Steve Canyon Vol. 1

Bruce Canwell is the Associate Editor of The Library of American Comics that publishes collections of such classic comic strips as Bloom County, Little Orphan Annie, Li’l Abner, and more through IDW. Available for pre-order now is the first volume of Milton Caniff’s classic strip, Steve Canyon. Westfield’s Roger Ash contacted Canwell to learn more about this collection.

The second week of Steve Canyon begins, featuring Steve, Feeta-Feeta, "Copper" Calhoun, and Mr. Dayzee.

Westfield: For people who aren’t familiar with Steve Canyon, what can you tell us about the strip?

Bruce Canwell: This is sort of a two-fer, Roger – let’s talk about Steve Canyon, the strip, and Steve Canyon, the title character.

Steve Canyon, the comic strip, launched in January, 1947 and ended in 1988, shortly after the death of its creator and guiding light, Milton Caniff. Caniff’s name was and continues to be spoken with respect that sometimes borders on awe – he was known as “The Rembrandt of the Comic Strips,” and no one ever contested his right to that title!

Canyon‘s creation came about because, in a way, Caniff was the prototype for Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, and the other original Image creators. He had been phenomenally successful as a “well-paid slave” for one newspaper syndicate while producing the fabulous Terry And The Pirates comic strip, but he jumped ship, the way the Image guys abandoned Marvel, after getting an opportunity to create something new over which he had full ownership and complete creative control. The slam-bang action (and sexy women) of Steve Canyon are the result.

Steve Canyon week 2, strip 2

When we first meet Steve Canyon, the character, he’s a post-war pilot operating his own charter air service. Steve is rangy and smart, as quick with a quip as he is with his fists. He’s a solid patriot and lives life by the Golden Rule, but when he’s pushed he doesn’t hesitate to shove back. Steve returns to military service when the Korean War gets hot, which means there are combat missions and espionage work in his future, but in this first volume he’s strictly a small businessman with an exotic job, trying to do the right thing and make ends meet.

Caniff is justly praised for the fabulous first week of Canyon strips that introduce his rangy, hard-hitting hero – would-be comics artists and writers should study this sequence to learn valuable lessons in storytelling and suspense-building!

Steve Canyon week 2, day 3

Westfield: Aside from Steve, who are some of the other characters readers will encounter in the strips?

Canwell: Manoman, that’s a loooooong list! Caniff was at the top of his game when he launched Canyon, and he was determined to present a broad cast that would seem “Caniffesque,” but wouldn’t closely duplicate the beloved Terry And The Pirates characters he had recently left behind.

Steve starts out with a five-man flight crew in his charter business, but eventually they’re replaced by a single sidekick: first Steve partners with eccentric old-timer Happy Easter, then with youthful Reed Kimberly. In my introductory text feature I have a really interesting quote from Caniff discussing how his thinking evolved regarding the supporting cast, and how Happy and Reed fulfill different but complementary needs.

Terry And The Pirates fans are well aware that Caniff was known for his villains and for his women — he brings to bear all his formidable talents in both those areas in Steve Canyon. Steve matches wits and trades punches with conniving plantation owners – heavy-handed oil wildcatters – Communist espionage agents – fugitive Nazis – and lots more! Every villain has a look, personality, and speech pattern that’s all his (or her) own.

Steve Canyon week 2, day 4

Caniff makes his women as varied and distinctive as his baddies. Steve’s business manager is a Samoan sweetie nicknamed Feeta-Feeta, and the first client we see him doing business with is that slinky business tycoon, “Copper” Calhoun. Madame Lynx and Captain Akoola are blonde-haired vixens; Fancy is the classic attractive thirty-something who hasn’t recovered from the curve-balls life has thrown her; Convoy and Cheetah are both young and cute, but their completely different outlooks on life produce polar opposites.

Sometimes creators who are good with plot allow their characterization to suffer, and sometimes a person who finds it easy to whip up memorable characters doesn’t give them interesting things to do. Caniff has both sides of the equation in near-perfect balance – his stories are a joy to read, and his artwork is often a visual delight.

Steve Canyon week 2, day 5

Westfield: Why did you decide that Steve Canyon should get The Library of American Comics treatment?

Canwell: As if you couldn’t tell, everyone at The Library of American Comics is a major Milton Caniff fan. In fact, this summer we released Caniff, a big, beautiful artbook that serves as a “visual biography” and an overview of this remarkable career. We’ve always wanted to do Steve Canyon, but until recently another publisher had the reprint rights. Circumstances changed, we were eager to pick up the rights to the strip, and Harry Guyton – Caniff’s nephew and the executor of his estate – agreed LOAC was the right place for his uncle’s masterwork.

It’s a tremendous pleasure to be reprinting Steve Canyon, because in terms of size and shape, we’ll do this in the same format as our strong-selling, Eisner Award-winning Terry And The Pirates books. We’re essentially creating a uniform Milton Caniff Bookshelf within The Library of American Comics.

Steve Canyon week 2, day 6

More than that, Roger, we’re able to offer readers Canyon like they’ve never seen it before, because we’re reprinting the strips from Caniff’s own personal set of printer’s proofs. That means we can give the series the best-quality reproduction it’s ever enjoyed, but in addition, for the first time Canyon will be reprinted with full-color Sunday pages – and Caniff’s color work often has to be seen to be believed! – plus full-size, uncropped dailies! I’ve been a Canyon fan since the series was reprinted by the now-defunct Kitchen Sink Press back in the early 1980s, but I’ll gladly replace those old KSP magazines with our shiny new hardcovers.

A Steve Canyon color Sunday featuring Steve, Happy, and the slinky Madame Lynx, here posing as "Madame Jones."

Westfield: How many volumes will this run?

Canwell: I expect we’ll do about twenty volumes – Steve Canyon essentially ran forty years and as with our Terry volumes, we’re collecting two years in each book. Given that our Dick Tracy series is up to Volume 12 and the phenomenal response to Rip Kirby convinced us to continue that series into its John Prentice years, I like to think readers will support Canyon and allow us to reprint the entire series.

Westfield: What other projects are on the way from The Library of American Comics that you can tell us about?

Canwell: There’s no shortage of nifty LOAC books in the pipeline! Our first jumbo-sized Alex Raymond Flash Gordon/Jungle Jim volume is available just in time for the holidays, with the third Secret Agent Corrigan and the second Blondie hot on its heels.

February will see the release of Cartoon Monarch: Otto Soglow & The Little King, which we’re VERY excited about. Soglow is one of those fantastic talents who has unfortunately been allowed to slide off too many radar screens, and we’re delighted to bring him front-and-center once again. Cartoon Monarch will not only reprint hundreds of pages of The Little King, it will also include the complete run of The Ambassador, the strip Soglow produced prior to launching King. And just how good is The Little King? He was so popular the Fleischer Studios once licensed him to guest-star in a Betty Boop cartoon – it doesn’t get much cooler than that!

