Hello Readers,
I thought you might be interested in a few more items on LITTLE IODINE. In our archives, we came across an unusual, battered item — a card that would be sent to a Jimmy Hatlo fan asking for an autograph. This one is still blank.
It looks like it is from about 1950. Jimmy Hatlo was hugely popular, and hundreds of requests for originals came in addressed to him. In the end, I guess these cards would have to do. Little Iodine even had her own comic book and at least one paperback collection in the 1950s.
Jimmy Hatlo could do no wrong, and his first feature, THEY’LL DO IT EVERY TIME, thrived on suggestions by fans. That’s where Little Iodine was first seen as a recurring female character in examples of perplexing child behavior.
The first example was seen in the 5 September 1940 comic, concluding with a glimpse into her teenage life that, of course, never actually occurred in the series.
Another comic example, four months later on 4 January 1941, shows her still far from looking like the brat with whom we’re familiar.
Now, on to reader comments:
To Tim,
The British version of DENNIS THE MENACE debuted the same time as ours, which was pure serendipity. They have nothing much else to do with each other.
About 25 years ago, British Marvel put out a short-lived comic book of the American version, where it was simply called “DENNIS,” so as to not conflict with the more familiar local character. The first issue had, as British comic mags often do, a bonus trinket to lure you into taking a look. The “DENNIS” launch prize was a small, flat, toffee candy bar, gummed to the upper left corner of the cover.
Here, at King Features, we get samples of publications from all over the world when a licensee contracts to use one our characters. Unfortunately, nobody thought to remove aforementioned candy bars, and the comic books arrived with big greasy, gooey melted gobs of stale sweets mashed into the covers.
Censorship is actually rare in strips because we have several sets of eyes who read the strips from start to finish. It’s been said that some newspapers would erase smoking characters or something like that, but basically comics have always been calculated to be uncontroversial, family fare.
Yours truly,
The Archivist
O.K., I’ll ask again. What happened to “Jackys Diary” in the Vintage Comics? Was there a dispute with Jack Mendelsohn? I’m very curious about this.
Thanks in advance for your answer.
I DO NOT THINK HE IS STILL ALIVE AND FROM WHAT I REMEMBER IT DID NOT LAST THAT LONG
Jack Mendelsohn is 85 or 86 and still kicking. Here’s his illustrated resume and autobiography all rolled into one. http://www.jackmendelsohn.com/
What is his exact date of birth? (Not available at the usual sources.)
How about getting vintage They’ll Do It Every Time? I’d love to see that one!
Thanks!
Dave Breger did a book on newspaper and magazine cartoon censorship, “But That’s Unprintable” (Bantam, 1955),featuring 135 previously unpublished cartoons.
Thanks, Bhob. I’m going to have to look for that book soon.
What made me think of the subject & ask The Archivist about it last time was a strip in an ancient Dennis the Menace paperback I have where Dennis shows Joey a girlie calendar in his dad’s garage. He says something along the lines of “Daddy says this is a friend of the family who lost all her clothes in a fire.” I thought it was funny, but was very surprised the picture made it into the funnies, especially back then.
Tim, I see used copies of the Breger book at Amazon.
He covered such taboo topics as nudity, death, bodily functions, snakes, words and insanity. But he engaged in his own self-censorship as no editors or syndicates are named and very few magazines.