Number 537


The Blowhard


Fremont Frog is a lot like some guys I've known over the years. Blowhards. No matter what you bring up they've done it bigger and better. You'd like to put them in their place.

So that's what Fremont's friends do to him. This is a hilarious story from Giggle Comics #67, September-October 1949. It's hilarious because it's drawn by one of the greatest funny animal comic book cartoonists, Jack Bradbury. I've shown you several Bradbury stories, and they all have something in common: great drawing and funny gags.

Jack Bradbury's son has a website devoted to his father's work. http://jbrad.org/

He shows many of Bradbury's stories for Giggle and Ha-Ha Comics, including some more Fremont Frog. If you like this story you'll love what he has on his website.

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Number 506


Readin' is important


I haven't shown a Superkatt* story before; this is from Giggle Comics #54, June 1948. Dan Gordon was another of the group of moonlighting animators who provided the funny animal strips for Giggle and Ha Ha Comics. They didn't write down to their young readers. For the most part these comics were probably bought and read by parents to young children, but because of the skill level of the artists the comics are raised to a level where parents could also enjoy reading them.

I loved the cucumber gag on the first page. My dirty mind saw something the artist probably didn't intend. Oh well, it's funnier to me the way I see it.

*I have no idea what makes this "katt" super.

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Number 408


Two Dukes and Dopes


The Duke and the Dope was a feature from Giggle Comics, drawn and lettered, and also likely written, by animator/cartoonist Ken Hultgren.

If you Google Hultgren's name you find references to books on drawing he wrote, including one still in print from Dover Books, and animation he worked on, but I wasn't able to find any dates, like birth and (presumably) death. About all I know about his comic art besides these stories from Giggle is that he drew the Bambi Four-Color #12 for Dell in 1942. Here's a page scanned from the last Whitman Bambi reprint from 1984.


Hultgren worked for Disney for many years, including the years Carl Barks was with the studio, and probably when Walt Kelly was there, too. If you can confirm that or give me any other information on Hultgren please do.

I like these stories, scanned from Giggle Comics #52 and #54, April and June 1948, respectively. I think they're funny, and the artwork has a Walt Kelly touch to it, especially in the inking, and most especially around the eyes.

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Number 327

Fremont Frog's devilishly heavenly music

As you might have guessed by now from past Pappy's postings, I really like Jack Bradbury. Fremont Frog was a character he drew (maybe wrote, also?) for Giggle Comics. This is from #52, April 1948. Funny story with top notch Bradbury art.

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