In the months following Cartoon Monarch we’ll have Genius, Illustrated, the second volume in our comprehensive Alex Toth biography. A lot of loving care is going into that book, believe me. I’m also mighty pleased to announce that we’ve decided to do another Bringing Up Father volume! Our first BUF release snagged an Eisner nomination, and sales were so strong we had to go to a second printing. So if you liked BUF: From Sea To Shining Sea, you’ll want to see what happens when Jiggs loses all his money in our follow-up, Bringing Up Father: Of Cabbages And Kings. And here’s an exclusive for you — a sneak-peek at the second Bringing Up Father cover!

Bringing Up Father: Of Cabbages and Kings

We have lots of other stuff percolating, as well. Folks are always welcome to visit us at www.libraryofamericancomics.com for the latest and greatest!

Westfield: Any closing comments?

Canwell: I got two of ‘em for you. First, a sincere thank-you from all of us at LOAC to everyone who buys and supports our books. Second, here’s my wish for a great 2012 in which publishers big and small produce comics we all have fun reading, and your Cubs and my Red Sox both go deep into the playoffs!

Purchase

Steve Canyon Vol. 1

What The--?! #21

by Beau Smith

(Editor Roger Ash here. Last time on Beauology 101, Beau reminisced about his first paying and published work in comics. He decided to ask his friends in the comics industry to share what their first published and paid work was in comics. That’s all you need to know. Now, read on….)

“What The –?! #21 back cover published by Marvel Comics.

“I was 21 years old and still attending Art Institute of Dallas. Renee Witterstaeter was the What The–?! editor and I showed her my portfolio during a Dallas comic convention in the early 1990′s. She was willing to buy an X-Men gag from me. I wrote, penciled, inked, and lettered the one page gag called “Mutant Mishaps”. My dream to become a professional comic creator was starting to come true! Now as an established pro, I’ve since reconnected with Renee on the comic convention circuit  and thanked her for giving me my first paid/published job.”

-Todd Nauck

http://www.toddnauck.net

“Punisher War Journal, I think, over Hugh Haynes, via Mark McKenna (I inked the backgrounds), no idea what #, but this was in 1993, fall… I was an uncredited assistant…”

-Mark Irwin

Artist/Surfer/Writer

http://www.comicscareer.com/?p=606

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet

“For me, it’s easy: my first paid-for-&-published work was 1997′s Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet, done with my old friend, artist Lee Weeks. Given the story is Dick Grayson’s “final exam” to prove he can hack it as Robin, and given it plays out over July 4th weekend, our working title was Independence Day. Unfortunately, there was this little Will Smith movie of the same name released that summer . . .”

-Bruce Canwell

Writer/Editor

http://westfieldcomics.com/blog/interviews-and-columns/interview-bruce-canwell-on-idws-archie-classic-newspaper-comics/

Strangers in Paradise

“My first pro comic was Strangers In Paradise #1. And I’m the only one on the planet who can make that scandalous claim.”

-Terry Moore

Writer/Artist/Musician

http://www.strangersinparadise.com

Silver Surfer Annual

“Silver Surfer Annual #3, published by Marvel Comics.”

-Ron Marz

Writer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Marz

Batman Chronicles #7

“My first paid assignment was “Like Riding a Bike,” with artist Rodolfo Damaggio  — a very short Dick and Donna story for The Batman Chronicles # 7.  However, it was beat to market by my second paid assignment, Batman Plus Arsenal # 1, with artists Rodolfo Damaggio & Robert Campanella.”

-Devin Grayson

Writer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devin_K._Grayson

Scout: War Shaman #13

“Not counting the Beau LaDuke spot illustration for your Louis L’Amour obituary in Comics Buyers Guide,

Scout: War Shaman #13 published by Eclipse Comics”

-Todd Fox

Current project:   Aym Geronimo and the Postmodern Pioneers www.aymgeronimo.com

Dr. Strange & Dr. Doom: Triumph and Torment

“The first comic book work I was paid for was published, but was concept work, so  my character designs, not my artwork, were published. In 1987 I’d met Mike Mignola through a mutual professor at the California College of Arts & Crafts ( Mike was an alumnus, I was in my second year). Mike liked my work and hired me to design a group of sorcerers for a Doctor Doom Vs Doctor Strange GN he was penciling. I did 7 characters and Mike used all but one ( he said it was because the character was scarier than Doctor Doom).  Mike paid me what I asked and though I was never credited, it was a bigger shot in the arm to have been hired by a professional artist who  saw merit in my work.  Several years later Mark Badger inked it and it hit the stands much later than had been planned.It was cool to see the characters I’d created show up in the opening fight scene drawn by Mike and embellished by Mark.

-Dan Brereton

Artist/Writer

www.nocturnals.com

X-Force #22

“I actually couldn’t remember,  I knew it was X-Force, but couldn’t remember the issue without referring to my my checklist.  Damn I was a busy boy!  Well, here it is….

“Answer:  X-Force #22, published by Marvel Comics.”

-Kevin Conrad

Artist

Spawn. JLA. The Tenth.

http://www.kevinconradart.com

Flint Armbuster, Jr.

“My first comic book work was a self published Doc Savage parody called Flint Armbuster Jr. It was written and penciled by me, inked and published by a gentleman named Zac Van Note. Back in the early 90′s Van Note published a handful of cool books under the banner of Alchemy Studios. I was working on the second issue when I got a chance to fill in for Angel Medina on Dreadstar. The funny thing is that the Dreadstar job was based on some Grimjack samples I’d sent to First Comics. In those days I was doing my best to channel my hero at that time (and still) Flint Henry.”

-Scot Eaton

Artist/Writer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scot_Eaton

Taboo

“Taboo #1 – Published by Spiderbaby Graphix”

-Thomas E. Sniegoski

Writer

Upcoming Project – Bone: Tall Tales with Jeff Smith

“My first professional comic work was in the early eighties for Crazy, Marvel’s Mad knockoff, I was about 22 and “Scary” Larry Hama was the editor. I went up to the Marvel offices to show Larry my portfolio, which means a bunch of loose drawings and stuff I was doing for the Comics Journal. Larry, who at the time had his hair grown down to his butt and was wearing a “Kill them all and let God sort ‘em out” kinda of tee shirt with skulls and guns on it, looks at my work and leans back in his chair, and with his evil samurai look,  says, “Why the Hell would I want to use crap like this?” Now normally I wouldn’t have taken that kind of comment very well, I would have told him to go to Hell (like 99% of the artists he used that interview tactic on). But my guardian angel must have had a firm hold of me that day, because I remember feeling very calm, and just replying, “What do I have to do to make it better?” He had a surprised look on his face as he pulled out a piece of tracing paper,  put it over one of my drawings and made some corrections. “So if I make those corrections and bring them back next week will you give me a job?” I asked. He looked at me shocked, like I’d pulled some Aikido move on him and he was now on the floor, wondering how he’d got there. He didn’t reply!  So I gathered up my drawings, “Same time next week?,” I asked as I walked towards the door. “Yeah, sure”, he grunted as I left. Shortly thereafter Larry gave me my first paying comics work, a job for Crazy, doing drawings for rewritten poems, fractured versions of Gunga Din and the Raven and such. I did a few more jobs on Crazy and then the magazine folded and Larry moved on to the Conan books. So that’s how I got started in comics, all thanks to Larry Hama and my Guardian Angel!

