TODAY’S FEATURED LINK:

Allan Holtz at his fantastic Stripper’s Guide blog posts a review of the recent Complete Little Orphan Annie Volume 1 published by IDW that has an interesting anecdote. Apparently, Mr. Holtz had pursued an Annie reprint project like this one previously and been extrememly frustrated finding copies of the early strips… it is horriffic how close we came to losing these classic strips forever. That’s right… the early episodes of one of the most well-known and longest running strips in the US almost disappeared. Now just imagine how the lesser known strips are faring! I wish this sort of thing was atypical, but it sure isn’t… as I have ranted here before (and will again, I’m sure), comics history is disappearing, and most of it will be lost without preservation efforts. Fantagraphics has had a lot of trouble finding some of the strips for their Complete Peanuts reprints, for pete’s sake!

Here is what Mr. Holtz says:

It may come as a surprise to those who aren’t devoted fans of Little Orphan Annie, but this is an extraordinary collection for the simple fact that the book begins with the very first sequence of the strip. So what? Well, when Little Orphan Annie began it appeared in only one paper in the world, the New York Daily News. That alone would make the early strips rare, but compounding that rarity is that the Daily News was considered a trashy tabloid and so it was never collected and bound by libraries. If there are no libraries collecting the papers, and then later disposing them, there are no opportunities for collectors to amass runs of the original tearsheets. The only known run of the first months of the strip is in the Daily News’ own microfilm copies, and that microfilm, which I’ve had the opportunity to review, is an almost unbelievable mess.

I had the idea of publishing the early Annie strips several years ago and I hit this brick wall myself. Faced with the impossibility of finding these strips in anything vaguely approaching reproducible form I waved the white flag and gave up. Luckily Dean Mullaney and company were not so easily dismayed. They had the bright idea of checking the Harold Gray papers at Boston University and it turned out that the archive included an unexpected treasure — an almost complete run of the strip right from the beginning. So, putting aside a wee bit of jealousy, I’m thrilled that finally we have the opportunity to read the saga of that little orphan gal right from the start, including the pivotal early days in the orphanage that have been unseen since they were published over 80 years ago.

I’ve been reading some of the Pacific Comics Club facimile reprints of some of the old Annie Books recently, and they are highly entertaining… I’m looking forward to getting a copy of this book. Click the above image to read the rest of Mr. Holtz’s thoughtful review.

• Feds Fine University of Texas Lab for Chimp Escape and Death
  from Monkeys In The News
• Controversial Plastics Chemical Causes Problems in Monkey Brains
  from Monkeys In The News
• Wild Monkey Leads Tokyo Police On Chase
  from Monkeys In The News
• Thai Police Intercept Monkeys Bound To Cambodian Restaurants
  from Monkeys In The News
• At Arraignment Court in St. Paul
  from ACLU Blog: Because Freedom Can’t Blog Itself
• MAD About Star Wars: more than your average MAD anthology
  from Boing Boing
• Vintage Arcade & Souvenir Photo Collection
  from Little Hokum Rag
• Canada’s Cartoon Roots
  from John K Stuff
• Macropayments: Why I don’t take tips for my books
  from Boing Boing
• LHC will not destroy the universe in 5 days
  from Boing Boing
• Michael Moore’s next movie will be a free download
  from Boing Boing
• Design: More Vintage Japanese Matchbox Labels
  from Martin Klasch
• Stripper’s Guide Bookshelf: Little Orphan Annie Volume One
  from Stripper’s Guide
• Sept. 5, 2008: You’re no one till you sell in Bobby’s shop
  from Journalista – the news weblog of The Comics Journal
• Un conte d’andersen ici
  from Agence eureka
• Soleil et p…
  from Agence eureka
• Du suspens ,de l’aventure,…
  from Agence eureka
• "Les sciences" cours moye…
  from Agence eureka
• Reptiles…..
  from Agence eureka
• Romans illustrés pour la j…
  from Agence eureka
• Grande construction
  from Agence eureka
• Bestioles
  from Agence eureka
• Un jeu de l’oie trouvé dans un "Marie-Claire" de…
  from Agence eureka
• Oi…
  from Agence eureka
• Singes ( 10 autres singes dans l’album )
  from Agence eureka
• Coquillages
  from Agence eureka
• Bestioles, coquillages et crustacés…..
  from Agence eureka
• Oceano
  from Agence eureka
• Natation, bains ,massage ,cure Keinpp etc……
  from Agence eureka
• Fun & Games: Jeu de massacre
  from Martin Klasch
• Poster Art: Sci-fi movie #5
  from Martin Klasch
• Vintage Photos: Gas & Bear
  from Martin Klasch
• Ephemera: Wacky Stuff at Flickr
  from Martin Klasch
• Cinderella Stamps
  from Stuff by wackystuff
• Cool Factor Five
  from Stuff by wackystuff
• YouTube’s Inconsistent Standards for Animation Art
  from Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation
• Retro-future: What will Your Next Car Look Like?
  from Martin Klasch
• Poster Art: Magyar Szalámi
  from Martin Klasch
• Flickr: Evil Incarnated
  from Martin Klasch
• Poster Art: Chinese Public Health
  from Martin Klasch
• EN BUSCA DEL PUEBLO ESCONDIDO
  from Viñetas

