The Mighty Gigantic Grape Ape!

Posted on May 22, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Hanna-Barbera cartoons were very big in my youth as I grew up in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and they seemed to be on every Saturday and Sunday mornings, with me watching many of them when they first aired and others via reruns on USA Network’s show The Cartoon Express. And while you longtime readers know that Yogi Bear is my favorite Hanna-Barbera character, another one that is at the top of my list is Grape Ape as his cartoon was so silly and entertaining that he became a must see toon for me. And over the years I feel that I have not covered enough of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons that shaped my childhood as up to this point we have only covered FooFur, Inch High Private Eye, GoBots and Yogi Bear and now Grape Ape will be joining their ranks. So if you are ready to go on an adventure with a massive purple ape who is called Grape Ape, let’s get this update started!

The Grape Ape Show was a cartoon that was created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera to release via their Hanna-Barbera Productions for ABC to air for their Saturday Morning Cartoons lineup. The show would start airing on September 6, 1975 and would end on December 13, 1975, lasting for one season and a total of 16 episodes. Even though it would only run for a very short time, the cartoon would remain airing in reruns until 1978 and was very popular with the kids. The show would then end up in airing on the USA Network as part of their Cartoon Express and would find even more fans and viewers and would make Grape Ape an even bigger star in the world of cartoons. Oddly enough over the years the show has not gotten the complete series released on VHS, DVD nor Blu-Ray even though it remains a highly requested series for Warner Brothers to release. But for some reason you can get the series only digitally via Amazon. I know for many of you readers it is shocking to thank that only 16 episodes were made for Grape Ape as when I was a kid it seemed like he was always on via reruns.

Grape Ape is a 40 Foot Tall purple-furred ape that is very childlike who wears a green jacket, black bowtie and green hat that has only two things he can say and that’s “Grape Ape, Grape Ape” and “Beegly Beagly”. He has a very big sweet tooth and likes to eat ice cream and due to his size, he is very misunderstood by those who come across him as to them they see a giant monster but really his is sweet and super friendly. Because of his size he can also move cars like toy cars and can easily save the day as he is always looking to do the right thing. Besides The Great Grape Ape Show, he has also appeared in such cartoons as “Laff-A-Lympics” as part of Scooby-Doo’s team and over the years also has made a cameos of some sort on shows like Dexter’s Lab, Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law and Robot Chicken. Voice actor Bob Holt was behind Grape Ape in his original run who was a well-known cartoon voice actor in his time.

Beegle Beagle is a talking dog that is the best friend of Grape Ape and is the one that drives him around, gets him into all types of adventures as well as is the one who takes him out for ice cream! Beegle was a fan of the color red as he would wear that color for his hat as well as vest and would also rock a very cool bone bowtie. And it is clear that while Beegle does some silly things and wants to make money off his giant friend from time to time, but it is also very clear that he cares and will watch out for Grape Ape. Beegle can also drive a car and he is how the two get around as Grape Ape sits atop the vehicle. Marty Ingels is the voice behind Beegle Beagle and he was a very popular voice actor for the time as he also voiced such characters as Pac-Man and The Devil for Darkwing Duck. Beegle Beagle is the perfect style cartoon straight man to the childlike antics of Grape Ape.

Over the years, Grape Ape has had some very cool merchandise based around him and many of his fans truly enjoy getting these collectables for their collections. Like if you are a fan you can get Grape Ape toys, dolls, shirts, posters, board game, air freshener, coloring books, buttons, comics and stickers to name a few. And growing up I can remember having a Grape Ape coloring book and over the years got the comics. And for many collectors, they really enjoy the Funko Pop release of Grape Ape. But as you can see lots of cool stuff to collect and shows just how big Hanna-Barbera use to be.

So as you can see, Grape Ape was a very cool classic cartoon series that was very popular with the kids at the time and was a cartoon that my brother and I always had to watch when on as how can you not like a giant ape and his wise talking dog friend. I would like to first say thanks to Hanna-Barbera Productions for making so many amazing cartoons that shaped so many kids’ childhoods. I would also like to thank the Etsy Seller who had both of these issues in stock and made this update possible, as these comics are a little rare and hard to find. I would like to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So let’s see what Grape Ape has in store for us in the world of kid comic books.

The Great Grape Ape # 1 **1/2
Released in 1976 Cover Price .30 Charlton Comics # 1 of 2

“The Great Grape Ape Escape” in their trusty van Grape Ape and Beegle Beagle are following a car full of mobster bank robbers and watch as they pull over and run into the bank to steal the money. Grape Ape ends up putting their get away car on top of a building, but this does not stop them as they end up taking Beegle Beagle hostage and make him drive them to the airport so that they can make a clean get away. But while in the air Grape Ape grabs the plane from the sky and delivers the mobsters to the cops and saves the life of Beegle Beagle. “The Great Grape Ape Sees A Ghost” while driving around and using their last bit of money to wash the van Beegle Beagle and Grape Ape run out of gas and decided to take a challenge to stay a night in a haunted house to win $100.00! And Beegle Beagle gets inside and is scared of the ghosts that haunt it, but once Grape Ape removes the roof to join his friend the Ghost flee in fear and while they win the prize money the end up owing it back due to the damage caused by Grape Ape entering it! “Bring Em Back Alive Clive” while driving down the highway Grape Ape by accident knocks himself out by running into an overpass and he ends up on the highway, but his troubles soon become worse when Clive, a conman who runs a circus, nabs the knocked out ape with a crane and takes him prisoner, but soon when Grape Ape wakes up he wonders around causing damage and Clive ends up climbing into a giant robot version of himself, only for it to crumble after one punch from Grape Ape! In the end Grape Ape and Beegle Beagle leave the circus and Clive is happy to see his prisoner leave!

