[Quirky Quokka]

Hi Australian Panther - Yes another Aussie, but not from WA  Thanks for the welcome. I love retro comics, so it was great to find this site. Have already been enjoying the early Brenda Starr and Phantom Lady. Looking forward to finding more gems. Cheers.

[Morgus]

Robb K; horsefly...I like that. (See, I'm so new to funny animal this would be the first time I'd have seen that gag,)

Yeah, I knew The Human Torch was first. I meant 'first with the fire angle' in terms of a kiddie market hero, like Hot Stuff or Casper. There is probably a better word than 'kiddie market' to describe what I'm talking about..I just don't know it. What do you CALL those big eyed, short characters with round edges like Casper, Wendy, and Richie Rich or Little Lulu? I also know 'kiddie market' doesn't quite work because a lot of adults use Hot Stuff for tattoos and whatever else, but I always figured Harvey's main audience was primarily a younger readership.

Wow. 70 years reading funny animal. So educate me. What's the best funny animal in your opinion people should know about? Carl Barks and Floyd Gottfredson I've seen, and the Walt Kelly stuff, both Pogo and some of the non-Pogo. What else is big?

[mopee167]

Max Gaines had nothing to do with Mad Hatter Comics or Animal Fables, except as publisher of the latter title. OW Comics was put together by William Woolfolk (1917-2003) & John G. Oxton (1910-1969).

Here is what  Bill Woolfolk said about it in Alter Ego #6, Autumn 2000 :

As paper allotments eased somewhat with the end of World War II, I was seduced by the idea of publishing my own comics, having learned nothing from the experience of Ken Crossen.  As the saying goes, those who don?t learn from history are condemned to repeat it.  I had partnered with a good friend of mine at the time to form OW Comics, O for his name Jack Oxton (a former executive at Paramount Newsreel who had no business or comics experience), and W for my own.  I should have known that anything that spelled Ow! would be a painful experience. 

We launched two magazines, Mad Hatter Comics, drawn by John Giunta, and Animal Fables, leaving the artwork in the hands of Woody Gelbert(?), who hired other cartoonists.  I wrote all the stories for both.  After being stalled for months by the printer with whom my partner had signed up, Jack Oxton finally discovered that the printer didn?t have a press capable of printing more than a 32-page comic and ours had been designed to be 48 pages.  There was nothing for me to do but some savage editing in order to get Mad Hatter published in 32 pages.  Despite its many limitations, the magazine fared well enough to justify a second issue, this time with improved artwork by Mort Leav.  Animal Fables met with a similar sad fate.  Rather than publish it myself, I sold the magazine to Max C. Gaines.  Unexpectedly, Animal Fables sold quite well.

NOTE: The Woody Gelbert referred to may be Woody Gelman.

[Robb_K]

Hi everyone - This is my first time on this forum as I've just recently discovered this site. My comments here are just to do with the two Mad Hatter stories in the Mad Hatter comic book.

The first story was interesting enough, though as others have said, I have no idea why he is the Mad Hatter when he isn't mad and doesn't wear a hat.

As others have mentioned, it was strange that the cover of the comic promised something that wasn't actually included.

I didn't read the two animal stories or the short story, as they didn't look like something that would appeal to me. I agree that it's hard to know what market the publisher was aiming at, as the stories seem to be pitched at different age groups.

I enjoyed it enough that I will have a look at the other Mad Hatter comic on the site. I liked the retro art and it's always interesting to see how these kinds of comics would have been viewed by the original readers. 

Welcome to our forum, Quirky Quokka!  Have you had a quokka as a pet?  Or do do just admire them for their calm and happy disposition?

I have a feeling you will enjoy reading "Mad Hatter' #2, which contains the Gorilla Man story that fits the front cover of Issue #1.  Of course, the Editor should have held up the issue of #1 until all its stories were ready to print and put the correct pieces together, and so, would have avoided feeling forced into throwing little kids' Funny Animal stories in as fillers, because he had no other stories ready to print.

[Robb_K]

Max Gaines had nothing to do with Mad Hatter Comics or Animal Fables, except as publisher of the latter title. OW Comics was put together by William Woolfolk (1917-2003) & John G. Oxton (1910-1969).

