Let the Christmas Stories Begin!

'Tis the Season, my good friends! Let's begin our annual round of Christmas and holiday stories! Right out of the starting block we have a story featuring Bugs and Elmer in "The Traveling Tree" from Four Color No. 1064, December 1959. The pencils here are by the great Tony Strobl, while the inks are handled by Steve Steere (who did a great deal of fine inking from the era but of whom little is known).

And after the story, don't forget to check out the cool ad from the same issue wherein Daisy Manufacturing (air rifles) offers a free film encouraging kids to form "rocket clubs" (in cooperation with the United States Air Force). Ah, the glorious Space Age! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

DAFFY DUCK - Pure Daffiness!

Before Daffy Duck became sidekick and foil for Bugs in the Warner Bros. cartoons, he was a force of intense chaos and pure insanity. These two stories from Four Color No. 536, March 1954 at the least allow the duck a starring role sans bunny. But first, let’s enjoy a swell cover by Tony Strobl.

Script for this first story, Daffy Meets Crusoe, was supplied by Don R. Christensen (GCD); and he makes a grand attempt to keep Daffy’s original lunacy in place. Art is by Phil De Lara; who worked in Chuck Jones’ animation unit at Warner until drafted in WWII. De Lara worked for Western Publishing for years, doing excellent work on Warner characters put on pulp paper.

In New House, we find the duck as belligerent bully; a little quacker with a huge ego – another Daffy persona. As always, De Lara makes viewing a pleasure.
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And lastly but not leastly, a Dell B&W inside front cover by De Lara. I love these pages!