The first issue of Grape Ape features three short stories with each of them showcasing Grape Ape and Beegle Beagle in all sorts of strange adventures from being in a haunted house to stopping back robbers and even escaping a circus and all the while the lovable giant ape has a smile on his face and a playfulness in his heart. Grape Ape is very kind and childlike in the issue as he has no fear of ghosts and does not even seem to understand that he has been Ape-napped by a conman! But because he has no fear this does allow him to scare some ghosts as well as annoy and bring down some mobsters who were very mean spirited in nature. Beegle Beagle does what he does best and that is watch over his giant friend as well as drive them around from place to place. But sadly due to his size and the fact he is a dog, he does seem to get treated poorly by the crappy people they come across on their adventures. The plots for these three stories are very simple and have a quick pace and some truly silly and fun moments, but because they are so basic they do lose a little charm as I feel that at least with this first issue they lack the true kids comic silliness of say the Whitman Looney Tune Comics. But with that said, I do feel that the comic series also did a good job of capturing the charm of the cartoon it’s based on…so I would have to say that over all it really is a entertaining comic for fans of Grape Ape. My favorite story of course is The Great Grape Ape Sees A Ghost as you can never go wrong with a spooky tale of a haunted house and ghosts. The cover is fantastic and showcases both Grape Ape and Beegle Beagle enjoying some ice cream while the interior art is really well done and truly looks like the cartoon versions, but sadly I could not find who the artist was so this is another for Unknown Artist to claim as his own. I have to say this is a really good comic if you enjoy classic Hanna-Barbara Cartoons.

The Great Grape Ape # 2 **1/2
Released in 1976 Cover Price .30 Charlton Comics # 2 of 2

“Timberrrr!” while driving through the woods Grape Ape and Beegle Beagle come across a fallen tree and find that the giant Paul Bunyan and his ox Blue are the ones doing it as they are stealing all the lumber for themselves and chasing off all the other lumberjacks! Grape Ape ends up standing his ground against the giant lumberjack and finds out that both Paul and Ox are robots being controlled by a rich man who truly wanted all the lumber for himself. Grape Ape destroys the robots and saves the day and even gets a job offer before he and Beegle Beagle ride off into the woods. “The Great Grape Ape vs. Snap Dragon” while driving through California Grape Ape and Beegle Beagle come across a town that is being tormented by a power shovel that has gone rogue and is destroying the town and drinking up all the gas and oil as it now spits fire! But Grape Ape has seen enough and decides to help the town and does so by punching and breaking the power shovel ending its reign of terror, and with that the town’s people are thankful and Beegle Beagle and Grape Ape continue their quest. “Frisbee Fun” while driving around Beegle Beagle and Grape Ape watch some kids play with Frisbees and this makes Grape Ape sad as they are too small for him to use, but just then UFOs from Mars try and invade and Grape Ape grabs one and flings it back into space causing them all to flee and stop the invasion! Grape Ape is a hero but all he really wants is a Frisbee his size to play with.

The final issue in the very short lived Grape Ape comic series is a pretty entertaining one as we once more join him and Beegle Beagle in three adventures that this time have them fighting robots as well as stopping an alien invasion and of course all the while Grape Ape is a hero that is doing what he thinks is right and that is stopping the baddies. Grape Ape in this one seems to be ready for a fight as he beats the heck out of robot versions of Paul Bunyan and Blue as well as a fire breaking Power Shovel with his big bare fists and even tosses a UFO away with ease and has fun doing it! The one think that I do have to point out that the comic gets wrong is they have Grape Ape say more words than he should and that kind of makes its feel slightly off. In other words Charlton Comics needed to have Grape Ape not say as much as he does through both these issues. Beegle Beagle in this one seems more like a background player as he is featured in all three stories it’s clear that Grape Ape is the true star and is the one who gets almost all the panel time. I have to say also that Snap Dragon the Power Shovel gone crazy truly reminded me of the made for TV film “Killdozer” mixed with Godzilla and a Dragon…and I for some reason really enjoyed that showdown the best as I think it is my favorite story in the issue. Plus you have to once more enjoy the fact that this issue brings the Horror and Sci-Fi elements into the stories. I have to say that while it does have a very small amount of flaws that makes the comic feel slightly different from the cartoon I do think that if you are a fan of Grape Ape, you will really like these comics. The cover for this second and final issue is great and has Grape Ape squaring up against Snap Dragon and is super eye catching, and Unknown Artist once more did a great job of brining top notch interior artwork that does look like the toon its based on. If you really do enjoy Grape Ape or just Hanna-Barbara cartoons, make sure to checkout this series. Take a look at the artwork below to see the style used in this comic series.

As you can see, Grape Ape not only was a great cartoon but also a very fun comic book series as Charlton Comics proved that they knew how to make kids comic based on popular toons at the time and you can never go wrong with their series based on Hanna-Barbara Cartoons! And really this update was a blast to work on as it made me not only feel like a kid again but also brought back my love for the character Grape Ape that I feel is very much overlooked in this modern time…I say give me Grape Ape over 99.9% off all the modern cartoons flooding the airwaves now. Anyways I now just sound like an old man yelling at the clouds so with that I think our time with Grape Ape and Beegle Beagle has come to an end and our next update will take us to the Ultraverse as we take a look at Sludge the monster hero of Malibu Comics! So until next time, read a comic of three, watch a cartoon or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update for a muck monster of a gooey good time.

