Octopus

Octopus
The Ominous Octopus

Saturday, November 3, 2012

BLONDIE

A


Chic Young's Blondie is one of the most popular comic strip characters of all time.

Blondie (comic strip)



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Blondie
Blondie Logo 2007.png
Blondie logo, featuring Dagwood, Blondie, Daisy, son Alexander, and daughter Cookie.
Author(s)Chic Young
Dean Young and John Marshall
Current status / scheduleCurrent
Launch dateSeptember 8, 1930
Syndicate(s)King Features Syndicate
Genre(s)Humor
Blondie is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Chic Young. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, the strip has been published in newspapers since September 8, 1930.[1] The success of the strip, which features a well-endowed blonde and her sandwich-loving husband, led to the long-running Blondie film series (1938–1950) and the popular Blondie radio program (1939–1950).
Chic Young drew Blondie until his death in 1973, when creative control passed to his son Dean Young, who continues to write the strip. Young has collaborated with a number of artists on Blondie, including Jim Raymond, Mike Gersher, Stan Drake, Denis Lebrun, and John Marshall. Through these changes, Blondie has remained popular, appearing in more than 2,000 newspapers in 47 countries and has been translated into 35 languages. Since 2006, Blondie has also been available via email through King Features' DailyINK service.[2]

 

 Overview

Originally designed to follow in the footsteps of Young's earlier "pretty girl" creations Beautiful Bab and Dumb Dora, Blondie focused on the adventures of Blondie Boopadoop—a carefree flapper girl who spent her days in dance halls. The name "Boopadoop" derives from the flapper catchphrase popularized by Helen Kane in the 1928 song "I Wanna Be Loved by You" (with its tag line, "boop-boop-a-doop") and which was referenced for the flapper cartoon character named Betty Boop, who first appeared in 1930 and was seen in her own King Features comic strip, drawn by Bud Counihan from 1934 to 1937.

Marriage

On February 17, 1933, after much fanfare and build-up, Blondie Boopadoop marries her boyfriend Dagwood Bumstead, the son of a wealthy industrialist. The marriage was a significant media event, given the comic strip's popularity.[3] Unfortunately, Dagwood's upper-crust parents strongly disapprove of his marrying beneath his class, and disinherit him. The check Dagwood uses to pay for his honeymoon bounces, and the Bumsteads are forced to become a middle-class suburban family. The catalog for the University of Florida's 2005 exhibition, "75 Years of Blondie, 1930-2005", notes:
Blondie's marriage marked the beginning of a change in her personality. From that point forward, she gradually assumed her position as the sensible head of the Bumstead household. And Dagwood, who previously had been cast in the role of straight man to Blondie's comic antics, took over as the comic strip's clown.[4]

Setting

"Dagwood Bumstead and family, including Daisy and the pups, live in the suburbs of Joplin, Missouri," according to the August 1946 issue of The Joplin Globe, citing Chic Young.[5]

Cast of characters

  • Blondie Bumstead (née Boopadoop): The eponymous leading lady of the comic strip. Blondie is a smart, sweet, and responsible woman. She can be stressed at times when raising her family and because of Dagwood's antics and despite being usually laid-back and patient, Blondie does get upset sometimes. She is also extremely beautiful with gold hair, gentle curls, and a shapely figure. A friend once told Dagwood that Blondie looked like a 'million bucks'.
  • Dagwood Bumstead: Blondie's husband. A kind yet naïve man whose cartoonish antics are the basis for the strip. He is a big fan of football and has a large, insatiable appetite for food. His continuous antagonistic and comical confrontations with his boss Mr. Dithers, for numerous reasons including Dagwood's laziness and silly mistakes, is a subplot that gets considerable attention in the strip. Another subplot deals with Bumstead and his neighbor Herb. He can also often be seen napping on his couch.
  • Alexander Bumstead: the elder child of Blondie and Dagwood who is in his late teens, formerly referred to by his pet name "Baby Dumpling". As a child, he was very mischievous and precocious.
  • Cookie Bumstead: the younger child of Blondie and Dagwood who is in her early teens. Cookie is portrayed as a typical teenage girl whose interests include dating, hanging out with friends, and clothes.
  • Daisy and her five pups (though the pups are seldom seen in recent years)
  • Mr. Beasley the postman
  • Mr. (Julius Caesar) Dithers
  • Mrs. (Cora) Dithers
  • Herb Woodley
  • Tootsie Woodley
  • Elmo Tuttle
  • Lou the diner counterman
The Bumstead family has grown, with the addition of a son named Alexander (originally "Baby Dumpling") on April 15, 1934, a daughter named Cookie on April 11, 1941, a dog, Daisy, and her litter of five unnamed pups. In the 1960s, Cookie and Alexander grew into teenagers (who uncannily resemble their parents), but they stopped growing during the 1960s when Young realized that they had to remain teenagers to maintain the family situation structured into the strip for so many decades.
Dagwood slaves away at the office of the J. C. Dithers Construction Company under his dictatorial boss—Julius Caesar Dithers. Mr. Dithers is a "sawed-off, tin pot Napoleon" who is always abusing his employees, both verbally and physically. He frequently threatens to fire Dagwood when Dagwood inevitably botches or does not finish his work, sleeps on the job, comes in late, or pesters Dithers for a raise. Dithers characteristically responds by kicking Dagwood theatrically, and ordering him back to work. The tyrannical Dithers is lord and master over all he surveys, with one notable exception—his formidable and domineering wife, Cora.
Blondie and Dagwood's best friends are their next-door neighbors Herb and Tootsie Woodley, although Dagwood and Herb's friendship is frequently volatile. Lou is the burly, tattooed owner of Lou's Diner, the less-than-five-star establishment where Dagwood often eats during his lunch hour. Other regular supporting characters include the long-suffering mailman, Mr. Beasley; Elmo Tuttle, a pesky neighborhood kid who often asks Dagwood to play; and a never-ending parade of overbearing door-to-door salesmen.