Here is what  Bill Woolfolk said about it in Alter Ego #6, Autumn 2000 :

As paper allotments eased somewhat with the end of World War II, I was seduced by the idea of publishing my own comics, having learned nothing from the experience of Ken Crossen.  As the saying goes, those who don?t learn from history are condemned to repeat it.  I had partnered with a good friend of mine at the time to form OW Comics, O for his name Jack Oxton (a former executive at Paramount Newsreel who had no business or comics experience), and W for my own.  I should have known that anything that spelled Ow! would be a painful experience. 

We launched two magazines, Mad Hatter Comics, drawn by John Giunta, and Animal Fables, leaving the artwork in the hands of Woody Gelbert(?), who hired other cartoonists.  I wrote all the stories for both.  After being stalled for months by the printer with whom my partner had signed up, Jack Oxton finally discovered that the printer didn?t have a press capable of printing more than a 32-page comic and ours had been designed to be 48 pages.  There was nothing for me to do but some savage editing in order to get Mad Hatter published in 32 pages.  Despite its many limitations, the magazine fared well enough to justify a second issue, this time with improved artwork by Mort Leav.  Animal Fables met with a similar sad fate.  Rather than publish it myself, I sold the magazine to Max C. Gaines.  Unexpectedly, Animal Fables sold quite well.

NOTE: The Woody Gelbert referred to may be Woody Gelman.

Wow!  Thanks for this information, Mopee!  This is what I was hoping to learn by choosing these 2 books, (e.g. who was involved in O.W., what was its connection to "Animal Fables", and why it was such a disaster).  You brought us the whole story. 

[Robb_K]

Robb K; horsefly...I like that. (See, I'm so new to funny animal this would be the first time I'd have seen that gag,)

Yeah, I knew The Human Torch was first. I meant 'first with the fire angle' in terms of a kiddie market hero, like Hot Stuff or Casper. There is probably a better word than 'kiddie market' to describe what I'm talking about..I just don't know it. What do you CALL those big eyed, short characters with round edges like Casper, Wendy, and Richie Rich or Little Lulu? I also know 'kiddie market' doesn't quite work because a lot of adults use Hot Stuff for tattoos and whatever else, but I always figured Harvey's main audience was primarily a younger readership.

Wow. 70 years reading funny animal. So educate me. What's the best funny animal in your opinion people should know about? Carl Barks and Floyd Gottfredson I've seen, and the Walt Kelly stuff, both Pogo and some of the non-Pogo. What else is big?

I've never noticed another name for "Little Kids' comics", but that describes Funny Animal Comics and other little kids' stories with Human figures.  Carl Barks' Disney Duck stories are the best, by far, then Barks' MGM work:  Barney Bear and Benny Burro stories in MGM's Our Gang Comics (from 1943-1947), Floyd Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse newspaper strip from 1935-1946 is next best, then Walt Kelly's early work: Albert The Alligator, Albert & Pogo, Pogo comic books 1949-1954.  Then, I like Daan Jippes & Freddy Milton Disney Duck stories (mostly Donald Duck) from 1975-1982 (they are both good friends of mine), then Jan Gulbransson's Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge stories(1980-2017) (He and I were work partners for many years), after that, Funny Animal stories from The Sangor Studio, Ken Hultgren's "The Duke & The Dope" in ACG's "Giggle Comics", and "Spencer Spook" by ex-Disney Animator, Jack Bradbury, and other Sangor series by Bradbury, and other ex Disney animators, Al Hubbard and Gil Turner, and Lynn Karp in various ACG "Giggle" and "Ha Ha" Comics, and "Merry-Go-Round" Comics, as well as several Ned Pines' Better, Nedor, and standard Comics series, like "Coo Coo", "Barnyard", "Goofy", "Happy", and "SuperMouse" Comics.  All the Sangor material is PD, and almost available here on CB+.

Based on my experiences, I don't think adults READ the kiddie comics Harvey has put out since the 1950s
for their own enjoyment.  They may wear tattoos of the characters.  But I'm guessing that their attachment to them is strictly nostalgia from their early childhood.  There are very few Funny Animal comics I enjoy for the adventures and comedy in their stories.  Basically, almost exclusively Carl Barks and Floyd Gottfredson, and some of Walt Kelly's work and Barks' later copyists, like Daan Jippes & Freddy Milton for Dutch Disney, and Jan Gulbransson & Myself for Dutch & Danish Disney, and a few others who had grown up reading Barks, and try to emulate his style.  Most of the Funny Animal comics I like to "read" is simply to appreciate the great artwork of these animators drawing comic books.  Although, I do like the clever and funny comedy of a few of them, like Jack Bradbury's Sangor work, and Irv Spector's "Lucky Duck".

