Hope for Hunting

Beep Beep the Road Runner #22 (Gold Key, February 1971, 15 cents)
"The Conked Condor" In this six-page uncredited story, Wile E. Coyote is trying to "bop" himself a road runner by launching boulders at them. Instead, he hits a condor, which lands in a cactus before meeting Road Runner and his three children. The condor "can't get started from flat ground," so he can't fly away from Wile E., who catches him. The road runners, however, free him.

"Lost and Frown'd" On a very windy day, Road Runner and his children find a wallet belonging to R.J. Jaye of 123 June St. They go to town to return it to him, byt Wile E. Coyote ambushes them. Jaye discovers Wile E. picking his wallet up off the stoop. "Did you say a wallet-stealing coyote?" "The worst kind!"



"Slippery Target" This four-page Cool Cat story features a hunter who slips in the morning dew, spiked shoes from the "Hope for Hunting" chest, a foot chase, and a gun that needs loading. In the end, Cool Cat escapes slipping and sliding around in the hunter's old shoes.


"Spook Fluke" This seven-page Road Runner story features a haunted house. Wile E. Coyote tries to trick the boys into thinking their father is safe, while he dons a ghost costume to capture the proud bird. Trapping Road Runner in "this handy ol' clock," Wile E. is then accosted by an actual ghost, and the road runners escape.

"Snowed Drift" Closing off the issue in four pages, this short story involves snow, rope, and a train. Wile E. Coyote does not catch the road runners.

This issue also features Gold Key Comics Club News, George Allard's "Stamp and Coin Collector's Corner," a page of jokes, and a one-page text story, "The Desperate Desperado." The issue also includes a Statement of Ownership that indicates that Gold Key printed about 380,000 of each issue and that only 160 people subscribed, on average.



Beep Beep the Road Runner #103 (Western, April 1983, 60 cents)
This Western issue reprints the above comic's first two stories, "The Conked Condor" and "Lost and Frown'd," as well as other material.

"Clarinet Caper" An uncredited seven-page story, this piece tells the tale of what happens when Road Runner buy his sons radios and headphones—basically, Walkmans. Meanwhile, Wile E. Coyote is practicing the clarinet in order to use his invention, a miniature cylinder that, when inserted into a clarinet, can "play the instrument by itself" and has a "built-in hypnotizer. Because of their earphones, however, the road runners are impervious to the hypnosis, which backfires because of a pair of earmuffs.

"The Chatterbox" The road runners are playing hide and seek with Yosemite Sam's pet parrot. The parrot accidentally hides in Wile E. Coyote's cave. In the end, Sam is chasing Wile E. "Now I'll deal with you the pirate way!"



"Salt Water Sappy" Wile E. Coyote disguises himself as a beach ball. He keeps angering the same "muscle-bound gorilla" and is eventually chases off the beach,

"Captain Fabulous" A "wonder-hero" shows up to help Wile E. Coyote, who persuades him that he's been the helpless victim of the road runners. Captain Faboulous catches the birds and deposits them in Wile E.'s cook pot, but then the coyote isn't able to pay up—"Super-heroes have to make a living too, you know!" Captain Fabulous gives Wile E. the old what for.

Availability: The Gold Key and Western Road Runner material has not been collected, but the more recent DC Looney Tunes series has. There are three volumes: Looney Tunes: Greatest Hits Vol. 1: What's up Doc?, Looney Tunes: Greatest Hits Vol. 2: You're Despicable!, and Looney Tunes: Greatest Hits Vol. 3: Beep Beep.