By KAY MELIA
My parents subscribed to the Hutchinson News Herald in the 30’s and 40’s when my brother and I were kids, and we were very grateful. We lived in Ford County near Bucklin, and most families opted for a Dodge City Globe subscription because Dodge City was only 28 miles away, and Hutchinson was down the road some 125 miles.
But the News Herald, now just the “News,” carried the box scores of all of yesterday’s Major League Baseball games in those days, and the Globe didn’t. Plus, the News Herald had a much larger comics section. Two full pages as a matter of fact. And they also sent a Sunday double-truck color section of comics with Saturday’s paper, the day we also received most all of Friday’s High School football and basketball scores.
The funny papers were studied religiously by all four members of the family. My Mom and Dad turned to the obituary section first and then the funnies, while Max and I would almost memorize the sports pages before reading the funnies. And you know what?
I know of only one comic strip that is still as popular today as it was when I was small. It’s “Blondie,” a newspaper comic strip born the same year as me, 1930. I’ve noticed that she doesn’t get any older.
We all had favorites back in the day. Mine was “Pete the Tramp,” a strip about a sorrowful old hobo, of which there were many in real life in those days. Pete lasted only 8 years on a daily basis, all during the hard times, and then he was gone except for an occasional comic book. There were dozens and dozens of others, that people under 50 may not remember.
Let’s test your memory a bit! Remember the Katzenjammer Kids? Their names were Hans and Fritz. They were very funny, always in trouble with the Captain, but faded out of the picture when the war began. Dick Tracy, the detective was big time! His girlfriend was Tess Trueheart, and his right hand man was Patten. Popeye got lots and lots of attention, and still does! His muscles bulged and he ate lots of spinach to keep ’em that way. His girl was Olive Oyl, whose Mother’s name was Castor. Popeye’s sidekick was Wimpy, who could devour a platter of hamburgers very quickly. Of course baby Sweet Pea was always around, and I always wondered who she (he) belonged to. You may remember Steve Canyon, Red Ryder, and Terry and the Pirates. We still see Gasoline Alley occasionally, featuring Skeezix and his pals.
And who can forget Wash and Easy, a strip usually called simply Wash Tubbs. Little Orphan Annie received a revival on Broadway. Maggie and Jiggs were familiar names in Bringing up Father, and Tarzan and the Apes, and Archie were both very popular, not necessarily in that order.
If you were a little girl in the 40’s, you may have worshipped Boots and her Buddies.
Although a couple of strips today, Zits, and Pickles, occasionally get my attention, I would be much more excited if the Katzenjammer Kids made a return to the papers. I would love to see old Pete the Tramp again! Even Barney Google and Snuffy Smith would be welcome.
But I just can’t seem to muster any excitement for one of the new ones called Harley Quinn and Power Girl. Can you?