. The controversies surrounding claims that Stan Lee was the singular creator of characters such as the The Fantastic Four and most of the original Avengers line up are briefly mentioned. But the majority of this book is designed to praise Stan; not bury him. Even the allegations of financial mismanagement and elder abuse against some of his assistants and daughter are buried under piles of positive encounters with an iconic figure that every fan must admit, seemed to be the happiest guy in the room everywhere he went when his adoring public was present. 

For more in-depth looks at the highs and lows in the life of Stan Lee, Stan's own graphic novel autobiography Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir as well as Tom Scioli's I Am Stan: A Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee are reads that cannot be missed. And to truly decide if Stan Lee is comics' biggest hero or villain, read Scioli's Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics that tells of the legendary Stan Lee/Jack Kirby collaboration from the King's point of view. 

No matter how you feel about him, Stan Lee will be missed.

Completing this review completes Task #40 (Prose Non-Fiction About Comic Book History) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Saturday Morning Adventures: IDW Endless Summer One-Shot

When Michelangelo forsakes pizza, opting instead for a fresh green salad, his fellow Ninja Turtles know something's not right. It's the heat of summer in the Big Apple and the boys have been working really hard against Shredder and his evil Foot Clan. A single day of rest and relaxation can't hurt. So the boys don Western costumes and cosplay as cowboys at the nearby Old West theme park, Frontier Ride-A-World

Once inside the park, the turtles notice that something's off about the place. The rides go just a little too fast. The atmosphere seems electric. Too electric And is that Traag, Krang's rock creature generalissimo over by the cotton candy stand? Fun time is over!

This one-shot by Dave Baker was part of IDW's 2023 Endless Summer lineup of specials. Drawn in the style of the classic 1980s cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the art by Tango was so picture perfect. With continuity nods to the original series, it really did feel like I had discovered a lost episode!

I really hate that IDW didn't do any summer specials this year. I know that the company has been hurting and the past 12-18 months for them has been really difficult with losing both the G.I. Joe and Transformers licenses. However, if IDW was ever in need of sales, bringing Endless Summer back in 2025 is a sure way to get me to open my wallet.

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.

Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America by Leslie Knope

A couple of days ago, I wrote about how watching the TV show Parks and Rec has been an unexpected boost to my mental health. Well, reading about it has also helped me stay away from dark thinking. 

In the season 3 episode 'Born & Raised', Amy Poehler's character of Leslie Knope has just written a book called Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America. It was to act as both a history book and tour guide for the small Indiana town. It's also a love letter from Leslie to her 'hometown.' 

As I was watching the episode, I got this funny feeling that maybe, just maybe this book was real. A quick search on Amazon proved me right! A quick purchase and a couple days later, I was reading my own copy of Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America. 

The book was brilliant! It's got the OCD optimism/perfectionism of Leslie Knope as the main author. Supplemental articles are written by other staff at the Pawnee Parks and Rec Dept. Libertarian head honcho Ron Swanson discusses his political views. Leslie's assistant and lead singer of the band Mouse Rat, Andy, provides insight in the Pawnee music scene; while his wife April gives us a very begrudging overview of the community college. Every segment reads like the characters who supposedly wrote them and it felt like an extra secret episode of the show.

I'm not really one for audio books. People who complete audio books claim that they've 'read' the audio book. You didn't read that book- you listened to it. However, I would be more than willing to listen to this book as a recording if it features the voices of all of the characters from the show! 

And can I just say- Ron Swanson is one of the greatest TV characters ever! There's not enough of him in this book. Heck, 125 episodes isn't enough of the character portrayed by the amazing Nick Offerman. Could someone write a book from his perspective? And then have Offerman read the book as Ron Swanson?