 Running gags


Dagwood has created a typical Dagwood sandwich in this April 17, 2007 strip.
There are several running gags in Blondie, reflecting the trend after Chic Young's death for the strip to focus almost entirely on Dagwood as the lead character:
  • Dagwood often collides with Mr. Beasley the mailman while running out the front door—late for work.
  • Other variations of the late-for-work gag: Dagwood keeping his car pool waiting, running after their car or stuck in traffic. In earlier decades, he had been late for the bus or, even earlier in the strip's run, late for the streetcar.
  • The famous, impossibly tall sandwiches Dagwood fixes for himself, which came to be known colloquially as the "Dagwood sandwich".
  • Dagwood in his pajamas, having a midnight snack—with most of the refrigerator contents spread out on the kitchen table, (or balanced precariously on his extended arms, on the way to the table.)
  • Dagwood's propensity to nap on the couch during the day, often interrupted by Elmo, who wants to ask him a question; or Blondie, who has a chore she wants him to do.
  • Dagwood singing in the bathtub, or interrupted (usually by family members or Elmo) while he's trying to relax in the tub.
  • Dagwood contends with brazen or obnoxious salesmen at his door, selling undesirable or impossible-looking items.
  • A variation of the above has the salesmen calling on the telephone.
  • Dagwood and Herb Woodley spending some weekend time together, which usually escalates into a brawl.
  • Dagwood demanding a raise from Dithers and failing to get it every time.
  • Dagwood caught goofing off or sleeping at his desk in the office.
  • Mr. Dithers firing Dagwood for being incompetent or physically booting him out of his office.
  • Dagwood getting a menu suggestion from Lou, the wry, blunt, and/or sarcastic diner counterman.
  • The Christmas shopping gag, where Dagwood is shown carrying Christmas packages that completely cover up his face and upper body.
  • Herb borrowing small items—tools, small appliances, books, and (more recently) videos—from Dagwood, then never returning them. Occasionally, Herb will loan a borrowed item to a third party, which is then usually passed on to a fourth or fifth party, etc.
  • Dagwood's hobby is household carpentry, but unfortunately his projects don't turn out well. Once, he built a small cabinet for Blondie, actually accomplishing all construction steps perfectly; but the result still fails because it doesn't fit in the space Blondie intended for it.

 Colonel Potterby and the Duchess

From 1935 to 1963, Young also drew a topper, Colonel Potterby and the Duchess, a pantomime strip displayed beneath Blondie each Sunday.

 Modernization

While the distinctive look and running gags of Blondie have been carefully preserved through the decades, a number of details have been altered to keep up with changing times. The Bumstead kitchen, which remained essentially unchanged from the 1930s through the 1960s has slowly acquired a more modern look (no more legs on the gas range and no more refrigerators shown with the motor on the top).

Keeping up with the times, Alexander and Dagwood are shown with a flat-panel computer in this strip from September 24, 2007.
Dagwood no longer wears a hat when he goes to work, nor does Blondie wear her previous hat and gloves when leaving the house. Although some bedroom and bathroom scenes still show him in polka-dot boxer shorts, Dagwood no longer wears garters to hold up his socks. Around the house, he frequently wears sport shirts, and his standard dress shirt with one large button in the middle is slowly disappearing. Around the house, Blondie often wears slacks, and she is no longer depicted as a housewife since she teamed with Tootsie Woodley to launch a catering business in 1991. Dagwood still knocks heads with his boss, Mr. Dithers, but now he does it in a more modern office at J.C. Dithers Construction Company. Their desk computers sport flat panel monitors, and Mr. Dithers, when in a rage, now attempts to smash his laptop into Dagwood's head instead of his old manual typewriter. The staff no longer punches in at a mechanical "time clock", nor do they wear green eyeshades and plastic "sleeve protectors". Telephones have changed from candlestick style to more modern dial phones, to Touch-Tone, and on to cellphones. Dagwood now begins each morning racing to meet his carpool rather than chasing after a missed streetcar or city bus. Even Mr. Beasley, the mail carrier, now dresses in short-sleeve shirts and walking shorts, rather than the military-style uniform of days gone by.
During the late 1990s and 2000–2001, Alexander worked part-time after high school at the order counter of a fast food restaurant, the Burger Barn. There are still occasional references to Cookie and her babysitting. Daisy, who once had a litter of puppies that lived with the family, is now the only dog seen in the Bumstead household. Cookie and Alexander can be seen in modern clothing trends and sometimes use cellphones, reference current television shows and social networking sites, while talking about attending rock concerts of popular current Rock, Pop, and Hip Hop music acts.
Dagwood sometimes breaks the fourth wall by delivering the punchline to the strip while looking directly at the reader, as in the above panel. Daisy occasionally does the same, though her remarks are limited to "?" and "!" with either a puzzled or a pained expression.
Strips in recent years have included references to recent developments in technology and communication, such as Facebook, Twitter, email, and text messaging.