That Giant Angry Dog Called Marmaduke

Posted on February 22, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, the Sunday newspaper has been delivered and that means it’s time to once more give the Rotten Funnies a read. For this update I have decided that it’s time we chat about that giant dog Marmaduke as this update is long overdue. Do you remember sitting at the table as breakfast was being made; your dad read the sports page as you kids were reading the funnies. I have good memories of that and then having breakfast of eggs, sausage and milk while talking about what Garfield or Charlie Brown were doing that morning. There’s just something very special about reading the funnies on Sunday Mornings, and I fear that this is a joy that has been lost to today’s youth as print newspapers themselves are not as common in households. But let’s not think about that, and let’s pour ourselves more milk, coffee or OJ and talk about the silly antics of the one and only Marmaduke!

Brad Anderson was the artist and writer behind the comic strip Marmaduke that started in 1954 and was a syndicated strip that was sold to National Newspaper Syndicate which allowed it to be seen all over America in newspapers. Brad Anderson was born on May 14, 1924 in Jamestown, New York and served in the Navy allowing him to attend Syracuse University as well as work on cartoons for several Navy publications. In 1951 he graduated college with a B.F.A in Fine Arts and a major in advertising. After working a few years in advertising he found his true love and that was cartooning for magazines and papers and his career in that started in 1953 and from 1954 to 1966, he worked on his first big comic strip called “Grandpa’s Boy.” In 1954 his biggest and most iconic strip also started up and that was Marmaduke, about a big Great Dane and the family he belonged to. Anderson claims that his ideas for the strips would be based on some of his favorite antics from comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Anderson would also work alongside Phil Leeming from 1955-1962, Dorothy Leeming from 1963-1969 and his own son Paul Anderson starting in 2015 on the comic strip that became very popular with readers. Over the years Brad Anderson would win a National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award in 1978 and a Pioneer Medal from Syracuse University in 1999. Sadly Brad Anderson would pass away on August 30, 2015 at the age of 91 from congestive heart failure, and while he is gone, his work lives on as his son Paul keeps Marmaduke alive and the comic strip still is printed in newspapers across America. I should also note that Marmaduke got a feature length movie in 2010 that starred Judy Greer, Lee Pace, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Kiefer Sutherland, Fergie and Owen Wilson as the voice of Marmaduke. Plus let’s not forget he also had a cartoon series alongside Heathcliff!

Now let’s talk about the characters that make up the Marmaduke universe! First let’s talk about the Winslow Family that has the father Phil, who is a good natured hard working man who loves his family as well as his pet dog, even if the latter can drive him crazy! The mother is Debbie, who is as well very loving and caring to her family and can even send Marmaduke on missions to get or protect the kids. Speaking of the Winslow kids, you have Barbie and Billy two good kids who like all kids get into mischief and much of the time Marmaduke is along for the ride keeping them safe. Marmaduke is a very large Great Dane. While his size and sometimes his attitude can be scary, he is really very lovable and loyal to the Winslow Family. Other major characters in the comic strip are The Snyders, the next door neighbors of the Winslow’s who are annoyed by the antics of Marmaduke, and King Tut, a Siamese cat who is often annoying and bugging Marmaduke, and acts as the dog’s enemy in the strips he appears.

Marmaduke is a truly iconic comic strip that is still going to this day and is one that I grew up reading both in the paper as well as owning many of the paperback book collections. In fact growing up when reading the Sunday Funnies, Maramduke was the fifth strip that I had to read just behind Peanuts, Garfield, Far Side, Andy Capp and Blondie. And that is the thing about Marmaduke, because he was a massive dog, it made him a must read strip for kids, because just like robots, animals in comics made us 80’s and 90’s kids flock like moths to a flame. I want to thank Half Price Books and an Etsy seller for having these paperbacks in stock and making this update possible. I also want to remind you readers that I grade this book on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. Also keep in mind, I will only be picking 10 strips from the book to talk about, and they are my favorites in no real order. I am very much looking forward to reading this paperback again as I have not read a Marmaduke strip in decades, and I am looking forward to catching back up with this crazy dog again. Also they made several paperback books featuring Marmaduke, so I tracked down two of them to make this update a little more fuller and fun!

Marmaduke ***
Released in 1965 Cover Price NA Scholastic # ?? of ??

# 1) It’s Halloween and the neighbors are scared of Marmaduke so they are giving him steaks in his trick or treat bag. # 2) Marmaduke is running with a chunk of meat in his mouth as Phil asks Debbie to call the police and see if the meat market has reported a robbery. # 3) Barbie has a mop on the head of Marmaduke and tells him this is what he would look like if he was a member of the band The Beatles. # 4) Phil and Debbie are looking out the window and see Marmaduke and the new dog of the neighborhood having a stare down. # 5) Phil is annoyed as Marmaduke and his dog friends are blocking the TV, and he is telling Debbie that they should move to a apartment that does not allow animals. # 6) A thunderstorm is raging outside and Phil tells Debbie that nothing could get him to go out in it, that is till Marmaduke wants to go for his nightly walk. # 7) Barbie is in bed and Marmaduke is pointing to his teeth as she forgot to brush and she is annoyed he noticed. # 8) Marmaduke is running down the street and dragging poor Phil who is trying to remind his pet that it’s a walk not a run! # 9) Marmaduke is asleep and is counting poodles in his dream. # 10) The Winslow Family have Marmaduke outside with a For Sale sign around his neck.

