Trivia from the 50s

[Polar Bear]

Hi,

I hope you can help me find a few comics my parents remember from their youth in the 50's.

My dad remembers a war comic (he thinks it might have been called just "War") from abt. 1951-53. In one issue, a Korean War tale, a rough-and-gruff sergeant befriends a Korean boy, and the man's personality mellows. Later in the story, the boy gets killed, and the last panel is the sergeant, face screwed up as he chews out a hapless subordinate--Sarge is obviously back to his old ways. Dad particularly recalls the art; the same artist did several issues, and when he left, Dad stopped buying it. So, if anyone knows, what's the comic, and what's the issue?

Second, my mom recalls Mary Jane and Sniffles with great fondness (prob. mid-50's, but I'm guessing here). She particularly remembers one issue where Mary Jane is being chased by all sorts of radios and television sets. They explain that they're angry because everyone rudely turns them off all the time without so much as an "excuse me" to the device. Mary Jane resolves to always say "excuse me" whenever she turns off a radio or TV set. My mom followed Mary Jane's lead well into her thirties, with a half-unconcious "excuse me" every time she flipped a switch! So, does anyone know what's this comic, and what issue?

Many thanks if anyone can help!!!

--Polar Bear

[InfoBroker]

The first story is from the comic group EC (short for Entertaining Comics) and it comes from one of two classic war titles that were edited by the legendary Harvey Kurtzman. It was either Two Fisted Tales or Frontline Combat, and I'm betting the later. Give me a minute to run upstairs and check the Russ Cockran reprint series from the 80s and/or 90s depending on which reprint series I happen to unbox first.

Be Right Back ....

<several long minutes later>

Would have been back sooner, but I got side tracked by some other classical comical books that I do more than just give passing glance to.

And here we go, Frontline Combat #6.

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/834/400/834_4_06.jpg


The story your dad remembers is called Bellyrobber and it is illustrated by Jack Davis, another legend in the comics industry (and beyond).

The gruff Sargent was a cook, and yes indeed he does soften to the little Korean baby called Snookers.

Russ has been offering reprints of this title, the entire run as a set. Full color with Marie Severin (the original colorist at EC) reprising her role and being as true to the original coloring as the day it was originally done. Or as nearly as she could given that printing processes changed dramatically over the years.

Do a scan for Frontline Combat and Gemstone on eBay. This and Two-Fisted Tales are standard bearer war stories. Some of the best ever done in the field. They come with my highest recommendations.

-John Bacon the Information Broker -

[Red Oak Kid]

Your parents certainly had good taste in comic books.

You may already know this about Mary Jane and Sniffles, but it was news to me.

Don Markstein's Toonapedia has this entry on them:

http://www.toonopedia.com/maryjane.htm

Mary Jane was a long, long running strip in Dell's Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies comic books.

I tried to do a character search for Mary Jane at the Grand Comic book Database, but it crashed my computer because of the Spiderman character.

But a character search for Sniffles turned up a bunch of issues of Looney Tunes, but no story title seemed to match your mom's memory.

Here is a link to the GCD's various incarnations of this title:

http://www.comics.org/search.lasso?type=title&query=Looney+Tunes&sort=alpha&Submit=Search

Don't know if she was reading the 1941 version or the 1955 one. But if you click on the word "Gallery" you can see the covers and one of them may ring a bell.

[Captain Jim]

I have no idea what issue that was, but I *do* remember Mary Jane and Sniffles; does that count for anything? ;) :D

Hi PB. Good to "see" you again. :)

[Kirk G]

I'm glad they identified your parents' memory for you.

Now, here's one of my earliest memories.
I was left at a friend of my mother's house for some unknown reason, and to amuse myself at age 3 or 4, I dug into a pile of old Detroit Free press funny pages from the Sunday edition of the newspaper. I don't recall what all was there, except I recognised Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead... and I recall seeing some very exciting action sequences involving Batman and Robin.

A woman drove up in a small car to rescue some clown, and then he shrang down to a tiny size as they raced away from Batman and Robin. I didn't understand anything more about this bizarre comic strip and had forgotten all about it.

I was age 4 in 1960 so we can assume the strips were printed in the year or two before this, but it could have been much older than that.

Any good researchers want to take a whack at this one? (I've solved it, but you'll never guess who or why I found it!)

[Kirk G]

Double post.

[Polar Bear]

Hi PB. Good to "see" you again. :)

You, too! Ah, the gool ol' days . . .

--Eric

[Polar Bear]

And here we go, Frontline Combat #6.

AWESOME!! Many, many thanks!!!

[InfoBroker]

I had to bring my scanner online today to take care of some business matters.

It's been a few months since I had the luxury (and space) to have it availible.

The cool thing is I was able to provide you and your dad with the following teaser.

[Polar Bear]

Hi,

Thanks again for the info--and what a great scan! Actually, I just ordered the reprints of issues 1-10 (a few gaps, but basically there) of the 1980's Gemstone color reprints of Frontline from an online comics store, so I should have them in my hand in a few days--just in time to give them to Dad for Father's Day!

All thanks to you, my friend!

Best,
--Eric

[MWGallaher]

Wonderful gift, PB! Now if only there were a good collection of Mary Jane & Sniffles...from what I understand, it was quite a delightful series, too!

[Polar Bear]

Forgot to give you the conclusion.

I don't think I've ever heard so many adjectives from him. He was ecstatic, bubbling over at being a little kid again.

You know, he actually recognized that the comics were smaller than he remembered? What a memory.

He loved it!