“There you go , and it’s all true, except for the parts that aren’t!”

-Gary Kwapisz

Artist/Writer/Publisher

www.historygraphicspress.com

Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu #17

“Really?

“Okay-yy… My first money maker (if you could call it that) was a pin-up of the Sons of the Tiger that was run as the inside front cover for an issue of Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, the number of which escapes me at the moment.  Thirty whole bucks!

“Sooo…

“Inside front cover / Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #…. Really.  Does anybody care?”

-Keith Giffen

Writer/Artist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Giffen

Current, best known or upcoming project:  Doom Patrol, JLI, Legion of Super-Heroes (that’s right, I’m returning to the 30th century with Paul).

Solo Avengers #12

“My first work that I actually got PAID for AND actually saw print?

“That would be Solo Avengers #12, written by Howard Mackie, and I was lucky enough to be inked by the super-fantastic Stan Drake. I mean really lucky. You shoulda seen those pencils before he got his talented hands on them.

“It was a back up story involving YellowJacket… the naughty female one. The Fixer busts her outta jail and then comes onto her, and she blows him off. Then she winds up stalking the Black Knight, who is trying to get with the Wasp, who then shoots him down. His awesome line after that is: “I’ll have to be content with polishing the old ebony blade”. Yes, there’s actually some fighting going on in here, too. It was a lot of story packed into 11 pages.

“It was published in fall of ’88. I was twelve. No?

“Whatcha mean you don’t believe me? Okay.”

-Amanda Conner

Artist And The Brains & Looks Behind Jimmy Palmiotti

http://www.paperfilms.com/home.html

“Art and story for “The Adventures of Crash Cursor & Sync” for Sync Magazine/Creative Computing Magazine, 1980.”

-Timothy Truman

http://www.trumanstudio.citymax.com/page/page/1752010.htm

Conan, Grimjack, Scout, Hawkman

Chastity: Re-Imagined

“My first paid and printed comic work was a one shot collaboration with Jimmy Palmiotti for Chaos Comics called Chastity: Re-Imagined, which I believe came out in July of 2002. Just a few months later 21Down was released by Wildstorm.”

-Justin Gray

Writer & Stand Up Guy.

http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/30/the-geek-beat-a-chat-with-justin-gray-co-writer-of-jonah-hex/

Tales of the Beanworld #1

“This one’s easy, amigo.

Tales of the Beanworld #1 1985.”

-Larry Marder

Artist/Writer

http://larrymarder.blogspot.com

Brigade #1

“Pin-up in Brigade #2 published by Image Comics

“First Sequential: Youngblood #0 published by Image Comics”

-Dan Fraga

Current Project: Directing the Ricky Gervais Show.

www.danfraga.com

“Okay. Trying to do this from memory but I believe my first paid work was for an anthology called Tipper Gore Comic and Stories (I think that was the title) number 3 (I think that was the issue) for Revolutionary Comics (I’m sure that was the company). It was a five page story back in the black and white boom days of the ’80′s.”

-Dan DiDio

Writer/DC Comics Co-Publisher

www.dccomics.com

Boris the Bear

“Boris the Bear #1 with Randy Stradley and I had to start my own company in order to get paid.”

-Mike Richardson

Writer and Leader Of Dark Horse Comics

www.darkhorse.com

Prime

“My first published comic, Beau, was for the late, lamented Prime, Malibu Comics’ flagship title. I wrote a fill-in for what would become Vol. 2 #5. For some reason I went by my middle name, “Jan” Van Lente. I was just out of college and struggling with how to present myself as a writer.

“Marvel had bought them by that point so I got a check with Spider-Man on it. That was in 1996, and it would be nine long years before I got another Spider-Check…”

Fred Van Lente

Writer

http://www.fredvanlente.com

“My first publication, that I was paid for, was in Argentina. It was a one-chapter story about War, I cannot recall the name, it was published by Editorial Columba in Buenos Aires, Argentina, around 1976. The next year I was already drawing important properties for the same Editorial. Later on I made my entry to the US comic market by the hand of Chuck Dixon.”

-Enrique Villagran

Artist

Wynonna Earp: The Yeti Wars. Green Lantern.

X-Men: The Early Years #7

“The first published work I was paid for was inking a Mike Parobeck cover for a reprint X-Men series called X-Men: The Early Years. From there, it was off to the races.

“I’ve tried to hunt down the original art for that cover for years, with no luck. I’d like to gift it to my kids someday.”

-Keith Champagne

Artist/Writer

http://keithchampagne.blogspot.com

Coyote #11

“A back up story for Steve Englehart’s Coyote book for Marvel’s EPIC line of books. It was published in early 1985.”

-Todd McFarlane

Artist/Writer/Producer/Entertainment Mogul

www.spawn.com

Power of the Atom #1

” Marvel Universe, April 1986 issue #5 published by Marvel Comics.  I believe this was the first thing printed.

“Power of the Atom, August 1988 issue #1 published by DC Comics. This was my first full book printed.”

-Dwayne Turner

Artist/Film Story Board Artist

http://www.butcherknight.com

Gumby 3-D

“First paid Published Comic Work was penciling a pinup ad of Doc Savage for Marvel Black and White magazines back in 1975 as a teenager!  I think I was paid a whopping $15.  It was inked (and saved) by Dan Adkins and looked like a Dan Adkins drawing after it was all done.   Fast forward to 1986 and Blackthorne published my first inking on Gumby 3D #1!  Current upcoming work:  Penciling a Simpsons story for Simpsons Comics and inking Lady Robotika for Bill Morrison!”

-Dan Davis

Artist/Writer/Inker/Cartoonist

http://www.dandavisart.com

Robyn of Sherwood

“Robyn of Sherwood #1 published by Caliber Comics”

-Paul D. Storrie

Writer

http://www.storrieville.com

William Tell: One Against an Empire

Secret Wars II #1

“1st pro work as Assistant Editor: Secret Wars II #1

“1st writing work: Starbrand Annual #1 (best forgotten, though).”

-Bobbie Chase

Writer/Editor

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Bobbie_Chase

Mystery in Space #117

“My first pro comic work was inking a Carmine Infantino story for Mystery in Space #117, done in the summer of 1980. What an intimidating experience to start on Infantino! But I survived, nonetheless.”

-Jerry Ordway

Writer/Artist

http://jerryordway.com

“Well if you want to be literal my first pro pay gig was Uncanny X-Men doing backgrounds for Whilce Portacio. Don’t remember what issue # it was, but I’d remember it if I saw it. It was during X-Men: Mutant Genesis ( I think ) and right before Image started.”

-Danny Miki

Artist

http://www.johnphoenix.com/portfolio/crimelab/crimelab.htm

Okay… how was THAT for a response?  I hope you found out something about one of your favorite comic book creators or are sparked to look up some of these folks work that you may not have seen yet.  Something I’d suggest is to use this as a way to start a new sub-collection.  You can now start collecting the first work of writers and artists that you like.  I think that’s a pretty cool theme for guys like us that just can’t get enough of comic books.

