Number 681


Ectoplasmic Giggles


Two goofy ghost stories from Giggle Comics.

Moonlighting animators wrote and drew the humor comics for what became the American Comics Group. These early issues were produced for the publisher by the Sangor Shop. Hubie Karp wrote the Spencer Spook story, but the writer isn't credited for Spooky. Ken Champin, who did Spencer, was a longtime animator and comic book artist. The Grand Comics Database is spotty on information for this title, but I think Spooky was succeeded by Spencer, who appear to be similar characters. Over the years the feature was handled by several artists. In my opinion the greatest artist of them all was Jack Bradbury. Go here for several of Bradbury's hilarious Spencer Spook stories, lovingly preserved and scanned by Jack's son.

"Spooky" is from Giggle Comics #8, 1944, and "Spencer Spook" is from #22, 1945.

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Number 586


Izzy and Dizzy and the genie of the lamp


Animator/comic book artist and writer Ken Hultgren makes his second appearance here. His first, in Pappy's #408 had me asking a question about Hultgren. Paul Spector told us that Hultgren was born in 1915 and died in 1968. Hultgren was part of the Sangor Shop, which provided comics to the company that became ACG. The artists who worked for Sangor were moonlighting animators.

Dave Miller kindly provided the scans for this story from Ha Ha Comics #33. He also sent me some more scans from this issue as well as other funny animal comics from his collection. You will see more of Dave's comics in the coming weeks as I work with his generous donations of material.

You can see some of Dave's own cartooning--for adults--in Storybored at Hairy Green Eyeball. Dave, you are a very talented guy.

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Number 408


Two Dukes and Dopes


The Duke and the Dope was a feature from Giggle Comics, drawn and lettered, and also likely written, by animator/cartoonist Ken Hultgren.

If you Google Hultgren's name you find references to books on drawing he wrote, including one still in print from Dover Books, and animation he worked on, but I wasn't able to find any dates, like birth and (presumably) death. About all I know about his comic art besides these stories from Giggle is that he drew the Bambi Four-Color #12 for Dell in 1942. Here's a page scanned from the last Whitman Bambi reprint from 1984.


Hultgren worked for Disney for many years, including the years Carl Barks was with the studio, and probably when Walt Kelly was there, too. If you can confirm that or give me any other information on Hultgren please do.

I like these stories, scanned from Giggle Comics #52 and #54, April and June 1948, respectively. I think they're funny, and the artwork has a Walt Kelly touch to it, especially in the inking, and most especially around the eyes.

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