As far as children's adventure comics, I like many of the WB and Walter Lantz early and late 1940s longer "Bugs Bunny", "Porky Pig", and Woody Woodpecker stories, especially in their own series, where they could use 20 to 32 pages for longer stories.  However, unlike Barks' ALL excellent level stories, the WB, Walter Lantz and MGM cartoon character stories varied in quality based on their story writers.  A long, epic story could be excellent, good, or total garbage. It also depended upon the markets they chose.  For example, some stories, based on fairy tales, were aimed at children from ages 4 til 7 or 8. While next month's longer story was aimed at ages 8 through 12, with lots of clever humour and more of a real adventure, with real potentially dangerous villains, and potential life-risking danger.  So, if you accept the different universe rules spelled out in the setting, and that these sentient funny animals are more, or less, like humans, you can enjoy the adventure story.

But, really, I was very impressed at an early age by cartoon art, and wished to produce it myself.  And fortunately, I have been able to do it, and with my favourite character.  It has deep roots with me, as it was my favourite entertainment for me from about 2 and a half years old to about 7 or 8, and still somewhat important till age 12.  And has brought great nostalgic feelings to me ever since then.  But, really, other than Barks and the few other clever writers and artists, who wrote on 2 levels (for kids, but also for themselves and their artist/writer colleagues (and thus adults, too), I really look at by far, MOST of the Funny Animal comics, mainly to enjoy the fabulous artwork.

[paw broon]

mopee, that's great.  Thank you for the enlightenment.
Quirky Quokka, hello and welcome to the club.  Showing my ignorance I have no idea what a Quokka is.  HELP.
Morgus, Robb and I have had this discussion about funny animal comics in the past.  While I agree with a lot on his list, especially Barks, I would suggest there are other titles you should look at.  The problem is they are not pd. 
If I use Robb's list I'd put the following very high on it.
Rupert The Bear, particularly as drawn by Alfred Bestall. Images here:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rupert+the+bear+bestall&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

Flook, a satirical strip by Wally Faulkes:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=flook+wally+faulkes&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

A mixture of youngsters and animals, actually all sorts but especially Old Boot. The Perishers:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=the+perishers+dodds+%26+collins&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

Tom Poes by Martin Toonder:-
https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/toonder.htm
Curious to learn how you get on with them.  If you need more "info", please let me know.

[Robb_K]

mopee, that's great.  Thank you for the enlightenment.
Quirky Quokka, hello and welcome to the club.  Showing my ignorance I have no idea what a Quokka is.  HELP.
Morgus, Robb and I have had this discussion about funny animal comics in the past.  While I agree with a lot on his list, especially Barks, I would suggest there are other titles you should look at.  The problem is they are not pd. 
If I use Robb's list I'd put the following very high on it.
Rupert The Bear, particularly as drawn by Alfred Bestall. Images here:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rupert+the+bear+bestall&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

Flook, a satirical strip by Wally Faulkes:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=flook+wally+faulkes&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

A mixture of youngsters and animals, actually all sorts but especially Old Boot. The Perishers:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=the+perishers+dodds+%26+collins&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

Tom Poes by Martin Toonder:-
https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/toonder.htm
Curious to learn how you get on with them.  If you need more "info", please let me know.

Two of my main Dutch Disney Comics work partners have been drawing Thom Poes for the last 4 years, and a cousin of mine worked in The Martin Toonder Studios from the late 1960s through the 1980s.

[Robb_K]

mopee, that's great.  Thank you for the enlightenment.
Quirky Quokka, hello and welcome to the club.  Showing my ignorance I have no idea what a Quokka is.  HELP.
Morgus, Robb and I have had this discussion about funny animal comics in the past.  While I agree with a lot on his list, especially Barks, I would suggest there are other titles you should look at.  The problem is they are not pd. 
If I use Robb's list I'd put the following very high on it.
Rupert The Bear, particularly as drawn by Alfred Bestall. Images here:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rupert+the+bear+bestall&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

Flook, a satirical strip by Wally Faulkes:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=flook+wally+faulkes&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

A mixture of youngsters and animals, actually all sorts but especially Old Boot. The Perishers:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=the+perishers+dodds+%26+collins&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

Tom Poes by Martin Toonder:-
https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/toonder.htm
Curious to learn how you get on with them.  If you need more "info", please let me know.

