[kquattro]

PS. What is it with the English back then? They couldn't seem to date ANYTHING!  Wags was a weekly magazine - you'd think that they could at least put WHAT week somewhere in the issue. I even have some British annuals with no dates. Weird.

In all fairness to our English cousins, Joshua B. Powers was American as was his company, Editors Press and WAGS was printed in Buffalo, New York for distribution overseas.

--Ken

[JVJ]

I have seen "Gilda Gay" in an early-Forties Indiana newspaper (the name escapes me right now) as well as the old (really old, as in Eisner's first professional art old!) "Harry Karey" strip and the "Stars on Parade" feature that first appeared in WOW, WHAT A MAGAZINE! back in 1936. I'm pretty sure "Pee Wee" (or maybe it was the similar Iger strip "Bobby") also saw newspaper publication. There may be even more, but that's the ones I know of for sure.
-- Ken

It sounds as if you're describing a subsequent recycling, Ken, rather than a prior appearance. It surprises me NOT at all that Iger would try to sell his "strips" again, but my curiosity is focused primarily on if they were reprints in 1938. We will keep looking, eh?

Peace, Jim (|:{>

And the J.B. Powers origin excuses Wags, but doesn't go very far to explain the rest of the examples I've encountered over the years. It's not difficult to conjure reasons why Powers didn't date his product.

[kquattro]

It sounds as if you're describing a subsequent recycling, Ken, rather than a prior appearance. It surprises me NOT at all that Iger would try to sell his "strips" again, but my curiosity is focused primarily on if they were reprints in 1938. We will keep looking, eh?

I have it on good authority (strip expert, Allan Holtz) that "Gilda Gay" appeared in newspapers as early as 1938. He has verified that there was at least a year's worth of "Gilda" strips. Not having seen these examples myself, I can't vouch for them, but I trust Allan.

I tend to believe that Eisner/Iger produced both strip and comic book art simultaneously and purposed them for their separate venues.

--Ken

[JVJ]

That's important to know, Ken,
Thanks. Now we need to know if it appeared in 1937. There is a Gilda Gay strip in Jumbo #3 that is dated 10-4-37. I'm very curious to know if this is a real date or something E/I just threw on it. I think it would matter to you as one of the four strips is signed Bernard Baily. They ALL look to be by the same artist, and the 1937 date would be one of the EARLIEST credits BB has. You can see why this is an interesting question.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[kquattro]

Thanks. Now we need to know if it appeared in 1937. There is a Gilda Gay strip in Jumbo #3 that is dated 10-4-37. I'm very curious to know if this is a real date or something E/I just threw on it. I think it would matter to you as one of the four strips is signed Bernard Baily. They ALL look to be by the same artist, and the 1937 date would be one of the EARLIEST credits BB has. You can see why this is an interesting question.

Baily drew some of the "Gilda" strips I saw that ran in the newspapers. There are also some "Gilda Gay" strips in JUMBO #4. One is signed by Edwin Laughlin, while the other is unsigned. Both look to be by the same artist. Was there actually an Edwin Laughlin, Jim? Bails Who's Who says Laughlin existed, but it has been known to be wrong before. Or was Laughlin just another Eisner/Iger house name that was used by Baily on "Gilda"?

--Ken