The history of Pawnee is insane! It's absurdist and chuckle inducing. It's not exactly politically correct. But considering that this is a satire, I think some of the extremes in the comedy are meant to be more thought provoking than material worthy of social cancellation. If you aren't a fan of the over-the-top unexpected nature of Monty Python, Parks and Rec isn't for you and this is a book you will not enjoy. But if you can't get enough of near-surrealist comedy, this book is the perfect compendium to those of you who can't get enough of this classic NBC series.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The 25 Baubles of Pop Culture! Advent 2022 Day 21

Yesterday was the last day that I referred to that random pop culture generator to help with my Advent. Days 22-25 will be devoted to individual franchises of my choosing. But before we approach those personal favorites, I wanted to spend today looking at ornaments devoted to some classic TV shows that might have been overlooked.

When I think of Classic TV, my mind first goes to I Love Lucy. I think there were several Christmas themed episodes to the 1950s sitcom. But perhaps the most beloved episode is the one where all the adults dress up as Santa to give Little Ricky a Christmas to remember only for the real McCoy to be hiding among the group the whole time. This resin ornament from Charlton Cards has Lucy as Santa along with the title and original air date of the classic episode that has aired as a colorized holiday special on CBS for the past several years.

After I Love Lucy, when I think of classic TV, I immediately go to Leave It To Beaver. The kid-centric sitcom was the TV show that wouldn't die with most of the original cast returning to TV for a LITB reboot that at one point in time aired on TBS. This ornament found on Etsy is a double-sided clear globe decoration that bears the TV's original logo and a little bit of fake snow, garland and a ribbon.

Another classic series that I just couldn't get enough of as a kid was The Andy Griffith Show. Being from North Carolina, to have a popular TV show set in your home state, especially when everything else was in California or New York, was really cool. Even if most of the characters in this show were made up of hicks, hillbillies and boobs. Esty has several eye-appealing aluminum ornaments that bear stills taken from the series. To me, the one of star Andy Griffith playing a guitar is the most festive of the bunch and I love the flowing shape too.

Jumping ahead some, I'm spending this part of the Advent with the grooviest family in all of TV history. Yes, I am talking about The Brady Bunch. This isn't just 1 ornament by 4 in total. From Charlton Cards, this 2001 ornament is of a metal lunch box, the required thermos and a sandwich and shiny red apple. Unfortunately, the whole family isn't represented here. Instead of Dad, Mike Brady, Alice has been slid down to his spot and the Brady Bunch logo is placed in the center square. I'm wondering if the estate of late actor Robert Reed prohibited his likeness from being on the ornament...

My wife's favorite TV show is the 1970s medical drama, Emergency! Though an officially licensed ornament has never been released in honor of that show, there are a few craft made ornaments. I selected this bright red star available on Teeshirtplace.com. With its shape, this almost looks like a badge that you might expect paramedics Gage or DeSoto wearing.

Personally, it's not Christmas without watching several holiday themed episodes of the medical dramedy, MASH. Running an impressive 11 years, about 8 years longer than the actual war in which the series is set, MASH showed the horrors of war while also being funny. Of my all-time favorite episodes, 2 of them are set during the holidays. 'A War For All Seasons' takes place throughout all of 1951 starting and ending on bookending New Years while 'The Day After Christmas' has the 4077th taking a page out of the British soldiers book by with enlisted men and officers switching places during Boxing Day. 

To honor one of my all-time favorite TV shows, I am sharing this really cool ornament from Etsy. It's of all the signs posts that tell where some of the medical staff are originally from. As the Christmas episodes focus on Hawkeye, BJ and the rest of the 4077 having to spend the holidays away from their loved ones, I really thought this ornament was the perfect representation of the series. 

Another classic from the 70s was the long-running Garry Marshall venture, Happy Days. Set during the 50s and going into the 60s, it originally focused on the Cunninghams, a typical nuclear family. However, it was the greaser biker Fonzie, played by Henry Winkler, who stole the show and later took over after Ron Howard left in order to focus on his directing career. To honor that series, I chose this 2006 American Greetings ornament that represents a juke box with the image of several of the stars of the show.  A spinning record on a juke box was what started each episode as the theme song played. When a button is pushed, the machine lights up and a snippet of the theme plays. 

