Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Snooper and Blabber & Quick Draw McGraw

Grim ghosts, mad magicians, and a back stabbing genie--- sort of sounds like you've entered THOIA territory, eh? Well you know I couldn't create another blog without a comic book post or two here once in awhile, and two of my favorite Hanna-Barbera creations, Snooper & Blabber and Quick Draw McGraw (don't forget Baba Looey) are on the dial! Both went into TV syndication together in 1959 on the awesome Quick Draw McGraw Show; today's post is from the Whitman hardcover comic book collection published a few years later in 1962. For those of you with super short attention spans, these are fun little two-page black and white escapades (with an occasional splash of color over the title), tailor made just for you.










9 comments:

Pappy said...

What th--? I've never seen these comics, and thought I'd seen everything. Were these published in the Tell-A-Tale book format, small hardcover?

Mykal Banta said...

Coool post! Like Pap, I've never seen this stuff either. So cool. I have got to find me some of these for you know where. Whitman hardback comics! I say again - too cool!!

Keep 'em coming, you bloggin' fool!

Mr. Karswell said...

This book is about 8" x 6" in size, not as small as the Tell-A-Tales Pap (and speaking of, I have some of those lined up for later this month too.)

Let me know if you find any of the other Whitman books Mykal, I also have the Yogi Bear one around here somewhere but can't find it. Thanks for the comments!

Steve Pick said...

I don't even remember Snooper and Blabber as a cartoon - though I was very fond of Quickdraw McGraw in my younger days. I'm not sure if it's that or Popeye that's my earliest cartoon memory.

Charming stuff.

Mr. Karswell said...

Thanks for stopping by Mr Pick!

Pappy said...

To follow up on the mystery of the hardcover Whitman comics, Whitman occasionally did try comics in other formats. Remember Dynabrite? There were some thick horizontal comics reprinting Popeye and Blondie newspaper comic strips in the late '60s/early '70s which sold for 29¢. (I found the Popeye in a K-Mart toy department circa 1969, and still have it.) The relative scarcity of the one you showed may be because it might have been test marketed in selected areas of the country to see how it sold. Or it could have only been available in toy stores or on the racks with Golden or Tell-A-Tale books. If I'd seen it I probably would remember it or even bought it, because then, as now, I liked odd formats for comics.

...and I remember Quick Draw McGraw well. He was my favorite of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons. "El Kabong!" "I'll do the thinnin' 'round here, Baba boy!" I still do my half-baked vocal imitation occasionally.

Prof. Grewbeard said...

"Faster, Baba...I can still hear him laughing!" these are great, and you're right, perfect for ADD-me!...

Mr. Karswell said...

Thanks for the Whitman research Pappy. I am familiar with the Dynabrite's, but do not have any.

I think all of the original Hanna-Barbera shows from the 50's and 60's were perfectly designed for us ADD'ers, short and sweet and beautiful to look at (and let's not forget funny as Hell too!)

Devlin Thompson said...

These stories were done for UK magazines at the time, then reprinted here in this obscure format.