A quokka is a small wallaby, a marsupial in the Kangaroo family, but looks like a big rat.  I think it is supposed to be a bit more friendly and docile than a full-sized Wallaby.  But I'll leave the details about the animal to the Two Aussies on this thread.

[crashryan]

Woolfolk's comments explain a lot about the chaotic nature of Mad Hatter. This is the first time I've heard about a comics publisher waiting for the printer--it's usually the other way around!

I believe that many of these hodgepodge comics came about because comics companies had to reserve press time far in advance, and to commit to delivering a book at that time or pay a hefty penalty. If a book ran late the publisher didn't have the option of pushing back the print date, as Robb suggested doing. They ran with what they had: completed work, reprints, stuff intended for other magazines. Also, covers were typically printed some time before the interior pages. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that many times when a cover didn't reflect the interior content, or when it promoted something that didn't appear until the next issue, it was because the covers were already printed when it became clear the interiors weren't going to be finished on time and the editor cobbled together a last-minute filler issue instead.

Back in the 70s (was it the 70s or the 80s?) Marvel's production schedule was a mess. They were constantly running reprints or inventory stories in their comics, sometimes even dropping one into the middle of a continuing storyline, all in order to meet press deadlines. Eventually they got their stuff together, but the chaos ticked off a lot of readers (like me) and surely affected sales.

[Robb_K]

Woolfolk's comments explain a lot about the chaotic nature of Mad Hatter. This is the first time I've heard about a comics publisher waiting for the printer--it's usually the other way around!

I believe that many of these hodgepodge comics came about because comics companies had to reserve press time far in advance, and to commit to delivering a book at that time or pay a hefty penalty. If a book ran late the publisher didn't have the option of pushing back the print date, as Robb suggested doing. They ran with what they had: completed work, reprints, stuff intended for other magazines. Also, covers were typically printed some time before the interior pages.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that many times when a cover didn't reflect the interior content, or when it promoted something that didn't appear until the next issue, it was because the covers were already printed when it became clear the interiors weren't going to be finished on time and the editor cobbled together a last-minute filler issue instead.

Yes!  I assumed there was a large penalty for delaying a printing and rescheduling.  But, for a new series, with no built-in loyal purchasers and no revenue coming in, it was a disaster to release a heavily flawed first issue, which would surely make a terrible, disastrous impression, and likely kill any chance for the series to succeed.  They were underfunded, so it was, probably, basically going to fail either way. 

We finally found out why O.W. tossed funny animal stories in as fillers.  "Animal Fables" was their only other series from which to draw ready stories. 

[Robb_K]

mopee, that's great.  Thank you for the enlightenment.
Quirky Quokka, hello and welcome to the club.  Showing my ignorance I have no idea what a Quokka is.  HELP.
Morgus, Robb and I have had this discussion about funny animal comics in the past.  While I agree with a lot on his list, especially Barks, I would suggest there are other titles you should look at.  The problem is they are not pd. 
If I use Robb's list I'd put the following very high on it.
Rupert The Bear, particularly as drawn by Alfred Bestall. Images here:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rupert+the+bear+bestall&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

Flook, a satirical strip by Wally Faulkes:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=flook+wally+faulkes&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

A mixture of youngsters and animals, actually all sorts but especially Old Boot. The Perishers:-
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=the+perishers+dodds+%26+collins&t=brave&iax=images&ia=images

Tom Poes by Martin Toonder:-
https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/toonder.htm
Curious to learn how you get on with them.  If you need more "info", please let me know.

Thanks for the tips, Paw.  I, of course, know Rupert, having loads of his "Bruintje Beer" strips in my Donald Duck weeklies from the 1970s and '80s.  And I already know The Perishers, thanks to your link.

But, I had only seen a few of Fawkes' "Flook" strips. Thanks to your link, I've seen several more and it looks like a clever strip I would want to read.  But I saw his name spelled everywhere on the link as: F-a-w-k-e-s, as in Guy Fawkes.  I wonder if he comes from a direct line down from the famous/infamous ballistics expert?

[The Australian Panther]

What Is a Quokka? 15 Facts About the "Happiest" Creature on Earth
https://bestlifeonline.com/quokka/
Actually, now that after reading the recent posts re 'Funny Animal' comics, 'Quirky Quocca' is a genius name, QQ, - can i call you QQ?- you should copyright that, and if you can write and/or draw - or create a digital creature, you have a winner, I think.
Cheers!

