WALLY THE WIZARD Medium: Comic books Published by: Marvel Comics First Appeared: 1985 Creator: Bob Bolling If this site is enjoyable or useful to you, Please contribute to its necessary financial support. Amazon.com or PayPal Star Comics, Marvel's imprint aimed at younger readers, was launched in 1985 with eight titles, an equal mix of licensed and original properties. Of the four originals, three — Royal Roy, … continued below

… Planet Terry and Top Dog — had the same creative team, writer Lennie Herman and artist Warren Kremer, late of Harvey Comics. The loner was Wally the Wizard. It was created by cartoonist Bob Bolling, the man who, a generation earlier, had made Little Archie a classic. Wally was learning the mystic arts from Marlin the Magician, Merlin's older brother, whose catch-phrase was, "To think I had my pick of apprentices". Both lived in the castle of King Kodger, along with Kodger's daughter Penelope (whom Wally was in love with, despite the fact that she was a snob who treated him like the peasant he was), Pen's maidservant Alaina (who was in love with Wally, tho he scarcely noticed her), Sir Flauntaroy (an egotistic and not-so-competent knight), Wally's pals Conrad (Flauntaroy's squire) and Jay (an apprentice bard), and assorted courtiers, servants, and other typical castle dwellers. There was also a demon, Gorg, whom Wally accidentally conjured up in the first issue, and who hung around afterward to act as an occasional deus-ex-machina. Like other initial Star Comics offerings, Wally the Wizard #1 was dated April, 1985. Unlike others, its creative personnel wasn't consistent — in fact, Bolling wrote and drew very few issues. Others involved include Howard Post (Anthro, Jimminy & the Magic Book), Sid Jacobson (Casper the Friendly Ghost, Little Dot) and Ben Brown (whose other credits aren't easy to track down, unless he's the Ben Brown who drew some horror comics in the 1950s). Wally the Wizard was about as successful as the average Star Comics original. It lasted 12 issues, the final one dated March, 1986, and its characters were never seen again. — DDM BACK to Don Markstein's Toonopedia™ Home Page Today in Toons: Every day's an anniversary!

Web www.toonopedia.com Purchase Marvel Comics Merchandise Online