Another Garry Marshall created sitcom was the Happy Days spin-off Mork and Mindy. Running from 1978-82, it starred up-and-coming comedian Robin Williams as the off-the-wall alien Mork from the planet Ork. This 2013 Hallmark ornament has Mork in his spaceman costume sitting in the remains of his spaceship, a giant egg. With his hand up to his ear, Mork is more than likely talking to his superior, Orson. 

1978 also introduced American families to a powerful and ruthless family from the Great State of Texas. The Ewings were a wealthy family that got it's wealth thanks to oil and the TV show they existed on was called Dallas. The show gave birth to the opulence of TV dramas such as Dynasty and Beverly Hills 90210. The star of the show was clearly JR Ewing, played deftly by Larry Hagman. Known as the man you love to hate, the whole world seemed to stop when JR was shot by an unknown assailant in the show's third season finale in 1980. As I remember seeing that classic moment in TV history live when it happened from my grandmother's house, I'm including this awesome craft made ornament found on Etsy. (And in case you are wondering, JR lived!)

In the 80s, action and adventure ruled the airwaves. The most action packed series in this decade was NBC's The A-Team. This amazing acrylic snowflake ornament bears the images of the A-Team: team leader Hannibal, muscle man B.A., wildman pilot Howling Mad Murdock and the pretty boy of the group, Face. And yes- you are not dreaming. This ornament lights up in green and a couple of other flashing colors when you flip a switch. 

Let's wrap things up with the longest running series on TV- The Simpsons. Though only the first 11 seasons are considered classic right now, the prime-time cartoon is instantly iconic. For that show, I choose this awesome ornament based on the meme that shows Homer disappearing into a giant hedge. The bauble has chunks cut out helping to add to the illusion of Homer becoming one with your Christmas tree. I think the design of this metal ornament is just brilliant!

Crisis on Infinite Earths: Paragons Rising- The Deluxe Edition

Note: For the sake of keeping things from getting too confusing, any reference to 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths will be referred to in all caps as CRISIS. The TV version that appeared on the CW and this comic collection is spelled with only the first letter capitalized- Crisis.

One of the last great things before the Pandemic of 2020 fully took effect was the CW's crossover event of Crisis on Infinite Earths. A live action version of the incredible 1985 story had been teased for a couple of years and fans like myself were ecstatic that it was finally happening! A number of fan favorite characters were promised to return. We got to see Burt Ward as Dick Grayson one more time even if all he was doing was walking Ace the Bat Hound. Kevin Conroy finally got to play Bruce Wayne in the flesh, though in a kind of walking back brace! And at least 2 Supermans returned- Tom Welling and Brandon Routh! 

While it was neat getting to see a lot of these characters return, the onslaught of the Anti-Monitor's anti-matter wave wiped out a lot of fan favorites without ever seeing what the fans hoped would be an unbelievable team-up! And all you had to do to get to see what was built up in all our heads was to go to Wal-Mart!

Wal-Mart and DC Comics teamed up to bring fans 2 store exclusive giants devoted to the CW crossover; along with a couple of chapters from the original CRISIS maxi-series. Helping to make this the most epic of 100-page giants, original CRISIS scribe Marv Wolfman co-wrote the scripts with Arrowverse showrunner Marc Guggenheim.

Immediately, I am hit with 2 things. 1st- being a comic book, there's no limitation to the world's that can be accessed across the multiverse. I don't want to spoil all the surprises that await in store. But thanks to being a print story and not encumbered by copyright or lawsuits, fans get to see the Max Fleischer Superman along with the cast of a legendary DC movie bomb take special part of the CW Crisis. 

The 2nd thing I am made suddenly aware of is that continuity from the TV shows is sorely overlooked. Again, not to spoil too much but one of the characters on the cover died in the first 10 minutes of the televised version of Crisis and yet, he or she plays a giant role in the plot of this deluxe edition collection.

Guggenheim goes on in his foreword to admit he goofed. He attempts to retcon things and say that the character really did participate in this story as they did before going back to their home world to be wiped out with their compatriots by the Anti-Monitor. But I just don't buy it.

