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Gonna give you a break from Multiverse Talk today (though judging by the number of comments I’m getting, the discussion is continuing just fine without me), and show you a new acquisition to the Formerly Vast Mikester Comic Archives.
It’s this here “Whitman Tell-A-Tale” book from 1974, Nancy and Sluggo: The Big Surprise:
It’s a small, thin hardcover, about a couple dozen or so pages long, with text and plenty of illustrations, like so:
No Ernie Bushmiller involvement, aside from cashing the checks. The story is technically cute, with Nancy earning money to buy Sluggo a gift, with Sluggo thinking she’s going to buy something for herself instead. I say “technically” because the gift in question is…mmmm, perhaps culturally insensitive. Will this be the subject of a Sluggo Saturday this week? Mmmmmaybe! (And if you know what the gift is, don’t reveal it in the comments please.)
Anyway, when I went on the eBays to buy this book, it wasn’t the book I was looking for. The book I was trying to find was another early (very early) Nancy and Sluggo book which, alas, was not to be had. Now since I looked one has turned up on eBay, with the condition descriptions of “torn” (eh, can live with it) and “missing pages” (whoops, that’s a deal-breaker) so I’m passing on it for now. But I’ll keep one of my occasionally-working eyeballs out for it and hopefully I can showcase that book here. Whatever that book is. I’ll tell you later, once I have one.
So short story long, apparently, I didn’t see that other book, but saw this one and thought “hey I can buy this and talk about it on my site and then it’s a tax write-off!” Now of course I’m looking for other Nancy and Sluggo oddities and I don’t have the money for that nonsense right now and yet I’m looking anyway because I’m dumb.
And before anyone says anything, yes it’s not a “comic book” as such, but it’ll be added to the Formerly Vast Mikester Comic Archives anyway because that’s where all my Nancys live.
Okay, back to Multiverse Madness this coming Monday (and perhaps something for Saturday)! Thanks for reading, pals.
…your pal Mike has bought original comic art.
Oh, I do own a few original pieces from hither and/or yon, either drawings made specifically for, and gifted to, me, and I own at least one original page from an Archie comic published in the 1990s (which comic…who can say?) that was also given to me. I have purchased original drawings, like this Fred Hembeck rendition of Sluggo, but I’ve never laid out money for a piece of artwork that was used to mass reproduction.
UNTIL LAST WEEK.
So remember when pal Brook came by the shop with his copy of the obscure “Nobody Loves the Hulk” record, which of course immediately spurred me on to get one of my own?
Well, that darn Brook did it to me again, by showing me his recently-obtained Ernie Bushmiller original Nancy daily strip from 1974, which he graciously allowed to be featured on this site.
Brook said “you should check out this seller, he’s got a few Bushmiller originals, and I thought “maybe I’ll look, but I’m not gonna buy anything.” And then I looked, and then I bought something, and what I bought was this original daily from June 26th, 1975 (click the pic for a larger view):
Now I’m aware Bushmiller frequently used assistants (which you can read about here), so I am not 100% sure how much of this is pure Bushmiller and how much is, say, Al Plastino (which would still be a good get) but that doesn’t make this any less of an original Nancy strip produced under the purview of their creator.
Plus, look at all that great Sluggo content. A SLUGGO IN EVERY PANEL. Bonus: “HAW HAW HAW” dialogue!
For those of you who are interested, the original measures about 20 inches wide and 7 inches high.
Not leaving well enough alone, I thought I’d take a peek to see what other original Nancy (esp. with Sluggo) art may be out there for sale. There was a particular strip that caught my eye, mostly for just how weird it was, for the peculiar cultural crossover artifact it represented. I saved a scan of it to my computer, thinking that would be enough…but it preyed on my mind. Nagging me, tormenting me, reminding me of that time I could’ve bought this Bob Marley/Yoda painting off eBay and forever regretting that I didn’t.
Plus, it was pretty cheap. Which is how I now own the Guy Gilchrist original for the September 18th, 2014 daily strip (again, click to enlarge):
Your eyes do not deceive you, that is indeed Sluggo dressed as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Or, dare I say:
Okay, he’s not a teenager yet, but you get the idea. But what a bizarre thing this is. Just look at it. LOOK AT IT. Plus, there’s a bonus extra signature from Mr. Gilchrist at the top right there, dated 2016, where presumably he re-autographed it at a convention or something.
And again, if you’d like to know, the paper the strip is drawn upon is about 7 by 17 inches, though the strip itself is only about 13 inches wide.
