That's all, Folks!

Last post, that is. The reason –I think– perfectly understandable: I've decided to get me rich quick and at all costs. I'll need time for that. Once I get it, please contact me! I'd love to share my fortune. Mostly with the 162 google readers, the 99 blog followers and especially those who bothered to leave a comment once in a while. Thanks a bunch to you all, guys! You made Joyville has a meaning. I'll keep the biggest share of the gold for you. In the meantime, take care!

All the best,
Your Host–

The Visitors by John Stanley

I'm aware of posting a John Stanley's at this point in time –mostly a Little Lulu story, may look a harebrained idea. But it's a thing I've been hoping to do a long while ago and sometimes, all of a sudden, impelling forces emerge we can't fight against. Besides, The Visitors is one of my favorite The Little Lulu stories ever and I think it has not been posted in the blogosphere before. Reasons enough to, right?

I really dig those Stanley's stories without a preliminary statement and, in this ocassion, our man is telling it bluntly. Funny as hell, the boys go on stage en masse to act as a basic manly group: rude, mocking and with a selfishly interest on girls. From the beginning, they can't stop winding Lulu up, and Tubby, like a little Falstaff, shows himself –in a few first panels– as a true artist with words and mockery. I particularly feel attracted to the telephone scene, where a frowned (and polite) Itchy asks Lulu's permission to use the telephone, no matter what she may say.

Here, Tripp proves once again that he was the funniest artist who ever draw a Little Lulu comic. He always trusted in the stereotyped forms, both actions and expressions, as if the characters were subject to the icons they're representing, exactly in the same way Soglow and Bushmiller made aerlier. The message is clearly expounded: it's a stiff, free-of-sophistication cartooning that mixed with Stanley's sharp in writing and sketching create the perfect combination: a high quality kids comic.

The visitors read today, has also a historical/sociological feature: Does anyone remember those old days when not all the houses had a TV set in their living rooms? Is there anything better than watching a 1950s horror movie along with your good old pals?

As always, click on images to enlarge. Enjoy!


And as a coda, two Stanley's original art from Heritage Auctions that my friend Carles Prats emailed me a few months ago:

Sundays on Mars

Clic!

Interesting links for different readers

Awesome Frank Santoro's Silver Surfer

I'm not well up in the Tumblr thing, but I'm addicted to La cabaña del Tío Berni, hosted by the guy behind Entrecomics –the best comics site for Spanish users...

... and Nancy Panels. Kind of one panel a day from the huge volume of Ernie Bushmiller's strips.
Despite you may have read them all, bumping into a decontextualized panel without other references than the featured scene in itself sheds a new light on Bushmiller's work becoming a new experience for his readers. (By the way, if I'm not wrong I found out this tumblr thanks to La Cabaña del Tío Berni).

Víctor E. Pazmiño, part two

There! The second part's laying on the table. Enjoy!

And as a coda to these entry, Pazmiño´s comic strip The Jams from Best Comics #2 (Better 1939):