What a fun flashback to my youth as I have not read a Marmaduke comic strip in well over a decade, and this was a fun one to read again as I had this book when I was a kid. And man are there lots of jokes about Marmaduke loving steak and how Phil would love to be able to get rid of his pet as he is large, in charge and bullies the town with his massive size. We also know that Marmaduke goes trick or treating with the kids and that’s pretty great as not only is he watching over them but he is also wearing a costume and getting treats himself. While I do think that the humor is very dated, I still feel that this can pack a few chuckles even for modern readers who did not grow up with this comic strip, as let’s be honest almost everyone loves jokey animals. While Marmaduke is a menace to people, he also is protective of his family as well as looks out for the dogs in town as he runs off the dogcatchers and frees the captured dogs. The Winslow family while annoyed with their pet love him and even give into his love for top cut meats showing that he truly is part of the family. The goofy faces of Marmaduke are also very funny and adds to the entertainment of this book. The artwork by Anderson is great stuff and is classic comic strip style that seems to bring joy to the faces of readers. Over all this was a great read that might not be for everyone, but those of use who grew up on comic strips in the Sunday Papers will surely enjoy it. Check out the artwork below to see the art of Anderson as well as the jokes used in this book.

So let’s go to the second Marmaduke paperback I have and see if it lives up like the first book did.

Marmaduke Rides Again ! ***
Released in 1968 Cover Price .85 Scholastic # ?? of ??

# 1) Marmaduke and Phil Winslow are at a sports game as the hotdog man is worried about passing someone’s dog to them as Marmaduke has a crazed look in his eye. # 2) Phil calls in Debbie to watch as Marmaduke is annoyed as he thinks that his image in the newly installed door mirror is another dog. # 3) Billy is hiding between the front legs of Maramduke who is giving a mean look to another boy who has been bulling Billy who is daring him to say it now. # 4) Phil is at the butcher’s shop with Marmaduke and the butcher is thanking Phil for help putting his son through college due to all the meat he has to buy to feed Marmaduke! # 5) The Winslow family is having a picnic at a park, and Marmaduke steals another family’s basket as they packed better food. # 6) Billy is holding up a magnifying glass to the eye of Marmaduke and they are looking at a Chihuahua and Billy is telling him that he told him he was a real dog. # 7) Phil has taken Marmaduke to the park and a group of hippies are walking in circles with their signs and Marmaduke is following them, and Phil is happy as it beats him having to walk around the block for the dog to get exercise. # 8) It’s late at night and Phil is looking out the window and Mr. Snyder is feeing Marmaduke lots of peanut butter in order to stop his barking. # 9) Phil and Billy are fishing on a lake but half the boat is sunk do to Marmaduke’s size, and Phil is telling his son this is why they should have not brought him. # 10) Billy and his friend are in a tent camping in the backyard, but Marmaduke is having to act as the tent pole as he chewed up the original one. And this is just 10 out of a 100 different comics to choose from!

The second revisit is just as fun as the first and delivers another fun comic strip read. This is classic stuff and while some of the humor is a little dated it is really cool to see this style of humor pulled off in one panel and style that is really hard to do, but Brad Anderson does a great job of also adding to the humor by the looks on Marmaduke’s face in many of the comics. This book has a great mixture of humor in it as well and much of the better ones are the ones of Marmaduke being weird and making funny faces, the hotdog one comes to mind and made me laugh out loud when I first saw it. And while the humor of Marmaduke might not be for everyone and sadly I feel is a little lost in these modern times, I do find him to be a very iconic comic strip character who has delivered laughs to many young and old readers over the decades. But even with that said I feel that animal based humor will never truly go out of fashion as most people love dogs, cats, mice, hamster, birds, fish, snakes, lizards, bunnies and all other types of pets that are found in households worldwide. Check out the artwork below to see they style used in this paperback by Anderson.

Marmaduke is one comic strip character that really has kept its charm for me as this was a blast reading both these paperback books, and in fact they kind of made me feel like a kid again and truly miss those days of a family breakfast on a Sunday Morning eating eggs, toast and sausage links while drinking a glass of milk and reading the Sunday Funnies along with my brother. And with that we have taken a look at two different comic dogs with Top Dog being the first update and Marmaduke being the second, but for out next update we will be leaving Comic Canines behind and will be heading to the West…The Wild West for another Round Up so you readers know that means talking about a classic western film as well as chili with the film being Lucky Boots! So until next update, read a comic of three, watch a film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update at the Rotten Ink Ranch as the chili is cooking on the campfire and the western film is in the DVD player.

Belvedere: The K-9 That Comic Strips Forgot

Posted on February 12, 2024 by bloodlinematt

It’s time to grab that glass of milk and open up the Rotten Ink Daily News and find the Rotten Funnies as we once more take a look at a classic comic strip that made the newspapers worth opening! Don’t get me wrong, I have a very soft spot in my heart for the newspaper but after the Virus Crisis of 2020 I feel like almost all news is bad news…well that is being a little dramatic. While looking through my paperback books that are compilations of comic strips I decided that I wanted to take a look at one that I did not grow up reading and one that I knew very little about, as I am sure I am like many of you readers as I love to learn about things and characters and that’s why I choose that comical dog Belvedere as this update’s topic. Bratty animal comic strips are ones that I enjoyed in my youth and even still somewhat to this day as Garfield is fantastic and Snoopy of Peanuts is a true icon of comic strip history. So I am pretty excited to see what Belvedere brings to the table when it comes to comic strips. So sit back, drink that milk and maybe have some ham and eggs and let’s take a look at that dog named Belvedere.

