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a gigantic toddler

the Sandman

The Cheerios Kid

This issue of SPOOKY is a prime example of the fear and loathing that summed up many adults’ reaction to the hippies. Dig those zombie-like hippies, those flowers, those flies, those bandaged bare feet, and most of all, those vacant, apparently drug-addled eyes! These living zombies are so far out, they even frighten Spooky himself, the “tuff little ghost” who take pride in giving scares, not getting them! And this outrageously negative depiction appears on a comic book intended for little children!

It’s certainly a far cry from the squeaky-clean depiction of the counterculture in Harvey’s BUNNY (QUEEN OF THE IN-CROWD) series of the same time. It’s also interesting to note that 1968, this comic’s date of publication, was also the year that director George Romero’s massively influential film about the zombification of Middle America, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, was first released!

Spooky, Harvey Comics’ derby-wearing "tuff little ghost" from Brooklyn, Spooky, first appeared in the CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST No. 10 (June, 1953), created as a lovable tough-guy counterpart to his mild friend Casper. Spooky's red-haired girlfriend, Pearl (referred to as "Poil" in Spooky's Brooklynese accent), continually sought to keep Spooky from using his ghostly "boo-power" to frighten everyone and everything in sight -- often forcing her boyfriend into using covert scare-tactics! In November, 1955, Harvey published the first issue of SPOOKY THE TUFF LITTLE GHOST (which ran for an astounding total of 161 issues, ending in 1980). Soon, it was joined by other related titles such as SPOOKY SPOOKTOWN, TUFF GHOSTS and SPOOKY HAUNTED HOUSE. During the 1990s, Spooky was briefly revived for four new issues by a new incarnation of Harvey Comics.

Of course, Spooky would have never come into being in the first place if it weren't for "Casper The Friendly Ghost", a character first animated by Paramount's Famous Studios in 1945. Adapted from an unpublished children's book story credited to writer Seymour R. Reit and cartoonist Joe Oriolo, the title of Casper's premiere cartoon was "The Friendly Ghost", directed by Isadore Sparber. This led to a popular series of "Casper" theatrical cartoon shorts that lasted into 1959. (Spooky even had guest-roles in a handful of these.) After Harvey Comics licensed Casper and his ghostly pals in 1952, they bought the characters outright later that decade, and even featured Spooky in a few new made-for-TV cartoons that were made sometime around 1963. Decades later, Spooky made more animated appearances in a handful of segments of a new made-for-TV CASPER cartoon series - inspired by the live-action CASPER feature film (1995) -- produced by Universal Studios' animation division.

(But what's the story behind Spooky's olive-like black nose? Does it somehow indicate that Spooky is actually a deceased funny animal instead of a dead human?)

Included in this issue of SPOOKY are the following stories, features and advertisements:

• An untitled black-and-white, inside-front cover ad for a variety of practical jokes, gadgets and devices -- including a “hypnotic whirling coin” a “chameleon alive!”, a “mammoth 9 foot hot air balloon”, a “carbide cannon” and many others, available through mail-order from the “Johnson Smith Company”.

• “Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost” in an untitled one-page gag-strip. -- When “the tuff little ghost” tries to help King Shudder unroll his red carpet, but instead scares it right out the castle window, Spooky winds up serving as the lengthy rug’s stand-in.

• “Order By Mail Specials”, a half-page ad for “bike decals”, “magic tricks”, “crazy signs”, “assorted pennants”, “comic felt patches”, “krazy stamps”, “crazy labels” and more, all available via mail-order from “Dollar Bargains”.

• “Boys And Girls!...Be Our Guest At Palisades Amusement Park N. J.”, a half-page ad for New Jersey’s “Palisades Amusement Park”, featuring images of Casper The Friendly Ghost and Wendy The Good Little Witch, with coupons for a free admission and a free ride on “Wendy’s Cups & Saucers”.

• “Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost” in “Hat’s The Last Straw”, drawn by Howard Post. -- When Spooky’s ghostly girlfriend Poil tells him to tidy up the grounds around his haunted home, “the tuff little ghost” chafes at the thought of getting rid of all the cool junk it’s taken him so long to collect. And when a gigantic toddler starts taking the stuff, then vanishing before he can be caught, Spooky becomes downright angry. Not even Spooky’s “revoice psychology” works on the “overgrown stupid nut-boy”, who even walks off with Spooky’s house. And when the monstrous child steals Spooky’s derby hat, that’s the last straw! (This story continues in “More Than Necessary”.)

• “Wendy The Good Little Witch” in an untitled one-page gag-strip drawn by Martin Taras. -- When a pair of mischievous “wizard kids” try to prove their superiority to witches, they put Wendy’s wand through a series of weird transformations. “The good little witch” responds by using a “secret spell” to fix her wand, and turn the wizard kids’ wands into lengths of limp string.

• “Wendy The Good Little Witch” in an untitled one-page gag-strip drawn by Martin Taras. -- When a hibernating bear’s loud snoring disrupts life in the Enchanted Forest, Wendy uses her magic to cause a tiny sapling beneath him to grow until it turns over the noisy bruin, causing his snoring to subside.