There you have it…my first foray into buying original comics art. Not something I’m likely to do too often, though my mostly-working eyes are always on the lookout for that one Swamp Thing page that 1) I like and 2) can afford. But, you know, I bet Tumbleweeds originals are cheap. I could have all the Tumbleweeds! LET ME AT THOSE TUMBLEWEEDS
So pal Dorian gave me my Christmas gift last weekend…or should I say “gifts,” because he bestowed upon me the Nancy and Sluggo double-whammy.
First was the immortal “Sluggo Is Lit” image, the official print in a handsome frame that I shot at an awkward angle to minimize glare and to (mostly) keep myself from appearing in the reflection:
And second, a pin featuring America’s hardest-working wastrel, Sluggo Smith:
These are great items (inspired by the wonderful new version of the Nancy strip by Olivia James), and if you want to be as cool as I am, you can get your own N&S merch right here.
Anyway, in exchange I gave to Dorian a copy of this Tumbleweeds paperback wrapped in a Burger King bag.
That’s almost as good, right?
from Nancy Is Happy (2012)
So I received a letter at the shop yesterday from the possibly-pseudonymous “Sluggo Jr.” who, inspired by my most recent Swamp Thing/Sluggo mash-up post, sent along a page crammed on either side with pencil drawings, sometimes featuring best pals Swampy ‘n’ Sluggo teaming up, sometimes just Sluggo facing menaces on his own (like fighting a knife-wielding Charlie Brown and a bat-wielding Henry).
Here are a couple of samples:
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone do the “Cranius middle-finger” joke before. Well done.
I was only going to scan those two for now, due to time constraints — I’ve been working long hours, as you might imagine — but I just glanced again at the paper and have to present this one, too:
I could read about the adventures of Sluggo and Swamp Thing all day. Thank you, Sluggo Jr., for your fine contribution to the arts.
…including this latest example from pal Casie:
…given to me as a going-away present, as I near the final hour of my lordship over
Seth’s Games and Anime/Ralph’s Comic Corner. This Sunday, October 19th, will be my last day of employment at the shop, so come see me steadfastly refuse, out of sheer cruelty, to assist Employee Aaron in his transition to the managerial position.
Ah, I’m just jokin’. Even after I leave I’ll still only a phone call away, willing to assist the guys for a meager per-minute charge.
Speaking of my own store, which I really wasn’t but it’s too late to go back and retype that transition now, its official website will be open this coming Monday, should things go as planned, and will feature my brand new, 100% swell logo created for me by The Rack‘s Benjamin Birdie! It’s great…I can’t wait to show it to you!
Thanks again to pal Casie for the great drawing, and thanks to all of you for your support and readership. I’ll see you all on the other side.
…so while I have a free moment, let me link you to the very-correctly titled “Greatest Nancy Comic Strip Paper Dolls Ever Made” (using some scans I made (gulp) nearly eight years ago for this post).
Print ’em bigger, you’ve got hats.
Speaking of paper dolls, I helped Bully, the Little Stuffed with Paper, Maybe, Doll Bull, with the last post of his Paper Doll Month.
- Crisis on Infinite Earths tie-ins were a hell of a thing.
- Pal Andy is trying to raise funds on Kickstarter for his children’s book SpaceBear, so please help out if you are so inclined.
- REMINDER: the Ultimate Powers Jam continues, in which Pal Andrew rolls up a character using the Marvel Super-Heroes role playing game system, and other folks step in to flesh out the character. Probably better than whatever comic you’re reading right now. Unless that comic is All-Star Batman, and nothing is better than that.
- AND NOW, A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR: please buy some stuff from our shop’s eBay store. Dig some of these shirts, man. This Jar Jar shirt is made from real Gungan skin. Help me clear some of this stuff out…I need to make room! Thank you.
- Humble Opinions…a new site offering comics and pop culture reviews and commentary. “Everything in Greece was on fire all the time” made me laugh.
- I haven’t linked to swell chap Tony Isabella in a while, so here’s today’s post of comics reviews. I haven’t really gone out of my way to seek out other people’s opinions of the current Superman books. I’ve been enjoying them, thinking they’re an improvement on what’s been going on with the character since the New 52 hoohar began, so I was interested to see Mr. Isabella’s somewhat-opposed take.
- It was pointed out in the comments that the Sluggo doll from this post was probably just some other doll repurposed into a Sluggo doll, and yeah, that’s probably what happened. It was still apparently marketed as a Sluggo doll (along with a Nancy doll) in the 1950s as a Post Grape-Nuts cereal promotion. Here’s a shot of them in their box. …Phew, Nancy didn’t make out so great, either. Assuming that is supposed to be Nancy and not some generic “Girl Friend” as the box would have it.
BEHOLD
ANIME SLUGGO
At least, this is the prettiest he’s been other than this, or maybe even this.
§ December 24th, 2013 § Filed under sluggo § 3 Comments
(from this eBay auction)
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