Good afternoon, Kids! So nice to visit with you all again!
I am always glad to post the work of Dan Gordon, one of my favorite cartoonists from what I think of as the golden age of kids’ comics – the mid-40s to mid-50s. Today we find Mr. Gordon at his very best, working in his prime with one of his signature characters – Cookie!
Never stiff or static, his characters always move with weight and bounce. And he was such a fine draftsman and storyboard craftsman – just look at the way these panels move the eye right along, telling a smooth, effortless story. John Kriscfalusi of Ren and Stimpy fame cites Dan Gordon as an influence.
As wonderful as was Mr. Gordon’s comic book work, he is probably better remembered today as an animator. His work graced the cartoons from a who’s who of studios from the 30s through the 60s: Fleischer, MGM, Terrytoons, Van Beuren, and Hanna-Barbera to name a few.
Dan Gordon worked into the 1960’s. While re-watching the early episodes of The Flintstones recently (so good!), I was pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Gordon’s name appear for an animation credit!
This gorgeously-told story appeared in “Cookie” No. 6, April-May 1947. And, hey! Dan Gordon did the sweet cover for the issue as well!
Coming up next, the work of Al Hartley. First appearance on the Big Blog!
I will see you all again very soon. Until then, I hope you are all warm, safe, and happy!
--Your friend, Mykal
Dan Gordon's stuff is great. Thanks for sharing it. Looking forward to the Holly Chambers story you mention in the more recent post, too. Hope it's a weird one.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of Gordon, too! His work is always so bouncy, well-drawn, and beautiful. Chambers coming right up in a few days!
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