 75th anniversary

In 2005, the strip celebrated its 75th anniversary with an extended story arc in which characters from other strips, including Curtis, Garfield, Beetle Bailey, and Hägar the Horrible, made appearances in Blondie. The strip Pearls Before Swine made fun of the fact that their cast was not invited, and decided to invite themselves.[1] This cross-over promotion began July 10, 2005 and continued until September 4, 2005.[6][7][8]

 Awards

 Blondie in other media

Comic books

  • Chic Young's Blondie (1947–1949) David McKay/King Comics, 15 issues
  • Dagwood Splits the Atom (1949) King Features (Public services giveaway)
  • Blondie Comics Monthly (1950–1965) Harvey Publications, 148 issues
  • Chic Young's Dagwood Comics (1950–1965) Harvey, 140 issues
  • Daisy and Her Pups (1951–1954) Harvey, 18 issues
  • Blondie & Dagwood Family (1963–1965) Harvey, four issues
  • Chic Young's Blondie (1965–1966) King Comics, 12 issues
  • Blondie (1969–1976) Charlton Comics, 46 issues

 Film

Blondie was adapted into a long-running series of 28 low-budget theatrical B-features, produced by Columbia Pictures. Beginning with Blondie in 1938, the series lasted 12 years, through Beware of Blondie (1950). The two major roles were Penny Singleton as Blondie and Arthur Lake (whose first starring role was another comic strip character, Harold Teen) as Dagwood. Faithfulness to the comic strip was a major concern of the creators of the series. Little touches were added that were iconic to the strip, like the appearance of Dagwood's famous sandwiches—and the running gag of Dagwood colliding with the mailman amid a flurry of letters, (which preceded the title sequence in almost every film).
As the series progressed, the Bumstead children grew from toddlers to young adults onscreen. Larry Simms as Baby Dumpling (later known as Alexander) reprised his role in all the films. Daughter Cookie was played by three different child actresses, beginning in 1942 with her first appearance (as an infant) in Blondie's Blessed Event, the eleventh entry in the series. Daisy had pups in the 12th episode, Blondie For Victory (1942). Rounding out the regular supporting cast, character actor Jonathan Hale played Dagwood's irascible boss, J.C. Dithers (succeeded by Jerome Cowan as George M. Radcliffe in Blondie's Big Moment). The Bumsteads' neighbors, the Woodleys, did not appear in the series until the final film, Beware of Blondie. They were played by Emory Parnell and Isabel Withers.

Chic Young's Sunday Blondie page for May 7, 1950, when it was at a peak of popularity with the strip, movies, and radio. From 1935 to 1963, Young drew the topper strip, Colonel Potterby and the Duchess, which was displayed below Blondie.
  • Blondie (1938)
  • Blondie Meets the Boss (1939)
  • Blondie Takes a Vacation (1939)
  • Blondie Brings Up Baby (1939)
  • Blondie on a Budget (1940)
  • Blondie Has Servant Trouble (1940)
  • Blondie Plays Cupid (1940)
  • Blondie Goes Latin (1941)
  • Blondie in Society (1941)
  • Blondie Goes to College (1942)
  • Blondie's Blessed Event (1942)
  • Blondie for Victory (1942)
  • It's a Great Life (1943)
  • Footlight Glamour (1943)
  • Leave It to Blondie (1945)
  • Life with Blondie (1946)
  • Blondie's Lucky Day (1946)
  • Blondie Knows Best (1946)
  • Blondie's Big Moment (1947)
  • Blondie's Holiday (1947)
  • Blondie in the Dough (1947)
  • Blondie's Anniversary (1947)
  • Blondie's Reward (1948)
  • Blondie's Secret (1948)
  • Blondie's Big Deal (1949)
  • Blondie Hits the Jackpot (1949)
  • Blondie's Hero (1950)
  • Beware of Blondie (1950)

 Radio

Singleton and Lake reprised their film roles for radio; the Blondie radio program had a long run spanning several networks. Initially a 1939 summer replacement program for The Eddie Cantor Show (sponsored by Camel Cigarettes), Blondie was heard on CBS until June 1944, when it moved briefly to NBC. Returning to CBS later that year, Blondie continued there under a new sponsor (Colgate-Palmolive) until June 1949. In its final season, the series was heard on ABC from October 1949 to July 1950.

 Television

Two Blondie TV sitcoms have been produced to date, each lasting only one season.
  • The first ran on NBC for 26 episodes in 1957, with Lake reprising his film and radio role and Pamela Britton as Blondie.
  • The second, broadcast on CBS in the 1968–69 season, had Patricia Harty and Will Hutchins in the lead roles and veteran comic actor Jim Backus portraying Mr. Dithers.

 Animation

An animated cartoon TV special featuring the characters was shown in 1987,[10] with a second special, Second Wedding Workout, telecast in 1989. Blondie was voiced by Loni Anderson, Dagwood by Frank Welker. Both animated specials are available on the fourth DVD of the Advantage Cartoon Mega Pack.

