let’s talk about new jokes comics, one of the best comic series of the Golden Age in my opinion.
new jokes is a Golden Age comic book series that began simply called the funny ones. With issue #64 (in 1942), the comic began to focus on Walter Lantz characters such as Andy Panda and Oswald the Rabbit. With the number 65, it was renamed new jokes.
Woody Woodpecker was also one of the Lantz characters who appeared in the book. He was such a new character at the time that he was a guest star in the Oswald the Rabbit stories for a year or two before getting his own comic strip in new jokes. At first, Woody’s strip was only one page long. With number 87, he began to receive a longer strip. Of course, over time, Woody Woodpecker became Walter Lantz’s biggest star and appeared in most of new jokes covers from the mid-1940s until it was canceled in the early 1960s.
new jokes it’s a great series. Not only are the issues fairly easy to find, which is surprising for a Golden Age comic book series, but many issues aren’t too expensive. Of course, the most sought after issues are the first from the time the book changed from its initial format to feature Lantz’s characters. Early Lantz-centric problems can cost hundreds of dollars in near-perfect condition. Some standout tracks include the number 65 (the first number of new jokes), No. 69 (nice Halloween cover featuring Andy Panda, Raggedy Ann, and Felix the Cat), No. 89, and No. 101 (both WWII war bond covers).
In my opinion, some of the best covers are the ones that feature three great Lantz characters together: Woody Woodpecker, Andy Panda, and Charlie Chicken, a character who only appeared in a few cartoons but has appeared in comics since the 1940s. until the 1970s. He is one of those forgotten characters who never achieved fame on a large scale. Charlie Chicken appeared in two Andy Panda cartoons in the 1940s: Andy Panda’s Victory Garden and Meatless Tuesday. Interestingly, he fought Andy in both cartoons. They chased each other around Andy’s farm. I call this strange because in new jokes (and Andy Panda’s own series) Charlie was friends with Andy Panda.
Charlie first appeared in print in new jokes No. 79 like a little chicken. As far as I can tell from my research (I don’t own all the issues), Charlie was an adult chicken in his next comic appearance. He was one of the stars of new jokes for decades, even getting his own comic strip in the series.
Yes, if you’re a fan of Golden Age cartoons, Golden Age comics, or Walter Lantz characters, I highly recommend getting your hands on some oldies. new jokes issues through online comic shops or eBay. You won’t be disappointed with the prices or the quality of the stories. Also, we need to keep the classic Golden Age characters alive!