[The Australian Panther]

but I always figured Harvey's main audience was primarily a younger readership.

About Harvey, I think you are correct, Morgus. However, I don't believe that many creators of these characters actually see them as being aimed at children only. Peanuts and Pogo definitely weren't aimed at children.
I don't think Floyd Gottfredson was aiming the Micky strip at children only.
In the first place, Disney's animated features were aimed at a general cinema audience [As were the Warner Brothers and Walter Lantz  characters] and the strip ran in newspapers where it was read by individuals of all ages.  Hanna-Barbera's cartoons were aimed at adults as much as younger people. There are elements in Top Cat and Snagglepuss to name two examples, that are over the heads of young children.
There is no way Barks was aiming 'down' tot his audience.  Barks was one of my teachers, I learned a lot about geography, culture and human behaviour from Barks. Painlessly!
Thinking about the Harvey characters, I don't remember buying those, but I do remember reading a lot of them.
They occasionally had book-length stories, and they did cross-overs, Wendy and Casper co-starred more than once. So, maybe they were more of a general influence on comics that is generally understood.             

[The Australian Panther]

For Robb, in particular, increasing your knowledge of classic strips.
Two from Australia,
Banck's Ginger Meggs, not what it was, but still going and heavily merchandised.
https://www.gingermeggs.com/
And, for my money, a techinally much better strip, but now defunct, but not before a movie in 1980,
Fatty Finn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_Finn
Then there was this:-
Joe Jonsson (1890 ? 1963) Uncle Joe's Horse Radish
https://www.pikitiapress.com/blog/2019/11/25/joe-jonsson-1890-1963
[Some things even I don't know about are on that site!
Then there was Boofhead!
This character's name became a universal slang term, but the strip is largely unknown now.

Robert Bruce Clark b. c.1910 Also known as R. B. Clarke
Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator) Mid 20th century newspaper cartoonist. Creator of 'Boofhead'.
https://www.daao.org.au/bio/robert-b-clark/biography/
     

[K1ngcat]

  After being stalled for months by the printer with whom my partner had signed up, Jack Oxton finally discovered that the printer didn?t have a press capable of printing more than a 32-page comic and ours had been designed to be 48 pages.  There was nothing for me to do but some savage editing in order to get Mad Hatter published in 32 pages.  Despite its many limitations, the magazine fared well enough to justify a second issue, this time with improved artwork by Mort Leav.

Thanks mopee for bringing us the story straight from Bill Woolfolk's mouth.  Wow, that was some savage editing, though it still doesn't explain how Mad Hatter #2 exceeded 32 pages! 

Oh and a warm welcome to our Quirky Quokka, hope to see you on the group again soon! 

[Robb_K]

  After being stalled for months by the printer with whom my partner had signed up, Jack Oxton finally discovered that the printer didn?t have a press capable of printing more than a 32-page comic and ours had been designed to be 48 pages.  There was nothing for me to do but some savage editing in order to get Mad Hatter published in 32 pages.  Despite its many limitations, the magazine fared well enough to justify a second issue, this time with improved artwork by Mort Leav.

Thanks mopee for bringing us the story straight from Bill Woolfolk's mouth.  Wow, that was some savage editing, though it still doesn't explain how Mad Hatter #2 exceeded 32 pages! 

Oh and a warm welcome to our Quirky Quokka, hope to see you on the group again soon! 

I think Woolfolk meant the 32 newsprint inside pages. (not counting the front and back covers, and the two inside covers), which were needed for the front cover drawing and book title, and 3 adverts (selling that space was necessary for comic books that didn't have previous "guaranteed" followers, like Dell's books that were based on popular animated film characters and comic strips.  Dell sold no outside advertising until near the end of the 1950s.  But, publishers that were trying to market stories about new characters with no supporting media exposure needed to sell advertising space.

So, O.W. had planned to issue the standard 1940s 52 page book of the high-volume, big selling series (often the "showcase" series for a given publisher), but ended up publishing the standard 36-page book for series that didn't sell enough books to warrant the added production cost of drawing, printing and colouring the 1/3 extra book size. For example, during the cost-reduction moves of the late 1940s, the monthly "showcase books" like "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories" for Disney, "Looney Tunes" for WB, and "New Funnies" for Walter Lantz, all remained at 52 pages (as they included a story for each of their major characters, while the bi-monthly or tri-monthly series for individual characters, like Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse for Disney, Bugs Bunny and Porky pig for WB, and Woody Woodpecker and Andy Panda for Lantz, shaved the epic long stories down, to fit into 32-34 pages of a 36-page book.  Later on, after 1954, ALL standard books were 36 pages.  After that, instead of reducing the page count to cut costs, they raised the price of the comic books - first from 10 to 15 cents.  In the early 1960s the cost rises zoomed up exponentially.

