Wednesday 20 December 2017

Flintstones Weekend Comics, December 1967

Pretty early in the Flintstones newspaper comic run, both in the daily and weekend strips, the story would involve some kind of invention and end with the question “What will they think of next?” There were a number of comics in this vein, and apparently if was deliberate. 50 years ago this month, Gene Hazleton (who was in charge of H-B’s syndicated comic run) started a little contest. Perhaps he was looking for free story ideas. But the “think of” concept highlighted one of the Sunday comics.


Noise gag in the December 5th comic. Look! It’s Baby Puss (last panel, second row). Betty is referred to but neither she nor Barney appear this month. I guess I should make reference to the Bedroom Fire Department in the second row, clearly based on the appearance in an early episode.


It appears the Bedrock Auto Show is sponsored by the Water Buffaloes. This is the December 12th comic. Skunk gag.


Sorry the scan is so poor for this county fair comic of December 19th. Some very nice panels here, especially the one with the merry-go-round. Such detail.


As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, a girl who rhymes like a poet I spy. This comic, appropriately, appeared on December 24th.


Oh, that scamp Pebbles! This December 31st comic couldn’t figure out a way to add “stone” or “rock” to the Rose or Orange Bowls without it being too contrived. Mind you, considering some of the ridiculous names for bowl games today thanks to corporate sponsorship....

We haven’t seen Pops for too months, but don’t worry, he’ll be back next month.

My thanks, once again, to Richard Holliss for supplying the colour comics.

12 comments:

  1. Those "Send your suggestions in care of this paper" tags are a great way to remind newspaper editors just how popular your comic strip is.

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  2. I especially love the December 5th, 19th, and 31st strips. They actually made me laugh out loud -- which doesn't happen often, though I almost never fail to be amused by a comic.

    Fred's dismayed expression in the last panel of the December 31st strip reminds me of a T-shirt I had as a kid, which had a cartoon by Gary Patterson entitled "The Sports Fan." Basically, that cartoon depicted a sports fan screaming at his TV set, while choking his pet cat to death in one of his hands. I loved that shirt. I've tried finding a picture of that cartoon online for years, but, sadly, I've never managed to find it.

    Getting back to the subject of this post, the December 12th strip is noteworthy for predicting a device of the future (which is still futuristic today): automated alert systems in cars. I think this will soon be common. Though, I don't think these systems will alert one to the presence of a woman driver!

    Finally, the December 24th strip is just beautiful. I'm glad Richard Holliss had a color version of that one.

    Thanks, as always, to Richard and to you, Yowp. You've been warning us for years, but I can't believe this blog is really coming to an end. I'm going to miss it.

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    1. Well, it will still be here, just no new posts from Yowp, but hopefully (at least!!) the comments forms will be!! SC

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    2. Did "The Sports Fan"inspire Homer Simpson? Also maybe George Jetson would appreciated the woman-driver detector in the December 12th comic.:))

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  3. The Christmas strip has been posted here before, but not in color and not with the top tier in place...so thanks, Richard, for the full-length color version.

    I can never get too much of the Flintstones at Christmas!

    I, too, will be teary-eyed and weepy when the time comes for us to part. But it's been a great run and I've learned much that I didn't know before...plus getting access to these great Flintstones and Yogi strips! Thanks for the years of pleasure, Yowp, and a merry Christmas!

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    1. LIke some others, never really cared for the 1964 "Christmas Flintstone" episode, so appreciated the newspaper strip installment with Pebbles rhymting..:)

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  4. Wow! A virtually authentic-looking tv plug-cord.

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  5. I wonder if any of those “What Will They Think of Next” suggestions ever reached H-B… and if any of them were ever used, with or without credit?

    Couldn’t you just “hear” Don Messick as the football announcer?

    Oh, and I guess electricity, like glass windows – and the car doors and trunk lids on Fred’s car, let alone the “appearing and disappearing second floor of his house” (see “The Hot Piano”) only exist as they are needed by the story or gag.

    Aw, and Yowp… Do ya have to go away? Couldn’t you just post something say once-a-month, or so? That would still put you way ahead of so many other Blogs I know… including lots of ‘em on your Blog-roll.

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    1. I second that motion. Yowp, please consider making this a once-a-month blog, rather than stopping altogether. Pretty please with sugar on top...

      Alternatively, perhaps you could occasionally post Hanna-Barbera-related stuff to the Tralfaz blog.

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    2. And who we meet in the Flintstones Sunday page from December 12, 1967 (drawn by Gene Hazelton, referring to the auto exhibit)?
      The Montague Gypsum's archetype!

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  6. YOWP, isn't there going to be an article on Heather North?

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