Wonder how many kids had a more gruesome interpretation of that panel on page 13 back in the day, in that they saw the red part near the knocked off head as blood rather than a torn piece of the red cloak Bombo was wearing.
Link to the book: Tip Top Comics 135
This issue has one of the funniest quotes I've read in any comic book. El Bombo still shaking from fear after waking in fright, explains his nightmare dream to Mr. Biltybux, telling him: "I dreamed I was King of The World, and Venus sent a BUM down, that knocked my head off!" Mr. Biltybux answers glibly: "Petty tough bums on Venus...... I'd say!"
That matter-of-fact line crept up on me. I almost wet my pants, and kept returning to laughing again, each time I thought of the gag again. I must have kept laughing on and off for 5 minutes!
El Bombo is my favourite strip in the United Features comic books, and I would love to see a compilation of all the episodes.
Every time I think about it, I picture in my mind's eye Venusian police making a raid on a Venusian city's trash dump, rounding up a lot of bums, and scurrying them into a rocket, with which the pilot will fly them to Earth, and dump them out each armed with baseball or cricket bats, telling them to go find "The King of All The Earth", and to knock his head off!
