Silly Pilly vs. Mighty Bear

"Hello boys and girls and dads and mothers!  Here is a book full of the funniest people I know:

Mr. Wheatley Whale --- he's forty yards long, he weighs 80,000 pounds, he's good-hearted, but he's always getting mixed up.

Then there's Brumas --- the fattest, funniest little bear you ever saw.

Judy, That's Me! --- a little girl who helps Mr. whale out when he gets in trouble.

Silly Pilly --- who's so silly! He does all the silly things you DON'T do, because you know better.  

Then there are all sorts of puzzles and games and jokes and things we like to do and say and think about.

Will you write to me and tell me what you like best about our first book and tell me what you'd like in the next book?         

Best wishes to you from your friend,        Frank Luther."

Thus reads the introductory page from the one and only issue of Frank Luther's Silly Pilly Comics, and if that doesn't whet your appetite for a look at more, well...um...y'know, I can't really blame you! 

Francis Luther Crow, aka Frank Luther, nearly forgotten now, was one of the kings of the 78 rpm-records-for-kids market for many years in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Besides being an ordained minister, country music artist, radio and television personality (he was even covered by Negativland!),  he also had his own one-shot comic book as well, which brings us to that half of today's post. 

We'll examine the entire issue of Silly Pilly (what a name!), as well as a crazy little story from Mighty Bear #14, so hang on to your hats and dive with us into the wackiness that is today's WFMU Comic Supplement -- right after the jump!

Even though it is handsomely drawn by the unknown staff who put it together in 1950, Silly Pilly never got up enough steam to appear in another comic book, so I guess there must have been limits to how far and wide Frank Luther could be marketed, even at his career's height.   It is worth a look, however, for it's peculiarities - which are many, even for a kiddie comic book. Below are a couple of covers from his MANY record releases, followed by the comic book itself.

This next story is interesting in that there are no panel borders...just images flowing into one another.
Rather unusual! It might also help in identifying the artist.




Lovely art on that right-hand page above.
And now we come to the last, and definitely STRANGEST chapter in this
book, below.   Read on and see what we mean!








Yikes!   Now who thought THAT was a good idea?





For our closer today, we bring you a short story from Mighty Bear (Star Publications series) #14, dated March 1954. It features a cover by the wonderful L. B. Cole, and the story itself is written and illustrated by who-knows-who. I love the musical references and plays on words that it contains and I hope you enjoy it too!









Well, that wraps up our comics section for this week, and be sure to join us again in two weeks for

another batch of completely-different comic books to savor.

A tip of our hat again to all of the uploaders and scanners at the Digital Comic Museum, from which we procured this week's gems. Their wonderful site is free to use - but give them some dough anyway,as they are so terrific and I value that place SO much.

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