 Garfield Gets Real

Dagwood appeared in the CGI animated film, Garfield Gets Real. He first appeared in the cafeteria scene in which he is holding a sandwich. He was later seen behind a folding door taking a bath. He appeared in the auditorium scene watching Garfield and Odie. He finally appeared in a crowd cheering Garfield and Odie. He did not appear in the sequels, Garfield's Fun Fest or Garfield's Pet Force.

 Licensing/Merchandise

Over the years, Blondie characters have been merchandised as dolls, coloring books, toys, salt and pepper shakers, paint sets, paper doll cutouts, coffee mugs, cookie jars, neckties, lunchboxes, puzzles, games, Halloween costumes, Christmas ornaments, music boxes, refrigerator magnets, lapel pinbacks, greeting cards, and other products. In 2001, Dark Horse Comics issued two collectible figures of Dagwood and Blondie as part of their line of Classic Comic Characters—statues #19 and 20 respectively.
A counter-service restaurant called Blondie's opened at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure in May 1999 serving a traditional Dagwood-style sandwich. In fact, Blondie's bills itself as "Home of the Dagwood Sandwich." Lunch meats featuring Dagwood can be purchased at various grocery stores.
On May 11, 2006, Dean Young announced the opening of the first of his Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes that summer in Clearwater, Florida, and the comic strip characters discussed the notion of Dagwood opening his own sandwich shop. The official Dagwood sandwich served at Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes has the following ingredients: three slices of deli bread, hard salami, pepperoni, cappicola, mortadella, deli ham, cotto salami, cheddar, Provolone, red onion, green leaf lettuce, tomato, fresh and roasted red bell peppers, mayo, mustard, and a secret Italian olive salad oil.

 Reprints and further reading

Youngmarschallblondie.jpg
Comic strip collections
  • Blondie #1 by Chic Young (1968) Signet
  • Blondie #2 by Chic Young (1968) Signet
  • Blondie (No. 1) by Dean Young and Jim Raymond (1976) Tempo
  • Blondie (No. 2) by Dean Young and Jim Raymond (1977) Tempo
  • The Best of Blondie by Dean Young, et al. (1977) Tempo
  • Blondie: Celebration Edition by Dean Young and Jim Raymond (1980) Tempo
  • Blondie (No. 3) by Dean Young and Jim Raymond (1982) Tempo
  • Blondie (No. 4): A Family Album by Dean Young and Mike Gersher (1982) Tempo
  • Blondie: More Surprises! by Dean Young and Mike Gersher (1983) Tempo
  • Blondie Book 1 (1986) by Dean Young and Stan Drake (1986) Blackthorne
  • Blondie: Mr Dithers, I Demand a Raise!! by Dean Young and Jim Raymond (1989) Tor
  • Blondie: But Blondie, I'm Taking a Bath!! by Dean Young and Jim Raymond (1990) Tor
  • Blondie: The Bumstead Family History by Dean Young and Melena Ryzik (2007) Thomas Nelson Pub. ISBN 1-4016-0322-X
  • Blondie: Volume 1 by Chic Young (2010) IDW Publishing ISBN 1-60010-740-0 (First of a projected series)
Related fiction
  • Blondie and Dagwood in Footlight Folly (1947) Dell (An original paperback novel, not illustrated. Unnumbered, but usually considered part of Dell's mapback series)
  • Blondie's Family (1954) Treasure/Wonder Book (a full-color storybook for children)
History
  • Blondie & Dagwood's America (1981) Harper & Row ISBN 0-06-090908-0 (Dean Young and Rick Marschall's collaboration, providing an historical background of the strip)
  • Blondie Goes to Hollywood: The Blondie Comic Strip in Films, Radio & Television by Carol Lynn Scherling (2010) BearManor Media ISBN 978-1-59393-401-9

 See also

 References

  1. ^ "Markstein, Don. "Blondie"". Toonopedia.com. http://www.toonopedia.com/blondie.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  2. ^ "Torstar Syndication". Tsscontent.ca. http://www.tsscontent.ca/comics/content__1/print_content/comics/blondie. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  3. ^ "Big Deals: Comics’ Highest-Profile Moments," Hogan's Alley #7, 1999
  4. ^ "Blondie_pamphlet7.indd" (PDF). http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/exhibits/Blondie.pdf. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  5. ^ Redden, Susan; Andy Ostmeyer (Oct 07, 2009). "Typical Joplin family would pay $5,625 for premium under one proposal w/ health care subsidy calculator". The Joplin Globe. http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_279151924.html?start:int=15. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  6. ^ "Blondie's 75 Year Anniversary". Blondie.com. Archived from the original on 2007-08-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20070808093226/http://www.blondie.com/2005/07/blondies-75-year-aniversary.html. Retrieved 2007-11-22.
  7. ^ "'Blondie' to mark 75th anniversary with comic strip cameos". CBC.ca. 2005-07-15.
  8. ^ Wallace, Derek (August 13th, 2005). "Blondie Celebrates 75 Years". Virtue Magazine 1 (15).
  9. ^ "Toonopedia". Toonopedia. http://www.toonopedia.com/blondie.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  10. ^ IMDb

 External links


I always liked Blondie, who goes all the way back to the boop-boop-a-doop period, and still has a comic strip today. Although I don't think the comic strip is very good any more. Something that's also true of some of the other long-running comics that are still in the running. They all just sort of seem to have run down.

Dagwood Bumstead is in the news again because he's running for president. He couldn't do any worse than either of the two clowns they actually have running for that office.

