Once again, I'm starting up a thread as a reading companion to the latest archive release.
For those not familiar with these threads, it will include material from the original issues, such as house ads, text features and letter columns, to help put the stories in this volume into better context.
So let's go back to early 1956... as Bill Schelly describes in his introduction, Sheldon Mayer was given the task of launching 2 kid-friendly titles for DC as they were still feeling their way in the new post comic-code marketplace.
With Sugar & Spike, he didn't have to look very far for inspiration - his daughter Merrily and his son Lanney:
The picture is courtesy of the Comic Book Artist #11 feature on Merrily Mayer. It's a wonderful interview, and I encourage anyone interested in this subject to read it in its entirety over here.
Between Mr. Schelly's intro and the CBA interview, you'll read all you need to know about the genesis of this series, so there's no sense in me rehashing it here.
However, one key item that the Archive omits is a text feature contained in the first S&S issue entitled "Safety Pin Scientist". Although it's not signed by Mayer, it almost certainly was authored by him. It's a cute essay looking at the world from a toddler's perspective, and it provided more insight into where Shelly was going with the series:
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One more thing you would have found in that first issue is this preview for the other series that Mayer launched that month:
[For some reason, Three Mouseketeers did not reciprocate - there was no Sugar & Spike preview in their first issue!]
In Sugar & Spike #2, there was another text feature entitled "Keep Your Camera Clicking". Again, there's no certainty as to authorship but I suspect Mayer wrote this one too. Whoever it was certainly approached the subject of photography with the perspective and temperament of an artist:
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That second issue had a house ad for another humor book that DC was launching. Mayer didn't have a hand in this one - it only lasted a few issues... And away we go!!!:
Coming up: Look - We Got Letters!!
.
For those not familiar with these threads, it will include material from the original issues, such as house ads, text features and letter columns, to help put the stories in this volume into better context.
So let's go back to early 1956... as Bill Schelly describes in his introduction, Sheldon Mayer was given the task of launching 2 kid-friendly titles for DC as they were still feeling their way in the new post comic-code marketplace.
With Sugar & Spike, he didn't have to look very far for inspiration - his daughter Merrily and his son Lanney:
The picture is courtesy of the Comic Book Artist #11 feature on Merrily Mayer. It's a wonderful interview, and I encourage anyone interested in this subject to read it in its entirety over here.
Between Mr. Schelly's intro and the CBA interview, you'll read all you need to know about the genesis of this series, so there's no sense in me rehashing it here.
However, one key item that the Archive omits is a text feature contained in the first S&S issue entitled "Safety Pin Scientist". Although it's not signed by Mayer, it almost certainly was authored by him. It's a cute essay looking at the world from a toddler's perspective, and it provided more insight into where Shelly was going with the series:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One more thing you would have found in that first issue is this preview for the other series that Mayer launched that month:
[For some reason, Three Mouseketeers did not reciprocate - there was no Sugar & Spike preview in their first issue!]
In Sugar & Spike #2, there was another text feature entitled "Keep Your Camera Clicking". Again, there's no certainty as to authorship but I suspect Mayer wrote this one too. Whoever it was certainly approached the subject of photography with the perspective and temperament of an artist:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That second issue had a house ad for another humor book that DC was launching. Mayer didn't have a hand in this one - it only lasted a few issues... And away we go!!!:
Coming up: Look - We Got Letters!!
.