I wanna thank all of my friends in comics that participated in this one question survey.  They took the time and I appreciate that.  Most of all I hope you as the reader enjoyed this look into everyone’s “first Kiss” with comics.

Your amigo,

Beau Smith

The Flying Fist Ranch

www.flyingfistranch.com

Most covers for this article came from the Grand Comics Database.

Gumby 3-D came from Comic Book DB.

Blondie Vol. 1

Bruce Canwell is the Associate Editor of the Library of American Comics who, through IDW, have brought us such outstanding collections as the Bloom County: The Complete Library, the Complete Little Orphan Annie, the Complete Terry and the Pirates, the Family Circus Library, and many others. This month, they begin their collection of the classic comic strip, Chic Young’s Blondie. Westfield’s Roger Ash contacted Canwell to learn more about this volume.

Westfield: What is there about Blondie that makes it a good addition to the Library of American Comics (LOAC)?

Bruce Canwell: In Terry And The Pirates Volume 1, our very first release, we said the goal of LOAC is to preserve “the long and jubilantly creative history of the American newspaper comic strip.” Few series have run as long or are as jubilant as Blondie. The Bumsteads are pure Americana — like baseball and apple pie, and just about as popular. Roger, I bet like me, you remember growing up not only reading Chic Young’s comic strip, but also seeing the Penny Singleton/Arthur Lake Blondie movies being rerun on TV, and maybe you even remember the 1968 Blondie television show (with Patricia Harty as Blondie, Will Hutchins as Dagwood, and good ol’ Jim Backus as Dagwood’s irascible boss).

Exploring a strip that’s been part of the nation’s cultural fabric for more than three-quarters of a century is right up The Library of American Comics’s alley.

The first BLONDIE daily. Dagwood minus his cowlicks — a heavier set, grumpier-looking J. Bolling Bumstead (Dagwood’s father) — and Blondie . . . once again, it’s Blondie like you've never seen her before.

Westfield: The early Blondie strips are very different from what the strip is like today. What can people expect in this book?

Canwell: Everyone knows the underpinnings of the modern Blondie, right? Dagwood bowls over the mailman on his rush to work. Mr. Dithers catches Dagwood napping or goofing off in the office. Blondie helps get Dagwood out of trouble, or finds herself in hot water. The births and growing up of son Alexander and daughter Cookie. It’s the comedy of the classic American nuclear family . . .

Except our Blondie is different from all that. We’ve said this book is “Blondie like you’ve never seen her before,” and we ain’t kidding!

We’ll take you back to the very beginning of the strip, where you’ll see Blondie and Dagwood’s courtship — and what a wild courtship it is. Dagwood is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Bolling Bumstead, and they’re even richer and snootier than the name sounds. Blondie Boopadoop (her maiden name) is a little flighty, a little scatter-brained, but she’s always decked out in the latest fashions and catching the eye of many a good-looking guy.

The course of true love definitely doesn’t run smoothly in the early Blondie. Mr. and Mrs. Bumstead scheme to keep the young lovers apart, fearing Blondie is a gold-digger trying to get her hooks into the family fortune. The phrase “we’re on a break” hadn’t been invented yet, but from time to time our two lovebirds are apart and others move into the picture. Sometimes there’s temptation even when they’re together — is Blondie attracted to the hunky lifeguard during her beach vacation with the Bumsteads? When everyone’s attending Rasbry College, will Blondie’s frumpy roommate lure Dagwood away once she’s been transformed into a raving beauty? Before Twilight‘s Bella and Edward, or David and Maddie of Moonlighting, or Sam and Diane from Cheers, Blondie and Dagwood were pop culture’s original “will they or won’t they?” couple!

A meeting of the minds across three generations, as Blondie confers -- in her own unique manner -- with Dagwood's mother and grandmother.

Westfield: Even with the differences, are there touchstones – such as Dagwood’s love of sandwiches – that readers will recognize in the characters?

Canwell: The two touchstones that link the original Blondie to the series we all know are [1] the love between Dagwood and Blondie, and [2] the whacky situations those two crazy kids gets into. No Dagwood sandwiches in sight — actually, quite the opposite. In this book you’ll get to read one of the most famous sequences in comics history — Dagwood’s hunger strike! To say more than that would spoil the fun.

Davis the boytoy lifeguard and Dagwood vie for Blondie's attentions, as Dagwood's bemused father looks on.

Westfield: Some readers may not be familiar with the flapper lifestyle. Will historical context about this and other elements in the strips be included in the book?

Canwell: It wouldn’t be a Library of American Comics book without text devoted to jubilantly creative history, now would it?

Brian Walker is diving into the history of Blondie for us and having a ball in the process. Brian has a special love for the great comedy strips, as you know if you read our Eisner-nominated Bringing Up Father volume, where he and I shared writing duties. Here’s a little LOAC behind-the-scenes peek: as the pieces of this book were being assembled, I zapped LOAC’s editorial director, Dean Mullaney, a note that included this line: “This text piece is shaping up to be right in Brian’s wheelhouse. He loves finding the small details and connecting all the dots to depict the bigger picture, and that sensibility should serve Blondie Vol. 1 well.” So readers are in good hands with Brian doing the text-writing honors.

"Blondie Like You've Never Seen Her Before" indeed! Owners of this 1930s-vintage paper doll set saw Blondie depicted in her unmentionables.

Westfield: What special features can readers look forward to in the book?

Canwell: The granddaughter of Chic Young, Blondie‘s creator, has graciously opened up her files and scrapbooks to us, which means we have access to some incredible artifacts, many of which haven’t been seen in decades. There’s some fantastic promotional artwork and articles King Features produced to hype the strip, as well as Blondie paper dolls and other merchandise. Everyone at LOAC Central was bouncing off the walls when this stuff started coming in, that’s how terrific it is.

While "on a break," the boy next door starts looking mighty good to Blondie . . .

Westfield: Are there any other Library of American Comics books on the horizon that you’d like to mention?

Canwell: As folks who are reading our blogs at www.libraryofamericancomics.com know, I’m not bashful about talking up future projects!

The mysterious and mystical Punjab will be making his Little Orphan Annie debut later on this year, in the sixth volume of our Annie series.

We have found a batch of amazing biographical facts about artist Cliff Sterrett, plus some little-seen promotional artwork that is going to make our oversized Polly And Her Pals a real delight.

Right now we are hard at work on Genius, Isolated: The Life And Art Of Alex Toth. This is easily the most ambitious book we’ve attempted in our four years of existence. Wait’ll you see both the rare artwork and the facts we’ve discovered about the man who drew Zorro and created the look of Space Ghost and The Herculoids!

And we’ll have more of our usual suspects, too — more Dick Tracy, more Bloom County, more Li’l Abner and Rip Kirby. Around the holiday season, we’ll also release King Aroo, Volume 2. If you read Volume 1, you know that’s going to be the perfect little stocking stuffer!

Dagwood's father bought Rasbry College so Dagwood and Blondie could attend. Now he's trying to break up the happy couple! Check out J. Bolling in his dean's robes and mortarboard -- what a hoot!

Westfield: Any closing comments?

