The Brownies in "The Ooglies and the Cuckoo Clock"

Like so many cartoonists from the 30s, Walt Kelly worked for Disney (the great studio seemed to devour trainloads of animators whole). He didn’t like animation much and eventually left Disney for cartoon work. His work at Dell is absolutely spectacular and remarkably enjoyable. Walt Kelly never drew a single panel that wasn’t a gaze-worthy, and he never drew a dull one, either.

The same delicate humor that turned Kelly's most famous creation, Pogo, into a beloved icon infuses this small tale of war between the Brownies and the Oogglies. The more I see of vintage Kelly the more I like him. Scratch that . . . Love him. The following is all Kelly, including the cover and the short strip running along the bottom of the pages.

This is from Four Color (The Brownies) No. 192, June, 1948. All scans are from my own comic. Just click on the image for the big picture.

This is Kelly's back inside cover from the same issue. Was there ever a more prefect page for kids and their parents to share? I love Kelly's drawing and his simple, elegant page design.

Vivie Risto's Chilly Willy

Today we have the work of Vivie Risto, who worked for Dell/Western Publishing for approximately twenty years, beginning in the early 1940s. Not much is known about Mr. Risto (sometimes Veve or vive Risto). He was first generation American (his parents were Finnish immigrants), born in South Dakota in 1902 (real name - Oscar Wilho Risto). He died in Studio City, California in 1981. For a concise list of his work in both comic books and animation, check out the artist's entry in the Inducks database. "The Sea King's Quarrel" and "Polar Pirates," come from Four Color No. 1074, February-April 1960.

Risto is another of the many worthwhile though forgotten artists from the glorious history of Dell's Four Color. His style seems a pleasing holdover from an earlier period of cartooning and animation, perhaps late Twenties or Thirties. The cover was done by John Carey.

I couldn't let you go without this great ad from the back cover. Oh, for the days when fudge was energy food. See how "Frisky Fudgie" saves the day, all because he is bursting with energy!

Morris Gollub's Black Beauty

Is there anything so heartbreaking as a good animal story, particularly one told from the animal's point of view? Perhaps such stories touch us because, like innocents, animals are at the mercy of the varying kindnesses and cruelties of men. Today we have a comic book retelling of Anna Sewell's 19th century classic, Black Beauty, via Four Color No. 440, December 1952. The artist for this issue is Morris Gollub.

Gollub was one of the greatest cover artists in comic book history, as this painted gem will attest. The inside pages are all Gollub, too - each panel a perfectly composed miniature, wonderful in detail and draftsmanship. - For those that prefer a download: Just Click.