The creator of Belvedere is George Webster Crenshaw, who was born on October 23, 1917 in Los Angeles, California. He was a student of UCLA as well as Harvard and made an impact in the world of animation as he worked on such Disney films as “Fantasia” and “Pinocchio” as well as several “Donald Duck” cartoons. He also worked with MGM on many “Tom and Jerry” toons. He also had his hand in the world of newspaper and magazine comic strips with much of his work being published in publications like The New Yorker, Reader’s Digest, Woman’s World and The National Enquirer. Plus he did some comic book writing for characters like Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse and Woody Woodpecker. But much of his comic strip work was not a major hit with most lasting less than two years. He did such titles as “The Muffins” that lasted from 1957-1959; his next was “Nubbin” that would go from 1958-1972. His shortest lived strip was “McGirk’s Works” that started and ended in 1959! “Sompkins” was from 1971-1978 and his only major hit was Belvedere that was from 1962 all the way to 1995. George Webster Crenshaw would pass away on September 6, 2007 and while he is no longer with us, he has left behind many comic strips that bring laughter and delight to readers all over the world.

The characters that make up this single panel comic strip universe are the following: Orville and Emma are a married couple who have a good house, good neighbors and a great relationship that includes home cooked meals and fun vacations and getaways. Emma likes to cook and go on hikes, while Orville is a man who likes to fish and hunt. The couple owns three very odd pets with their talking and sarcastic bird being named Chi-Chi. He is a handful as he is also very honest and at times mean in his words to Orville. The cat is Jezebel, a sweet black kitty who struts around the house and town. And lastly is the dog Belvedere who has white fur with black spots and is a canine with attitude as he does what he wants and throws fits like a spoiled child if he doesn’t get his way. He also has a feud with the local dog catchers as well as the butcher who he tries and steal meat from. Also around are the townspeople, co-workers as neighbors, and let us not forget the other animals that are part of this comic strip universe.

So as you can tell, Belvedere is a comic strip that had a decent run in papers and while long gone from being printed and showing up in the Sunday Funnies, many of his comic strip humorous adventures can be found in paperback books and one of them is what we will be using for this super quick update. I want to thank a seller on Etsy for having this book as part of a lot that I was able to get for a really good price. Also want to remind you readers that I grade this book on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So lets get to the one and only Belvedere!

Belvedere: The Odds Are **
Released in 1982 Cover Price $1.75 Tor Books #? of ?

Much like all these comic strip paperback books they feature one page jokes and stories so it makes it very hard to cover for these reviews. So like always, I will pick 10 of my favorite gags from this book and give you a taste of the style of humor used in Belvedere and again in no real order. # 1 has Orville and Emma on vacation and has Orville looking shocked as King Kong has grabbed a young woman, and he is seconding guessing if they should have chosen this spot. # 2 has Emma and Orville eating a hot dog from a stand on a peer and Belvedere is throwing a fit like a toddler as Emma tells Orville just to buy him another hot dog. # 3 has that sneaky Belvedere stealing a UFO from aliens who are confused to where their spacecraft went! # 4 has Orville sticking out of the floor and Belvedere is in a fighting stance as Emma tells her husband that he should give up, as you cannot teach judo to a dog. # 5 has Belvedere making a Bubble Gum Pizza and it’s a massive bubble as Orville looks on. # 6 has Orville and Belvedere at a secret fishing hole and are about to be eaten by a massive water monster. # 7 has Belvedere using boomerangs to knock out dogcatchers who laugh as they think they are toys! # 8 has Belvedere using voodoo to turn a dogcatcher into a frog! # 9 has Orville showing off a wild hog mounted on his wall to his friend, the hog is wearing a party hat and he tells how wild the hunt was. And # 10 has Orville and Belvedere looking for bones in a dig and the pet doghouse found the skeleton of a Centaur!

Let me start off by saying that Belvedere is a good kid friendly read and has the fun and mischief adventures of a pet dog with attitude, but I also want to say that George Crenshaw milks the same jokes several times in different strips and follows that same formula of a sassy animal much like Garfield and Heathcliff do. Now I am sure many of these jokes that he recycled over and over were spread out over months and maybe even years…but when put into this book, they stand out at being reused like the jokes of Belvedere telling someone to look one way as he steal meat and even jokes of him having fits over not getting his way when it comes to food. I also 100% think that the comic strip only can be funny in the visuals as the jokes that are told rely on them to work. I must say I do like the friendship between Belvedere and Orville. It’s one of the best things about this comic strip as the pair have fights and such but also spend time hunting, fishing and having adventures. And I would say that the friendship reminded me of Charlie Brown and Snoopy as far as they are not just owner and pet but also best friends. Sadly while Chi-Chi and Jezebel are around and do offer some laughs, they definitely take a back seat in this book. Emma is pretty funny and plays well off her husband as well as Belvedere. The cover for this paperback is pretty eye catching and has a vet making the mistake of thinking she is going to give Belvedere a shot! The interior art style of George Webster Crenshaw is good Sunday comic strip look that reminds me of slightly of Reg Smythe (Andy Capp) meets Dik Browne (Hagar The Horrible). To sum up Belvedere, while it is a fun and silly comic strip it is one that I found myself losing interest in the more the creator reused the jokes and gags. But with that said, I also say you readers should not only check out the art style of George Webster Crenshaw below, but also check out Belvedere as you might enjoy his style of humor.

For you readers who enjoy funny animal comic strips I would say that you might enjoy Belvedere as he does have some pretty funny gags and has a classic strip charm to him. I really do hope that you enjoy these updates that are all about comic strip characters and the paperback books that bring collections together as I have been having fun reading them and writing these updates about them! For our next update, we will be sticking with the Dog theme as well as the comic strip one as well as we will be taking a look at that massive Marmaduke! So until next time, read a comic strip or three, watch a dog movie or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update as it will be for the dogs……you get it? As this month has turned into comics about dogs.