As a huge fan of Supergirl, I am also disappointed in this book as she's right there on the cover, but she's literally nowhere to be found in the rest of this story. I think she appears in 2 maybe 3 panels and says maybe 1 sentence. Even if Kara Danvers was going to be left out of this story, would it have been too much to include a cameo by the Helen Slater Supergirl in return?

Despite the goofs and limitations, I really enjoyed this collection and I felt that my time to get this book was worth the wait. (I had to wait forever for this deluxe edition to drop and after many COVID related delays, this book was hard to find). But there was one thing missing that I think any and all fans of CRISIS can agree on. There's no George Perez.

I realize that by the time these stories were being published, Perez had pretty much all but retired from comics due to health reasons. But it would have been nice to have had something from the recently deceased legend. A never-before-seen sketch, a small blurb, heck, even a cameo in pencil form. Wolfman appeared on screen with the Flash and Supergirl during the TV event. Why couldn't the artists on this comic accessory have put Perez in the story somehow?

A lot of unimagined team-ups. Lots of director's cut material in the back of the book. Quite a few forewords and afterwords. Just no nod to George Perez. That's almost unforgivable.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Pat McCormick's Charley & Humphrey #1 (Family Comic Friday)

If you grew up in the bay area during the 1960s or 70s, then does this edition of Family Comic Friday have a treat for you. Pat McCormick's Charley and Humphrey are back in a new series of comic books from 10 Ton Press.

Now I'm not from San Francisco. In fact, the furthest West I've ever gotten is Albuquerque. But I remember seeing some of the exploits of Charley (the Horse) and Humphrey (the Dog) a couple of years back in a documentary about local TV kids shows. Last month, when I saw the notice for this new series, I placed an order through my favorite LCS because I remembered how funny these two puppet pets were. 

After a couple of weeks of waiting, my copy finally turned up. COVID is still causing shipping delays from Diamond Distributing. But I must say, this premier issue was worth the wait. 

Issue #1 has Charley very nervous about having to make a speech that will christen a new ship at the docks where the horse works. Roommate Humphrey is a little peeved at not being invited to the big event. That's mostly because where Humphrey treads, trouble follows. And follows it does when a batch of nasty fleas decide that horse meat is a tastier treat than dog. 

Expect a lot of laughs and a bunch of mayhem when Humphrey takes the Bay area's slowest means of mass transit to stop the fleas from ruining Charley's big day at the docks!

I really enjoyed this comic. The writing was very well balanced between big slapsticky jokes and dry witticisms between the bus driver and Humphrey. Be sure to explore the backgrounds of each pages as there are some great Easter egg gags hiding. 

I liked the artwork too. It mostly captures the look and style of Pat McCormick's puppets very well. Though the way artist John Hageman positions each character's mouth when they are speaking in some odd off-kilter way did irk me somewhat. Overall, I liked the style which looked like an animated sibling of Spongbob Squarepants and Ren & Stimpy.

Even though I compare the artwork in this book to one of the most controversial kids cartoons of all-time, this issue was wholesome fun. Writer Justin Sane made sure to make the good clean fun very clever. Nothing is dumbed down here; meaning that kids and adults will find something in this book to enjoy. 

This is the first all-ages work from 10 Ton Press. The Indy publisher is mostly known for it's line of rock and roll biographical one-shots which are not for kids. But you'd never know it hear. The publisher has plans for at least 10 issues to be released bi-monthly. Meaning issues #2 should be hitting stores in March. 

If you grew up to Charley & Humphrey and your grandkids or kids love to read- get them this book! Preorder it! In the meantime while you wait, fire up Youtube where there are dozens of skits starring Charley, Humphrey and friends to watch. Each are less than 2 minutes long. Each are guaranteed to make you laugh!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

 

Fox Kids Funhouse #2: The Tick: Raw, Uncooked Justice! And Other Stories

Featuring three hilarious comics based on Fox Kids cartoons from 1997. 

The first two stories are based on the shows Bobby's World and Life with Louie.

