Monday, March 11, 2024

Mad Anthony Wayne by Ursula Koering

Ursula Koering (1921-1976) illustrated children's books as well as articles and stories in children's magazines. She was associated for many years with Golden Press and the Western Publishing Company. Today I found a magazine with three of her illustrations. The magazine is The Golden Magazine for Boys and Girls. Her illustrations are in a historical article called "Anthony Wayne's Cattle Drive" (Part III) by Martha Brown. The date was March 1968, fifty-six years ago as I write. The culminating event in Martha Brown's article is the attack by Anthony Wayne and Casimir Pulaski on the British at Haddonfield, New Jersey, on March 1, 1778, one hundred forty-six years ago this month.

Here are Ursula Koering's three illustrations:



Original text copyright 2024 Terence E. Hanley

Thursday, January 4, 2024

Hoosier Cartoonist Larry Blake Needs Help

My friend Larry Blake is a cartoonist and comic book artist who has been at work in his chosen field for more than half a century. He has drawn every kind of comic book character, from Little Lulu to his own superheroes such as Missile, Nightstar, and Kevin Kool. He is also a great fan of rock 'n' roll and pop music. His favorites include The Ramones, KISSAlice Cooper, and John Lennon. For years he attended small press and comic book conventions. He has collaborated with lots of other artists, including Tim Corrigan (1950-2015) with whom he created a weekly newspaper comic strip called Allegheny Man. Those involved in small press and alternative comics will remember Tim as the publisher of a journal called Small Press Comics Explosion and a supporter of and mentor to countless cartoonists. It was through Larry that I met Tim at the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (S.P.A.C.E.) in Columbus, Ohio.

Larry Blake's health problems began many years ago. Things improved for him after he moved from Ohio to Indiana and to a better situation. Now Larry is down again and needs help. Bob Corby of Columbus has set up a GoFundMe page for Larry. You can access it at the following URL and link:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/larry-blake

You can read and see videos about Larry on the Internet. You can also purchase his books, which include:

  • The New Sons of Thunder.

I don't ordinarily provide links to commercial websites on this blog, but for this I'm making an exception.

Thanks for reading.

Copyright 2024 Terence E. Hanley

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Jane Arden and the Vanished Princess

In 2021, with the coronavirus still haunting people's thoughts, I went to just one very small comic book convention, I think. It actually happened in the driveway and garage of a comic book dealer and college professor. I bought only a few things, but I wanted to show this little treasure, a Better Little Book called Jane Arden and the Vanished Princess by Monte Barrett and Russell Ross (1938). It appears here at about original size.


The writer, Monte Barrett, was Percy Montgomery Barrett. Born on June 19, 1897, in Mitchell, Indiana, he was a journalist and novelist with historical novels and mysteries to his credit. He died on October 8, 1949, in New York City.

Jane Arden began in the comics on November 26, 1928. Frank Ellis was the original artist, but he was replaced by Russell E. Ross in 1933. Ross continued with the strip for twenty years. After appearing in movies and comic books, as well as having her own radio drama, Jane reached her end in 1968. This Better Little Book was just another one of her multimedia appearances--a word that of course didn't exist at the time.

Text copyright 2022 Terence E. Hanley

Monday, December 26, 2022

Buffleheads by J.N. "Ding" Darling

The bufflehead is one of my favorite species of duck. I wrote about buffleheads in 2019 and showed a piece of art by Mac Heaton (1925-2002), a wildlife artist who worked for a long time with the Indiana Department of Conservation. You can see that picture by clicking here. Now I have another picture of buffleheads, this one by Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling (1876-1962). (Those are ruddy ducks on the right.) Although he was better known as a political and editorial cartoonist, Darling was also a conservationist and wildlife artist. The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida, is named in his honor. The illustration below is from a full-page feature called "Don't Shoot These Ducks! Uncle Sam's Laws Protect Them," from the Sunday Des Moines Register, November 1, 1936.

Darling was born in Norwood, Michigan. His very slim connection to Indiana was by way of living in the Hoosier State for a brief time when he was young.

Text copyright 2022 Terence E. Hanley

Sunday, December 25, 2022

His First Christmas by Worth Brehm

"His First Christmas," a piece of advertising art by Indiana illustrator Worth Brehm (1883-1928). If you look closely, you will see Raggedy Ann and Andy, created by another Indiana artist, Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938), peaking out from under the Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas from Indiana Illustrators &

Hoosier Cartoonists!

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Abe Martin in Verse

Last time I showed a poem about the Toonerville Trolley That Meets All Trains. This time I have a poem about Abe Martin, another cartoon creation by another adopted Hoosier, Kin Hubbard (1868-1930), originally of Bellefontaine, Ohio, later of Indianapolis and Brown County, Indiana. The poem is "Abe Martin," composed by James Whitcomb Riley (1949-1916) of Greenfield, Indiana, and illustrated by Will Vawter (1871-1941), yet another transplant to the Hoosier State. (He was born in West Virginia.) The images below are from Riley Songs of Friendship (1915).



Original text copyright 2022 Terence E. Hanley

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Toonerville Trolley in Verse

"Toonerville Folks," also called "The Toonerville Trolley" or "The Toonerville Trolley That Meets All Trains," was a one-of-a-kind feature and one of the greatest of American newspaper comics, from their inception in the nineteenth century until today. Drawn by Fontaine Fox (1884-1964), it was read and loved by millions from early in its run until reaching the end of the line in 1955. Born near Louisville, Kentucky, Fox matriculated at Indiana University, and though he didn't complete his degree, Fox's vast collection is now at Lilly Library in Bloomington.

As a measure of the high regard in which Fox and his very funny and enduring creations were held, Don Marquis (1888-1937) composed a poem called "The Toonerville Trolley" and dedicated it to Fontaine Fox. From Cartoons Magazine, October 1916 (page 634):


Don Marquis had his own Indiana connection: he was married to actress and Indianapolis native Marjorie Vonnegut (1892-1936).

Original text copyright 2022 Terence E. Hanley