Canwell: Roger, I’ll end on a serious note. In June, the sad news came regarding artist extraordinaire Al Williamson and Adrienne Colan, the wife of that “painter with a pencil,” Gene Colan. The comics community was enriched by their contributions and is lessened by their passings. Everyone at The Library of American Comics extends our sympathies and sincere best wishes to the Williamson and Colan families and their friends.

This strip, leading up to the wedding, is the launch-pad for BLONDIE as we know it. No more wealth, no more meddling relatives. Dagwood and Blondie prepare to tie the knot, and begin their lives in the work-a-day world.

Archie Classic Newspaper Comics

Bruce Canwell is the Associate Editor of the Library of American Comics, who have produced such books as Bloom County, King Aroo, Little Orphan Annie, and Rip Kirby for IDW. This month, they bring us Archie Classic Newspaper Comics which collects strips by Archie co-creator Bob Montana. Westfield’s Roger Ash recently contacted Canwell to learn more about this book.

Westfield: How did you come to publish the Archie newspaper strips? How closely are you working with Archie Comics on this?

Bruce Canwell: Greg Goldstein, who is IDW’s Chief Operating Officer, did the actual deal that allowed us to reprint the Archie strips. Over a year ago, the collective decision was made to release IDW’s various strip projects under The Library of American Comics (LOAC) banner, which immediately allowed LOAC to take over production on Dick Tracy. It also meant, while Editorial Director Dean Mullaney and I still choose the majority of LOAC projects, other IDW leaders can bring projects to LOAC. That’s how we landed Bloom County and Family Circus last year – editor Scott Dunbier has pre-existing relationships with Berke Breathed and the family of Bil Keane. Now Greg has brought us Archie. One of the things I like best about this deal is that Archie’s hometown of Riverdale is based on the real-life town of Haverhill, Massachusetts, which is in the greater Boston area, less than twenty miles from where I live. (By the way, for you non-Bostonians, “Haverhill” is pronounced “HAYV-ur-ull”!)

As far as our relationship with Archie Comics goes, obviously, Greg collaborated closely with Archie’s executives in doing the deal. The folks at Archie seem like a friendly and thoroughly professional group, so they’ll lend us a helping hand as needed. But we know they have their own line of regular comics to produce and we don’t want them to view us like an annoying kid tugging on their shirt and pestering them: “What about this? What about that? What about the other?” We want to be as professional as the Archie crew, which means we view them as a resource, but one that we shouldn’t abuse.

Archie Daily strip 1

Westfield: For those who may not be familiar with the work of Bob Montana, what can you tell us about him?

Canwell: Bob was a really fascinating guy. He spent several of his boyhood years on the road. He and his family performed a Vaudeville act headlined by his father, who was a singing cowboy! We’ve found some entertaining information about “Montana, The Cowboy Banjoist” that we’ll be sharing with readers. As Bob grew older, he started following a more conventional artist’s path — he attended school in New York City, launched his career around 1941, and began the Archie newspaper strip in 1946. Eventually he settled down in Meredith, New Hampshire — that’s another town only about an hour away from where I live.

Of course, Bob was THE artist who created the visual look of the Archie stable of characters. Most of us grew up with the Dan DeCarlo versions of the Riverdale gang, yet I think readers will find it fascinating to compare and contrast the “Montana look” with the “DeCarlo look.” I’m a Dan DeCarlo fan, but I’d say Bob Montana’s characters are looser, their “acting” is somewhat broader than Dan’s, and they tend to have a wider range of expressions and body language. Preparing this book has been my first prolonged reading experience with the Bob Montana Archie and I’ve become thoroughly charmed by his work.

Westfield: How does the daily strip compare to what people see in the Archie comic books?

Canwell: There are the obvious similarities – the core characters you’re familiar with from the comic books are all here. You’ll find Archie and Jughead, Betty and Veronica, Miss Grundy and Archie’s parents. The core relationships are the ones we’re all used to: is Archie more interested in Betty (the classic girl next door) or Veronica (the spoiled little rich girl)? From this perspective, the Archie strips are like the comics equivalent of comfort food.

Archie Daily Strip 2

That said, the strips put a different spin on the ball, which readers should find refreshing. The pacing of stories is different in strips than it is in comic books. Strips serve up a little joke or a mini-cliffhanger every day as they build to a bigger payoff, where comic book stories build along a smoother arc to reach a story’s climax. There are also subtle differences in characterization that readers will see – Jughead is more sardonic in the strips than he was in all the Archie comics I’ve read throughout my lifetime. The newspaper strips were launched with the assumption that 1940s readers had never seen or heard of Archie Andrews and his pals. That means the narrative begins at a logical beginning, with the arrival of Veronica Lodge at Archie’s high school. The analogy I’d draw from all this: if the Archie comic books are the equivalent of the classic Marvel Universe, the Archie comic strips are the equivalent of the Ultimate Universe.

Westfield: The Library of American Comics always has cool extras in their books. What extras can we look forward to in this volume?

Canwell: Roger, I have a multi-layered answer to this one!

First layer: we at LOAC work hard to try to find new or little-known information about the strips and their cartoonists – our goal is to add to the overall body of knowledge that’s available, not simply to retread ground others have already walked on. We’re also always on the lookout for original artwork, rare photographs, merchandising items, and other unusual visuals we can share with readers.

Second layer: With that in mind, our first Archie volume will feature text by the one and only Maggie Thompson. Maggie doesn’t need me to hype her – her knowledge and love of comics is universally known, her writing skills have been displayed both in countless fan publications and for many years in The Comics Buyer’s Guide. We’re delighted to be working with her, and within only a day or two of her accepting the Archie assignment, she was sending us e-mail about the pulp magazines MLJ published before moving into comics and ultimately launching Archie. Maggie had these pulps in her own personal collection! I fully expect Maggie’s text is going to help us all learn some new things about the genesis of Archie Comics. (Maggie’s also writing the introduction for our King Aroo Volume 2, which will be available around holiday time. It’s a tough call as to who’s the biggest Aroo fan: Maggie, Dean Mullaney, or me!)

Archie Daily Strip 3

Third layer: Remember how I mentioned Bob Montana eventually settled in Meredith, New Hampshire? The good news for all of us is: Bob’s two daughters still live there! They are delighted their dad’s work is going to be available once again and they’re making their family archives available to support the LOAC Archie series. So expect to see family photos, newspaper syndicate advertisements, artwork, and reminiscences from Bob Montana’s daughters throughout our Archie books.

Westfield: Are there any upcoming Library of American Comics volumes on the way that you’d like to mention?

Canwell: Do you see that B*I*G grin on my face? That’s because in August we’ll release our first Polly And Her Pals volume! “Polly” is Polly Perkins, a flighty young blonde, and her “pals” are the many guys who want to woo her. Even though the series bears Polly’s name, the star of the strip is her father, irascible ol’ Paw Perkins. The character who steals the show is Kitty, the family cat, whose antics in pantomime add a great comedic dimension to the story. If the misadventures of the Perkins family weren’t delightful enough, Polly features wonderful, often surreal artwork by cartoonist Cliff Sterrett. The Sunday pages are so eye-poppingly great, we’re publishing this book in an extra large 12″ x 16″ format. Polly fans have to be as excited as I am about this, and after reading this book I’m betting newcomers will join me in saying, “I love me some Polly!”