Bobby's World was based on the stand-up comedy of Howie Mandel. Life with Louie was based on the stand-up comedy of Louie Anderson. Both cartoons were really funny but if I had to choose between the two, I'm picking Bobby's World every time. The Howie Mandel cartoon was more imaginative as Bobby often got lost in his day dreams. Life with Louie was a tiny bit more sophisticated being based more on Anderson's life experiences. But Louie was also kinda of a jerk. 

But the reason I bought this very much beat up digest was for the cover story featuring my favorite lunatic, The Tick. It's a sequel to the classic Neil the Dinosaur episode.

It seems that Arthur's brother-in-law is growing in size once again. When the Tick and Arthur get eaten by Neil, the duo discover a community has formed in Neil's digestive tract of the people and buildings the fiend has been snacking on.

Featuring an all-star line-up of Dwayne McDuffie, Brandon Kruse, Mike DeCarlo and Michael Duggan! The Tick story was very, very funny and makes me wish that Boomerang or some other cable channel would show reruns of that amazing Tick cartoon show again! 

I loved this digest. But I feel bad for the kid in 1997 who bought this book. There's a page telling kids to subscribe to the Fox Kids Funhouse inside. But upon some extensive research, I've learned that this series was cancelled after only 2 issues. Some of that has to do with the comic book bubble bust. But some has to do with the publisher itself, Acclaim. 

Yes, who knew that the video game manufacturer made comic books? Well, it wasn't a very long experiment because Acclaim shuttered it's publishing house shortly as 1997 was right when the company started having major money issues before going defunct altogether in 2004. Regardless, based on how much trouble Acclaim had in paying it's debts, I wonder how many kids who subscribed to this broken promise never got a refund...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Spongebob Freestyle Funnies Free Comic Book Day 2017

Being on COVID lock-down, I have been catching up on comics that I haven't had a chance to get to. I dug into my 2017 offerings from that year's Free Comic Book Day recently. (Yeah, I am that far behind!) I decided that I needed some laughs. So I choose a few funny books to read in the mean time.

In this Spongebob story, Mr. Krabs learns that the local comic book stores are giving away free comics. To the entrepreneur, that means a chance to make some money! But with most of the comic book stores already out of comics or closed, Mr. Krabs chances at striking it rich as a speculator are pretty much dashed.

But there's hope. One lone store is still open. But it's all the way over in a forbidden/foreboding area outside the city limits of Bikini Bottom! 

I'm not really a Spongebob person. My brother-in-law is. But that's fine. Other than not knowing who most of these characters are, I really got a laugh out of this book! 

The cover is a great tribute cover to the very first comic book ever published. Plus, the comics that Mr. Krabs and company come across are some great ocean themed parodies! Lots of fun!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Mad-Dog #1 (Classic TV Comics Week!)

Mad-Dog isn't the name of a TV show. At least not any that I know of. Instead, Mad-Dog was a fictional comic book character from the first season of the CBS sitcom, Bob.

Bob ran for a little over a season, 1992-93. It starred Bob Newhart as the title character of Bob McKay; a former comic book creator who was blacklisted thanks to the comics scare of the 1950s. Basically retired from the industry, Bob returns when he learns that his creation Mad-Dog is being brought back in a gritty modernized reboot. Hoping to keep his creation pure and innocent, Bob works with up-and-comer Harland Stone to craft a comic that hearkens back to those easier times of the 1950s while adapting to the Dark Knight Returns world of 90s comic books. This sort of balance was maintained pretty well by head screenwriter Mark Evanier, who knew the comics industry pretty well as the writer of Groo The Wanderer.

The collaborative effort of Bob and Harland is imagined here in this flip book. One one side, Bob McKay pens a quirky tale about alien cats seeking to make planet Earth their personal litter box. One the other is Harland's first chapter in the retooled modern adventures of a mysterious vigilante with sharp claws and a bad attitude.

In reality, Bob's idealized story is crafted by Ty Templeton (Batman Adventures) with Evan Dorkin (Milk and Cheese) taking on the modern story of Harland's. The two art and story styles could not be more different. Nor could be the reactions of the two creators. Templeton has said over the years that working on Mad-Dog was some of the most fun he ever had in comics. Meanwhile, Dorkin proclaims that working on this book was one of the dumbest things ever!

