This Saturday, I showed a single image from the American Legion cartoon series IMPulses by Ponce de Leon. Today I have another American Legion series, by one of my favorite 'unknown' creators S. B. Stevens. I first came to know Stevens from his kid's strip Small World (which you can find by following the link), a weird Peanuts knock-off not with kids being kids, but with kids dressed as their parents playing house. A genius twist by an artist who up till that point had been pidgeonholed as a kids cartoonist. In this cartoon we see a sort of forerunner of this concept - kids pretending to be soldiers. Some of these I showed before, but here is all I have at once. Along with that I have a couple of normal gag pages by Stevens as well.
Showing posts with label Small World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Small World. Show all posts
Monday, July 15, 2019
Kids At War
Monday Cartoon day.
This Saturday, I showed a single image from the American Legion cartoon series IMPulses by Ponce de Leon. Today I have another American Legion series, by one of my favorite 'unknown' creators S. B. Stevens. I first came to know Stevens from his kid's strip Small World (which you can find by following the link), a weird Peanuts knock-off not with kids being kids, but with kids dressed as their parents playing house. A genius twist by an artist who up till that point had been pidgeonholed as a kids cartoonist. In this cartoon we see a sort of forerunner of this concept - kids pretending to be soldiers. Some of these I showed before, but here is all I have at once. Along with that I have a couple of normal gag pages by Stevens as well.
This Saturday, I showed a single image from the American Legion cartoon series IMPulses by Ponce de Leon. Today I have another American Legion series, by one of my favorite 'unknown' creators S. B. Stevens. I first came to know Stevens from his kid's strip Small World (which you can find by following the link), a weird Peanuts knock-off not with kids being kids, but with kids dressed as their parents playing house. A genius twist by an artist who up till that point had been pidgeonholed as a kids cartoonist. In this cartoon we see a sort of forerunner of this concept - kids pretending to be soldiers. Some of these I showed before, but here is all I have at once. Along with that I have a couple of normal gag pages by Stevens as well.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
The Peanut Gallery
Tuesday Comc Strip Day.
In April 2011 I shared with you a couple of scans from a small strip that has long fascinated me, Amall World by Briers. It featured kids dressed as adults (down to shoes that are far too big) playing as if they were their parents. It was probably inspired byPeanuts, but also enough of it's own thing to be viable. Unfortunately, other than a short run in the New York Herald Tribune, it didn't seem to have gone too far. Years after that I found out that the artist who called himself Briers wass in fact S. B. Stevens and had been doing kids cartoons in a similar style (wiwithout the ill fitting clothes part) for years. most notably in a series of cartoons for The American Legion called General Misschief, which ran long before Peanuts came along. So Stevens may have tried to hitch a ride on Charles Schulz' coattails, he was very much his own creature. I showed those cartoons earlier this year. Bot can be seen if you follow the link.
Recently I came across yet another Stevens strip which seems to have run even shorter. Not as destinct as Small World, it
did feature kids and may agian have been inspired by the succes of peanuts. Here are the few I could find, along with a fluf piece about the artist. I also found another single cartoon he did for Judge, which I am sharing uncleaned, just to get on with it.
In the course of preparing this piece I saw that I still have to scan and show the rest of my Small World collection ,wich I will do soon.
In April 2011 I shared with you a couple of scans from a small strip that has long fascinated me, Amall World by Briers. It featured kids dressed as adults (down to shoes that are far too big) playing as if they were their parents. It was probably inspired byPeanuts, but also enough of it's own thing to be viable. Unfortunately, other than a short run in the New York Herald Tribune, it didn't seem to have gone too far. Years after that I found out that the artist who called himself Briers wass in fact S. B. Stevens and had been doing kids cartoons in a similar style (wiwithout the ill fitting clothes part) for years. most notably in a series of cartoons for The American Legion called General Misschief, which ran long before Peanuts came along. So Stevens may have tried to hitch a ride on Charles Schulz' coattails, he was very much his own creature. I showed those cartoons earlier this year. Bot can be seen if you follow the link.
Recently I came across yet another Stevens strip which seems to have run even shorter. Not as destinct as Small World, it
did feature kids and may agian have been inspired by the succes of peanuts. Here are the few I could find, along with a fluf piece about the artist. I also found another single cartoon he did for Judge, which I am sharing uncleaned, just to get on with it.
In the course of preparing this piece I saw that I still have to scan and show the rest of my Small World collection ,wich I will do soon.
Monday, June 27, 2016
I Salute You
Wednesday Cartoon Day.
When I first saw these General Misschief cartoon sin Amrican Legion, I immediately recognized them as the work of on eof my favorite 'weird' newpaper strip artists, Sam Brier. I discovered his delightful strip Small World in bound volumes of the European edition of the Herald Tribune in the University library years ago. It features little kids in their parents clothing playing ordinary married life jokes. The trick of doing it with children dressed up as adults, makes it work very well. Apparently, he was doing similar stuff when he was still a cartoonist. And apparently he was signing his fill name, rather then the Abbriates Sam Briers. The Who's Who of comic strips tells me he was from Montreal which explains a lot.. but not everything.
When I first saw these General Misschief cartoon sin Amrican Legion, I immediately recognized them as the work of on eof my favorite 'weird' newpaper strip artists, Sam Brier. I discovered his delightful strip Small World in bound volumes of the European edition of the Herald Tribune in the University library years ago. It features little kids in their parents clothing playing ordinary married life jokes. The trick of doing it with children dressed up as adults, makes it work very well. Apparently, he was doing similar stuff when he was still a cartoonist. And apparently he was signing his fill name, rather then the Abbriates Sam Briers. The Who's Who of comic strips tells me he was from Montreal which explains a lot.. but not everything.
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