"Bugs Bunny's Vacation Funnies" (Dell)# 5, 1955: Henery Hawk and Foghorn Leghorn: "Hero For A Day"

In answer to a question about the last Foghorn Leghorn story I posted, the earliest appearance of Foghorn in the Dell comics is this one from "Bugs Bunny's Vacation Funnies" # 5, 1955. This is definitely the true Foggy and not Senator Leghorn. In the story, Foghorn wrongly suspects Henery Hawk of chasing hens, when Henery is only getting groceries for his mother. Much as he did in the cartoons, Foghorn's role in the Dell comics was to protect a chickenhouse from predators. as you can see, he was a little less tolerant of Henery's hijinks than he was in cartoons.








There's also a little game at the end with great artwork of the characters, including Miss Prissy, whom I've never seen in a Dell story.

"Looney Tunes" (DC) # 126, July 2005: "Survival of the Famished"

Here's another DC Claude Cat story, this time from #126, July 2005. Frank Strom handled the story, Omar Aranda and Alberto Saichann did the art. Aranda's style, in my opinion, doesn't have the same appeal as that of the other DC LT artists. His work is often less expressive and very reliant on modern model sheets for the characters. Nevertheless, he has a certain pointy, angular flair that makes his style instantly identifiable. He also has a certain knack for pained facial expressions, so this 4-page Claude Cat and Hubie and Bertie bit fit his style nicely.

"Looney Tunes" (DC) # 113, June 2004: "Snore Loser"

Chuck Jones' Claude Cat never appeared in the old-school Looney Tunes comics, to my knowledge. But he HAS appeared several times in the modern DC series, and true to the original cartoons, his character design varies. In this story from 2004, writer Bill Matheny and artists David Alvarez and Mike DeCarlo adapted Claude's encounters with the yappy little dog Frisky Puppy to comic form, with hilarious results and a great character design that blends elements of Claude's various appearances. Pay attention to how Alvarez stages this story and the timing of the gags. It really feels like a 6-minute cartoon, even if it's only a 6-page comic.

"Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies"(Dell) # 61, November 1946: "Bugs Bunny and Beaky"

Beaky Buzzard didn't appear in very many cartoons. At the time this comic story was published, he had only appeared twice, first in Bob Clampett's "Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid" (1942) and again in Clampett's "Bashful Buzzard" (1945). Someone at Warner Bros. had high hopes for Beaky, who was based loosely on a character created by puppeteer/ventriloquist Edgar Bergen named "Mortimer Snerd". Beaky appeared in the comics frequently around this time, and the studio merchandised him as if he were as big a star as Bugs Bunny or Porky Pig. Unfortunately, the studio had a higher opinion of Beaky than of his creator, and due to studio politics, Clampett left Warner Bros. in 1946. Beaky appeared in two more cartoons, both in 1950 (one by Friz Freleng, one by Robert McKimson) and was never seen in animated form again.

But Beaky continued to appear in comics, and developed into a sort of friendly neighborhood simpleton. He's sort of a vulture version of Gomer Pyle.

Anyway, in this bizarre little story, Bugs Bunny discovers that Beaky has a nose for gold. This being a Looney Tunes comic, you just know that's going to lead them both into trouble.

"Looney Tunes" (DC) # 82, November 2001: "Dinner and a Show"

In this story from 2001 (Story by Frank Strom, art by Walter Carzon and Horacio Ottolini), Witch Hazel attempts to lure Hansel and Gretel into her oven with a mind control potion, but needs a mouse's tail as the final ingredient. Enter Speedy Gonzales, in search of some "Pepso El Bismol" to cure his indigestion.