[Quirky Quokka]

I just read the other Mad Hatter comic that was on the site. It had more Mad Hatter stories, but still no back story and he seemed to forget that he was supposed to communicate in rhyme with the crooks (though he did a couple of times). The writing isn't as good as some of the comics of this era, though some of the art was good, especially action shots of the Mad Hatter. I can see why this one didn't take off. I don't think the writer knew what he was supposed to do with this character. It feels like it was thrown together because they wanted to jump on the caped crusader band wagon. But it was still interesting to see another example from this era, and think about what works and what doesn't.

[Quirky Quokka]

Welcome to our forum, Quirky Quokka!  Have you had a quokka as a pet?  Or do do just admire them for their calm and happy disposition?

I have a feeling you will enjoy reading "Mad Hatter' #2, which contains the Gorilla Man story that fits the front cover of Issue #1.  Of course, the Editor should have held up the issue of #1 until all its stories were ready to print and put the correct pieces together, and so, would have avoided feeling forced into throwing little kids' Funny Animal stories in as fillers, because he had no other stories ready to print.

Thanks for the extra info Robb K. I've put some comments about Issue 2 in a separate post. Sadly I haven't had a quokka as a pet. I don't think you're allowed to, as they're native animals, but I do like their cheery dispositions. 

[Robb_K]

For Robb, in particular, increasing your knowledge of classic strips.
Two from Australia,
Banck's Ginger Meggs, not what it was, but still going and heavily merchandised.
https://www.gingermeggs.com/
And, for my money, a techinally much better strip, but now defunct, but not before a movie in 1980,
Fatty Finn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_Finn
Then there was this:-
Joe Jonsson (1890 ? 1963) Uncle Joe's Horse Radish
https://www.pikitiapress.com/blog/2019/11/25/joe-jonsson-1890-1963
[Some things even I don't know about are on that site!
Then there was Boofhead!
This character's name became a universal slang term, but the strip is largely unknown now.

Robert Bruce Clark b. c.1910 Also known as R. B. Clarke
Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator) Mid 20th century newspaper cartoonist. Creator of 'Boofhead'.
https://www.daao.org.au/bio/robert-b-clark/biography/   

I'm a little familiar with "Ginger Meggs" mainly front covers from the 1950s.  I love that strip's art style from the 1950s. The style looks a lot like the work of American 1940s and 1950s Dell comic book artist, Dan Gormly.  I've seen front covers for most of the Annuals from around that period, and the Sunbeams Books, and a decent amount of Sunday full pages, and  daily strips.  Were his comic books only collections of the strips and Sunday pages?  Or were there also some comic books with comic book style long stories?  I've never seen any continuities among the Sunday pages.

I assume that those 1950s books won't be PD till after I am gone from this Earth.  I'd like to read some of them.  I don't like the up-to-date modern, streamlined version.  The style looks like just about every other strip now.  No character to it.  I don't suppose anyone has scanned versions of some of the 40s or 50s books?

[SuperScrounge]

There is no way Barks was aiming 'down' tot his audience.           

In an interview in an issue of Comics Scene, the interviewer mentioned that some colleges were using Barks' duck stories, and Barks commented that when he was given the assignment he was told to aim the comic at 12-year-olds. Then he added that apparently he assumed 12-year-olds could handle more than other authors did.

I just read the other Mad Hatter comic that was on the site. It had more Mad Hatter stories, but still no back story

At this point in time origins weren't usually written until a character had proven themselves. There are exceptions, but I believe most characters either didn't get an origin, or it came after the publisher knew the hero was popular.

I don't think the writer knew what he was supposed to do with this character.

To use a baseball term, Bill Woolfolk was a utility infielder. He worked for a variety of publishers producing stories for whatever character needed one (or more). These kinds of writers tend to produce generic stories that can fit most any character, which can be a problem when one tries to produce an original character who should stand out rather than fit in.

Probably why he didn't really have the Mad Hatter name match his theme. The character had to be called something and the name was probably a random suggestion and that was that. Stick a top hat on his cape and tights and call it a day.

