This Stumbo the Giant story goes out by request to my friend, Chuck Wells, at The Comic Book Catacombs. Mr. Wells is clearly a man of discriminating tastes, as he declares himself a Warren Kremer fan. Kremer was one of the finest artists ever to work in comics, and I believe Stumbo to be some of his best work. The subject really gave him a chance to demonstrate his powerful control of perspective and backgrounds. Dig that awesome splash panel! That's the way the big boys do it.
This is from Hot Stuff - The Little Devil No. 86, October, 1968. All scans are from my own comic. Just click the image for the big picture.
This is from Hot Stuff - The Little Devil No. 86, October, 1968. All scans are from my own comic. Just click the image for the big picture.
Let's throw in an extra Hot Stuff story from the same issue. The art here, I believe, is by Ernie Colon (No Harvey indexes exist for verification). Colon was a major Harvey artist who specialized in Richie Rich stories and loved the dark, demonic shadowing around the eyes for moments of anger. It is definitely in the Kremer style, but the landscapes seem to lack the Kremer texture. If someone disagrees with my Colon diagnosis, I'm all ears!
It’s a fun story. I love the way the kids treat Hot Stuff just like another kid, despite his horns, pitchfork, and burning red skin which nearly par-boils them in the pool. I love the Harvey universe!
It’s a fun story. I love the way the kids treat Hot Stuff just like another kid, despite his horns, pitchfork, and burning red skin which nearly par-boils them in the pool. I love the Harvey universe!
Boys, Girls, Men, Women. I remember staring at this ad as a kid and finding it more confusing than algebra. Paragraph after paragraph of text! How could you make $50.00, $100.00, $200.00 and more in your spare time by knowing 10 people? Was this some sort of con? A Ponzi scheme? The constant reminders that IT COSTS NOTHING TO TRY scared the beans out of me. These were clearly some very, very tricky adults. Wallace Brown, Incoroporated, indeed.
Mykal,
ReplyDeleteYou are right, it is funny how the other kids just accept Hotstuff as a normal kid. It's fun seeing these kid's comic interpreted through your adult eyes.
When kids read them they never question anything. If they are looking at it happening, even when it's a only drawing and not a photo, they just figure that's how it all went down and it's not up to them to question it or have doubts.
Keith: Great point about the simple trusting nature of children. Often, the world of adults, no matter how askew, is often just accepted as the way it's supposed to be! -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteAnother great post, Mykal! Hot Stuff was probably my favorite Harvey comic, not just because of the lead, but because of those truly far-out Stumbo back-ups. I really, really dig Stumbo!
ReplyDeleteGroovy, my man, I feel the same way for the same reasons. Also, with Hot Stuff, you got a ton of Howie Post! So in one issue, you got the best Harvey work of both Post and Kremer! A very tough combination to beat. -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great Harvey posts, Mykal. I've gotten a new appreciation for these stories since the Dark Horse collections came out...that Stumbo story is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteDoug: Thanks for the comment! Yeah, those Dark Horse publications were very welcome, for sure; but I can't help wishing they had given Harvey the prestige, hard-back treatment they gave the Gold Key anthologies (which are spectacular!).
ReplyDeleteStill, can't look a gift horse in the mouth! And, yes, Stumbo was jaw-dropping at times. -- Mykal
Trust me, Harvey Comics often go for big bucks on eBay. My brother, myself and another friend continually get beaten out for premium copies, so it takes patience in order to put together a quality collection these days. However, when you do manage to grab one, it is a gem of a comics reading experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mykal that the Stumbo stuff is among Kremer's very best work.
Thanks for posting this, buddy. Just out of curiosity, are you also among the highly discriminating crowd that enjoys Kremer's too sadly overlooked Star Comics material?
Chuck: Patience is a virtue, and I am on the case regarding Harvey back issues. As you say, the competition is fierce!
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the Star stuff, I know of it but haven't seen much of it - or at least not enough to form a solid opinion. I like what I have seen, particularly the Planet Terry stuff. Here to, collecting can be a bit challenging. I am currently trying to collect his Stumbo work.
Do you have any of the Star stuff? If so, I formally request a post! -- Mykal
that Stumbo story is AWESOME, i don't think i've ever read anything Harvey that was that crazy! the Stumbo-elimination plan reminds me of the end of Gammmera The Invincible- they shoot him off in a giant rocket, too. and i'll read anything with Hot Stuff in it. i think the parents of today might have something to say about their precious little darlings hanging out with a Demon from Hell...
ReplyDeletei love hotstuff! great post! thanks
ReplyDeleteProf.: You bet! Stumbo's among the best of Harvey, I think. You know, Harvey always ran into problems with the little devil. He never got the animation treatment and very, very little toys and merchandising - no one really wanted a piece of the trouble that came with marketing a character with "Satanic" overtones. Well, more than overtones, actually. the official Harvey line was the he was really a devil - an actual spawn of hell! Wow.
ReplyDeleteBrad: Posting Harvey stuff is always a pleasure! -- Mykal
A sudden and unsatisfying end to the Hot Stuff story I thought...kinda sad; he wanted some friends to hang with but unlike even Casper, Hot Stuff doesn't end up with even animals liking him.
ReplyDeleteThe Stumbo Story was tops. Made me think of someone walking into the TARDIS of Dr. Who at the beginning.
Cesspoole looked a little like the Karloff character in Mad Monste Party.
thanks Mykal
r/e
R/E: Yeah, Hot Stuff couldn't get a break. He was, after all, a real devil.
ReplyDeleteI loved this Stumbo story as well. I just loved Stumbo, and Dr. Cesspool was a recurring character - Stumbo's arch nemesis! Man, what a great character.
I love how gentle Harvey comics were. After trying to ship Stumbo of to an alien world, and trying to take over Tinytown, Cesspool’s punishment is that he was co clean up his mess All By Himself!. -- Mykal
nice work thanks
ReplyDeletei love these comics
You are welcome!
ReplyDelete