The Funnies is the name of two American publications from Dell Publishing ( Dell Comics ), the first of these a seminal 1920s precursor of comic books , and the second a standard 1930s comic book.
19-683: In 1929, George T. Delacorte Jr. 's Dell Publishing , founded eight years earlier, began publishing The Funnies , described by the Library of Congress as "a short-lived newspaper tabloid insert". Comics historian Ron Goulart describes the 16-page, four-color , newsprint periodical as "more a Sunday comic section without the rest of the newspaper than a true comic book." The magazine ran 36 issues – originally weekly, then monthly from April 1929 to April 1930, and then weekly again – published Saturdays from January 16, 1929, to October 16, 1930. The cover price rose from 10¢ to 30¢ with issue #3. This
38-401: A crusading district attorney initially known only as Mister District Attorney or Chief, and was later translated to television . On television, the attorney's name was Paul Garrett, and the radio version adopted the name in its final years when David Brian played the role. A key figure in the dramas was secretary Edith Miller. Created, written, and directed by former law student Ed Byron ,
57-755: A few issues illustrated by his son, John Coleman Burroughs . Captain Midnight adventures were published in The Funnies issues #59 and 61–63. Gaylord Du Bois 's American Indian feature, "Young Hawk" first began in The Funnies . E. C. Stoner mainly worked as a cover artist, drawing covers for The Funnies , the latter of which prominently featured the character Phantasmo , Dell's first original superhero feature. The comic book switched formats and title to become New Funnies with issue #65 (July 1942). Now devoted to children's characters like Raggedy Ann and Andy , and talking animal characters including Felix
76-510: A four-page true-crime feature, "The Crime Busters", drawn by Al McWilliams , beginning the following issues. Following Gaines and Mayer leaving to produce work for All-American Publications , most reprints other than Alley Oop were abandoned in favor of original content, including "Mr. District Attorney", based on the radio series , and " John Carter of Mars ", adapted from the Edgar Rice Burroughs series of novels , and after
95-734: The Delacorte Clock in the park, an Alice in Wonderland sculpture to the north of Conservatory Water with among others the Mad Hatter (whose face is supposedly modeled on that of Delacorte) in honor of his wife, sculptures of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet , and a fountain in City Hall Plaza. He died in Manhattan in 1991 at the age of 96, survived by his second wife Valerie Delacorte (whose second husband
114-521: The FBI when the scripts reflected life too closely. In December 1949, Mr. District Attorney returned to live broadcasts after 13 weeks of using tape-recorded transcriptions. The program was sponsored by Bristol-Myers . Episodes included "The Case of the Overly-Fond Husband" on January 30, 1946. In three films released by Republic Pictures in the early 1940s, the district attorney
133-871: The 1930s and 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books . Packaged by Max Gaines and editor Sheldon Mayer , it ran 64 issues ( cover-dated Oct. 1936 – May 1942). A rival to Eastern Color 's successful comic-book series Famous Funnies , it similarly reprinted newspaper comic strips , mostly NEA -syndicate comics such as Alley Oop , by V. T. Hamlin , and Captain Easy , by Roy Crane , as well as others including Mutt and Jeff , by Bud Fisher , Tailspin Tommy , by Hal Forrest , Flapper Fanny Says by Gladys Parker , and Annibelle by Dorothy Urfer. Reprints of Bob Moore and Carl Pfeufer 's science-fiction adventure comic strip Don Dixon and
152-642: The Cat , Oswald the Rabbit , and Woody Woodpecker , it lasted through issue #288 (April 1962). Its title changed to Walter Lantz New Funnies after 44 issues, beginning with issue #109 (March 1946). George T. Delacorte Jr. George T. Delacorte Jr. (20 June 1894 – 4 May 1991) was an American magazine publisher, born in New York City . He founded the Dell Publishing in 1921. His goal
171-616: The Lost Empire appeared as one- or two-page features in The Funnies ; as did Norman W. Marsh 's Dan Dunn strips. The Funnies began running original material with Mayer's feature Scribbly , about a boy cartoonist, laid out to look like a Sunday newspaper comic strip . Art Nugent 's single-page puzzle and game feature, called either Home Magic or Everybody's Playmate , ran in issues #1–27. Other, gradual bits of original comics followed, including six-page adaptations of B-movie Westerns , beginning with issue #20 (May 1938), and
