While we're rummaging through those very early days of comic books, let's jump over to Star Comics for another odd little strip from Dick Ryan. It's 1937, and creators are still trying to get a handle on what to do with these new comic thingies.
I must admit, i feel like there's a reference, humorous or otherwise, that i'm missing for the title of this strip. The closest i get is an oblique Slings and Arrows reference, while i suspect topical wordplay is more likely here.
But, in the words of the Peter, i digress...
"Bows An' Arrows" (and variant spellings) premiered in the first issue of Star Comics and appeared in every issue for about a year. After that, it popped up now and again in titles like Carnival Comics and Jest Comics for a total of 19 strips, if my count is complete.
Let's look at some from that first year -
For me, it feels almost like the comic book equivalent of Vaudeville. Sometimes simple and even silly, yet there's a raw purity to it that appeals. And it can be a lot of fun digging through those old comics simply because they hadn't figured out the rules yet, so anything and everything was possible.
Let's stick with Dick and revisit yesterday's tribe of Outsiders - the Missing Links - and their views of our society...
Of course, these days the question might more aptly be "Why Did You Bring America HERE?!"
I must admit, i feel like there's a reference, humorous or otherwise, that i'm missing for the title of this strip. The closest i get is an oblique Slings and Arrows reference, while i suspect topical wordplay is more likely here.
But, in the words of the Peter, i digress...
"Bows An' Arrows" (and variant spellings) premiered in the first issue of Star Comics and appeared in every issue for about a year. After that, it popped up now and again in titles like Carnival Comics and Jest Comics for a total of 19 strips, if my count is complete.
Let's look at some from that first year -
For me, it feels almost like the comic book equivalent of Vaudeville. Sometimes simple and even silly, yet there's a raw purity to it that appeals. And it can be a lot of fun digging through those old comics simply because they hadn't figured out the rules yet, so anything and everything was possible.
Let's stick with Dick and revisit yesterday's tribe of Outsiders - the Missing Links - and their views of our society...
Of course, these days the question might more aptly be "Why Did You Bring America HERE?!"
page art by Dick Ryan from Star Comics #s 1-3, 5-7, & 9 and Funny Pages #s 22, 23, & 31 (1937, 1938, 1939)
