[MarkWarner]

The one thing that the reading group did agree on about last week's book, is that it is plain WEIRD!!

When casting around for this week's read, I realized that we have not had an anthology book for some time. So I used my initiative ... I went to our anthology section, closed my eyes moved the mouse around opened them and it was on the Big Shot section ... I then did the same on its issues and very "scientifically" we end up with Big Shot #83, which can be found here: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=21886

I have had a quick flick through and it looks really quite good. So, to make sure I don't spoil all my hard work finding it, this week is a free for all. Choose what you want and remember to REPORT back!

[bdw]

Hmmmm, Anthology, aka a bowl of mixed nuts

let me pick out the parts I like (pistachios and almonds) and I'll leave the the rest for the other party guests.

I liked Dixie, something about those stories draws me in. (Mark how about a Dixie issue for the reading group? we have three nice issues in the Prize comics section)

It was pass, pass, pass til : Skyman! good old fashion goofy Sci-Fi, nice art I think.

Tony Trent was visually appealing to me, but I could not get into the story.

so in all likelihood This would not have been a title on my "pull list" back in the day.

[SuperScrounge]

Sparky Watts - Cute.

Dixie Dugan - Not bad. Most Dixie Dugan strips I've read tend to more dramatic fare, so I'd guess this was a humorous short run between two longer dramatic storylines.

Mickey Finn - Cute. Seems like a couple of Sunday strips.

Visitors for Tony Trent - Okay.

Brass Knuckles - Kinda dumb.

Hollywood Johnnie - Eh.

Skyman - Since it's just one part of a longer storyline, I'd have to say by itself it's just okay, although I suspect I'd enjoy the full story. I did groan at seeing Hitler in the story, but considering that he'd only been dead 2 years at the time this comic came out it might not have been the cliche it is now. (He's like Elvis that way.)

Bo - Okay, although there seemed to be a few similarities to another dog comic, Napoleon.

Cranberry Boggs - Eh, kind of amusing.

Tony Trent - Not bad, but didn't this guy used to have a superhero career?

Record ad - So in 1947 "home folks" and western music was popular? Never really thought about what was hot before Rock & Roll came around.

[Morgus]

Hey, who can resist NAZI'S ON THE MOON? Great title, the artwork was cool. And you get a special guest appearance by Hitler. Everything else seemed to be good art but bad story or ho hum art and story that went nowhere fast.
SPARKY WATTS. The way it was drawn had me turning back pages to figure out why the one little guy turned into an Asian for a panel or two.
DIXIE DUGAN for some reason, I liked the art.
MICKY FINN bailed after four pages.
BRASS KNUCKLES Just one inch further and this would have made Dr. Fred's list for having ghosts in a three way. You have to wonder if there wasn't a Mexican version of this one that went further and was funnier.
BO sad to see the dog going through so much, but I liked the art.
HOLLYWOOD JOHNNIE The gals were well drawn.
TONY TRENT Suddenly the source of Mandrake the Magicians' money is solved! He's really Rudy, a night club owner! Really liked the art, but the first panel made it look like they were only reacting to her apparently bad singing.
The WATCHES: Okay, so how much would $5 and $7 be worth in our economy today, and how good would the watches be? 
SuperScrounge: hillbilly and western were huge at the time. there's a series of 9 records from an indie company (Rockefeller Records) called Rock and Roll: The Untold Story. 3 volumes of the 9 albums were  dedicated to Western Swing, hillbilly and Country. You used to be able to download it...might still be around. One of the elements that Elvis used to create rock and roll...Hank Williams Sr. might be considered the first cross over artist...his songs like Cold Cold Heart got covered by Tony Bennett and others. Now, of course, everything sounds like everything else...

[crashryan]

These are strips I haven't read often, and all told they're not bad.

I know there's a Sparky Watts fandom, but for some reason the strip never clicked with me. Thinking it over, I realized I can't get past the artwork. The idea that anyone would consciously imitate Zack Mosely is bad enough. Several design choices--notably Slap Happy's enormous feet--make no sense and come off as weird instead of amusing.

One petty gripe: it irritates me when someone writes stereotype dialogue but doesn't follow the rules for stereotype dialogue. In this case it's fake Chinese. The rule is "r's become l's." Instead obnoxious little Yoo Hoo pronounces "truly" and "ropes" perfectly but inserts an "l" into "cow" and "cowboy." Fortunately the little creep promptly vanishes from the story (except for sticking his head into a panel on page 6).

Dixie Dugan has a mildly amusing story but surprisingly good artwork.

Mickey Finn is so-so. I like the panels of the dazed bear.

The author of the Tony Trent text story takes the Red Menace (not mentioned by name) to new rhetorical heights:

"Bradecich's predictions were coming to pass like the prophecies of the Bible, and nation after nation was being consumed by the Dreadful Thing."