TODAY’S FEATURED LINK:

Random Semi-Conscious Musings brings us a photo gallery of who all the carticatures are in the Disney cartoon Mother Goose Goes Hollywood with comparison photos. I knew some, I didn’t know some, and I had some wrong. Click the above caricature of someone who is not Buster Keaton to see them all.

• The Mask of Madame Rowley
  from The Virtual Dime Museum
• Newsarama.com : TALKING TO ROGER LANGRIDGE
  from Newsarama.com
• Twisted Classsics: The Work of Posy Simmonds – 9/1/2008…
  from Publisher’s Weekly
• Funny Business – Entrepreneur.com
  from entrepreneur.com
• Yo Gabba Gabba Season 2 revealed!
  from PUNY blog
• OTBP: Holy Shit
  from CR Briefings
• George Petty 1894 ~ 1975
  from Golden Age Comic Book Stories
• Design: Natural Forms
  from ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive
• FOTOS DE UN ALMANAQUE JAPONES DE LOS AÑOS 30
  from Viñetas
• JAM TONIGHT IN MINNEAPOLIS! (Thursday September 4th)
  from CONSPIRE!
• Dan Clowes’ cover for Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories
  from Boing Boing
• Canadian Animation – The Beginning
  from John K Stuff
• Save the Superman House
  from The Ephemerist
• A PublIc ServIce
  from news from me
• Trailers From Hell: Dirty Duck
  from Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation
• School of Everything: eBay for knowledge
  from Boing Boing
• HOWTO build your own A-bomb
  from Boing Boing
• Mr. G sends us a present while he’s away.
  from Neil Gaiman’s Journal
• Jim Borgman Takes Voluntary Severance
  from CR Briefings
• Animators Hook Up Trailer For Change-Bots
  from Cold Hard Flash: Flash Animation News
• Mark Siegel interview at ICv2
  from THE BEAT
• Top Shelf sale!
  from THE BEAT
• Minnesota Mystery Track
  from Cryptomundo
• Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya
  from BibliOdyssey
• Printable housing
  from Boing Boing
• Bad judgment in choice of kids’ book cover
  from Boing Boing
• Sarah Palin, would-be banner of books
  from Boing Boing
• Book about photobooths
  from Boing Boing
• Bill Melendez 1916-2008
  from Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation
• Make canned monstrosities
  from Boing Boing
• Hidden Treasures, or: Boody.
  from FLOG! Entries
• Who’s doing the window-smashing in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
  from Boing Boing
• ENSLAVED BY A GIANT GORILLA ON HER WEDDING NIGHT!
  from Gorilla Men
• Interview With An Extraordinary Gentleman
  from Blog of Revelations
• Bill Melendez 1916-2008
  from Mike Lynch Cartoons
• Bill Melendez 1917-2008
  from ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive
• Bill Melendez Remembered
  from ThadBlog
• News of Yore 1922: A Day With Tillie’s Creator
  from Stripper’s Guide
• Sept. 4, 2008: Specialists
  from Journalista – the news weblog of The Comics Journal
• Bill Melendez, R.I.P.
  from news from me
• Flying Pizza Kitty
  from Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog
• New studio!
  from Scary Terry’s World
• Lovecraft had 2 stories published in Astounding Stories
  from Golden Age Comic Book Stories
• Astounding Stories
  from Golden Age Comic Book Stories
• Design: Two Disney Concept Artists
  from ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive
• Sept. 3, 2008: Returnable
  from Journalista – the news weblog of The Comics Journal
• Lying In The Gutters – 9-2-2008
  from Lying In The Gutters
• Jason Lutes interview with The Wall Street Journal
  from Drawn and Quarterly
• WB Cartoon Credit Weirdness
  from Random semiconscious musings
• Making an animated cartoon: Ward Kimball
  from Random semiconscious musings
• Back from the dead with “Mother Goose Goes Hollywood”
  from Random semiconscious musings
• Mighty Hunters
  from Random semiconscious musings
• Happy Hallowe’en
  from Random semiconscious musings
• Censored Cartoons suck
  from Random semiconscious musings
• Monkey Mugs Woman For Egg Tarts At Hong Kong Bus Stop
  from Monkeys In The News
• Guns Magazine 1955 CHESTER GOULD DICK TRACY
  from (Category: Newspaper Comics )
• Disaster Diorama Papercraft
  from Neatorama
• Harper’s Weekly for September 2, 2008
  from Boing Boing