Ironically, I prefer Dorkin's grittier version of Mad-Dog. While I did like the Batman '66 take of Templeton's Mad-Dog, I was more draw to the 90s style. Sure, Dorkin's Mad-Dog looks like a canine version of Nomad. But for one reason or another, I liked it better.

Mad-Dog ran as a 6-issue miniseries. Whether it did anything to truly promote the show live tie-in is anyone's guess. Bob was the only show of it's scheduled night to be picked up for the 93-94 season. However, season two was a complete retool with the comic book angle replaced with Bob working for a greeting card company with Betty White as McKay's zany boss. Constant shifting of the show's schedule along with a dominating TGIF line-up from ABC brought about a swift death to the series right at the holiday break of 1993.

Finding the issues to this book wasn't hard. In fact, I constantly find copies of this book in bargain bins just about everywhere I go looking for bargain comic books. I think this was the 90s version of 'Bi-Clops', a Lenscrafters comic book in which Milhouse bought way too many copies of when he and Bart ran the Android's Dungeon for an ailing Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons. 

I am sure that a lot of stores incorrectly thought that the comic book reader of the 1990s would go gaga for a comic book based on a Bob Newhart comedy. Thus, they ordered tons of were stuck with the issues for decades to come.

While I wouldn't recommend you going out of your way to track down the TV show this book was based on; I do think that if you can find all 6 books for $6 or less, you should do it. It's a pretty decent read by two very talented comic creators. It's not hard to find. Like I said, nearly every comic book store with a bargain bin in America has at least one full set hanging around somewhere gathering dust. 

Fun stuff, Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars!s

Rocko's Modern Life #7 (Family Comic Friday)

This week's selection for Family Comic Friday should make Mom and Dad smile… along with the kiddies too. It’s the return of a Nicktoons classic- Rocko’s Modern Life. But with this issue, I wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be a nostalgic trip for just the parents or was it supposed to be fun for the whole family?

Rocko’s Modern Life #7

Written by Ryan Ferrier, K.C. Green

Art by Ian McGinty, Jorge Monlongo (Cover)

Published by Kaboom! Studios

First of all, I would like to point out that the story listed by Previews and other sites is false. Issue #7 does not have our favorite wallaby, Rocko, going to his high school reunion. Instead, Rocko’s job at Conglom-o Corporation is causing him great stress. It turns out that the company’s biggest seller, the Pi-Hole, is malfunctioning. The Amazon Echo-like device keeps ordering stuff that people didn’t ask for and in mass quantities as well.

When Rocko goes to complain to the head of the Conglom-o Corporation, the wallaby learns of a conspiracy in which the company wants to enslave the people of earth to the useless goods and wares sold by the company. Thus, always in debt, the customers of Conglom-o would be beholden forever to the company.

The manic nature of Rocko’s Modern Life which ran from 1993-96 is still present in this comic book from kaboom! Studios. Ian McGinty’s art overtakes not only panels but pages, just like in the classic Nickelodeon series. And the characters of Heifer and Filburt are as neurotic and dumb as usual. But was Rocko also such an adult oriented cartoon???

True, the cartoon of Rocko’s Modern Life had some dirty Easter eggs in the background. Things like strategically placed initials of businesses that spell out bad words and other inside jokes. But properties like Disney and Warner Brothers have been guilty of the same thing for years. No, when I talk about RML being adult, I am talking about the overt subject matter.

When Rocko discovers that Conglom-o is trying to take over the world through some free enterprise sleight of hand, the protagonist goes on a rant. He tries to warn all of the citizens of O-Town of the dangers of capitalism. Earlier, there’s also some pretty unsubtle talk about the lack of privacy on social media. Plus, it’s not lost on this comic book reader that the Pi-Hole and it’s malfunctions is a satire of the many faults of Amazon’s all-purpose home assistant Alexa.

So with these cases in point, was the cartoon this comic is based on so brazen in it’s social commentary? I really don’t remember it being like this. Maybe I was too young to notice. Or maybe I have a good point!