Brass Knuckles is a head scratcher. There's something unsavory about it. Drackie and Frankie are the real stars.

For watch watchers, I found an "inflation calculator" that says $4.98 in 1947 is the equivalent of $54.79 in 2016 money.

Hollywood Johnnie is one of those newspaper strips I'd never heard of before I saw it in a comic.

Skyman boasts nice Ogden Whitney art. The story is fun though kind of drawn out.

I like the how Bo talks to us--or thinks to us, I suppose it is. Both story and art have a pleasant old-timey feel.

You'd never know Tony Trent used to be The Face. While Ogden Whitney's art is good, it gives this detective story a romance-comic vibe.

Back cover ads: this is the first time I heard hillbilly records called "home folks" records. A lot of early C&W sides in this list. References to wartime shortages pop up throughout the comic. The watch ad tells us their product's OPA ceiling price was $8.95. Which doesn't mean they sold for that much; only that they couldn't sell for more.

I think you'd need a sadistic streak to enjoy "a gorgeous scenic table lamp" that displays "a pine forest being swept by moving flames."

[paw broon]

At least with British anthologiy titles you only had to wait one week for the next part of a story.
There wasn't a lot that I enjoyed in this as far as the humour strips went.  Sparky Watts was an ugly, tasteless strip  with no humour at all.  Dixie Dugan was daft.
Actually, Ishould just avoid the othere "funnies" and say theSkyman was relly weird with nazis on the moon -daft enough to enjoy- and Tony Trent was in his pre The Face adventures, if I remember right.
Perhaps the humour just doesn't travel.

[mr_goldenage]

I have always liked Skyman...first saw him on the cover of Steranko's History of Comics Vol 1 & 2 were great books to me when I was a child. Thanks to this site I can read and have read all the Skyman stories presented in our great site here. Tony Trent was ok but I preferred his Face adventures more. Love the Ogden art for a long time even his Mad Hatter stories. For the rest of the book... 3 meh's....Peace Out peeps...

Kindly

Richard

[narfstar]

Sparky Watt has had some good adventures but this one was not one of them. I usually enjoy the Skyman art more than the story. I agree Dixie looked good but not a great read either. I really liked the art on Brass Knuckles even if the story was not good. Overall this was a visually appealing book but lacking in story.

[SuperScrounge]

SuperScrounge: hillbilly and western were huge at the time.

Interesting. Thinking it over it does fit in with other tidbits of info I'd encountered (the popularity of cowboy movies & TV, western singers with their own radio shows, etc.), but never really thought about it all together.

Slap Happy's enormous feet--make no sense and come off as weird instead of amusing.

If I recall correctly he got the oversized feet from a scientific accident like the one that gave Sparky his superpowers back when the series was a newspaper comic. Not sure if they ever explained it afterwards or just assumed people would just accept it.

[MarkWarner]

I have just realized that I did not post my reading group report on this! Which is further proof that air was the main component used in the making of my head. Thankfully, I do not operate any dangerous machinery!!

So on with this week's book and as I am rushed for time I am going to skip the text stories and a few other bits....

Hunting Hogs (Sparky Watts): A nice well thought out story with gags & great art.

Monkey Business (Dixie Dugan): The tail end of a story and unfortunately it does not show the young lady at her best (I have seen her before and it was a lot better!)

Camping (Mickey Finn): This was excellent and made me chortle. The best so far!

Ghosts! (Brass Knuckles): This reminds me of a Russian joke I heard years ago. I will see if I can dig it out. Ah .. here it is!

"An elderly woman, a young woman, a Russian officer, and a Polish soldier are riding in a train, sitting across from each other. The train goes through a tunnel, and is cast into darkness. There's the sound of a kiss, and a slap. When the train re-emerges into light, the Russian officer has a red hand-print on his cheek.

The elderly woman thinks: "I'm glad this lady stood up for herself, and didn't let that brutish Russian take any liberties."

The Russian officer thinks: "Blast that impudent young punk! He got a kiss, and I got slapped for his pains!"

The young woman thinks: "Well, it was clever of the Polish soldier to let the Russian take the punishment for getting a kiss. But I wonder why he kissed the old woman rather than me?"

The Polish soldier thinks: "What a clever man I am. I kissed the back of my hand, and slapped the Russian officer!"

Nazis on the Moon (Skyman): "If we pulled the levers it could be very fatal." As opposed to slightly fatal? This was like watching a "worst 10 ever made B movie" starting half way through. As I like really bad movies I thoroughly enjoyed it. And we end with Hitler travelling on a missile back to earth.

At this point the alarm is ringing and and I have run out of time.

Verdict: A hit. But to be fair any book with "Nazis on the Moon" in it would have got the thumbs up from me!