Comic Strip Funnies: Trudy

Posted on August 24, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Sorry to say that the Stella update is not ready for publishing so we will instead be taking a look at a classic comic strip character! It’s that time again to open up the old “Rotten Ink Daily News” and find the Rotten Funnies and see what comic strip we will be covering for this update…and I think we are going to take a look at Trudy! Oh I hear it, most of you readers are saying who the heck is Trudy and to be honest I was the same way, until I discovered this comic strip character while buying a lot of paperback books to cover for these updates. As far as I can remember the Sunday Funnies I grew up with in Dayton Daily News never had Trudy in the paper and to be honest if they did, that’s how little of an impact the strip made on me. But like in the world of Comic Books, Horror Hosts, Indie Horror Movies and 80’s Hairbands I love to discover something new and this could be a very funny comic strip or it could be one that is the pits…and only time will tell. So grab a cup of coffee or pour yourself a bowl of cereal and lets look that the Rotten Funnies and see what Trudy brings to the ha, ha funny table.

Jerry Marcus was born on June 27, 1924 in Brooklyn, New York and grew up poor, and sadly at the age of three his father past away and he watched as his mother raised him as well as his three siblings. Jerry dropped out of high school and tried to enlist in the Navy during Word War II, but was rejected for being underweight. But while he was bummed, Jerry did not give up and signed on with the Merchant Marine and shipped out fuel tankers to the North Atlantic and this was in 1943. When he was able to gain the weight Jerry was finally able to join the Navy and became a Seabees and was stationed in the Philippines. In 1946 he was discharged and attended New York’s Cartoonist And Illustrators School, and this lead him to the path of becoming a freelance artist his work shown in may major publications like Ladies’ Home Journal, The Saturday Evening Post and The New Yorker. In 1963 Jerry Marcus created the comic strip Trudy that followed a housewife and her family, and the comic strip would debuted on March 18 and was not only a Sunday Strip but also was a Daily Strip in more than 200 papers worldwide. The comic would run until August 20, 2005 and ended when Jerry Marcus himself passes away after dealing with a long time illness on July 22, 2005. While not as iconic as other comic strips like Peanuts, Garfield, Andy Capp or Dennis The Menace, Trudy has made its mark on the comic strip world and on those readers who enjoyed her antics.

Lets take a quick look at the characters that make up this comic strip universe. Trudy is a housewife who lives her day-to-day life taking care of her family as well as taking care of the home all the while dealing with nosey neighbors and two silly pets. Trudy is a kindhearted woman, but also does not take any guff from her husband nor their son. She is a good person who does what she can for her family, and will stand her ground when pushed to far. Ted her husband and hard workingman who loves his family, enjoy playing golf and cards with his friends and hates mornings…he can also be forgetful as well as un-thoughtful to his wife, but not mean spirited just in his own world at times. Their son is Crawford a young man who loves baseball and hates baths, over all he is a good kid just has a messy room, gets into little trouble and argues with his mom from time to time. The family animals are Fatkat a cat that can be a little troublemaker and the loveable dog Rodney. Trudy also has an older lady friend named Mrs. Nozie who spreads gossip and has no tact. That’s is the cast of characters that make up comic strip Trudy.

So now that you got a brief history of Trudy and her creator Jerry Marcus and as you can see they are a typical 60’s family with pets. It’s crazy that I don’t remember this comic strip as growing up both my brother and I loved looking at comic strips at out house as well as our Grandparents house in the country that at times had the better comic strips printed in them as they got Dick Tracy, Spider-Man and Prince Valiant! Before we get into this paperback book I want to thank the Etsy Seller for having this book as part of a lot and also want to remind you readers that I grade this book on a standard 1-4 star system and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, it’s entertainment value and it’s art and story. So lets get to the one and only Trudy!

We Love You Trudy PB *1/2
Released in 1978 Cover Price .95 Tempo Books #? of ?

Much like all these comic strip paperback books they feature on page jokes and stories so it makes it very hard to cover for these reviews, so like always I will pick 10 of my favorite gags from this book and give you a taste of the style of humor used in Trudy and again in no real order. # 1 has Trudy telling Tom a list of items that he should pick out including a very nice tie, as she is sending him to get her own presents for his Birthday. What I selected for # 2 has Ted eating what he think is a steak only to be told by Trudy that it was really hamburger she made to look like a steak…tricky, tricky Trudy. # 3 has snow coming down outside and its bedtime as Trudy is in bed Ted is asking if they have to put the cat out for the night as FatKat is wrapped around him clinging for dear life! # 4 has a dinner table with a large meal and candles as Trudy is on the phone with Ted as he informs her he was wrong and they are having dinner at their friend’s house. # 5 it’s Crawford’s birthday and Ted has a video camera out and is yelling at all there like he is a director, as Trudy and the kids all look highly annoyed with his over bearing orders. # 6 has Ted coming home with a line filled with fish he caught, as does his friend Ed and while walking in Ted is telling Ted to bring his fish in as well as he will have Trudy clean them all, she does not look happy! # 7 has Trudy and Ted in the room of Crawford and she is crying as his baseball player poster is taken off his wall and it his place is a sexy woman poster, and Ted is explaining to her that it was only a matter of time. # 8 has Trudy and Ted in bed with both cat FatKat and dog Rodney as they look all scared and Trudy worried and Ted annoyed as she tells her husband that the animals heard something weird downstairs! #9 Has FatKat at the vet and the veterinarian is telling Trudy that the cats main issue is that he is getting to much sleep. And for # 10 I went with Trudy at the meat market looking annoyed at the butcher Mr. Pipkin who is flexing his arms as she is once more asking to see what mussels they have in stock, his joke is played out with her. And these were the 10 best that I could find, and it was hard to even find 10 that were “funny”.