Reboots are all the rage right now in the entertainment industry. Some of  these returning properties are aging right along with the viewers who grew up with them. Is that the plan of the editors at Kaboom!? If so, maybe they shouldn’t have released this series under the all-ages imprint of Kaboom!, but under the more adult oriented Boom! Studios.

I don’t really have a problem under which imprint that the put Rocko. But I do think that a lot of the social commentary in this storyline isn’t geared for an all-age audience. Let’s say all of the things covered in this tale was occurring in real life 25 years ago. If this story was done as a cartoon in 1993, I think my sister, who is 12 years younger than me, would have gotten a lot of laughs out of Rocko’s frantic behavior. But I don’t think she would have understood why he’s so upset about capitalism and data breaches.

This comic book doesn’t have a rating on it. The Kaboom imprint is supposed to be for a younger audience. But I wouldn’t go too young. I think readers under the age of 10 will enjoy the silly aspects. Those aged 11-15 might get some of the deeper concepts. But mom and dad, they’ll be the ones to get all the inside jokes. They’ll also feel old knowing that Rocko’s Modern Life debuted back when Bill Clinton was President, Nicktoons was a Saturday night rite of passage and Amazon was little more than a jungle in South America.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Nurses #2

The Nurses was a CBS medical drama that ran from 1962-1965. Due to another show from ABC with the same name, the show changed it's name to The Doctors and the Nurses. The show starred Zina Bethune as intern nurse Gail Lucas. Her nurse mentor was played by Shirl Conway.

I found this Gold Key comic during my annual pilgrimage to the 301 Endless Yard Sale. I paid $2 for it and when I saw it, I knew I had to have it. In fact, I think the comic book called out to me. Yet for all that, I know nothing really about this book, other than what I researched. 

I know nothing about the show's stars or really the show itself. Except, that I remember my mother telling me a very long time ago that she loved the series. She claimed that it was one of several TV shows that inspired her to become a nurse. So, I really did have to have this comic book you see.

For a comic book adaptation from the 1960s, this is actually one of the better ones. I've been learning that when a TV show inked a deal with a comic book publisher, there was very little time to mock up issues- nor was there very much info on what to go on. For example, when Marvel got the rights to Star Wars, several characters hadn't even been cast or designed yet. That's why Jabba the Hutt looks like some weird great turtle dude instead of a slug. When Gold Key, the very publisher of this comic book, got their hands on Star Trek, they colored all of the uniforms wrong and supposedly made Uhura and Sulu white in one issue by mistake.

I am wondering if knowing next to nothing about this series was what made it a good read. I didn't have any background knowledge in this series to be upset if there were any mistakes. The artwork itself looked really good, like of a young Neal Adams quality. Plus, the stories themselves were very interesting and engrossing. 

There was also a pre-9-1-1 story about a pair of men called the Rescue Crew who have to save a man having a heart attack from a ship leaking gas. But in order to move the man, they have to use Oxygen, which is highly flammable. It was a very creative story for 1960s drama comics. Unfortunately, I can't find further info on that series either and I really would like to find more of their exploits. 

A great gem of a comic. It was retro. It was in really good shape. Plus it's kinda fueled my new addiction- finding comic books of movies and TV shows from the 50s-70s.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Invader Zim #27 (Family Comic Friday)

Here we go with another Family Comic Friday. For today's post, I reviewed the latest issue of Invader Zim from Oni Press, issue #27. Based on the popular but short lived Nickelodeon cartoon series of the same name, this comic continues to follow tiny alien invader Zim as he attempts to conquer the world. Assisting him is his faithful but not very competent robot assistant GIR. 

In this issue, Zim wants to conquer the earth with an army of radioactive powered beavers. To do this, the would-be ruler of earth needs a rare element called Splodium-235. However, Zim's supply of Splodium has run out. It looks like Zim may have to scrap his plans. That is until he discovers that a large deposit of Splodium-235 rests underneath his secret lair. 

This will require Zim and GIR to burrow deep into earth's crust to obtain the ore. Unfortunately, the Splodium has already been discovered by another would-be alien conqueror named Xooxi!