Loni Anderson, who did the voice of Blondie in the 1980's,  was a well-known blonde in her own right and also played Jayne Mansfield and Thelma Todd on television.

Joplin, Missouri was mentioned in some Thelma Todd comedies as well as the Blondie comic strip
because it's supposed to be a joke.



                                                 BLONDIE OF THE MOVIES*



The Blondie movies were made at Columbia, and you see some familiar faces in them. Rita Hayworth was in one,

 
and they share a few cast members with the Three Stooges shorts. Christine McIntyre appeared in one of the Blondie movies, as did Emil Sitka.
 
The movies recreated familiar situations from the comics
 
 
such as Dagwood's frequent collisions with the mailman,

 
 
( sometimes, like this blog, complicated by whatever's handy )
 
 
 
Dagwood's mean-tempered boss Mr. Dithers,
 
 
 
and the multiplication of dogs that occurred in the strip.
 
 
 
I don't remember if marital infidelity was ever a problem in the strip, but Blondie seems to have had her suspicions in the movie version.
 
 
 
But through it all Blondie fought on,
 
 
 
and in the end was always victorious.

 
 
 
 
Watch BLONDIE ON A BUDGET:
 

 
 
RADIO BLONDIE
 
 
 
 
Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake reprised their roles on the radio version.
 
 
When the program moved to television, Arthur Lake would continue as Dagwood, but with a different Blondie.
 
 
 
 Pamela Britton as Blondie with Arthur Lake as Dagwood, 1957.
 
 
 
 *                    *                    *
 
 

                                                          BLONDIE OF THE COMICS


Blondes were very popular in the thirties. And Blondie in the funnies was amoung the most popular. Here is a Sunday page with Chic Young's top strip THE FAMILY FOURSOME along with BLONDIE, the main feature.



Everybody loves Blondie, even the sharks.









                                                                       ABOUT CHIC YOUNG


                                                         



                                               Chic Young and Young Chicks, circa 1930's.

 
 The girls are Jane Lane and Gretchen Davidson.
 
 


                                      ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CHIC YOUNG




The name "Chic Young" was used for Budd Abbott's character in ABBOTT
AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTIEN, as Abbott was playing a fictional character rather than himself, in spite of the title.


I suppose you could say they met Blondie, too, or at least Penny Singleton, but I don't really know. It just sounds likely.



ABBOT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTIEN:
http://theageofcomedy.com/acfrank.html



BLONDIE ( Official Site):
http://www.blondie.com/


BLONDIE Movie Series:
http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/rainbowcountry/blondie.html


Emil Sitka in BLONDIE HITS THE JACKPOT:
http://www.emilsitka.com/blondiehitsthejackpot1949.html


Penny Singleton:
http://www.hillmanweb.com/Blondie/


Penny Singleton ( Wikipedia ):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Singleton


Penny Singleton Pictures:
http://www.fanpix.net/gallery/penny-singleton-pictures.htm




* Arthur Lake was the nephew of Marion Davies, another movie blonde who once made the movie BLONDIE OF THE FOLLIES with Billie Dove, who later lived next door to Lake.





A

Lester Dent's Master Plot For Writing Doc Savage Stories

Lester Dent wrote all his Doc Savage stories according to a master plot he had worked out:

The Lester Dent Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot

This is a formula, a master plot, for any 6000 word pulp story. It has worked on adventure, detective, western and war-air. It tells exactly where to put everything. It shows definitely just what must happen in each successive thousand words.

No yarn of mine written to the formula has yet failed to sell.

The business of building stories seems not much different from the business of building anything else.

Here's how it starts:

1. A DIFFERENT MURDER METHOD FOR VILLAIN TO USE
2. A DIFFERENT THING FOR VILLAIN TO BE SEEKING
3. A DIFFERENT LOCALE
4. A MENACE WHICH IS TO HANG LIKE A CLOUD OVER HERO

One of these DIFFERENT things would be nice, two better, three swell. It may help if they are fully in mind before tackling the rest.

A different murder method could be--different. Thinking of shooting, knifing, hydrocyanic, garroting, poison needles, scorpions, a few others, and writing them on paper gets them where they may suggest something. Scorpions and their poison bite? Maybe mosquitos or flies treated with deadly germs?


If the victims are killed by ordinary methods, but found under strange and identical circumstances each time, it might serve, the reader of course not knowing until the end, that the method of murder is ordinary.

Scribes who have their villain's victims found with butterflies, spiders or bats stamped on them could conceivably be flirting with this gag.

Probably it won't do a lot of good to be too odd, fanciful or grotesque with murder methods.

The different thing for the villain to be after might be something other than jewels, the stolen bank loot, the pearls, or some other old ones.

Here, again one might get too bizarre.

Unique locale? Easy. Selecting one that fits in with the murder method and the treasure--thing that villain wants--makes it simpler, and it's
also nice to use a familiar one, a place where you've lived or worked. So many pulpateers don't. It sometimes saves embarrassment to know nearly as much about the locale as the editor, or enough to fool him.

Here's a nifty much used in faking local color. For a story laid in Egypt, say, author finds a book titled "Conversational Egyptian Easily Learned," or something like that. He wants a character to ask in Egyptian, "What's the matter?" He looks in the book and finds, "El khabar, eyh?" To keep the reader from getting dizzy, it's perhaps wise to make it clear in some fashion, just what that means. Occasionally the text will tell this, or someone can repeat it in English. But it's a doubtful move to stop and tell the reader in so many words the English translation.