2010 is also the year LOAC begins to touch comic books as well as comic strips. Our first step in that direction appears in July, when we begin reprinting the newspaper strip Secret Agent Corrigan. A fair question would be, “How does this comic strip mark a move into the comic book arena?” Answer is, for many years Corrigan was written and drawn by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson. Archie, of course, was the much-beloved creator who left an indelible mark as the first editor for Jim Warren’s line of magazines (Creepy, Eerie, Blazing Combat), later as the writer of Iron Man and editor of Epic Illustrated and Marvel’s popular creator-owned Epic Comics line, then later still as a Batman editor par excellence, since he was the original guiding light behind Legends Of The Dark Knight. Al Williamson worked all over the place – EC, Dell, Charlton, Pacific, Marvel, and other stops in between each of those – and has long been one of the most respected and admired comics artists of the past half-century. When George Lucas wanted to launch a Star Wars newspaper strip, who did he tap to produce it? Those Secret Agent Corrigan guys, Goodwin and WIlliamson!

Then October brings Genius, Isolated: The Art & Life Of Alex Toth, which we believe will be THE comics artist biography of 2010. We’re working with the approval and support of the Toth estate, and in addition to detailed coverage of Alex’s life story, we’ll be presenting many rare or never-before-seen visuals as well as complete reprints of several of his stories. We’re excited to be offering readers new insights into the mind of Alex-the-man, and fresh, full-color examples of the work of Alex-the-artist’s-artist.

Westfield: Any closing comments?

Canwell: Here’s a tip of the Boston Red Sox cap to everyone who buys and reads our books. We appreciate all the support we receive, and we read and discuss all the comments we receive — especially the criticism! We’re making it easier for readers to contact us by launching www.libraryofamericancomics.com. The site will have news about upcoming LOAC projects, information about our complete catalogue of books, special offers and contests, even MORE extra material about the strips and creators we publish, as well as direct e-mail links to Dean and me. We’ll add other fun and interactive ideas in the near future as the site matures. We hope everyone who reads LOAC books will visit us at LOAC on the web!

King Aroo cover

The Library of American Comics have published a number of comic strip collections through IDW including Terry & the Pirates, Little Orphan Annie, and Bloom County. This month, they bring us Jack Kent’s King Aroo which may well be the best comic strip that you’ve never heard of. Westfield’s Roger Ash recently contacted Bruce Canwell, Associate Editor of The Library of American Comics, to learn more about this exciting new book.

SPECIAL OFFER: If you order King Aroo through Westfield this month, you’ll receive a special King Aroo postcard, specially-designed for Westfield customers!

The first King Aroo strip from November 1950

Westfield: Jack Kent and King Aroo aren’t that well known today. What can you tell us about both of them?

Bruce Canwell: Roger, here’s why comics readers will love finding out about Jack Kent — he was one of us! He absolutely adored comics. In his teenage years, during the mid-’30s, he was part of the very first generation of fans… some wags might even say he was part of the first generation of fanboys. He referred to himself as “Texas Jack” in letters he wrote to all the major comic strip artists (this was all a few years before Action Comics #1, remember, so comic strips, not comic books, ruled the day). His letters were brimming with boyish enthusiasm, they showed how carefully he studied all the strips, he outrageously flattered the artists, and he always asked them to send him an original piece of artwork. His approach worked – seventy-five percent of the artists to whom he wrote sent responses that included autographs, pictures, and yes, original strips or drawings. Jack built a sizable collection in only about a year’s time! He ended up on Milton Caniff’s Christmas card list. He got letters and long-distance phone calls from George Herriman. All the while, Kent kept honing his own artistic skills until finally, he made it: he sold King Aroo and graduated from the ranks of the fans to the ranks of the pros.

If you’ve ever worked hard on your drawing or writing or inking skills in hopes of breaking into comics, Jack Kent’s story is your story. Heck, if you’re a professional who worked long and hard to earn your role in comics, Jack Kent’s story is YOUR story, too.

Of course, there’s a lot more to his life than “fan makes good”… but of course, you have to read my text feature to find out the rest!

King Aroo Sunday page. Panel 6 (with Yupyop acting like a jumping bean) hints at creator Jack Kent's roots in san Antonio, Texas.

Now, about King Aroo. The strip ran for over fifteen years, from 1950 into1965, though it did not enjoy wide circulation for much of its run (Kent later joked King Aroo made him “world famous for blocks around”). It’s a whimsical fantasy set in the tiny kingdom of Myopia, where King Aroo and his faithful – if sometimes grouchy – retainer Yupyop are the only humans. Our first volume includes stories about magic spells gone wrong, trips to neighboring lands (such as The Kingdom Next Door), and simple slices of life about the King and his Myopean subjects. The main thing each of these stories has in common is, they’re all really, really funny!

The January 23rd, 1951 daily strip. Mr. Elephant has agreed to swim to The Kingdom Next Door, serving as King Aroo's ship, the HMS ELEPHANT.

Westfield: Who are some of the other characters in the strip?

Canwell: We’ve talked a bit about King Aroo and Yupyop. Another major character is the kangaroo postman, Mr. Pennipost, who carries the mail (and lots of other things) in his pouch. Kent once said he was relieved none of his readers ever complained about Mr. Pennipost’s gender, since in real life, only female kangaroos have pouches.

Wanda Witch is a good girl practicing black magic – and the results of her spells prove she needs plenty of practice! Professor Yorgle is the resident know-it-all (well, know-some-of-it, anyway). Mr. Elephant is as gentle as he is big, because he simply forgets to be angry. And there’s also Drexel the Dragon, because what’s a fantasy kingdom without a dragon?

There are plenty of clever, engaging “guest stars,” too, My favorites include Sally Peep (a descendent of Little Bo who loses her sheep – in a poker game), the ibex who was reared by moles and grew up to be afraid of heights, and Abou Ben Riley, who was named after a then-famous jazz drummer (and not Peter Parker’s clone). Abou Ben flies into Myopia inside his flying carpetbag – which is so much safer than a flying carpet, donchaknow.

The October 8th, 1951 daily, features the ibex who is afraid of heights.

Westfield: What about King Aroo appeals to you?

Canwell: I’ll point to three things that make King Aroo stand out. First, Jack Kent’s artwork is casual yet fluid, almost graceful; it perfectly captures the light-heartedness of the strip. Kent’s writing is clever and sharp, his characters endearing and funny. Good art plus good story equals good comics!

Second, I love how King Aroo appeals to readers of all ages. This summer I read all the 1950-1952 strips, some of them for the very first time, and I was constantly entertained. I have three nieces and nephews who are all now teenagers, but I think they’ll enjoy King Aroo as much as I do. And in April, I’ll become an uncle again (the younger of my two sisters is expecting her first) – I’m picturing a few years from now, when my new nephew or niece and I are cracking up as we read about the King and Yupyop and Mr. Elephant together.

