At the very least I’d like to find that last one with the ghost cover.
So I was just looking on the Grand Comics Database for sumthin’ or other when I came across this title that I’d never encountered before…The Cryin’ Lion from the mid-1940s:
Images all totally stolen from said GCD, and what you see there appears to comprise the entire run of the comic. Like I said, I’ve never seen a copy of this, but even unread this may now be a contender for Favorite Offbrand Golden Age Funny Animal Comics (neck-and-neck with Spunky the Monkey).
I looked to the eBay for a physical copy of an issue, and only found one that was overgraded and way overpriced, but I had a couple of folks point out various sites only where public domain (or at least “no one’s left to defend the copyright”) comics have been scanned and posted for perusal, which I may not be able to resist looking at. (Also, said sites might be of use researching other Spunky the Monkey appearances, if any, as I’ve had no luck in the eleven years since I posted that one story.)
Anyway…The Cryin’ Lion, Exciting New Character Find of 1944 and 2018!
I see a Company of Crying Companions team book on the horizon. Remember the crying Gorilla from Promethea?
The cover of the first issue is odd in multiple ways:
1. Perhaps I am missing something, but there does not seem be a joke here, unlike in the other two covers. Just a situation (the lion is in a boxing match, which he is presumably losing), not a joke.
2. The way the rabbit is staring straight ahead with a startled expression suggests that something ominous is approaching. If so, there probably should be a stronger indication (such as a shadow). If not, then the rabbit’s expression is a peculiar choice.
3. Rendering the crowd in outline, with a few disembodied heads floating above, makes the scene creepier than the illustrator probably intended.
I bet this Cryin’ Lion was inspired by the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz movie, which had come out only a few years before. Not sure that’s the character from that movie I would have thought would merit a knock-off in a comic book, but what do I know?
Turan, I think the joke on the cover of issue #1 is the juxtaposition of a “tough” career like boxing with the obviously meek lion. And yes, those floating heads in the background are weird.
Looks like Waldo is soaking up C.L.’s never-ending tears with the sponge, which he is then wringing out in the rapidly-filling bucket.
He’s not crying in issue 3. I want to know this character arc.
Mike, feel free to take this link down if it’s more hassle than it’s worth(I don’t know how ridiculous the terms of service for your hosting company are), but here’s Cryin’ Lion 02 if anyone is interested.
Of course I forgot to paste the link!
http://www.mediafire.com/file/u5odave59f951ep/Cryin%27_Lion_Comics_02.cbz