TODAY’S FEATURED ITEM: I’m Learning to Share posts images of a mysterious hideously illustrated vintage teevee tray that seems to be painted by an artist copying the characters from different sources. I have two of these trays also… my daughter was eating sugar cereal on one sitting on the floor watching Fleischer cartoons just this weekend. Can you identify what artists the artist of this tray was ripping off? If so please do so in the comments here, or better yet on I’m Learning to Share’s post. I’m betting the monkey is a poor rendition of some Lawson Wood image. Click the image above to go to the site and see a better photo of the illustration.

• Meltzer’s bid to save Siegel’s house
  from THE BEAT
• An Ugly Disney Poster
  from Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation
• BE THE KING KONG OF YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
  from Gorilla Men
• SHARK VS GORILLA VS SNAKE
  from Gorilla Men
• One vintage kiddie TV tray: Kinda scary, and not just in a Richard Scarry kind of way
  from I’m Learning To Share!
• Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae
  from BibliOdyssey
• Interview: Nate Powell Pt 3 [of 4]
  from The Daily Cross Hatch
• Neilsen’s Mermaid Pictures
  from Michael Sporn Animation – Splog
• Go, Read: Morrison on Saving Comics
  from CR Briefings
• Federal court blocks beef exporter from testing for mad cow disease
  from Boing Boing
• BUY: PictureBox sale
  from THE BEAT
• Jacques Tardi Employs Newspaper Serialization in Advance of WWI Book
  from CR Briefings
• Once more into the breach, dear pals!
  from THE BEAT
• Letterman
  from news from me
• HOWTO Make a papercraft Masonic Lodge
  from Boing Boing
• Mary Blair’s Alice in Wonderland
  from Boing Boing
• Edmund Dulac 1882 ~ 1953
  from Golden Age Comic Book Stories
• Color: Jules Engel’s Color Keys For The Alvin Show
  from ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive
• Saunders, Brown, Finlay & Monster Scenes!
  from THE HORRORS OF IT ALL
• Edd Cartier 1914
  from Golden Age Comic Book Stories
• Female Pugilists
  from Yesterday’s Papers
• Arthur Rackham 1867 ~ 1939
  from Golden Age Comic Book Stories
• The End of Simon & Kirby
  from Simon and Kirby – Jack Kirby Museum & Research
• News of Yore 1922: McManus, Celebrity Cartoonist
  from Stripper’s Guide
• Sidney Sime 1867 ~ 1941
  from Golden Age Comic Book Stories
• DUKE: PORTADA DE CARLOS FREIXAS (1946)
  from Viñetas
• YUMA: PORTADA DE JESÚS BLASCO (1945)
  from Viñetas
• TARTARIN DE TARASCON: PORTADA DE EMILIO FREIXAS
  from Viñetas
• Clowes event photo-video-rama
  from FLOG! Entries
• Goodman Arrest Video
  from Green Party Watch
• Reports of Mass Detensions in Minneapolis
  from Green Party Watch
• Sept. 2, 2008: We’re number 43!
  from Journalista – the news weblog of The Comics Journal
• Sept. 1, 2008: The Comics Journal #292
  from Journalista – the news weblog of The Comics Journal
• du9 – L’autre Bande Dessinée – Chester Brown
  from du9.org
• HeraldNet: Daniel Clowes an unusual figure in comic world
  from heraldnet.com
• Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed
  from Comic Book Resources
• Flood Damage At Great Ape Trust Reaches $1 Million
  from Monkeys In The News
• 20 of the World’s Weirdest Endangered Species
  from Neatorama