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This comic is a collection of stories reprinted from the ozark ike comic strip. Created by cartoonist Ray Gotto (while serving in the US Navy during WWII), this King Features syndicated newspaper feature first appeared on November 12, 1945. It was an Oddball amalgam of Al Capp’s LI’L ABNER and Ham Fisher’s JOE PALOOKA that starred an innocent young man from the rural ozark Mountains who comes to the big city to become a professional sports star. (Although evoking inspiration from both properties, ozark ike was a comedic story-strip never in the same league, boasting neither their success nor expertise, although Gotto has been praised for being “a superior artist who is a master of clearly detailing the often confusing aspects of action on the ball field.”) Gotto left ozark ike in 1954, but the strip itself ended its run in 1959 under cartoonists Bill Lignante (who later worked on THE PHANTOM comic strip and comic book, was the courtroom artist covering Charles Manson’s notorious “Helter Skelter” trial) and draws the celebrity caricatures in the famous Palm restaurants) and George Olesen (who also worked on THE PHANTOM comic strip in the 1960s and 1970s). Roy Gotto also created COTTON WOODS, another baseball strip starring “the 1950’s answer to Bo Jackson” (1955 – 1958) and worked as the editorial cartoonist for THE SPORTING NEWS, a baseball tabloid.

Strong-but-dumb ike McBatt is from a hillbilly family living in the backwoods town of Wildwood Run. His girlfriend was Dinah Fatfield, whose family was in a generations-long feud with the McBatt clan. The oddest thing about ike’s sports career is that he’s such an all-around athlete that he’s a baseball star during baseball season (playing for ”The Bugs”), but is also a football star during football season and a basketball star during the basketball season! And between seasons, ike’s a professional boxer! (Despite this astounding adaptability, ozark ike is best remembered for his exploits on the baseball diamond.)

In 1948, Dell Comics published a single issue of ozark ike in their FOUR COLOR grab-bag series; later that same year, Standard Comics began publishing their own ozark ike reprint series that lasted for another fifteen issues. This was the final issue.

Included in this issue of ozark ike are the stories and features, all story-sequences reprinted (with newly-drawn “splash panels”) from the ozark ike comic strip:

• “ozark ike” in “Home-Run King!” by Ray Gotto. – This details a baseball game between the Bugs (ike’s team) and the Cats. ozark ike wins the game for the Bugs, 7 to 6, when he gets a hit that causes the Cats’ right fielder to chase it right into a wall, knocking himself out cold.

• “The Flop Family” by “Swan”, a one-page gag-strip.

• “Fatso” by Clyde Lewis, a half-page reprint of a Sunday comic strip.

• A half-page ad for “Fleer’s Dubble Bubble” bubblegum, starring the unfortunately-named “Pud” and his gang of gum-chewing street urchins.

• “ozark ike” in “Boner Of The Year!” by Ray Gotto. – The Bugs are excited about playing the Hawks, but they’re even more excited about seeing Dinah in her sexy new “bat-girl” uniform! During the game, Dinah cheers on the Bugs when they get a hit that will allow ozark ike to “walk” to home base, but in her exuberance, she tosses a bat into the air and knocks herself unconscious! ike rushes to his blonde girlfriend’s side, so concerned that he forgets to cross home plate, losing the game to the Hawks, 10 to 9. In the aftermath, he asks her, “Dinah, are yuh sho’ there wuzn’t no damage done when that bat collided with yo’ haid?” She replies, “Yup, ozark…Ah checked all ovuh, an’ there wuzn’t a scratch no place on that bat!”

• “ozark ike” in “Baseball Bum!” by Ray Gotto. – The Sharks “most feared base runner in the league”, Gus Gasher, has the notorious reputation of being so aggressive that “he’d spike his own brother to steal a sack”. When his team goes up against the Bugs, he’s determined to use his sure-fire – and quite nasty – tactics against ozark ike’s teammate Zip Zolan, despite the umpire’s calls against him. Stuck in a scoreless tie, ike bats a line drive that produces the first home run of the game. When Gus Gasher once again flings his spikes against Zip, ike intercedes, but discovers that, while lashing out, Gus got his spikes caught in the bag, injuring his leg! As for Zip, he’s doesn’t have a scratch on him – other than ripping out the seat of his pants! As the game proceeds, ike leads the Bugs in preventing the Sharks from getting another hit, ultimately winning the game, 1 to 0.

• “ozark ike” in “ozark ike Day!” by Ray Gotto. – Tearful ike is obviously touched as a stadium full of his gift-bearing fans gather to honor him before a big baseball game against the Lions. Determined to deliver an exciting performance for his throng of admirers, ozark ike keeps beltin’ ‘em out of the park, producing four home runs. Poor ike is so overwhelmed by all the gifts he’s been presented with – including a new automobile -- he fails to notice a ball that’s hit over his head, with the bases loaded. Noticing the ball, and assuming that somebody in the crowd dropped it, ike tosses it into the stands! With the Lions now leading the Bugs, 10 to 8, ozark ike finds himself as the “goat” of the game, but he redeems himself with “a two-run rap” that wins the game for the Bugs! Now all ozark ike needs is a driver’s license to try out his new car!

• ‘Dinah” in “The Winning Score”, by Ray Gotto. – Back in Wildwood Run, Dinah Fatfield competes against her brunette rival, Sandy Wintergreen, for the golf title in the Coon County Open. Despite sneaky Sandy’s attempts to sabotage her, Dinah emerges victorious.

• “Fatso” in “Huntin’ An’ Fishin’”, a 2-page gag-strip by Clyde Lewis.

ODDBALL Factoid – The ozark ike comic strip was once popular enough to bestow a nickname on real-life baseball player Gus “ozark ike” Edward Zernial, who played for the American League from 1949 through 1959!

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

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