|
Bob Bolling Archie comics are some of the best
comics ever made, but how do you know you're reading a Bob Bolling work?
The easiest way:
Bob signed it.
During the early to
mid-1960's very few Archie artists were allowed to sign their work. Yet
Bob was. Go figure. If you are lucky enough to have an old LITTLE
ARCHIE comic (#1-38), take a look - Bob's stories will be signed yet the other
artists work will not. You'll usually find Bob's signature surrounded by a
box in the story's first panel on page 1.
You'll meet:
Weasel Williams, Beefy Brawnson, Clyde Crimp, Fangs Foggarty,
Dewey Lippersnipper, Evelyn Everner or any of the classic "Bolling" names that
either share the same first initial, or mimic a tongue twister that you can't
say 10 times fast.
Other signs of a Bob Bolling work to look for:
Flim Flam Film Studios,
Kindly Mother Kellers Pies
Mad
Doctor Doom & Chester (no one seems to be overly concerned that the Dr. has green
skin and a
forked tongue)
&
the Pride of Walvis Bay, (the boat that Mad Doctor Doom & Chester always end up
on)
Bob's most infamous line.
"HA!HA! THASSA JOKE!"
After one of the good old gang tells a bad joke,
they inform you that they have, in fact, just told a joke. The recipient
is usually making a face or outwardly groaning. Always a tell-tale
sign that you are reading a great Bolling work.
The story title has a second sub-title:
While not EVERY Bolling story
will be sub-titled, in fact they are harder to track down than I thought
originally. I do believe that Bob was the only guy to use this fun device.
Sometimes it will even have 3 titles when Bob's really on a roll!
example: Little Archie in 'PAPER BOY' or
'The Strange Case of Mrs. Skratchlow's Cat' or
"Nobody's Purr-Fect"
The lesson learned at the end of the tale will be a play on words.
Many of Bob's stories had a moral story at the end (and usually really good) -
quite often Bob would take the time to have the moral lesson be a play on words,
like the examples below.
and from Little Archie #15...
Now that you know what to look for - start digging through your old digests &
comics and find out how many of your favorite stories were Bob Bolling works!
|