The writer learns they have palm trees in Egypt. He looks in the book, finds the Egyptian for palm trees, and uses that. This kids editors and readers into thinking he knows something about Egypt.

Here's the second installment of the master plot.

Divide the 6000 word yarn into four 1500 word parts. In each 1500 word part, put the following:


FIRST 1500 WORDS
1--First line, or as near thereto as possible, introduce the hero and swat him with a fistful of trouble. Hint at a mystery, a menace or a problem to be solved--something the hero has to cope with.

2--The hero pitches in to cope with his fistful of trouble. (He tries to fathom the mystery, defeat the menace, or solve the problem.)

3--Introduce ALL the other characters as soon as possible. Bring them on in action.

4--Hero's endevours land him in an actual physical conflict near the end of the first 1500 words.

5--Near the end of first 1500 words, there is a complete surprise twist in the plot development.

SO FAR: Does it have SUSPENSE?
Is there a MENACE to the hero?
Does everything happen logically?


At this point, it might help to recall that action should do something besides advance the hero over the scenery. Suppose the hero has learned the dastards of villains have seized somebody named Eloise, who can explain the secret of what is behind all these sinister events. The hero corners villains, they fight, and villains get away. Not so hot.


Hero should accomplish something with his tearing around, if only to rescue Eloise, and surprise! Eloise is a ring-tailed monkey. The hero counts the rings on Eloise's tail, if nothing better comes to mind.
They're not real. The rings are painted there. Why?


SECOND 1500 WORDS

1--Shovel more grief onto the hero.

2--Hero, being heroic, struggles, and his struggles lead up to:

3--Another physical conflict.

4--A surprising plot twist to end the 1500 words.

NOW: Does second part have SUSPENSE?
Does the MENACE grow like a black cloud?
Is the hero getting it in the neck?
Is the second part logical?

DON'T TELL ABOUT IT***Show how the thing looked. This is one of the secrets of writing; never tell the reader--show him. (He trembles, roving eyes, slackened jaw, and such.) MAKE THE READER SEE HIM.

When writing, it helps to get at least one minor surprise to the printed page. It is reasonable to to expect these minor surprises to sort of inveigle the reader into keeping on. They need not be such profound efforts. One method of accomplishing one now and then is to be gently misleading. Hero is examining the murder room. The door behind him begins slowly to open. He does not see it. He conducts his examination blissfully. Door eases open, wider and wider, until--surprise! The glass pane falls out of the big window across the room. It must have fallen slowly, and air blowing into the room caused the door to open. Then what the heck made the pane fall so slowly? More mystery.

Characterizing a story actor consists of giving him some things which make him stick in the reader's mind. TAG HIM.

BUILD YOUR PLOTS SO THAT ACTION CAN BE CONTINUOUS.


THIRD 1500 WORDS

1--Shovel the grief onto the hero.

2--Hero makes some headway, and corners the villain or somebody in:

3--A physical conflict.

4--A surprising plot twist, in which the hero preferably gets it in the neck bad, to end the 1500 words.

DOES: It still have SUSPENSE?
The MENACE getting blacker?
The hero finds himself in a hell of a fix?
It all happens logically?

These outlines or master formulas are only something to make you certain of inserting some physical conflict, and some genuine plot twists, with a little suspense and menace thrown in. Without them, there is no pulp story.

These physical conflicts in each part might be DIFFERENT, too. If one fight is with fists, that can take care of the pugilism until next the next yarn. Same for poison gas and swords. There may, naturally, be exceptions. A hero with a peculiar punch, or a quick draw, might use it more than once.

The idea is to avoid monotony.

ACTION:
Vivid, swift, no words wasted. Create suspense, make the reader see and feel the action.

ATMOSPHERE:
Hear, smell, see, feel and taste.

DESCRIPTION:
Trees, wind, scenery and water.

THE SECRET OF ALL WRITING IS TO MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT.



FOURTH 1500 WORDS
1--Shovel the difficulties more thickly upon the hero.

2--Get the hero almost buried in his troubles. (Figuratively, the villain has him prisoner and has him framed for a murder rap; the girl is presumably dead, everything is lost, and the DIFFERENT murder method is about to dispose of the suffering protagonist.)

3--The hero extricates himself using HIS OWN SKILL, training or brawn.

4--The mysteries remaining--one big one held over to this point will help grip interest--are cleared up in course of final conflict as hero takes
the situation in hand.

5--Final twist, a big surprise, (This can be the villain turning out to be the unexpected person, having the "Treasure" be a dud, etc.)

6--The snapper, the punch line to end it.

HAS: The SUSPENSE held out to the last line?
The MENACE held out to the last?
Everything been explained?
It all happen logically?
Is the Punch Line enough to leave the reader with that WARM FEELING?
Did God kill the villain? Or the hero?



                                             *                *               *


Doc Savage stories actually tended to end up with the main villian dying as a result of an attempt to kill Doc Savage backfiring on them. But at any rate this "master plot" served Lester Dent well on his long stint on the series. He wrote all but twenty of the original stories.

You don't ordinarily find Lester Dent's name on Doc Savage magazines as they ordinarily used the house name "Kenneth Robeson" which has been used ever since on later reprints. The only time Dent's name appeared in the credits was when the March 1944 issue, "The Derelict of Skull Shoal", was accidentally credited to Lester Dent.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

A Keen Brunette Named Katy Keene




Katy Keen- I think she's Keen!


