Post by That Duckfan on Feb 16, 2021 22:22:05 GMT
I've been wondering for a while what to review next. I've wanted to dive into the archives, but my comic collection isn't complete enough in many cases. And since I'm pretty busy reading and writing as it is, I thought it might do to raise a cover art topic. I'm taking a little different approach on this one, more of a blog post --- more images and fewer comments. It'll be something of an experiment, in reviewing as much as in forum bandwidth (?). Don't expect regular updates, I'm fairly busy at the moment, so these are a lot easier to churn out, but what I'm saying is don't expect a steady schedule or anything. We'll see how this goes. Disclaimer: I am not an art student, just a guy who appreciates illustration.
Of course, if you have different art you want to discuss, you can do so by all means.
Without saying, all image credits go to INDUCKS.
The first American book to publish Disney comics hit the newsstands in late 1930, published by Bibo-Lang, Inc. Irving Bibo was known as a writer and publisher of sheet music. I'm not surprised.
This is more a sheet of sheet music with some comics in it, than an actual comic book. That's it. There's not a lot to say about it, aesthetically.
The next two years weren't much to write home about either. From 1931 to 1934, David McKay published four books in the Mickey Mouse Series. The 1931 book is arguably the best-drawn of them all, despite the early designs of Mickey and Minnie.
January 1933 saw the first iteration of Mickey Mouse Magazine, a one-color monthly giveaway at theatres and stores selling Disney merchandise. I've always liked the aesthetic of old red-only comics. My favorite of this series is probably the last, published in September of 1933.
Look at those caricatures, straight out of Mickey's Gala Premier! This cover also tones down on the red to draw attention to Mickey.
The giveaway series was retooled in late 1933, and now sponsored (published?) by various dairies. The series remained the same otherwise, 16 pages of illustrations and rhymes. If you want to take a look at one of these without selling your car, I suggest Robert Tieman's The Disney Treasures, a big hardcover book that features all sorts of inserts. I'm not sure if it's still easily available (it sure was in the '00s, I even saw it at Disney Stores), but it's worth the search. It's got a facsimile of issue 23 as one of many inserts.
1934 saw the start of the Good Housekeeping pages. Unfortunately, these were never used as cover art, so I can't go over them here. Still, they're bloody gorgeous. Check them out. I heartily recommend David's book!
The second half of the '30s saw a small rise in the number of Disney publications -- from almost non-existant to small -- and none of them are visually very interesting to discuss. It's your typical Whitman Better Little Books, one-off publications, etcetera. To show you the nicest example, here's a 1938 Donald Duck comic reprinting some of the previous year's Sundays strips.
The only noteworthy publication in this era is the evolving Mickey Mouse Magazine, which developed into a proper, large size magazine at the end of 1935. It featured gorgeous, full-color covers. It was a popular magazine, as was reflected in its growing size and transformation into the comic book format. It took a while for the covers to find their footing, but the result was fantastic. I mean, these 1935-36 covers are classic Mickey.
I adore this early Donald cover from July 1936.
Or this one, from the February 1937 issue.
Unfortunately, due to the extreme scarcity of these comics, INDUCKS relies on old file scans from the days of dial-up internet. They're very... pixel-y.
Also prominently displayed are some of the attitudes that no longer fly today. Who would have guessed Fifer was such a misogynist?
By late 1938, the covers were increasingly tied into upcoming shorts. Coloring had came far along as well by this point, although they hadn't quite mastered how to do Goofy yet. These covers were drawn in-house by Hank Porter, a pretty great run of covers for any era. They certainly knew how to make 'em back in the day! No wonder they're often still used on postcards and other merchandise. I've got the Fourth of July cover on a shirt. Don't know why, but I do. The series was also running comics for multiple pages by now.
Check out those gradients on Goofy's pants in the middle picture!
By the summer of 1940, they revamped the cover style again, this time featuring only Donald in various scenes drawn by Hank Porter.
By September 1940, Mickey Mouse Magazine was a full comics magazine, and ready to take on a new name: Walt Disney's Comics and Stories.
Of course, if you have different art you want to discuss, you can do so by all means.
Without saying, all image credits go to INDUCKS.
UNITED STATES -- PART 1 -- 1930 TO 1940
The first American book to publish Disney comics hit the newsstands in late 1930, published by Bibo-Lang, Inc. Irving Bibo was known as a writer and publisher of sheet music. I'm not surprised.
This is more a sheet of sheet music with some comics in it, than an actual comic book. That's it. There's not a lot to say about it, aesthetically.
The next two years weren't much to write home about either. From 1931 to 1934, David McKay published four books in the Mickey Mouse Series. The 1931 book is arguably the best-drawn of them all, despite the early designs of Mickey and Minnie.
January 1933 saw the first iteration of Mickey Mouse Magazine, a one-color monthly giveaway at theatres and stores selling Disney merchandise. I've always liked the aesthetic of old red-only comics. My favorite of this series is probably the last, published in September of 1933.
Look at those caricatures, straight out of Mickey's Gala Premier! This cover also tones down on the red to draw attention to Mickey.
The giveaway series was retooled in late 1933, and now sponsored (published?) by various dairies. The series remained the same otherwise, 16 pages of illustrations and rhymes. If you want to take a look at one of these without selling your car, I suggest Robert Tieman's The Disney Treasures, a big hardcover book that features all sorts of inserts. I'm not sure if it's still easily available (it sure was in the '00s, I even saw it at Disney Stores), but it's worth the search. It's got a facsimile of issue 23 as one of many inserts.
1934 saw the start of the Good Housekeeping pages. Unfortunately, these were never used as cover art, so I can't go over them here. Still, they're bloody gorgeous. Check them out. I heartily recommend David's book!
The second half of the '30s saw a small rise in the number of Disney publications -- from almost non-existant to small -- and none of them are visually very interesting to discuss. It's your typical Whitman Better Little Books, one-off publications, etcetera. To show you the nicest example, here's a 1938 Donald Duck comic reprinting some of the previous year's Sundays strips.
The only noteworthy publication in this era is the evolving Mickey Mouse Magazine, which developed into a proper, large size magazine at the end of 1935. It featured gorgeous, full-color covers. It was a popular magazine, as was reflected in its growing size and transformation into the comic book format. It took a while for the covers to find their footing, but the result was fantastic. I mean, these 1935-36 covers are classic Mickey.
I adore this early Donald cover from July 1936.
Or this one, from the February 1937 issue.
Unfortunately, due to the extreme scarcity of these comics, INDUCKS relies on old file scans from the days of dial-up internet. They're very... pixel-y.
Also prominently displayed are some of the attitudes that no longer fly today. Who would have guessed Fifer was such a misogynist?
By late 1938, the covers were increasingly tied into upcoming shorts. Coloring had came far along as well by this point, although they hadn't quite mastered how to do Goofy yet. These covers were drawn in-house by Hank Porter, a pretty great run of covers for any era. They certainly knew how to make 'em back in the day! No wonder they're often still used on postcards and other merchandise. I've got the Fourth of July cover on a shirt. Don't know why, but I do. The series was also running comics for multiple pages by now.
Check out those gradients on Goofy's pants in the middle picture!
By the summer of 1940, they revamped the cover style again, this time featuring only Donald in various scenes drawn by Hank Porter.
By September 1940, Mickey Mouse Magazine was a full comics magazine, and ready to take on a new name: Walt Disney's Comics and Stories.
