Hallowe’en Countdown VIII, Day 14

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« I’ve had great success being a total idiot. » — Jerry Lewis

Hey, it’s Bob Oksner‘s birthday! I hope you’ll forgive me for double-dipping into that particular well — he also illustrated our earlier Mary Marvel entry — but I still wanted to highlight the occasion, incorrigible Oksner booster that I am.

DC’s Jerry Lewis (or Bob Hope, or Dobie Gillis…) comics weren’t even remotely funny, but they sure boasted some spiffy covers. Here’s a gallery of the most Hallowe’en-appropriate, from the pencil and pen of Mr. Oksner.

This is The Adventures of Jerry Lewis no. 87 (Mar.-Apr. 1965, DC).
This is The Adventures of Jerry Lewis no. 88 (May-June 1965, DC).

TAoJL editor Murray Boltinoff (1911-1994) had a soft sport for that particular cover concept, since he recycled it, eight years later and with a different tone, for another title he was overseeing:

Here, for comparison, is It’s Midnight… the Witching Hour no. 31 (June 1973, DC). Art by Nick Cardy.
This is The Adventures of Jerry Lewis no. 93 (Mar.-Apr. 1966, DC).
This is The Adventures of Jerry Lewis no. 94 (May-June 1966, DC).
This is The Adventures of Jerry Lewis no. 98 (Jan.-Feb. 1967, DC).
And finally, The Adventures of Jerry Lewis no. 109 (Nov.-Dec. 1968, DC). This one’s another riff on a rather hoary theme.

-RG

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