How cool is this! A comic strip version of the famed radio & television police drama!
By crashryan
I found this description of the strip at The Dragnet Archives:
"A daily newspaper comic strip version of Dragnet distributed by the Los Angeles Mirror Syndicate ran in newspapers from June 23, 1952 to May 21, 1955 (with a preview week that ran in many papers promoting its impending start). Writing was by Dragnet scripter Jack Robinson (uncredited) with art by Joe Sheiber (June 23, 1952-Sept. 20, 1952), Bill Ziegler (Sept. 22, 1952-January 9, 1954) and Mel Keefer (Jan. 11, 1954-May 21, 1955). Comics historian Ron Goulart in his book 'The Funnies' states the frequent turnover of artists on the strip was due to Webb's desire to find someone 'who could draw him as good looking as he thought he ought to be.'"
It's odd that in the beginning of this episode Joe Sheiber doesn't seem even to be trying to draw a likeness of Jack Webb. About two-thirds of the way in you can see him attempt to capture Webb's likeness. It turns out he isn't very successful. This isn't a knock on Sheiber. Otherwise his artwork is quite good. Friday's partner Frank Smith doesn't look remotely like Herb Ellis, who played the part on TV. But Ellis first appeared in the second episode of season two (September 1952) and the strip had started in June of that year. Probably when they began working on the strip they knew Frank Smith would be Friday's partner but Herb Ellis had not yet been cast for the role.
By The Australian Panther
With respect to Jack Webb, and Dragnet is a landmark in cop TV shows, I recently saw him in a much earlier film, and didn't think good-looking would describe him at all. If he was concerned to find an artist who could do a good likeness of him, fair enough Actually Bill Elder did a very good parody for Mad Magazine.
And here it is
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bartsol/6475127763/in/photostream/
1950s Comic Strip Detective Joe Friday Dragnet
https://imaginemdd.blogspot.com/2015/02/1950s-comic-strip-detective-joe-friday.html
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