Katy Keene



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


    

Katy Keene
Archie character
Katy keene special.png
Katy Keene Special #2 (1984), art by John S. Lucas.
First appearanceWilbur Comics #5 (Summer 1945)
Created byBill Woggon
Information
OccupationModel, actress, singer
Katy Keene, a character created by Bill Woggon, has appeared in several comic book series published by Archie Comics since 1945. She is a model/actress/singer known as America's Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashions.
Her comics were interactive in that readers were encouraged to submit original drawings of outfits and accessories for her and her friends to wear, as well as designs for automobiles, homes, interiors, rocket ships, trailers and boats. These designs were used in the comics with credit given to published submissions. Many issues featured paper dolls of Katy in various costumes.[1] The character was ranked 57th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.[2]

 


 Publication history

Katy Keene was introduced in Wilbur Comics #5 in the summer of 1945, and appeared in subsequent issues of Wilbur and various anthology comic series in the 1940s including Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica and Ginger, eventually receiving her own title in 1949 which ran for 12 years. Specials such as Katy Keene Pin Up Parade and Katy Keene Fashion Book Magazine, Annuals and specials including Katy Keene Spectacular (1956), "Glamour" (1957) and Charm (1958), continued through the 1950s, but the character was not seen for about 20 years after the early 1960s.
In the book From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Women's Comics from Teens to Zines by Trina Robbins Katy Keene is called a Bettie Page look-alike. "... but the resemblance ended there. Katy Keene was no bimbo and she had a good job (she was a movie star.)" [3]

 1980s revival

In 1979, with Archie's permission, Katy fan Craig Leavitt published the Katy Keene Fan Magazine, which ran 18 issues until 1983. Having been a lifelong fan of the character, John S. Lucas's art was instrumental in the revival, as his work was featured in the magazine along with other artists' and fans' work. Several "Katy-Kons" (conventions) were held in Santa Barbara, California, and then later in conjunction with the San Diego Comic-Con celebrating Woggon and Katy.
Archie Comics decided to revive the character themselves in 1983, giving the character her own title by using reprint art of Woggon's as well as new art by Don Sherwood, Vince Colletta, Hy Eisman and Dan DeCarlo.
After seeing Lucas's art in the Katy Keene Fan Magazine and receiving letters from fans encouraging them to do so, Archie contacted Lucas, asking him to do the art for the revived Katy Keene Fan Club, which included pens, lapel buttons, membership cards, notepads, T-shirts, and sweatshirts. Not long afterward, Archie brought Lucas on as regular Katy artist. During the 1980s, '90s and 2000s, Lucas carried on the Katy tradition with his comics, his annual Katy Keene Christmas Cards and Paper Dolls and paper doll books from Hobby House Press.
In the early 1990s, Katy once again went into retirement, except for a 1994 appearance in The Punisher Meets Archie.

 2005 reintroduction

Archie re-reintroduced Katy, now a high school student and aspiring model, in its 2005 Free Comic Book Day issue. She then appeared in Archie & Friends Comics #101–#110. These ten stories were then compiled in a trade paperback, Katy Keene Model Behavior, in 2008.

 Supporting cast

Katy has a redheaded, bespectacled younger sister. In the original Woggon 1950s series, Katy's sister was a mischievous child around seven years old and known only as "Sis, the Candy Kid". In the 1980s, she was drawn as a tween or a young teen and received the name Melissa, but was still almost always called "Sis". In the short-lived 2000s series, her given name was Mackenzie. No explanation for the name change was given, although it may be due to the 1980s name's obscurity. Regardless, her real name is almost never mentioned and to both readers and characters, she is always called "Sis".
Originally, the 1950s Katy was 21 years old and Sis was about seven years old. In subsequent series, Katy is roughly the same age, but Sis was reimagined as being around 15 and has been so ever since. By this point, Katy had already been discovered in college. After going to work as an aspiring Broadway star, she became very successful in her modeling and acting career, so she became her sister's legal guardian.
Katy has had many recurring boyfriends over the years, the most famous of which are the redheaded and muscular boxer K.O. Kelly and his rich blond rival Randy Van Ronson. They were not often seen regularly in the 1980s when Katy dated the Latino airline pilot and talented dancer Ramon Ramirez and the Arnold Schwarzenegger parody Arnold Horsenlegger. However, K.O. and Randy became her main love interests again in the 2000s.
Katy's rival in her career and love life is the wealthy and snobby blonde Gloria Grandbilt and her best friend is the superstitious redhead Lucki Lorelei. Both Gloria and Lucki are also successful models, with the level-headed brunette Katy rounding out the trio.

 Notes

  1. ^ "Evanier, Mark. "News From Me," POV Online (March 7, 2003)". Povonline.com. http://www.povonline.com/2003/News030103.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-13.
  2. ^ Frankenhoff, Brent (2011). Comics Buyer's Guide Presents: 100 Sexiest Women in Comics. Krause Publications. p. 40. ISBN 1-4402-2988-0.
  3. ^ Robbins, Trina. (1999) From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Women's Comics from Teens to Zines. Chapter 1. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

 References

 External links


I haven't read as many Katy Keen comics as some of the other ones, but I've got a thing for keen brunettes, so I decided to do a blog about her. Of course, I've got a thing for keen blondes and keen redheads, too.  I'll be getting around to them eventually.


