Wednesday, June 18, 2008

 

Obscurity of the Day: Alma & Oliver



Ah, now here we have the real goodies! Alma & Oliver is by all reports George McManus' very first continuing comic strip. I've been looking for a sample of this strip for years now without any luck. Cole Johnson to the rescue!

Though the strip is mentioned in practically every cartoon history ever written I was beginning to think it never actually existed, much like the oft-mentioned Swinnerton's "Little Bears and Tigers" which just turned out to be a misheard reference to Little Bears and Tykes. These same cartoon histories usually cite Alma & Oliver as running in 1900, but Cole informs me that this is definitely not the case. He cites running dates of September 28 1902 to April 12 1903. Swift-thinking blog readers will already realize that makes Alma & Oliver McManus' second strip -- Burglar Pete turns out to be his very first! At least 'tis so until Cole comes across with some other undocumented rarity!

By the way, this strip is a great example of needing to see samples. I always assumed, and I think some histories may even indicate, that the titular Alma was a woman. Given McManus' minor fame in St. Louis for his Gibsonesque glamor girl drawings it seemed a reasonable assumption that his first strip would feature a pretty gal. Not so, not so!

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# posted by Allan Holtz @ 7:40 AM
Comments:
What are the dates of these Republic comics? Only one Gay Boys cartoon had one.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 6/18/2008 10:56 AM
 
Hi furblis -
Sorry but Cole didn't give me the specific dates on the samples. Cole, could you tell us the dates?

--Allan
# posted by Blogger Allan Holtz : 6/19/2008 8:28 AM
 
Hello Allan, and Hello Furballs-I mean Furbils- The dates are---- Burglar Pete: 8-24-02, Gay Boys: "Rats" 9-7-02, "Love Feast" 3-8-03. Alma & Oliver:"Politicians" 11-16-02, "Trouble Again" 3-15-03. Cole Johnson.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 6/19/2008 5:13 PM
 
Republic comics shown
Burglar Pete 8-24-02
Gay boys "Rats" 9-7-02
"Love Feast" 3-8-03
Alma & Oliver "Politicians" ll-16-02
"Trouble Again" 3-15-03
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 6/20/2008 3:34 PM
 
The least you could have done was protect my muff!!
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 6/22/2019 12:20 AM
 
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