Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities An EDE Super-Retro Review: New Fun #1

Ur and Wur. Pioneers of civilisation and comedy routines!

Ur loves the music of Jamaic-Ur.

FUN FILMS: TAD AMONG THE PIRATES

So, this feature is actually super-annoying. It gives you a series of panels which the reader can cut out, attach end to end, and then by pulling them through the "stage" which can also be cut out, it's supposed to be like a film.

The panels feature the young boy Tad, whose mother lets him go out an play on the harbor, where he runs into pirates. Fleeing from the pirates, he hides onboard a ship, only to fall into the hold.

So, it's annoying enough that they are encouraging people to cut up the comic in order to make this lame film thing, but rather than having the flipside be something that it wouldn't matter if you cut up, there's an actual comic on the next page that will be destroyed if you want to make your "fun film"! Ugh. Plus, the whole method of "playing" this film seems suspect to me. A "flip book" would achieve the goal much better.

So, yeah, not a fan of this at all. Apparently, this feature would last until #3, however.

The reader's been had by Tad.

Liking pirates, my family cut out the panels on all 10 copies of this we bought. Great fun. It's not as though these funny books are worth anything.

I did find myself wondering if any of the surviving copies of this had the fun film panels cut out. It seems like people who would be likely to actually cut them out would also be likely to think of the comics as disposable, so it's unlikely that many of those survived, but...

Stranger things have happened!

BUBBY AND BEEVIL

To quote the first panel: "Meet happy-go-lucky Bubby with his clattering wooden shoes and big pointed cap, the friend of all good people, always ready to help the needy- he is like most unselfish people- modest, and makes himself unseen to anybody. He is followed closely by Beevil, the mischievous, gloomy bogie, who always tries his best ot throw a monkey-wrench into good old Bubby's doings. And now listen:"

So, we begin with Bubby, singing, doing his morning exercises, and excited for a new day. He decides to go look for someone doing a good deed. But Beevil observes him from a hole in tree and decides to follow. Bubby spies young Jacky, performing errands for his mother. When he returns home, Jacky's mother tells him to go do his schoolwork, but Jacky is tired, and falls asleep! So Bubby decides to sneak in and help out by finishing Jacky's schoolwork for him. "Good deeds, bah!" says Beevil, observing, and once Bubby leaves, Beevil sneaks in and spills ink on Jacky's assignment! What will happen? Stay tuned for next issue!

So, I found this a really charming little strip. Bubby is exactly the same design as "Fun the Fantastic" from the intro. page, so that's a bit weird. Apparently this title would only last through #3, which is a shame, and I want to blame that on all the kids who cut out their "Fun Films" on the previous page and never took the time to appreciate the grooviness of this comic. I'd totally retcon Bubby and Beevil to be DC's first 5th dimensional imps.

A 1954 study into US adult numeracy and literacy deficiency, found that the number one reason was Bubby doing all their homework in the '30s.

LOL. Just what I was thinking. Beevil is actually helping raise the numeracy and literacy ratings.

PELION AND OSSA

This is a funny animal strip, starring a young penguin and bear and their adventures in the Arctic. Pelion and Ossa walk to the top of a big snow drift to find a good place to sled. They slide down the hill, only to hit a bit of a cliff. As they land, the sled breaks and Ossa goes into a pond. Once Ossa emerges, he's not to disappointed about the sled being broken, but Pelion wants to get it fixed. They wander until they find a house in the North Pole section. They start to ring the bell, but the door mysteriously opens by itself. They enter, and find a nice warm fire. Pelion sees somebody coming out the window. They're flying! We are left with the cliffhanger of who it could be that's approaching!

This was okay. Interesting that, like Oswald the Rabbit earlier in the issue, this funny animal story was centered around sledding. This strip would last through More Fun #20, and I suppose is the first DC Comic officially set on Earth-C, so that's kind of cool. Maybe they could show up in a future incarnation of the Zoo Crew?

We're also treated to a bonus strip of Beevil, who is poking his head up out of the ground looking all sour, until the wind blows an issue of New Fun his way. He begins reading, and starts laughing, his sour disposition gone!

PELION AND OSSA

This is a funny animal strip, starring a young penguin and bear and their adventures in the Arctic. Pelion and Ossa walk to the top of a big snow drift to find a good place to sled. They slide down the hill, only to hit a bit of a cliff. As they land, the sled breaks and Ossa goes into a pond. Once Ossa emerges, he's not to disappointed about the sled being broken, but Pelion wants to get it fixed. They wander until they find a house in the North Pole section. They start to ring the bell, but the door mysteriously opens by itself. They enter, and find a nice warm fire. Pelion sees somebody coming out the window. They're flying! We are left with the cliffhanger of who it could be that's approaching!

This was okay. Interesting that, like Oswald the Rabbit earlier in the issue, this funny animal story was centered around sledding. This strip would last through More Fun #20, and I suppose is the first DC Comic officially set on Earth-C, so that's kind of cool. Maybe they could show up in a future incarnation of the Zoo Crew?

We're also treated to a bonus strip of Beevil, who is poking his head up out of the ground looking all sour, until the wind blows an issue of New Fun his way. He begins reading, and starts laughing, his sour disposition gone!

2023 SUPER-POLICE

Here we have a nice slice of science fiction, set in the far off future of 2023! We open with Rex talking to Professor Shanley, asking if the new plane is ready. And it turns out that the new vehicle, the "Hi-Lo", a stratosphere-submarine that can function as either an airplane or submarine is ready for service for the Super-Police! It's just in time, as they have a mission in the Galapagos Islands, where five U. S. Ships have mysteriously disappeared.

