YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING!

This batch of cartoons are from the pressbook for AIP's THE WASP WOMAN (1959) and were intended as publicity inserts in newspapers in the days leading up to the playing of the picture in local theaters.

KONG, KING OF CARTOONS

In the February 15, 1933 issue of HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, the newly-released KING KONG grabbed the headlines with the promise of the financial "answer to [film] exhibitor's prayers. It has everything that any showman could ask for", the story went. "It's a good picture on an entirely new theme, produced masterfully, and offering exploitation and values the like of which have hardly ever been seen in a picture before." KONG was a welcome money-maker in a depression that had just entered its fourth year.

The March 6th issue included a 28-page promotional insert of KING KONG. Printed in metallic colors on a heavier paper stock than the magazine itself, RKO, the studio that produced the picture, pulled out all the stops in showing off their product. It seemed like Kong was being promoted in any media available at the time.

In the style of Feg Murray's "Seein' Stars", cartoonist Fred Morgan drew a strip called "Bits From the Hits!" Mainly a political cartoonist, Morgan took time out enough to draw his impressions of Hollywood, including this panel of King Kong from BROADWAY AND HOLLYWOOD MOVIES (March 1933).

GAHAN WILSON'S SHADOW PLAY

This series of cartoons from the late, great Gahan Wilson appeared in the pages of Jim Warren's humor magazine, HELP!

LAST TRAIN TO MONSTERVILLE

Well, folks, we've come to the end of Hal Sherman's MONSTERVILLE, the cartoon magazine published by Dell in September 1962.

Sherman, born Harold Sicherman in 1911, began his career as an artist during the Golden Age of comics, working for DC (STAR-SPANGLED COMICS, LEADING COMICS, MORE FUN COMICS) and as an assistant to Bernard Baily. Ironically, while at DC he proposed a character named Wonder Woman just before William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter had their concept with of character with the same name accepted by the publisher.

Sherman went back to creating gag cartoons and worked for a while on Harvey's SPOOKY. He died in 2009.

MONDAY IN MONSTERVILLE

Cartoons by Hal Sherman in Dell's MONSTERVILLE (September 1962).

MONDAY IN MONSTERVILLE

Cartoons by Hal Sherman in Dell's MONSTERVILLE (September 1962).

MONDAY IN MONSTERVILLE

I just got back from a much-needed break with a trip to the Oregon Coast for a few days, so I'm just posting a quickie here today.

I've also got a heavy writing schedule ahead with commitments to several publications, so you might see more brief posts for a while. I'll still try to put something up every day for regular visitors!

Cartoons by Hal Sherman in Dell's MONSTERVILLE (September 1962).

MONDAY IN MONSTERVILLE

More monster humor in this cartoon strip from the inkwell of Hal Sherman in the Dell one-shot magazine from September 1962.

See more of MONSTERVILLE HERE.

Come back for more monsters later today!

ESOTERIC COMIC ARTIST CARTOONS (PART 2)

Another quick look at this topic after I came across this two-page cartoon feature from MAN'S DARING (November 1962). Readers may recall seeing Vic Martin's signature on single-panel cartoon gags in the pages of CRACKED and FOR MONSTERS ONLY in the 1960's.

Victor "Vic" Martin was born in Argentina and drew the cartoon strip "Salvador" in his native country before moving to the U.S. in the 1950's, where he drew cartoons for various men's magazines. He drew spot cartoons for comic books, including Prize, Toby and Ziff-Davis titles.

Martin made the move to men's humor magazines such as TV GIRLS & GAGS and HUMORAMA, as well as mainstream humor magazines such as Joe Simon's SICK, Charlton's CRAZY and Robert C. Sproul's CRACKED. He also worked for a time on the LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE newspaper strip.

Coincidentally, MAN'S DARING was published by Sproul and Pre-Code horror artist alumnus Bernard Baily!

MAN'S DARING "Gals and Pets" by Vic Martin.

Vic Martin FOR MONSTERS ONLY pages:

Cartoon for the men's magazine ESCAPADE (March 1967). Charlton's Pat Masulli is listed as one of the production staff on the masthead!

TV GIRLS & GAGS (Pocket Magazines, September 1954)