*Correction: I had originally credited the art on this story to Pete Alvarado. In a comment below, Mark Evanier identified the artwork as that of Phil DeLara. Thanks for the correction, Mr. Evanier. If anybody would know, it's you!
Welcome to Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Comics. On this blog, we'll be taking a look at the overlooked side career of the Warner Bros. cartoon characters. Though beloved and celebrated on theater and TV screens for generations of fans, Bugs Bunny and his cartoon cohorts have also had an equally lengthy career in print.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
"Looney Tunes" (Dell) #243, January 1962: "Beep Beep Run"
Here's a nicely drawn short story with Wile E. Coyote, "Beep Beep" the Road Runner and the Road Runner's 3 rhyming kids. Art and story (most likely) by Phil DeLara and Mike Maltese.
*Correction: I had originally credited the art on this story to Pete Alvarado. In a comment below, Mark Evanier identified the artwork as that of Phil DeLara. Thanks for the correction, Mr. Evanier. If anybody would know, it's you!
*Correction: I had originally credited the art on this story to Pete Alvarado. In a comment below, Mark Evanier identified the artwork as that of Phil DeLara. Thanks for the correction, Mr. Evanier. If anybody would know, it's you!
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That's Phil DeLara art, not Pete Alvarado.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting these old Looney Tunes comics. I only have a handful of them, and it's interesting how some of the older ones are significantly different from the cartoons they were based on. One example I can think of is Sylvester having a much rounder redder nose, and Elmer Fudd being on friendly rivals with Bugs Bunny.
ReplyDeleteOne story I'd particularly like to see is where Wily E. Coyote tricks Speedy Gonzales into racing the Road Runners into exhaustion, all for a simply trophy prize. I'm pretty sure it was in the 70th Beep Beep Road Runner comic with Wily E. trying to brake in front of twin cactus while the bird easily slipped through. I mentioned it briefly in this post about a Road Runner Maze book, and would appreciate having a reference link.
http://sundaycomicsdebt.blogspot.com/2012/06/road-runner-coyote-maze-book.html
Would you like any samples of the few Looney Tunes comics I have, or are you fine on your own? Keep up the good work!
Why does the roadrunner speak in rhymes? Not in a million years would I have watched the old cartoons and thought "this bird's internal monologue should be terrible poetry." So goofy. The artwork reminds me of stuff that got published as a backup to Barks in WDC&S.
ReplyDeleteThe Coyote could have simply caught Road Runner by placing a stack of oranges in front of him. While struggling to find a good rhyme, Beep-Beep would be so distracted and flummoxed that Wile E. could pounce unnoticed, and--bam. Dinner.
DeleteApparently, the writers felt that the pantomime humor of the cartoons wouldn't work in print form. They were wrong, but that's what they thought. They may be goofy, but some of them are pretty clever in spite of it.
ReplyDeletePoor coyote.
ReplyDelete