Lost On The Way To Camp

Well, i was headed on over to Camp Comics, which we saw in the recent quiz, to take a look inside.

Didn't make it. 

I got a little lost on the way and wound up at Champ Comics instead. As it turned out, there was a bit of overlap in theme between the two books. Champ featured military strips like Daffy Drafty from Art Helfant...

...and "K.P." Jones by Arthur Beeman...
 

 
The book also featured characters fighting World War II, either overseas or on the home front, like the Liberty Lads and the Twinkle Twins, as well as a few superhero types including the Human Meteor, Doctor Miracle, and the eponymous Champ.

And then there were strange ones that dwelt in the fringes, like Slim Jim and the Force. (Sorry Jedi-wannabes - we're talking Military Force, not 'religious mumbo jumbo' and most certainly not sillychlorian content.)
 

They even had one of those boy genius strips, Billy Brains, by someone we more often see over on the 1940s Funny Animalphabet*, Victor Pazmiño -

For a cool little find, we've got an odd character from Frank Borth - Moppo The Marionette -
 

Yes, even Borth wasn't immune to the cultural depredations of the time. (And you can be sure the same holds true for today's creators when viewed from the future)

The final half dozen issues of Champ Comics had another feature of particular interest to us - a strip from Ed Wheelan, the creator of Minute Movies, a parody adventure series featuring the great detective Padlock Homes and Watzis -
 

All in all, i wonder if perhaps i should get lost more often?

page art by Frank Borth, Ed Wheelan, Victor Pazmiño, Art Helfant, Arthur Beeman, Armstrong, and ??? from Champ Comics #s 19, 22, 23, & 25 (1942, 1943)

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*(Yes, i do plan to update again, when the ol' peripatetic mind can be herded back that way again)

Just A Minute Or Two

Brain declined invitation to join us today.
Here's a couple classic fairy tales adapted by the Minute Movies troupe from Ed Wheelan.

Now me go find eat things.

page art by Ed Wheelan from Flash Comics #s 32 & 38 (1942, 1943)

Wheelan's Weekend Film Festival - Matinee Performance

We continue from this morning's post with our look at Minute Movies from ...  is it Ed Wheelan or Art Hokum?

I guess it depends on one's frame of reference.

Let's start off with the lovely Hazel Dearie in a starring role -

As i noted last time, the concept of using a regular team of 'actors' starring in an anthology series is a rather brilliant notion. Not only does it dramatically reduce the character design stage, it creates a framework to have fun. And have fun exploiting the notion Wheelan did -
 

There ya go - our director, Art Hokum, as teased last time. He'll show up more, when he's not working on his autobiography (That's Why Hokum Was Born or No Runs, No Hits, One Error). 

While having fun with the format, Ed even stepped outside of movies with his ensemble troupe -
 

Matinee Bonus!
It's a Matinee Performance, so let's have a Matinee Performance, eh?
 

Well, you can't find Minute Movies every month in Flash Comics any more. But, i suspect we can find a few more around these parts before too long.

page art by Ed Wheelan from Flash Comics #s 20, 30, 37, & 39, (1941, 1942, 1943)