Trudy is very dated humor and I could never see kids getting behind this comic strip that is more about life being a housewife in the 60’s, and what young kid was laughing their head off about a joke that’s punch line is dinner being late or not feeling up to sweeping the house, none that I grew up with that’s for sure! And this “Housewife” humor is why I for one just did not get Trudy as I did not chuckle once while reading this whole paperback book, and I even read the most of it as one of my favorite quite places to read comics and that is one of our many massive local cemeteries, and even with the peace of nature and a light rain on the cars windshield it still was just a so-so read with flat humor. Now while I did find Trudy humorless, I do however have a few things positive to say as I found it to be charming as it does hold a real life household feel. Each comic as well has heart behind them and Jerry did an outstanding job of capturing things that real families go through from kids hating Thunderstorms to animals going being odd. And it does have to warm your heart a little when you find out that Trudy was inspired by his mother who worked very hard to raise him as a single parent, to that I must say that it proves Jerry had heart when making this comic strip. I feel that while reading this book that Trudy was a very likable character even if I found her humor bland and lackluster. I should also say that while I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters the standout to me was of course FatKat as many of the cat’s traits I have seen in the cats I have had in my life. The cover of this book is “Woman’s Day Magazine” welcoming and the interior art by Jerry Marcus is classic 60’s cartoonist style and is charming. Over all while I was not a major fan of Trudy I still respect the comic strip and its creator as I am sure she meant something to many readers as the longevity of the strip proves that it had an impact. Check out the art below to see the style of Marcus.

Again I do want to stress that just because Trudy is not for me does not mean that its total garbage and you are wrong for laughing at its humor, as that’s the beauty of humor we all have our own taste in what we find funny. And for me looking back and even discovering some of these old Sunday Funnies for Rotten Ink has been lots of fun, and I will continued to cover them as your friends and readers as well seem to be enjoying them. But with us being done with Trudy for our next update we are walking away from the world of Comic Strips and will be heading into the world of cartoons as I will be breaking down the 1966 Incredible Hulk series episode by episode in a new update theme that I will be calling “Tube Tunes” and don’t worry Juliet’s look at Horror Hostess Stella will be posted at a later date. So until next time read a comic of three, watch a movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we watch Hulk smash 60’s cartoon style!

McGruff Takes A Bite Out Of Comics!

Posted on May 24, 2018 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. One thing we all know is that crime doesn’t pay. Sooner or later if you lie, cheat, steal or kill you’re going to be caught and punished for your crime…well most the time…I mean the original Night Stalker, Zodiac Killer, The Phantom Killer Of Texarkana and many other baddies have never seen justice, but times have changed and so have crime stopping technics and some of the times people get caught. Okay I’ll say it, growing up I really did think that the police and FBI would solve almost every crime and that bad people would get what’s coming to them. Now, as an adult, I believe that not every crime gets solved but many of them do thanks to the hard work of law enforcement. Some of the leading factors for me to think that criminals always get what’s coming to them were characters like Dick Tracy, Batman, Robocop, Officer Carey Mahoney, Inspector Gadget and McGruff The Crime Dog who would all tell me about crime on TV, Radio, Comics, Movies and even in person when talking about McGruff! So for this update we are going to have a Rotten Ink Neighborhood Watch And Read as we take a look at a promo comic featuring McGruff as well as quickly look at this crime dog’s history and connections to my life. So get your peepers peeping and your jaw working as we take a Bite Out Of Crime and flip the pages of a comic.

McGruff The Crime Dog was created by Dancer Fitzgerald Sample via the Ad Council for the government in 1980 to help educate kids about the dangers of crime and drugs. His name was created by New Orleans police officer John Isbell who won a contest, and with this McGruff and his saying “Take A Bite Out Of Crime” were unleashed on the public via billboards, radio and TV ads. The response to this cartoon dog in a trench coat was overwhelmingly positive with his anti crime messages helping kids learn that crime is not cool and to trust their local police as well as no to do drugs. His impact was felt as many of Americans had seen and took action via his PSA’s and with most people polled McGruff was a favored mascot at the early stages of his appearances with only a very small amount not liking him as they thought he was too cartoonish. Over the years McGruff was used to make people aware of such things as the dangers of drugs, stranger danger and how to take steps to make your house safe from burglars. In the late 90’s his young nephew Scruff was added to the PSAs in order to add a more kid appeal to the messages and to make him more modern in his surroundings. Also during his spotlight time, actors in McGruff costumes would visit schools with law enforcement officers as well as lots of cool items were made with McGruff’s image like comics, stuffed dolls, t-shirts, posters, jackets, bags, buttons and more. While in 2018, McGruff has slowly been pushed to the back of the mainstream attention, his appearance and messages are still being taught to this day. So here is to you McGruff, for all your years teaching kids and people that crime don’t pay and how to be safe and live your life right.