This cover shows Katie Keen, Sis, and Gloria Granbilt, who all appear regularly in these comics.

 

 
 

 
There were a lot of science fiction stories in comics in this period.
 
 
 
 
Katy Keen Comic Book Price Guide Cover
 
 
Katie Keen Paper Doll
 
 
 
Sis Paper Doll
 
 
Readers could send in for this paper doll.


 
 
Katie Keen Christmas by Ramona Fradon
 
Another mermaid picture.
 
 
 
Lucki Lorelei in a Halloween costume.
 
 
 
 
Finally, we have another Spider Lady we somehow missed before. Gloria Granbilt is named after Gloria Vanderbilt, and in these comics is Katy Keen's rival, which is why she gets to be a Spider Lady.

 
 


Here is a Katie Keene story reblogged from http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/



 
 




 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Katy Keen:
http://www.toonopedia.com/katykeen.htm

Katy Keen:
http://kb-outofthisworld.blogspot.com/2012/03/more-cute-girlie-stuff-katy-keene-paper.html

Katy Keen:
http://www.cherrymeltdown.com/galleries/katy/index.html

Katy Keen Send-Away Doll:
http://marlendy.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/katy-keene-send-away-paper-doll-2/


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Spider Widow



The Spider Widow in the comics predated "The Scarlet Widow" of the Superman radio show.

Spider Widow


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Spider Widow
Spider Widow 1.jpg
From the front page of a Spider Widow story in Feature Comics #60
Publication information
PublisherQuality Comics
First appearanceFeature Comics #57
Created byFrank Borth
In-story information
Alter egoDianne Grayton
AbilitiesCan control black widow spiders
Spider Widow is a fictional superhero character that was published by Quality Comics during the Golden Age of Comic Books. The character was created by Frank Borth and debuted in Feature Comics #57, which bore a cover date of June, 1942. Borth continued to write and draw the Spider Widow feature until the end of its run in Feature Comics #72 (June, 1943).

 Publication history

Spider Widow is the secret identity of Dianne Grayton, a bored and wealthy athlete who decides to fight crime and foreign saboteurs after discovering she has the ability to control deadly black widow spiders. She disguises herself in a costume very similar to a stereotypical Hallowe'en witch, wearing a green-faced old crone mask, a floppy black hat, and a long black dress.
In Feature Comics #60, Nazi agents set a trap for Spider Widow by posting an advertisement in the newspaper that requests her assistance, and then knock her out when she shows up. She is rescued from a boat bound for Germany by the bird-costumed Raven on his first heroic outing, and the two reveal a hidden U-boat to the U.S. Navy. She becomes romantically involved with the Raven (who is later revealed to be Tony Grey); however, neither initially knows what the other looks like without their mask on because they shared their first kiss in the dark. The two later team up with Phantom Lady in a multi-part crossover that spanned between Feature Comics #69-71 and Police Comics #20-22. Though Spider Widow initially worries that Phantom Lady is a potential rival for the Raven's affections, they nevertheless became allies.

Current status

DC Comics is believed to have acquired the copyright to Spider Widow when it purchased Quality Comics' holdings, though that claim may be in doubt because most Quality properties lapsed into public domain prior to the purchase. To date, DC Comics has yet to use the character.

 Powers and abilities

Spider Widow has the ability to psychically control black widow spiders; the reason for her gaining this power is never explained. Spider Widow is also a trained athlete.

 External links


                                                *                   *               *

The comic book "Spider Widow" first appeared in 1942, while the "Scarlet Widow" of the Superman radio show did not appear until 1945. It is possible that any similarities could be coincidental. The Spider Widow was really a beautiful girl who only used a horrible disguise, while the Scarlet Widow really was horrible-looking.

The Spider Woman in the Carol Superman serial was really another version of "The Black Widow" she had played in the previous serial, rather than the radio character. Similar villianesses can also be seen in comic books from that period, such as the one who shot Bucky in CAPTAIN AMERICA #66.

The Phantom Lady could be seen as physically similar to The Spider Lady, but was one of the good guys. The crossover of comic book characters Phantom Lady, Spider Widow, and The Raven was less common at this time than it would be in modern comics.


As our story begins, Spider Widow appears without her disguise:




























In this one, Spider Widow is in her witch disguise:







The story end with the former foes on the same side, a satisfying conclusion that might have helped the kiddies learn by example. The Spider Widow's own story ends in obscurity as few people are interested in that character today.



Phantom Lady:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_Lady


Phantom Lady Club ( Lady of Quality ):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lady_Of_Quality/?yguid=74994103


Phantom Lady vs. Spider Widow ( the same story ):
http://maskedmayhem.blogspot.com/2012/02/athe-phantom-lady-vs-spider-widow.html


Scarlet Widow ( Radio Version ):
http://superman.wikia.com/wiki/The_Scarlet_Widow

Revival Version:
http://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?i=40611&p=14


Spider Widow ( Comic Vine ):
http://www.comicvine.com/spider-widow/29-53084/


Spider Widow: ( Toonpedia ):
http://www.toonopedia.com/spidrwid.htm


Spider Widow vs. Phantom Lady, and Prarie Witch:
http://www.cosmicteams.com/quality/profiles/SpiderWidowRaven.html