• “Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost” in “More Than Necessary”, drawn by Howard Post. -- In a story that’s continued from “Hat’s The Last Straw”, Spooky hides in an old box, hoping that the giant toddler will take it, leading him to the rest of his pilfered possessions. Sure enough, the kid grabs the box and takes it to the “messy playroom” in the toddler’s castle. Turning invisible, Spooky takes a look around the “jernt” and discovers that the colossal culprit is now actually wearing his “doiby”! Encountering the kid’s “tremendous mother” -- who’s hard at work cleaning up the castle -- Spooky takes some of her son’s “playthings” and scatters them on the floor, causing his mother to order him to “take all that junk back where you got it!!” Soon, the monster-kid -- who’s name is “Percy” -- returns Spooky’s haunted house to where he found it…but he’s still got Spooky’s beloved hat! When Percy comes back with the rest of Spooky’s junk, the “midget ghost” turns invisible and grabs back his “doiby”, scaring away Percy in the process. Just then, Poil returns, dismayed that her boyfriend seems to have collected even more stuff than ever! Outwardly, she’s appalled, but privately, Poil is impressed with Spooky’s latest feat: “I wonder how he collected all of this stuff so fast!? He must be cleverer than I thought!!”

• “Wendy The Good Little Witch” in “Kooky Kate”, drawn by Martin Taras. -- When she sees her aunts, the three Witch Sisters returning home, laughing evilly, Wendy is determined to find the source of their amusement and undo whatever mischief they’ve caused. Riding her magic broomstick to the other side of the Enchanted forest, Wendy discovers that they’ve moved a truck onto the roof of a farm’s barn. She uses her magic wand to gently lower the vehicle back to the ground where it belongs. Searching the forest below for more signs of the Witch Sisters’ dirty tricks, Wendy realizes that her broom is slowly losing altitude. As she comes in for a gentle landing, she’s introduced to the person behind her broom’s unexpected behavior, a friendly witch named Kooky Kate, who merely craves some company. She shows Wendy some of her nutty inventions, like a broom with a windshield and a snake attached -- a “windshield viper” -- and a broom that makes more noise than a revved-up motorcycle -- a “sonic broom”. Then, Kooky Kate explains that she likes to pull mischievous pranks, but only on mean witches. Later, when the three Witch Sisters return to cause more havoc on the farm, Kooky Kate uses her magic to cause their brooms to start bucking like wild broncos. With their fun spoiled, the Witch Sisters return home, sulking and gloomy, but not before Wendy has arrived. The “good little witch” observes, “It serves them right! They always do such mean things to others! From now on, anytime I see them sulk, I’ll know that Kooky Kate has been around...Tee hee!”

• “Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost” in “The Champ”, a two-page text-story, illustrated by Ernie Colon.

• “Casper The Friendly Ghost” a ¼-page house-strip-ad for Harvey’s CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST comic book and animated cartoon TV series.

• “Sad Sack”, a 1/4 -page house-strip-ad for Harvey’s line of “Sad Sack” comic books, including SAD SACK, SAD SACK’S FUNNY FRIENDS FEATURING THE GENERAL, SAD SACK AND SARGE and SAD SACK’S ARMY LIFE.

• “Casper The Friendly Ghost” in “Home Guard”, drawn by Martin Taras. -- While planning ways to make his haunted home a bit nicer, Casper is interrupted by a two-man team who set out to demolish the place. When they take a lunch break, Casper re-builds the house, nailing the removed planks of lumber back into place. But this only serves to make the house demolishers more determined than ever. As they attack his home again, Casper sets out for help. He enlists the aid of the Sandman, who uses his bag of “sleep sand” to cause the two workmen to take a nap. Once again, Casper replaces all of the boards they had removed from his home’s exterior. But upon their awakening, the demolishers return to work. Frustrated, Casper uses an old coat and hat to disguise himself as an “little man”. He directs them to a nearby barn to demolish, but when one of the overaggressive demolition men get curious and whip off Casper’s coat, they take one look at the “friendly ghost” and run away in panic. Just then, the Ghostly Trio return home, impressed that Casper is finally doing things their way!

• “Boys 12 Or Older Sell GRIT”, a half-page ad looking for door-to-door salesmen to peddle “GRIT-- America’s Greatest Family Newspaper” for the “GRIT Publishing Co.”

• “Hi-Power Binoculars -- See Up To 18 Miles”, an ad for 75¢ binoculars, available through mail-order from “Hi-Power”.

• “Intelstat III Satellite”, an ad featuring animated spokescharacter “The Cheerios Kid” for “Cheerios” cereal from “General Mills”.

• “Be A Big Winner -- Join Sales Leadership Club -- Get Terrific Prize Awards Or Big Cash Awards”, a black-and-white, inside-back-cover ad soliciting for young salespeople to peddle “Personalized Christmas Cards” for the “Sales Leadership Club”.

• “Boys, Girls, Men, Women -- If You Need Extra Money & You Know Just 10 People…You Can Make $50.00, $100.00, $200.00 and more in your spare time -- It Costs You Nothing To Try!”, a back-cover ad looking for door-to-door salespeople to vend “popular-priced, name-imprinted personal Christmas cards” for “Wallace Brown, Inc.”

ODDBALL FACTOID – Cartoonist and animator Martin “Marty” Taras was also the designer of Baby Huey!

New Next Week: ODDBALL COMIC #1,187: MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2007 – Over the years, there have been many unexpected comic book crossovers! First, Superman met Spider-Man! Next, the Hulk met Batman! Then the X-Men met Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock and the original STAR TREK crew! And before you knew it, just about everyone had met everyone else! But there’s never been a comic crossover as outrageously ODDBALL as ARCHIE MEETS THE PUNISHER, a mind-blowing mash-up courtesy of Batton Lash, John Buscema, Stan Goldberg and Tom Palmer -- and Riverdale High will never be the same again! Face it, if you miss this one, you’ll only have yourself to punish!

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