190-483: The groundwork for two subsequent publications in 1933: Eastern Color Printing 's similar proto-comic book, the eight-page newsprint tabloid Funnies on Parade , and the Eastern Color / Dell collaboration Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics , considered by historians the first true American comic book . Dell Publishing 's second publication by this name was a standard American comic book published during
209-473: The newspapers and even visiting rough bars to gain tips, background and color from crooks and police. Produced throughout its run in New York City, the series began as a 15-minute serial , becoming a half-hour, self-contained series three months later as a summer replacement for The Bob Hope Show on June 27, 1939. During 1942, Mr. District Attorney began battling Nazis , leading to conflicts with
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#1732780236659228-401: The series was inspired by the early years of New York governor Thomas E. Dewey . Dewey's public war against racketeering led to his election as governor. Phillips H. Lord , creator of Gang Busters , helped to develop the concept and coined the title. Byron lent an air of accuracy and immediacy to his scripts through close study of crime statistics, a library of criminology texts, following
247-478: The show was revived in syndication by Ziv Television Programs , which had also handled the 1952–1953 radio syndication. David Brian reprised his role from that series but the D. A. was named Paul Garrett. Jackie Loughery played Miss Miller. Ziv sold the program to Radio Diffusion Francaise for broadcast in Europe with a subsidiary, Ziv International of France, overseeing dubbing into French. DC Comics published
266-809: The university which established the Delacorte Professorship in the Humanities and helped found the George T. Delacorte Center for Magazine Journalism and the creation of the Delacorte Professorship in Magazine Journalism in 1984. The university recognized him with an honorary doctorate in 1982. In 1962, he donated money to establish the Delacorte Theater in Central Park , New York City . He also donated money for
285-605: Was named P. Cadwallader Jones and was assisted by journalist Terry Parker. Different actors portrayed them in each film. The trilogy consisted of Mr. District Attorney (1941) starring Dennis O'Keefe with Florence Rice and Peter Lorre , Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case (1941) starring James Ellison and Virginia Gilmore and Secrets of the Underground (1942) starring John Hubbard and Virginia Grey . A fourth film again titled Mr. District Attorney
304-619: Was reduced to a nickel from issue #22 to the end. Victor E. Pazmiño drew most of the covers for The Funnies (a tradition carried on some years later by the first true comic book Famous Funnies ); he also contributed interior strips. Contributors included Stookie Allen and Boody Rogers , as well as Charles Curtis, Ed Hermes, Howard Williamson, F. N. Litten, Kenneth Whipple, Charles Driscoll, Joe Archibald, Sidney Garber, Earle Danesford, Hafon, J. Molina, Bencho, Gil King, and Buford Tone. Carl E. Schultze 's Foxy Grandpa strip appeared in this early comics periodical. The Funnies helped lay
323-531: Was released by Columbia Pictures in 1947. O'Keefe returned as the lead, now named Steve Bennett. Near the end of the radio run, the series was transferred to television. The first incarnation ran on ABC from October 1, 1951 through June 23, 1952 on alternate Mondays, first with The Amazing Mr. Malone and then Out of the Fog . The radio cast reprised their roles, with Jay Jostyn as Mr. District Attorney, Vicki Vola as Miss Miller and Len Doyle as Harrington. In 1954,
342-692: Was the Hungarian producer Gabriel Pascal ), two sons, three daughters, 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. His siblings included Gertrude Friedberg and Eugene Tonkonogy . He is memorialized by several funds in The New York Community Trust , which offers a biographical brochure. Mr. District Attorney Mr. District Attorney is a radio crime drama produced by Samuel Bischoff that aired on NBC and ABC from April 3, 1939 to June 13, 1952 (and in transcribed syndication through 1953). The series focused on
361-640: Was to entertain readers who were not satisfied with the genteel publications available at the time. The company was one of the largest publishers of books, magazines, and comics during its heyday. His most successful innovation was the puzzle magazine. Delacorte, born George Tonkonogy , was the son of George Tonkonogy, Sr. and Sadie König, both Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. He grew up in Brooklyn with his siblings; Abraham, Mamie, Henrietta, Archibald, Elizabeth, Eugene , and Gertrude . An alumnus of Columbia University (1913), Delacorte donated money to
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