Xooxi just happens to be a member of the Dooxisi race. Known as the most boring aliens in the universe, Zim must become friends with Xooxi if he hopes to obtain the much needed element for his radioactive beaver army. Facing a day filled with slide shows, awful board games, and dirt tea, let's just hope Zim doesn't die of boredom before this encounter is over. 

I'm going to be honest with you folks, I did not realize what I had selected. I thought this was Earthworm Jim. A huge fan of Doug TenNapel, my thoughts were that this comic was based on the superhero earthworm video game/cartoon series from the late 90s. This was an entertaining comic book. It just wasn't what I thought it was. 

I had to read this book twice because after the first reading, I was very disappointed that this book did have anything to do with Earthworm Jim. Plus on the last page two human characters pop up out of nowhere. Their very presence left me very perplexed as I felt that at first read, they had nothing to offer to the story. For someone totally unfamiliar with the Invader Zim franchise, it was a really mind-boggling twist. I thought for a couple of minutes that somebody accidentally printed the wrong last page. After a little research, I discovered my mistake about the new characters. So, I gave this issue another try. 

The two human characters are a boy and girl named Dib and his sister Gaz. Dib is an amateur paranormal investigator who constantly tries to prove that Zim really is an alien. Gaz, a true skeptic, often berates Dib when his theories don't pan out. Though Zim doesn't appear in the last page, Dib is once again made a fool for thinking aliens exist by his kid sister!

After that second read, I can say that this story by Eric Trueheart was very funny. There's a few fart jokes peppered throughout. Plus, Zim can get a little violent, but that level is about as serious as stuff you'd see in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. In other words, Zim might get hurt but by the next scene, he's dusted himself off nicely. 

The artwork by Maddie C. was pretty good. Again, not being familiar with the show, I don't quite know how Zim is supposed to look. With exception of a couple of pictures on Google, I couldn't tell you if that was Invader Zim or a Space Invader. But from what little I did see, Maddie C's work looked pretty accurate. 

If you are an established fan of Invader Zim, then I think you are in for a treat. Fans of UFO comedies like Men In Black and Marvin the Martian will enjoy this too. 

If the young reader in your life is unfamiliar with Invader Zim, now might be a good time to get them introduced to this series. Sometime later this year, Nicktoons will air an all-new TV movie produced by series creator Jhnoen Vasquez. Expected to feature all of the original voice cast, there is some speculation that if the movie is a success, a new series of Invader Zim might be in the works for 2019.

Invader Zim #27 was a funny story. It just wasn't the best starting point issue for new fans. But I think those who already know of and love the franchise will delight in this all-ages romp.

Issue #27 debuted in stores and digital platforms on January 24th.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

This review was published concurrently on outrightgeekery.com.

A Classic TV Christmas- Advent 2017 Day 18

Yesterday was a tribute to one of my mom's favorite Christmas episodes. Well, today I am covering one of my very favorites. 

It comes from the short lived anthology TV series Amazing Stories. Produced and sometimes directed by Stephen Spielberg, I wouldn't miss a single episode from it's two year run (1985-1987.) This show had everything. Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Horror, Humor. It was a return to magical television every Sunday night.

Santa '85 has the real Santa in trouble with the law. Those new fangled hi-tech burglar alarms have gotten Kris Kringle locked up. Claiming he's the real Santa won't do him any good as there's several other guys dressed as Santa in the clink for breaking the law while dressed as the Jolly Elf. 

Thankfully, there's somebody who believes he's the real deal. The little boy from whom his parents press charges against Santa, devises a way to help bust St. Nick out of jail. It's home free back to the North Pole. But not before a cross-town caper full of laughs and other crazy slapstick. 

Another fun fact: the actor who plays Santa, Douglas Seale, would go on to play the role again in the feature film Ernest Saves Christmas. I guess he sleighed the role (Ha! I kill me...)

So for today's Advent gift to all of you, I present this December 24, 1985 classic. I hope you will love it as much as I. Sorry again about the formatting. But it's better that nothing. Enjoy and until next time- Merry Christmas!