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Written by THE DOOM PATROL's co-creator Arnold Drake and drawn by DC's primary cartoonist-of-celebrity-likenesses Bob Oksner, this issue's story, "Of Thee We Swing", opens at election-time at Benedict Arnold High School, which employs classic Universal Studios-esque monsters as its faculty! (These characters had been earlier introduced to the series in an effort to jump onto the MUNSTERS / ADDAMS FAMILY TV bandwagon.) Wealthy Badger Goldliver (a Jerry Lewis lookalike) and Tad Tadwallader (Bob's milquetoast, supposed nephew) are running against each other for the temporary office of town Mayor-For-A-Day. Badger's rich father tries to buy the election for his spoiled son, but when his scam angers Tad, the blonde "square" spins into "a familiar EMOTIONAL WATUSI…" to become the shape-shifting superhero:

Tad / Super-Hip wins the election, and his performance as Mayor-For-A-Day attracts the attention of Washington D.C. Soon, Ol' Ski-Nose's phone is ringing with a call from bloodhound-ear-yanking President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who wants Tad to serve as the nation's President-For-A-Day! Before you know it, Bob, Tad and Benedict Arnold High School's entire monster-faculty and student body are making a road trip to the nation's capital. While the others see the sights, Tad is sworn in as the temporary President. But when Badger's booby-trapped, acid-squirting fountain pen destroys Tad's clothes, he again transforms into Super-Hip! Now Commander-In-Chief-by-default, Super-Hip starts issuing presidential edicts, such as bombing textbook factories as part of his "War Against Literacy" and drafting his monstrous teachers so they "can HOMEWORK the enemy to death!" He orders all fishing vessels to be destroyed - simply because he hates to eat fish! Some of Super-Hip's other wacky edicts include:

• Arresting all barbers who reuse to give Beatle haircuts
• Holding the next Olympics in a giant discotheque
• Building a mammoth nuclear plant to supply energy to electric guitars
• Declaring Kim Novak's swimming pool a national park

After Super-Hip appoints Dr. Van Pyre as Secretary of State, Coach Frank N. Stein to the space program, and Badger Goldliver as the Secretary of War, they turn against him, reasoning "anybody who'd appoint US to office MUST be a traitor to the nation!" His one-day regime over, he transforms himself back into Tad Tadwallader, only to learn that the government wants to give Super-Hip a medal; it seems that "the printing plant he had blown up - turned out they were counterfeiting money! Also the fishing board the Navy shelled proved to be smuggling dope!"

As you can see, poor ol' Bob Hope himself has very little to do in this story other than to answer a telephone; in fact, he appears in only 21 panels of this 25-page, 120-panel story! I ask you, is that any way to treat a big-shot comedian on the publication of his 100th funnybook?

This issue of THE ADVENTURES OF BOB HOPE also features a half-page advertisement for AMT model car kits, drawn by Chic Stone!

ODDBALL Factoid - At various times, THE ADVENTURES OF BOB HOPE was drawn by such top cartoonists as Owen Fitzgerald, MAD's Mort Drucker, Bob Oksner and even Neal Adams!

For more from Scott Shaw!, visit his Web site at http://www.shawcartoons.com/.

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