Finally, I see touches of many other terrific works in King Aroo; Jack Kent learned from others as he was developing his own singular style. “Texas Jack” corresponded with George Herriman, and there are definite echoes of Krazy Kat in King Aroo. Walt Kelly once offered Kent an assistant’s job on Pogo; Kent turned that down, but incorporated some of Kelly’s storytelling devices into his own work. It’s not often mentioned, but I also see traces of Peanuts in King Aroo – Sparky Schulz was a Jack Kent fan, and the admiration ran both ways. That said, I think King Aroo‘s closest comparison is with TV’s Bullwinkle And Rocky. They both have different levels of appeal for a variety of age groups, and both succeed in never talking down to anyone in the audience. That’s a tough trick to pull off, but Jay Ward does it in Bullwinkle, and Jack Kent does it equally well in King Aroo.

One of Dean Mullaney's favorites. Kent loves putting insects into his strips — in addition to Diogenes and 23-Across, the first KING AROO volume features Bradley the centipede and Rufus the flea!

Westfield: There are always great extras in the Library of American Comics books. What can you tell us about the extras in this volume?

Canwell: As you noted at the outset, Roger, not much has been published about Jack Kent. There are some brief biographical pages on the Web. Jeet Heer and Tom Devlin published short articles in years past. Back in 1986, King Aroo was cover featured in issue # 21 of Nemo Magazine. Beyond that, not much… until now.

Library of American Comics Editorial Director Dean Mullaney and I have done a lot of research about Kent, and we’ve unearthed plenty of fascinating biographical material for our readers, much of it never previously discussed in those past articles. Volume One of King Aroo will also mark the first time Dean and I have been able to directly work with an artist’s descendants – Jack Kent passed away in 1985, but he is survived by a son, nephews, and a niece. Kent’s son and the older of his two nephews have worked extensively with us, providing invaluable first-hand insights as well as many of the photographs and pieces of original art that will accompany our text pages. Jack’s son also provided us the original proofs from the McClure Syndicate, from which we’ve shot the strips for the first book. King Aroo readers will owe Jack’s relatives a big vote of thanks for helping us tell Kent’s story and showcase his delightful work.

The June 7th, 1952 daily. King Aroo and Yupyop find themselves in the tiny kingdom of Antimacassar.

Westfield: The Library of American Comics has done both collections of well known comics such as Family Circus and Little Orphan Annie, as well as little-known strips like King Aroo. How do you decide what strips to collect?

Canwell: That’s an easy one! Dean and I do the strips we enjoy that are not already being done by other publishers. Sometimes we miss out – only days after we started talking about the possibility of reprinting Roy Crane’s Wash Tubbs & Captain Easy, Fantagraphics Books announced their Captain Easy series. It’s always a little disappointing not to get to do a given series, but then I put on my reader’s hat and recognize we’re all fortunate that publishers such as Fantagraphics, Sunday Press, Checker, Classic Comics Press, and others do such fine work. The strips that don’t come to us all end up in very good homes.

And certainly, The Library of American Comics has plenty of projects coming out in 2010 and beyond! As soon as I finish work on King Aroo I’m ramping up on Li’l Abner, which we’ll be collecting in its entirety, with dailies and Sundays published together in each volume for the first time. I’m really excited we’re reprinting Blondie by going all the way back to the strip’s beginnings, which are very different from the picture of the Bumsteads most readers carry in their heads – Mr. Dithers is a loooong way in Dagwood’s future! Then if the names “Bob Montana” and “Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson” mean anything to you, you can likely figure out two other projects we’ll be releasing, starting next summer — Montana’s Archie newspaper strip and Secret Agent Corrigan by Archie and Al. Whether your tastes run to Riverdale hijinx, super-spy intrigue, or something in-between, we’ve got you covered.

Westfield: Any closing comments?

Canwell: When we launched The Library of American Comics in 2007, I was honored to help build a definitive chronological collection of Terry And The Pirates. In 2008, it was like a treasure hunt unearthing artwork and facts about the great Noel Sickles for our Scorchy Smith release. In the first part of 2009, researching, editing, and writing about George McManus and Zeke Zekley for our first Bringing Up Father volume was a tremendous amount of fun. But in some ways King Aroo is the most fulfilling project of them all, because the strip is outstanding fun, Jack Kent’s life story is so interesting, and we’re hoping to give an important but often neglected comics series the attention it so richly deserves. I know these days money is tight, and many folks are reluctant to take a chance on something new, but I’m hoping against hope readers will give King Aroo a try, because I think they’ll grow to love it as much as I do!

Purchase

King Aroo Vol. 1 HC

Bringing Up Father cover

Bruce Canwell is the Associate Editor of The Library of American Comics, who bring you such books as Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy, the Complete Little Orphan Annie, and the upcoming Rip Kirby HC and Bloom County Complete Library all published through IDW. This month they begin the Family Circus Library and offer the first volume of Bringing Up Father. Westfield’s Roger Ash recently contacted Canwell to learn more about Bringing Up Father,  a classic strip that may be unfamiliar to many modern readers.

Westfield: Bringing Up Father is a classic comic strip, but it’s not widely known today. What can you tell us about the strip?

Bruce Canwell: Who’s your favorite fictional squabbling married couple – Homer and Marge Simpson? Al and Peg Bundy? Ralph and Alice Kramden? There are plenty to choose from, but no matter which couple you pick, they trace their roots back to Jiggs and Maggie, the stars of Bringing Up Father. They’re pop culture’s original battling lovebirds.

What makes Maggie and Jiggs unique is that they were childhood sweethearts who grew up, got married, and were perfectly happy while they were struggling to make ends meet. Trouble started brewing after Jiggs struck it rich – Maggie wants her family to start hob-nobbing with the beautiful people, you see, but Jiggs just wants to have a beer with his old working-class pals. When the culture clash meets the battle of the sexes, you know sparks are gonna fly!

With his new son-in-law, Jiggs enjoys some of the — ahem — sights in Salem, Oregon.

Aside from the genuinely funny antics in the Jiggs household, Bringing Up Father features the amazing Art Deco-flavored illustrations of artist George McManus and his assistant, Emil “Zeke” Zekley. Just as Jiggs and Maggie precede Homer and Marge, McManus precedes modern artists like George Perez, Todd McFarlane, and Arthur Adams, guys who are noted for the amount of linework and detail they add to their pages. The design and composition in Bringing Up Father is often simply beautiful, with McManus adding intricate patterns to clothing, furniture, street scenes, and objets d’art, bringing a unique texture to Jiggs’s world. Our first Bringing Up Father book is titled From Sea To Shining Sea, and we’re printing it oversize, with all the Sunday comics in full color, to allow readers to fully appreciate the wonderful McManus/Zekley art.

So, let’s see – classic domestic comedy, excellent artwork, funny and endearing characters, what else should I mention… oh, yeah – pretty girls! Jiggs likes to admire ‘em and McManus likes to draw ‘em. There are plenty of pretty girls in Bringing Up Father, too.

Westfield: What can you tell us about what happens in this first volume?

