TUBBY

When I was a kid I began to recognize the writing and art of what I came to conclude were the "best" creators in the comics that I was reading. In the superhero genre it was Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko who were creating, writing, and illustrating my favorites. But at the same time I was also reading a lot of funny animal and cartoon-inspired comics. And my two favorite creators there (and I didn't know their names at that point, only how to recognize their styles) were Carl Barks (doing the Disney Duck comics), and John Stanley, who did a host of amazing titles and characters, mainly working for Dell Comics.

Among my favorite John Stanley books were Little Lulu and the various spinoff and associated titles. These were comics that I found to be genuinely engaging and actually funny. So I kept going back to them, searching for issues that I had not read. Most of the John Stanley comics in my dad's warehouse were older than I was, but as I entered the late 60s, Stanley was still creating new books for Western Publishing.

One of the titles I quite liked was TUBBY. He was one of the major characters from LITTLE LULU and the stories of the various rivalries and friendship between the pair always kept me entertained. Because there was little continuity in the tales, you never knew what was going to come from Stanley next.

I pick up old LITTLE LULU and TUBBY issues when I can find them at the right price. Fortunately, in mid and lower grades they are exceptionally affordable--far less than the price of a sandwich. So I nab them when I can. And this week I picked up a small stack of them and will peruse them when I find the time.

TUBBY #41

TUBBY #42

TUBBY #43

TUBBY #44

 

TUBBY #45

TUBBY #46

TUBBY #47