Pinch me so I'll know I'm not dreaming! This is too good to be true! ASIFA-Hollywood has just put up a whopping, large post on Fearless Fosdick, the best cartoon strip (actually a strip-within-a-strip) in the American newspapers of my time!
Many thanks to ace-cartoonist and Al Capp fan, Mike Fontanelli for putting this together! Mike knows what the good stuff is and he serves up only the best. Many thanks also to ASIFA webmaster Steve Worth, for giving the drawings the star treatment. Compare the way the drawings look here, with my layout, to the infinitely superior way they look on the ASIFA site. Steve is far and away the best web designer I know of.
Mike makes the point in his article that Fearless Fosdick was the major inspiration for Kurtzman's MAD. Looking at the evidence, I don't doubt it for an instant.
Incidentally, did you know that the first 12 issues of Mad have been collected in two volumes of the set shown above? I haven't seen them, so I don't know what they look like, but here's a link to a bookseller that stocks them:
http://www.kenpiercebooks.com/mad.htm
Talking about Archie, what do you think of the new look the comic company is giving them? 
Here's (above) a page from the new Archie, borrowed from KevinWolf.com. When Cartoon Brew did a piece on this they were inundated with letters. 
22 comments:
I HATE the new Archie!!!!
I saw this pathetic attempt to "modernize" the Archie gang a year or so ago and it essentially kills the property. Any time you do a major redesign like this you've killed it. I mean if you're afraid your property is going to lose value..heck...just make it totally unrecognizable..then you'll REALLY sink the ship!
Not only that, this new style is boring!!! At least Archie had some style to it, a distinct cartoony style where everyone's side of the mouth looked kinda jacked up..but it was unique! And Archie's criss cross thing on the side of his head. What on earth is this new version..some boring, watered down version of "Bratz?"
How can it not fail miserably? There is nothing more relevant about it for today's girl. It's stiff and lifeless looking!
Ever read the really old Archies? Those were really well drawn and funny.
Dig this great, expressive drawing of ol' Arch!
http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/archie_cover.jpg
Cynthia
tangoland.com
Am I wrong to be turned on by those stripy topped ladies?
Is Fearless Fosdick making fun of Dauntless Durham? Or are they both making fun of something I'm not aware of?
Betty and Veronica's new look: I think the word is "simpering." I know it's an old-fashioned word, but I think it's time to haul it out and dust if off.
Wow, Ed, you really went from one end of the comics spectrum to the other with this post. Kinda like looking at a porn site and your grandmother's picture pops up.
I'll buy the theory of Al Capp's work inspiring Kurtzman and MAD.
The new Archie style looks like a lot of bad storyboard art I'd see in my advertising days. Lifeless.
I looked at a new Archie comic at the supermarket the other day, and it looks like they've gone back to the old style again. Maybe they thought better of it.
Montana/DeCarlo forever,
New crap-- never!
Actually, it was Ralph Bakshi who said that Al Capp was the inspiration for MAD, although I would also point to the Looney Tunes as well.
By the way, I have those two collections of the first twelve issues and they are awesome. Wonderful artwork from Davis, Elder, Kurtzman, Severin, Wolverton, and Wood.
Anyway, I didn't like the look of the new Archie style the first time, but the new Jughead story they're publishing doesn't look half bad.
Anyway, great post.
Have to disagree with Lester-to me a "simper" is a closed-mouth, slightly sickly-looking half smile(see any recent picture on the red carpet of the Olsen twins for a perfect example of simpering)-not the broadly grinning "girls" on the cover on the left.
Betty & Veronica New Look: just poorly drawn. Very poorly. No appeal at all.
For a definition of "simper," look here:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/simper
The word enjoyed something of a comeback recently when Chris Hitchens described Princess Diana as “a simpering Bambi narcissist."
The new Archie is godawfully terrible.
I read Archie digests from the seventies and eighties when I was a kid. The art was tame, but good (Dan DeCarlo, Harry Lucey, Samm Schwartz, etc), and there was alot of pretty funny stories (and sexy Betty and Veronica drawings!)
I haven't read many forties or fifties comics, so I don't have much of an opinion. They look pretty funny though.
Now, since the early 90's the stories are imcomprehensible, the art is horrible, the jokes aren't funny and it all went to hell. And it's worse every year. Now they're completely unreadable.
Then they came out with "realistic Archie". Somebody needs to be shot.
To be honest the new archie is drawn in the same style that most western pornographic comics are drawn. (The ones by professionals that is) The amateur stuff is still nightmare inducing anime/furry monstrosities
The 2007 *new* Betty and Veronica was just a test to see if folks liked it.