Canwell: This book is a departure for The Library of American Comics. Since we launched in 2007, Dean Mullaney (LOAC’s creative director and guiding light) and I have focused on doing complete runs – we’ve released all of Milton Caniff’s Terry And The Pirates, all of Scorchy Smith by Noel Sickles, and we’re currently in the midst of publishing the complete Little Orphan Annie and Dick Tracy . With Bringing Up Father, we’ve decided to produce a book of material from the middle of a strip’s run, cutting a slice of the “best of” pie for our readers.

From Sea To Shinging Sea presents all the strips from 1939, plus the 1940 strips through July 7th of that year. In addition to all the classic Bringing Up Father gags and bits of business, these strips introduce us to Maggie and Jiggs’s grandson (and re-introduce us to their son, who is the prototypical mooch) and Maggie’s brother, Danny. Then comes the main event: Jiggs and Maggie’s daughter, Nora, marries an English nobleman, and what better way to show America to their new son-in-law than by taking a transcontinental tour? Jiggs and Maggie treat the newlyweds to a journey from one coast to the other and back again, with McManus serving up laughs literally from sea to shining sea.

On the Washington, D.C. leg of their journey, Jiggs pays a visit to the President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, himself

This is a run of comics that collectors have prized for years, first because so many of the episodes are flat-out funny, and second because McManus and Zekley knocked themselves out capturing the look and feel of so many different American cities and towns. McManus often said the December 31, 1939 Sunday page, which is jam-packed with detail, took over two weeks to complete. Spending two weeks on a page is practically unheard of in the newspaper business!

Bringing Up Father Sunday strip (Jan. 7, 1940)

Westfield: How many books are you planning in the series?

Canwell: It sounds cliche, but we’ll produce as many volumes as folks will buy. Dean Mullaney and I are very enthusiastic about From Sea To Shining Sea, and if we can get readers excited, too, we’ll be back in 2010 with a follow-up volume, we’ll do a third if the second one sells, and so on down the line. We’re already talking about what we’d like to do in a second volume. Bringing Up Father was the first real international comic strip blockbuster; it was translated into nineteen different languages during its heyday. So we could print the sequence when Jiggs and Maggie sail to London on a passenger liner to see the royal family – or the story of their trip to Japan – or the hijinx that begin when Jiggs goes to Hollywood – or any of a dozen or more really terrific continuities!

Westfield: Are there any extras in this first volume?

Canwell: Roger, at The Library of American Comics, we’re all about the extras!

This McManus-drawn illustration of Jiggs at the holiday table is a small example of the merchandising spawned by Bringing Up Father

Brian Walker has written a detailed biography of George McManus for From Sea To Shining Sea. Brian wrote the comprehensive books The Comics Before 1945 and The Comics After 1945, and we’re happy that he’s also writing the essays for our complete reprinting of Alex Raymond’s seminal Rip Kirby. I’m backing up Brian’s McManus bio with an article that looks at how Bringing Up Father influenced the world around it, and how in turn the trends and events of the day influenced the strip. You know, there has always been a bit of mystery surrounding the exact year of McManus’s birth – the artist himself was always rather coy about the date. Through the years, many articles about Bringing Up Father have been content to say something like, “George McManus was born around 1884.” We’ve dug deep and uncovered the actual birth records for the city of St. Louis and have proven McManus was born January 23, 1882. And while McManus had no children and has no known descendants, as part of my research I spoke with relatives of the late Zeke Zekley, and with comics historian Chris Jenson, who had interviewed Zekley about his two decades of work breathing life into Jiggs and Maggie.

From Sea To Shining Sea is the only modern-day Bringing Up Father release authorized by King Features, which owns the rights to Jiggs and company, so in addition to Brian’s and my text, we’ll be showcasing rare artwork and photographs, plus a look at an array of Bringing Up Father special products. For decades, Jiggs and Maggie drove a merchandising bonanza, and we’ll be showing readers everything from Bringing Up Father cinema lobby cards to a Jiggs cereal ring – lots and lots of neat stuff.

See? I wasn’t joking when I said we’re enthusiastic about this book!

Westfield: Is there anything you can tell us about what’s on the way from the Library of American Comics?

Canwell: In addition to From Sea To Shining Sea, Westfield’s IDW listings already contain our major new releases for 2009: the first volumes of Rip Kirby, Bloom County, and The Family Circus. We have other spiffy new projects on tap for 2010, and here are three of them that I hope readers will be on the lookout for:

King Aroo cover

Scheduled for January, we’re bringing Jack Kent’s delightful King Aroo back into print for the first time in almost 60 years. “What’s a King Aroo,” you ask? Only the funniest, cleverest, most playful and imaginative comic strip you’ve never heard of, that’s what! King Aroo deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with such fanciful, beloved strips as Pogo, Krazy Kat, and Barnaby – like Bullwinkle & Rocky, King Aroo is great fun for all ages. Some very popular talents are lobbying to write introductions for these books (the one-and-only Sergio Aragones is on tap for the first volume), and we’re working closely with Jack Kent’s family to provide the most in-depth look ever at artist Jack Kent, his mythic land of Myopia, and my favorite monarch, the one and only King Aroo!

A few months after King Aroo appears, we’ll present our very first Blondie volume as part of the celebration of the Bumsteads’ 80th anniversary. This is Dagwood and Blondie as you’ve never seen them! We’re taking you back to the way it all began, when Dagwood – the son of a wealthy railroad magnate – fell in love with middle-class, scatterbrained Blondie Boopadoop. The very snooty Bumstead family takes a dim view of Blondie, and Dagwood almost loses her several times, thanks to family interference. Finally, to prove his love, Dagwood goes on a hunger strike! This storyline put Blondie on the path to becoming one of America’s all-time favorite comics, and I had a real blast this summer when I read it for the first time. Readers who can’t imagine anything new under the sun for Blondie should definitely check this out.

Almost exactly a year from now, we’re presenting Genius, Isolated: The Life & Art Of Alex Toth. Dean Mullaney and I are writing this together – Dean knew Alex, and back in the days of Eclipse Comics, he reprinted Toth’s much-beloved Zorro comics from the late 1950s/early ’60s. Most folks know about Toth from his work for Hanna-Barbera, where he created the look of Space Ghost, The Herculoids, and many other Saturday morning heroes. We’re working with Alex’s estate, as well as his many friends and fans, to create an in-depth biography that will be accompanied by plenty of rare images, plus a section that will reprint several complete Toth stories. Big companies are being very generous in allowing us to reprint Alex’s stories from their backlist, while individual collectors are giving us total access to their many Tothian treasures. Our goal is to make Genius, Isolated a fitting bookend to our 2008 Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles (currently nominated for two Harvey Awards). Since Toth was the biggest Sickles fan ever, we like to think Alex would approve of that goal!

I grew up on comics, so it’s a real thrill to see my words in Library of American Comics releases on sale in comic shops and bookstores, but I’m doubly pleased to see our books displayed next to other fine titles like Prince Valiant, The Heart of Juliet Jones, Walt & Skeezix, Buck Rogers, and Popeye, as well as the Marvel Masterworks and DC Archives. This really is the golden age of comics reprints, isn’t it?

Purchase

Bringing Up Father: From Sea to Shining Sea