Ringing Out The Abner

Brain not liking words this morning.

Here's the rest of the Ringer Abner pages from Frank Frazetta, continuing from yesterday...

Now to go scrape some of the gum off the brain and see if i can get it working...

page art by Frank Frazetta from Thrilling Comics #s 70-73 (1949)

The Abner And The Ringer

One of the more not-Not-Abner looking Hillbilly characters that came along in the comics was Looie Lazybones. He first appeared in The Fighting Yank (in a tale i've never seen). While cashing in on the hillbilly craze, Art Gates did try to make someone who looked liked his own character instead of a re-dressed Abner. Take a gander at his second story, from Exciting Comics, to see what i mean...

Looie lost a little bit of weight, but was essentially unchanged in his third story in America's Biggest Comics, and continued for a few years in Thrilling Comics. But then something happened. Art Gates moved on to other things and a new kid took over the strip. (Or maybe Art was pushed?)

Now the old look was gone. You see, they managed to snag Al Capp's assistant to draw the title, and Fritz went Full-Abner -

Ayup!
For those of you who may have any doubts, Fritz was indeed the legendary Frank Frazetta, as you can see by his next signature. Frazetta started out working on Li'l Abner, and here he got his chance to strut on his own... 

Frazetta only drew seven Looie Lazybones stories. We'll be back next time with the other four.

page art by Art Gates and Frank Frazetta from Exciting Comics #27 and Thrilling Comics #s 67-69 (1943, 1948)

Somebody Give That Hillbilly A Sandwich! (or Does A Name On A Stick Make A Mini-Me?)

While not as disturbing as Superman's upper lip, looking at our Starving Abner sometimes just feels wrong. Take a little gander at Ozark Ike -

I can imagine the meeting that led to Ike...
Ray Gotto sitting down with his Editor, who tells him that they want to cash in on this hillbilly craze - 

"Whatdya got for me?"

"Well, the dolls really swoon for that stick, Sinatra... what if we did that kind of guy here?"

"Yeah, sounds great! Just don't change the body. We want to keep that big hunk from the hills thing going."

"Um...  okay. Sure. I guess I can do that."

It's not an art style thing - everybody else in the strip looks quite well fed, or even overfed. It seems to be a conscious decision for his look. 
Most passing strange.

Ozark Ike's other angle was to take advantage of that hillbilly physique and make him an athlete, starting with a bit of down home pigskinning and then to professional whumping in his first tale. After that, it was mostly Baseball and Football with a touch of Basketball. Perhaps because comics go on, even when the season ends? Or maybe it was just more fun to be able to hop boundaries at will. Never underestimate the power of fun.

Ike and his bat (also named Ozark Ike) premiered in the pages of Four Color Comics #180 in February of 1948 and did well enough to earn his own series later that year, which ran for 15 issues. While his book focused on short tales, usually 8 pages a most, that first adventure ran a full 32 pages; and i was dumb enough to prep them all. 
So, let's - shall we?

Well, at least he's headed home a rich man.

page art by Ray Gotto from Four Color Comics #180 (1948)