Gene Hazelton’s designs are getting more stylised, just as they did in the Sunday Flintstones comics. Other than Yogi and Ranger Smith, everyone has big eyes. The spelling leaves a bit to be desired in the May 3rd comic. “Sandwhich”? The hat on butt is a nice touch in the final panel as Mrs. Chester beats the pic-a-nic out of him.
May 10th: Look! It’s spelling bees! (I wonder if that was intentional). A squirrel is being fed by Art in the opening panel.
The bear in the opening panel on May 17th is almost coy enough to be a Chuck Jones character. Yogi comes to his senses at the end. Women? Bah! Stick with cartoons and food. It would have been cool if he’d been watching a Hanna-Barbera cartoon. This is Boo Boo’s first appearance for the month.
How many kids does Ranger Smith have? The one in the May 24th comic looks different than the one earlier this month. Lots of detail in the final panel and in the first one on the second row. How can you give a bear a traffic ticket? One-Warning Watson is played by Hal Smith (just kidding).
More squirrels in the May 31st comic, note how one is looking in the game warden’s bag in the second row. I love the splashing fish; they’re reminiscent of the trout Yogi battled in Stout Trout (1958) which, quite possibly, were Dan Gordon designs. Boo Boo makes a return appearance and there’s a silhouette panel.
In case you didn’t notice, Yogi doesn’t rhyme once this month.
Click on any comic to make it bigger.
Materials drawn by Gene Hazelton & Ed Benedict.
ReplyDeleteInked by Ed Nofziger.
Maybe a Far Side-type comic will toy with what Yogi Bear would think of stealing food from bird feeders, like real-life bear are known to do; he probably would prefer nuts and berries.
ReplyDeleteEvery one a belter! Someone should issue a collected edition if the original art (or high quality file stats) survives.
ReplyDeleteI agree...really good and deserves a book series..
Delete