Life in the content mines of the Golden Age of comics. 

[K1ngcat]

I think Woolfolk meant the 32 newsprint inside pages. O.W. had planned to issue the standard 1940s 52 page book of the high-volume, big selling series (often the "showcase" series for a given publisher), but ended up publishing the standard 36-page book for series that didn't sell enough books to warrant the added production cost of drawing, printing and colouring the 1/3 extra book size.

Sorry, Robb, I think we're at cross-purposes. I was just commenting on Woolfolk's revelation that he'd had to edit the first issue down to 32 pages (plus covers) because the printer Oxton had arranged couldn't print anything larger. I'm assuming that the second issue must have gone to another printer to accommodate its 48 page (plus covers) length, though I can't imagine that would have been a popular move. I know he was wasn't mad, and he didn't wear a hat, but I still have a soft spot for the Mad Hatter, especially as rendered by Mort Leav. Thanks again for posting it.

All the best
K1ngcat

[Robb_K]

I think Woolfolk meant the 32 newsprint inside pages. O.W. had planned to issue the standard 1940s 52 page book of the high-volume, big selling series (often the "showcase" series for a given publisher), but ended up publishing the standard 36-page book for series that didn't sell enough books to warrant the added production cost of drawing, printing and colouring the 1/3 extra book size.

Sorry, Robb, I think we're at cross-purposes. I was just commenting on Woolfolk's revelation that he'd had to edit the first issue down to 32 pages (plus covers) because the printer Oxton had arranged couldn't print anything larger. I'm assuming that the second issue must have gone to another printer to accommodate its 48 page (plus covers) length, though I can't imagine that would have been a popular move. I know he was wasn't mad, and he didn't wear a hat, but I still have a soft spot for the Mad Hatter, especially as rendered by Mort Leav. Thanks again for posting it.

All the best
K1ngcat

Thanks for pointing that out.  I forgot that Mad Hatter #2 contained 52 pages.  Apparently they found a decent printer, but STILL were late with getting their stories drawn, and had to substitute with a Funny Animal story (unless they felt that adding a story from another genre would make a nice contrast).  Still and all, Woolfolk admitted that neither partner knew how to run a publishing company, and so, they were doomed to failure, needing to have a good cash flow from sales because they weren't backed by a multi-millionaire hobbyist, who didn't mind losing money hand-over-fist.

[Quirky Quokka]

What Is a Quokka? 15 Facts About the "Happiest" Creature on Earth
https://bestlifeonline.com/quokka/
Actually, now that after reading the recent posts re 'Funny Animal' comics, 'Quirky Quocca' is a genius name, QQ, - can i call you QQ?- you should copyright that, and if you can write and/or draw - or create a digital creature, you have a winner, I think.
Cheers!

Alas, I'm not bad at copying the easier comic book art, but I'm not very good at drawing from scratch, so it may be a while before Quirky Quokka hits the newsstand - LOL

[Quirky Quokka]

I just read the other Mad Hatter comic that was on the site. It had more Mad Hatter stories, but still no back story

At this point in time origins weren't usually written until a character had proven themselves. There are exceptions, but I believe most characters either didn't get an origin, or it came after the publisher knew the hero was popular.

I don't think the writer knew what he was supposed to do with this character.

To use a baseball term, Bill Woolfolk was a utility infielder. He worked for a variety of publishers producing stories for whatever character needed one (or more). These kinds of writers tend to produce generic stories that can fit most any character, which can be a problem when one tries to produce an original character who should stand out rather than fit in.

Probably why he didn't really have the Mad Hatter name match his theme. The character had to be called something and the name was probably a random suggestion and that was that. Stick a top hat on his cape and tights and call it a day.

Life in the content mines of the Golden Age of comics. 

Thanks for the extra info, Super Scrounge. That make practical sense. Though it probably wasn't the best option if you wanted an ongoing character that people would love. I guess at this stage too, comics were still relatively new, so they were probably throwing ideas out there to see which ones stuck.

I have facsimile copies of the first comic featuring Superman and the first comic featuring Batman. Even from that first issue, Superman had a well thought-out back story, but then Siegel and Shuster had been working on it for years before it was picked up, so they had plenty of time to think about it. The Batman one didn't have a backstory, except that his secret identity was Bruce Wayne, but at least he looked like his name - LOL He must have seemed really intriguing to  kids at that time.