Growing up during the 80’s and 90’s was a great time, and Saturday’s meant cartoons, Horror Hosts, wrestling and Horror Movies as the TV airwaves were flooded with amazing broadcasts. And while watching cartoons I can remember seeing lots and lots of PSA’s from McGruff, and I can remember him telling me to stay away from drugs and JUST SAY NO. I can remember him trying to warn me not to talk to strangers. And then in the late 90’s when I was a late teen, I can remember them also adding McGruff’s nephew Scruff to have the youngster to tell us about stopping crime and to do the right thing. It’s funny that PSA’s that were sandwiched between toy commercials and breakfast cereal ads are things that I fondly remember about my cartoon watching on Saturdays. Again I have to ask, why are CBS, NBC and FOX out of the Saturday Morning Cartoon business? I understand that Cartoon Network, Disney and Nickelodeon run cartoon and youngster programing all day but the basic networks could step up and deliver quality cartoons that are just for their station that could draw in young viewers. But I will move on from my dislike for the end of Saturday Morning cartoons and say that while the PSAs would be very dated in 2018, I for one grew up and listened to what McGruff had to tell me.

When I was a kid growing up in Waynesville, our school did lots of cool field trips and had lots of cool guest speakers to teach and educate my fellow classmates and myself about all types of topics from the joys of reading to listening to actor Robert V. Barron (or so we were told) dressed as Abraham Lincoln telling us about the life of our 16^th President…not to mention that we also got to meet Miss Ohio and Ronald McDonald at a field trip and both were super cool and nice people and bless them for putting up with a bunch of bratty kids running wild at a park. But one of the coolest guests was McGruff The Crime Dog who came in with an officer to talk to us all about Stranger Danger. It was all standard stuff about not getting into cars with strangers and not taking candy from them as well. Of course the officer did all the talking, as McGruff was a man in a walk-around costume who would do all his talking with body actions. They showed us some videos that had PSA’s and such, and after it was all over, they gave out plastic police badges that had McGruff on it! All of us guys took our plastic badges and wore them during the day, and I could not wait to get it home and show my brother who also thought it was pretty cool. Sadly I don’t have the plastic badge anymore, and I could not tell you what happened to it, but if I had to guess I sold it at a garage sale or gave it to my cousins. Below is a picture of one of the McGruff badges that looked kind of like the one I had as a kid. Oh yeah and I can also remember one year using a Halloween trick or treat bag that had McGruff on it that was green!

I love classic mascots, and I really do think that one of the best from my generation is McGruff as he was such a great character back then and is still used to this day showing that he is a true icon of pop culture and Americana. And while they have slowed down using him and his last major TV push was to push car insurance for GEICO, he still is a great tool to let people know that they need to stop crime. I want to thank Bell, Book And Comic for having this comic in stock, and I want to remind all you readers that I grade these on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So lets take to the streets and see what McGruff has in store for us and what kind of crime he is going to warn us about in this comic book adventure.

McGruff’s Surprise Party # 1 **1/2
Released in 1989 Cover Price FREE U.S. Government # 1 of 1

McGruff The Crime Dog is hanging out with a group of kids and asks them to help throw a surprise party for a friend as he wants to teach them to say no to drugs! As the kids run off to get board games and popcorn, Sarah, one of youngsters, asks McGruff why should people say No To Drugs. He calls back the rest of her peers, and they share facts about drugs and this is all Sarah has to hear and she now understands. The boys split off from the girls and go to the park to blow up balloons and chat about how beer is bad and that kids should not drink while the girls go to a house and make popcorn and talk about drugs and how one of the kids is no longer friends with her old pals as they tried to push her to do drugs with them! Back at the park one of the boys saves another boy from a drug dealer who was trying to push for him to try it. After all the balloons are blown up and the popcorn made, the kids go back to McGruff’s house as we learn that this surprise party is for us the readers!

This is one silly and overly kid friendly PSA comics as it breaks down the horrors of drug and alcohol abuse down so simply as saying…they are bad! This comic’s plot is super simple: McGruff wants to throw a surprise party and his friends the kids get the stuff needed to bring to the party. All the while, they talk to each other about how drugs are bad, when the stuff is ready the return to McGruff and we find out this whole party was for the reader. This was a fun read and took me back to being a kid when McGruff really did rule when it comes to crime prevention, but this also was a little bit of a letdown as McGruff takes a backseat and the kids are the main stars of the comic as they are the ones who mostly do the talking and eat up pages with their appearance. McGruff is very thoughtful as he wants to throw a party for whoever is reading the comic and he makes sure that he gets his friends to help make it special, and while he is the spokes person for people not to do drugs, he also does not get to preachy with his message…he leaves that to the kids. The kids are all good kids who have a Charlie Brown aura around them and for the most part goofs who like popcorn and balloons. One of my favorite creepy characters from this comic is the weird drug pusher who looks like he should be a bad guy in a Fat Albert cartoon. He is so 80’s fantastic goofy looking with a mix of late 70’s attitude. This 16 page comic also has a few activities and sports a very generic free comic looking cover, you know like comics that were free at Big Boy and Captain D’s. The interior art is done by an unknown artist and is really good and holds a classic 80’s kid comic look. Over all this is a simple comic with a simple message and that’s Drugs Are Bad! Check out some artwork below to see what this comic has to offer to young readers and the young at heart.

Man it’s weird as their just is not a lot of mascots being used in promotion any more like back in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and now everything just seems so cold and to the point. I can say I really do miss seeing them around. I should also just once more bring up that one of my founding memories of Dayton, Ohio Horror Host Dr. Creep was the old picture my brother Bryan was in that was taken at the old Kettering Theater that had him standing with Creep as well as McGruff The Crime Dog…so this mascot was even in my earliest memories of one of the greatest Horror Hosts ever. And this brings us to what we will be looking at for out next update. I think we will stay with the theme of crime fighter and let’s also stay with the Horror Host vibe as we will travel to Cleveland, Ohio and take a look at the icon of afternoon fights and laughs the one and only Superhost! So until next time read a comic or three, watch a crime movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as Supe’s On!