Was Volto's Secret Identity Euell Gibbons?

Well, frell - i seem to have missed another day or two while off in my head. Again.

Mind the gap.

For a quickie to get things rolling today, let's go for another ADventure - this time with Volto From Mars. ADventures, as you may or may not recall, are what we call those old comic advertisements that were done in comic strip format.

So - what do might a hero named Volto be advertising? Batteries? Electronic Build Kits? Breakfast Cereal?

Um, yeah...   that last one.
I don't follow the logic here, but since there may not have been any involved, let's just move right along. 

So then, what were Volto's electric powers to earn that name?
Magnetism? Kinda/sorta but without the ferrous requirements? He's got repulsion and attraction powers - Always in that order; first the left hand repels then the right hand attracts, then we eat breakfast.

Let's take a look -

Yeah, more than a tad repetitive and bland.
So, maybe they did put a bit of thought into product representation?
(Sorry all you fans of the stuff)

page art by ??? from Adventure Comics, Coo Coo Comics, More Fun Comics, Whiz Comics, and lots and lots of other comics (1944-1946)

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)