« It’s quiet snow that I remember best… snowfall and Brahms on November nights. » — Rod Mckuen, Midnight Walk
While Autumn is easily my favourite season, much of its magic and colours are gone by the purgatory that is the month of November, and I find myself longing for snow to brighten the relentlessly longer and gloomier evenings.
And then, yesterday, as I was still mulling over this post, I woke up to this view from my front door.
Well, then! This post consists of a(nother) gallery of Warren Kremer‘s delightful Harvey covers, this time with a snowy theme. Never truly ‘ha ha’ funny, they get along on charm and crafty, limpid conception and execution.
This is Little Dot no. 15 (Jan. 1956, Harvey). While most of Harvey’s efforts were channeled into their ‘Big Two’, Casper and Richie Rich, I always found these too bland (in the former’s case) or kind of deplorable (in the latter’s). I was more attuned to the line’s (slightly) bad boys, Spooky and Hot Stuff (Donald Ducks to Casper and Richie’s Mickey Mice), but really, the genuine interest resided in art director Kremer’s nimble design gymnastics and thematic acumen on Little Dot covers. By this time, these have improbably (but happily) inspired designers all over the globe. Nevertheless, a big juicy pox on the article’s author for failing to acknowledge Warren Kremer even once.This is Spooky no. 73 (Apr. 1963, Harvey). Those 1960s Harveys were so beautifully uncluttered in their design, with the bonus of Kremer’s marked and ongoing contempt for the Comics Code Authority stamp. Oh, and here’s our earlier selection of Spooky covers.This is Wendy, the Good Little Witch no. 22 (Feb. 1964, Harvey).Richie Rich no. 23 (May 1964, Harvey). What have you been eating, Richie?This is Little Audrey and Melvin no. 23 (Mar. 1966, Harvey). As you can see, Audrey’s sidekick Melvin shares a former fedora with our dear friend Forsythe Pendleton ‘Jughead’ Jones. That particular chapeau is called a Whoopee Cap. This is Richie Rich no. 55 (Mar. 1967, Harvey).This is Casper, the Friendly Ghost no. 116 (Apr. 1968, Harvey). Variations on skiing through solid objects is quite the cartooning wellspring.This is Little Audrey and Melvin no. 39 (Apr. 1969, Harvey). This is Hot Stuff, the Little Devil no. 93 (Oct. 1969, Harvey). For more Hot Stuff covers, check out Who Will Change the Devil’s Nappy?This is Little Lotta no. 89 (Apr. 1970, Harvey). And they didn’t find the local children’s mangled bodies until the following spring thaw.
Though she never was in Harvey comics, my favorite ‘Little” girl was Little Lulu. I am thinking of the ones drawn by John Stanley, of course, Tubby Tompkins was also a favorite — “The Spider spins again!”. But the best John Stanley comic had to be “Thirteen Going on Eighteen”.
Oh, there’s no question that Lulu was on a whole other level from the other ‘little’ girls. To give credit where credit is due, however, Stanley wrote and laid out the stories… but Irving Tripp drew them, just as Bill Williams (and Tony Tallarico, early on) drew “Thirteen” over Stanley’s storyboards.
Given that I consider the one-shot ‘Tales From the Tomb’ and the first issue of ‘Ghost Stories’ to be Stanley’s masterpieces, I must strongly disagree with your nomination of ‘Thirteen’ as his top work. But that’s perhaps comparing apples and oranges. But even if we stick to the teen genre, I much prefer ‘Around the Block With Dunc & Loo’ over ‘Thirteen’. But that’s just quibbling. I’m just delighted that we have this much Stanley to enjoy!
We can disagree, but at that time I liked teen comics better than kid comics. Even did a couple myself. I had no choice, really — when I was learning to draw the Archie style settled down on me and took permanent residence. I really would have preferred Bob Powell’s style (liked “Henry Brewster) but what can you do? It was the Sixties, and I was in the underground comic scene — I did toons in the MIT VooDoo magazine at the same time Gilbert Shelton was doing Wonder Warthog for the Texas Ranger.
(The teen comics weren’t underground. Got an e-mail where I can send scans of covers?)
Who's Out There? 
Though she never was in Harvey comics, my favorite ‘Little” girl was Little Lulu. I am thinking of the ones drawn by John Stanley, of course, Tubby Tompkins was also a favorite — “The Spider spins again!”. But the best John Stanley comic had to be “Thirteen Going on Eighteen”.
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Hi Ellen — thanks for chiming in!
Oh, there’s no question that Lulu was on a whole other level from the other ‘little’ girls. To give credit where credit is due, however, Stanley wrote and laid out the stories… but Irving Tripp drew them, just as Bill Williams (and Tony Tallarico, early on) drew “Thirteen” over Stanley’s storyboards.
Given that I consider the one-shot ‘Tales From the Tomb’ and the first issue of ‘Ghost Stories’ to be Stanley’s masterpieces, I must strongly disagree with your nomination of ‘Thirteen’ as his top work. But that’s perhaps comparing apples and oranges. But even if we stick to the teen genre, I much prefer ‘Around the Block With Dunc & Loo’ over ‘Thirteen’. But that’s just quibbling. I’m just delighted that we have this much Stanley to enjoy!
And don’t miss Stanley’s unique take on Ernie Bushmiller’s ‘Nancy’: https://whosoutthere.ca/2021/10/30/halloween-countdown-v-day-30/
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We can disagree, but at that time I liked teen comics better than kid comics. Even did a couple myself. I had no choice, really — when I was learning to draw the Archie style settled down on me and took permanent residence. I really would have preferred Bob Powell’s style (liked “Henry Brewster) but what can you do? It was the Sixties, and I was in the underground comic scene — I did toons in the MIT VooDoo magazine at the same time Gilbert Shelton was doing Wonder Warthog for the Texas Ranger.
(The teen comics weren’t underground. Got an e-mail where I can send scans of covers?)
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I sincerely appreciate this post, I’m one of Warren Kremer’s (3) living descendants, his only granddaughter.
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