Friday, March 29, 2002

Humor Me III

Pow! Magazine #1, August 1966, Humor-Vision Inc., NYC, NY (bimonthly, 30 cents)

Publisher: Robert C. Sproul
Editor: Milton Duggan
Production: Ray Brunshaw
Artists and Writers: Andy Dutton, Victor Martin, Donald Austin, Bill King, Shirley Saunders, Ben K. Lorton, Fred Quimmby, Arlene Peyton, Charlie Place, John Carterson, and Mel Craft
Coffee Breaks: catered by the Godzilla-Fream Gypsy Tea Room

Cover: John Severin image of fighting television and movie actors. Cover lines: It's Loaded with Exploding Humor!; Collector's Edition -- Special Giant Summer Issue!; A Wacky Look at Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!; Free Bonus! Travel Stickers That Go-go-go!

Inside front cover... Photo funnies featuring fight scenes, including one from Hercules and the Princess of Troy. Best joke: "The tiger in the tank just ate the muffler!"

p. 4 Pow! Mail Call Reader letters "swiped" from Lifee, Saturday Evening Pest, and Newsweak addressing Mickey Mantle; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Truman Capote; Santa Claus; Sonny and Cher; and socks

p. 5 Super Hero Confidential d/Vic Martin... Details of the trials and tribulations of Powman! as he goes to jail, tries the dating scene, joins the military, causes a labor dispute, and becomes an advertising pitchman

p. 10 Pow! Puts You in the Laughing Seat Photo funnies featuring scenes from Crack in the World and Seaside Swingers. Best joke: "I sure hope this bomb doesn't go off. I just bought a long-playing record!"

p. 11 Mail This Risky Coupon Now! Fake ad for Johnson Smith-like correspondence courses and products. Learn how to make short men look tall, and "don't make these here mistakes in English"

p. 12 Alfred Hitchshnook Presents Hitch himself gets into a fight with the advertising sponsor from Benro Wrist Watches before presenting the Case of the Case. The sponsor offs him before the Sherlockian sleuth can even get to Melvin's ancestral castle in King's-County-on-the-Thames

p. 15 Arrowed Shirts for the Smart Looking Man d/Don Orehek... Fake ad. Best jokes: "Just flip flap over folded flap and flip on board," and "Packed by real Indians. Worn by real men"

p. 16 How to Play Pool d/John Severin... Billiards how to addressing trick shots, distractions, game strategy, hustlers, and equipment

p. 20 Wacky Inventions d/Don Sinnott... Blueprints and usage examples for a boomerang book, personalized tornado kit, all-commercial TV set, and other imagined products

p. 22 The Airline with the Most d/John Severin... Fake ad extolling Ignited Air Line's DC-9 Jet Brainliner's comfort, service, and imported Swiss ski jump. Nice Bob Dobbs image

p. 24 Historical Telegrams... That Never Got There Bitter riffs on the Titanic, American flag, Custer's last stand, Gettysburg address, Dewey v. Truman, Paul Revere's midnight ride, the Hindenberg disaster, and other events

p. 26 Remember! Forest Fires Can Prevent Bears! d/Russ Heath... Poster that depicts, well, guess

p. 27 Pow's Pix!! Photo funnes making fun of the Japanese, wash-and-wear clothing, and medical insurance

p. 28 Digest Magazines d/John Severin... Four spoofs of Reader's Digest aimed at monsters, cotton pickers, psychotics, and soldiers. Best article titles: "Putting profit into blood," "Union sluts aren't in vogue," "After the truth serum, what?" and "We don't say fall out around here"

p. 32 Have Grunion; Will Travel d/G. Peltz... A Fish Police-like Western. Yawn

p. 35 Nuts A Go-Go Five gag panels by Don Orehek, Pete Wyman, and some guy named O'Brien. His strips on bar life and sign painting are the best

p. 36 Quiz Time The puzzle pieces don't match up, but it's supposedly C. Aubrey Smith. Uh, ha?

p. 37 Zwordo d/Burgos... Zorro parody poking at, oh, this is horrible

p. 40 Grins That Won the West! Photo funnies including scenes from Stagecoach and Seaside Swingers. Best joke: "It may not look like much, but I get 20 miles to a bag of oats!"

p. 42 Stories of the Month d/Kirschen... Three silly but well-drawn strips about coffee, upstairs neighbors, and the postal service

Inside back cover... Fake cigarette ad

Extras: Pow's Power-Packed Premium, ungummed travel stickers imprinted with jokes riffing on Spain, the Bronx, and Canada

Marginalia: "Show me a man who can smile when everything goes wrong, and I'll show you Smilin' Jack!" Tailspin Tommy; "I wish I had a crew cut!" Prince Valiant; "Sure wish Al Capp would buy me a new pair of pants! I jus don't look neat!" Li'l Abner; "I'm not really such a bad kid, once you get to know me!" Dennis the Menace; "Last week, I took a walk in the park and almost got lost!" Mark Trail; "I had a girl in every port, but the trouble was that they all looked like Olive Oyl!" Popeye; "It's not fair! They won't let me get out of the Army!" Beetle Bailey; "You won't believe it, but when I was a lad, I wanted to be a fireman instead of a policeman!" Dick Tracy; "I wish I had enough money to buy my own telephone booth!" Superman; "Wanna know something? I like steak much better than corn beef and cabbage!" Jiggs; "I've been in high school for so many years, I'll soon be collecting social security!" Archie; "How's tricks? How's tricks? All day long, that's all people ask me!" Mandrake the Magician; "I bet I spend $20 a week on sandwich meat alone!" Blondie; "My father was an old newspaperman, but he gave it up. There was no money in old newspapers!" Brenda Starr; "I must be growing up. Yesterday, I carried Little Orphan Annie's books home from school!" Dondi

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