They're back to a more classic Archie style again.
Betty and Veronica Digest
Or you can check it out here:
http://www.archiecomics.com
For those who might not want to click a link and search: Here's the letter from management at Archie Comics:
Greetings from the Archie Comics Management Team!
We hope 2007 has been good to you so far. It’s been hectic here. Since we announced our plans for a 4 issue Betty & Veronica Makeover last month, our office has been flooded with calls, letters and emails. It seems we have hit a nerve with Archie Comics fans, and set off a bit of a fire storm.
We would like to restate our position: The Makeover is supposed to be temporary. We only plan to feature the “updated” Betty and Veronica in 4 special issues beginning in May. It’s never been our intention to replace the tried-and-true duo, Betty and Veronica. Think of this as an experiment – like changing your hairstyle for a day, or getting new glasses.
That said, we’re surprised by the amount of support we are getting for the Makeover from fans and from key members of the Riverdale community.
In short, we love Betty and Veronica just the way they are. They are dear, old friends to everyone here at Archie Comics headquarters. We would, however, love your feedback as we continue to look for fresh new ways to bring Archie Comics to our current readers… and to new ones as well.
We hope this clears up the confusion.
The specific page:
clicky
lester; Hey Lester, I got the A. V. Dicey book you recommended from the library. It'll be a week or so before I can look through it.
You know, I wasn't going to comment, not knowing much about Fearless Fosdick... but you brought up a few subjects at the end that I've long since pontificated over.
I hate how they're subtley trying to tell the remaining few hot young girls in the world that they're not pretty unless they have the body of an eleven year old boy!
Down with Keira Knightley, up with Salma Hayek!
The other thing is, why are Betty and Veronica pals? If they're competing for Archie's attention, then why are they chumming it up? Archie should take advantage of this and get them both in the sack simultaneously.
Now THAT'S an issue you wouldn't be able to keep on the shelf. It would rock the foundation of Riverdale, it would.
- trevor.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary:
Simper
Sim"per\, n. A constrained, self-conscious smile; an affected, silly smile; a smirk.
The conscious simper, and the jealous leer. --Pope.
The definitions may say "smile", but for all my many years the actual, visual "simper" is much more the "smirk" referred to in def. #1 above-not a broad, happy smile as the two badly-drawn women on the now defunct Archie comic sport.
Hitchens btw is a lot of fun to read but I wouldn't give him credit for a resurgence of any word. ; )
That new Archie is a joke.
BTW Eddie, I know this is off-topic but I'm not sure how else to send it to you... Here's the link you wanted to my photo portfolio!
nicocolaleo.com/photography.html
Nico: Wow! Some great photos, especially the best of the girl photos! photographers who make girls look good will never be out of work!
Cynthia: Your link was broken!
The other thing is, why are Betty and Veronica pals? If they're competing for Archie's attention, then why are they chumming it up?
Teenage girls' 'friendships' are extremely complicated. It's like geopolitics at a smaller scale..
Maybe it was a publicity stunt like "New Coke". They're just doing it for the attention, like Chris Hitchens.
I'm glad the new look was just an experiment. A visually boring experiment in blandification.
But since it's only temporary, I'm in favor of it and think they should expand it. As long as they avoid doing bland again.
For example, I'd love to see Katie Rice do a Betty and Veronica story in her own unique style. She should write the story, too or else get someone she knows who's simpatico to her aesthetic to do that for her.
I can think of a lot of other artists I'd love to see take their pencils and pens and remake B&V in strange, different ways. Just shake things up a bit, see how far the envelope can be pushed before it pushes back.
But at the same time, I think just the traditional method of changing their hairstyles and updating their outfits is plenty change enough for the regular run of Archie and his compatriots. I mean they've only done a few cosmetic changes on Mickey Mouse and Popeye over the years.
Well... given the most recent state of storytelling with those two properties, perhaps those are bad examples. But you get what I mean, right? Right?
Still... I prefer Starchie and Bottleneck to regular Archie and Jughead.
I also prefer Porgie Tirebiter and his pal Mudhead. After all, Porgie is a spy and a girl-delighter.
Holy Mutthead, Mackeral! Morescience High! It's...DISAPPEARED!!
That new "realistic" attempt at Archie is as tragic as the rest of the "realism" that's been ruining cartoons for years...
Anyone looking for a great book on Dan DeCarlo should get "Innocence and Seduction: The Art of Dan DeCarlo" - it juxtaposes the best of his teen comedy AND girlie pinup work brilliantly
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