Rex asks about the Professor's daughter Joan, but is told that she is at her aunt's house, and will have to sit this trip out, as it's too dangerous (for a girl!)! But, a third character who isn't identified (he's originally wearing a lab coat as though he's the Professsor's assistant, but then later dons a Super-Police uniform) calls Joan to tell her they will be leaving in fifteen minutes. Joan rushes to the airfield to try to catch the plane, but forgets to pay her taxi driver! She and the taxi driver both end up hanging from the planes wing, but at some point begin to fall off! The professor spies them, and Rex takes the controls and somehow manages to catch them. Back on board the plane, Rex picks up a "photo-light" S.O.S. from a ship sinking near the Galapagos! They speed there in the Hi-Lo! Will it get there in time? Find out next issue!

Okay, the whole bit of Joan hanging off the plane is pretty goofy, but it's an interesting set-up nonetheless. Apparently Rex's full name is Rex Cosmos, and his fellow Super-Policeman is named Axel Yoke! They encounter such colorful villains as Captain Kiddaw, the wizard-pirate and Renee, the Queen of Fortune. But alas, they last only until More Fun #14. Perhaps as we approach the actual year 2023, DC will make plans to revive this classic series?

Anyway, this is actually the last page of New Fun #1. But wait... there's more! Because we still have the back cover! But, yeah, just a couple of more things to talk about.

Ahh penguins in the Arctic. Wrong! Funny how having penguins depicted in the North always rubs me the wrong way but I am perfectly fine with talking anthropomorphised animals. And Pingu is very funny.

Actually one species of penguin is found in the Northern hemisphere (just) on the Galapagos Islands. Also "penguin" was originally another name for the Great Auk (now extinct Northern Hemisphere flightless sea bird) and when sailors first saw the Southern Hemisphere birds they thought they resembled the auks and so called them penguins.

I have seen penguins in the wild. Not far from Melbourne at Phillip Island is a large colony of Little Penguins whose nightly return to their burrows is a significant tourist attraction.

Yeah, I meant to say something about penguins being in the wrong place, but completely forgot about it when I was actually writing that bit.

NEW EASY WAY TO LEARN AVIATION

The inside back cover is devoted to an ad from Ideal Aeroplane and Supply Co., which basically sells model airplane (and ship) kits. So, if the previous features on building model airplanes and ship from scratch proved too difficult, and you've got the money to spare, you can order the catalogue for these fancy kits! It's got a lot of pictures of various airplane models you can build, Apparently, you can operate the controls in cockpit of these models and learn the principles of flying!

TOM MIX AND HIS RALSTON STRAIGHT SHOOTERS

And, finally the back cover. This features a comic/advertisement for the Ralston Purina Company, featuring Western film/radio star Tom Mix. In it, youngsters Jimmy and Jane are passing an open window when they happen to overhear smugglers planning on ambushing Tom Mix at his ranch house. Jimmy and Jane ride to town to warn Tom Mix, but are too late, as Tom and his wrangler have already set off towards home and the ambush! Jimmy and Jane ride as fast as they can in an attempt to head Tom off, but can't catch up with him! They finally arrive at the house, just as Tom is starting up the front porch. Knowing that if they call out, the smugglers will open fire and kill Tom, Jimmy and Jane try to think of some way they can warn Tom of the danger. Fortunately, Jimmy has with him his "Zyp Gun", a spring-loaded device that fire a "bullet" with a rubber suction cup attached to the end of it (basically a plunger), and uses it to send a note warning Tom and the wrangler of the danger. Prepared, Tom and the wrangler burst in the house with guns drawn and the smugglers surrender without a fight. Jimmy and Jane bring the troops from a nearby Fort, who are grateful because they'd been after the smugglers for years. Tom says that the credit belongs to Jimmy and Jane, and the wrangler muses that every boy and girl will want a zyp gun after seeing how it saved Tom's life.

And... guess what? All you have to do is buy a box of Ralston cereal, made of whole wheat to keep you strong like Jimmy and Jane, and rich in vitamins and minerals (and "double rich" in Vitamin B!), and send in a box top to get a free zyp gun of your own! Well, you're supposed to send in the coupon that you clip off the back of the comic as well, but if you don't have a coupon, or don't want to cut up your sure-to-be-valuable in the future historically important first comic by the company that will later become known as DC Comics, you can actually just write "zyp gun" on the box top and you don't need a coupon at all! Whoever thought of that alternative must have been a real straight shooter who regularly ate his Ralston cereal, which is not only healthy, but tastes really good!

Thanks EDE. Reading these has been fun and I am sad to see the end of it.

That Ranch House must have had a lot of steps, if Jimmy had time to write a note of warning. I saw Purina and wond?red how glossy fur and a cat diet was going to help the kids.

Thanks. I definitely enjoyed reading this book overall, even if the features were a bit of mixed bag.

I have another review project planned, which is really a bit of continuation of something I started years ago!

That was fun. Thanks EDE.

Like others have said, this was great fun. Thank you, EDE. Looking forward to your next review project.

Like DC, I managed to make it through the entire year 2023 without thinking about Rex Cosmos, Super-Policeman of the year 2023! But I remedied that tonight by going back and reading through his entire series, at least what I could find online. Fun stuff, that unfortunately ends on a cliffhanger. Considering his series adds up to about 22 pages over the course of the first sixteen issues of New/More Fun, it would be nice to see it reprinted and the first storyline concluded.

Anyway, here's the cast of the story, from the final published installment in More #14:

thanks for the write-up, EDE!

jut LOL-ing at Joan and the taxi driver both dangling off the plane...