THE BIG LITTLE TIMES® ______

SUMMER EDITION BIG LITTLE BOOK COLLECTOR’S CLUB JUNE 2012 P.O. BOX 1242 DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA 94526 ______

JANE ARDEN AND THE VANISHED PRINCESS WHITMAN BETTER LITTLE BOOK #1498 (1938) BUCK ROGERS IN THE WAR WITH THE PLANT VENUS WHITMAN BETTER LITTLE BOOK #1437 (1938)

Back Front

Cover Cover

Beginning this year, the Big Little Book Club is publishing its Big Little Times newsletter on a semi-annual basis. The issue is larger than previous issues. It contains more articles and lots more collecting information for Club Members to read and enjoy. The next issue will be in December • • • For this issue, Jon Swartz, Member #1287, has written an extensive article on the Buck Rogers Big Little Books and the many collectibles that were produced during the heyday of the comic strip and radio program. The history of the character, which began in 1928, reveals that he has never fully lost his appeal to subsequent generations. The pictures of premiums that accompany the article are from Jon’s extensive collection of Buck Rogers ephemera. • • • Walt Needham, Member #1102, has been a popular contributor of BLT articles for nearly 20 years. His carefully researched articles provide details that most collectors don’t know about the characters in the Big Little Books. In this issue Walt takes us on a journey through the world of Jane Arden, one of the earliest comic strip characters who exemplified the changing role of women in the American Society. Although Jane appeared in just one BLB, her comic book life lasted for many decades – from 1927 through 1968. For those who remember the strip, they will recall the wonderful paper doll cut-outs in the Sunday edition of the strip. • • • Very few BLB collectors have seen or heard about BLB cards. Jeff Kepley, Member #1337, provides an article telling about those very rare cards that were given away to buyers of BLBs in 1937. • • • Thanks to all who have made contributions to this issue of The Big Little Times. LARRY LOWERY Editor

3 AMAZING STORIES, AUGUST 1928

The issue that introduced Buck Rogers to the world.

4 5 BUCK ROGERS Comic Strip The first comic strip about Rogers, titled “Buck Rogers 2429 A.D.,” appeared INTERPLANETARY MULTI-MEDIA HERO in newspapers on January 7, 1929 – written by Nowlan and drawn by Richard (Dick) W. Calkins, an Army Air Force pilot during World War I and a lieutenant by in the Air Force Reserve. At first, the strip’s title was updated each year to keep Jon D. Swartz (Member #1287) 500 years difference in time from the present up to date. Eventually, the title became simply “Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century A.D.” The first series In 1928 Philip Francis Nowlan, a Philadelphia newspaperman, wrote the ran through 1933, with the strips numbered from 1 through 1560, The second first science fiction story about his interplanetary hero, Anthony Rogers series began in 1934 and ran through 1936. The third series began in 1937 and (later renamed “Buck” after western star Buck Jones). This initial story, the fourth in 1939. In the strip Rogers battled his mortal enemy and rival, Killer “Armageddon 2419 A. D.,” appeared in the first American pulp magazine Kane, on land and sea and in space. Kane’s ambition was to conquer the world devoted exclusively to science fiction, Amazing Stories (August issue). and lure Wilma Deering away from Buck. The strip was the first to deal with While exploring an abandoned mine, Rogers – a twenty-nine-year-old science fiction themes in an entertaining manner, and it was very successful. former officer in the United States Army Air Corps – falls into a coma after exposure to leaking radioactive gas and finally wakes up – the only survivor of the exploring party -- in the twenty-fifth century. The sequel to this initial . story, “The Airlords of Han,” appeared in the March 1929 issue of Amazing Stories. Other stories followed. A comic strip was created in 1929, and radio programs (offering Buck Rogers premiums), Big Little Books, comic books, a movie serial, hardcover and paperback books, a feature film, many advertising promotions, games, and – finally – two television series, followed. But Buck was even more successful in the area of toys. In 1934 Daisy began manufacturing BR rocket pistols, and that same year the Louis Marx company introduced a toy rocket ship. The first rocket pistol was made from heavy-gauge blued gun steel with nickel-plated trimmings. It made a loud “zap” when fired, and was nine and a half inches in length. It looked like the weapon shown in the daily and Sunday comic strips and sold for 50 cents. Costing only 5 cents to make, it was the toy “hit” of 1934. Buck Rogers was well on his way to becoming the first interplanetary multi-media hero!

BUCK ROGERS NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIP

Early dailies.

A RECENT MODEL OF THE BUCK ROGERS XZ-38 DISINTEGRATOR RAY PISTOL BY DAISY

Rocket Pistols were first offered by Daisy in 1934. Cream of Wheat gave them as a premium in 1935. 6 7 Radio Programs

“Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” was an early adventure program based on the newspaper comic strip – and the first science fiction series on radio. This 15-minute program was broadcast from 1932 to 1936, with brief reincarnations in 1939, 1940, and finally, during 1946-1947. It was a science fiction thriller featuring the interplanetary adventures of Rogers, who had been in suspended animation, but awoke hundreds of years in the future.

In addition to the many futuristic devices that were a regular feature of the program, the brilliant scientist Dr. Huer provided fantastic new inventions that were often an important part of the storylines. The first actor to portray Buck was Curtis Arnall, followed by Carl Frank, Matt Crowley, and John Larkin. Buck’s companion in most of his adventures, Wilma Deering, was played by Adele Ronson and then by Virginia Vass; Edgar Stehli played Dr. Huer. The announcers were Fred Uttal, Paul Douglas, and Kenny Williams. Several premiums were awarded during the program’s run, and today some of these are quite valuable.

MATTHEW CROWLEY AS CAPTAIN BUCK ROGERS IN A CREAM OF WHEAT PREMIUM.

Photos on back show Black Barney, Killer Kane, Ardala, Lieutenant Wilma Deering, and Willie (1936)

PREMIUMS - BUCK ROGERS SOLAR SCOUTS RADIO CLUB (1936) (Interior pages in club manual)

8 9 Buck Rogers Premiums/Toys

There have been many Buck Rogers premiums and toys offered, first by the sponsors of the Buck Rogers radio programs. In its second year on the air, the radio show was sponsored by Cocomalt, a food drink, and a book premium of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was offered. This premium can be found in two editions, each with a different Cocomalt ad on the back cover. The content of the book was also used for a Tarzan Ice Cream premium titled Buck Rogers, a shorter version of the BLB with the illustrations arranged out of order. In the next few years these early premiums were followed by a flood of other Buck Rogers premiums and toys: Buck Rogers Cocomalt Map of the Solar System (1933), Buck Rogers Pistol (1934), Buck Rogers Helmet (1934), Buck Rogers Rocket Ship (1934), Buck Rogers Pop-Up Books (1935), Buck Rogers Paint Book (1935), Buck Rogers Space Suit (1935), Buck Rogers Disintegrator Pistol (1936), and many, many more. Over the years the REISSUE OF BUCK ROGERS SPACESHIP BUCK ROGERS Buck Rogers name

(Martians Invade Jupiter, 1942) HALLOWEEN CANDY BUCKET (1980) has been used on literally hundreds of premiums and toys (see the several illustrations included in these pages for BUCK ROGERS PIN BUCK ROGERS FIGURE some examples).

COLLECTIBLE BUCK ROGERS STAMPS PUBLISHED WITH SUNDAY STRIPS (1940s)

TWO TOOTSIE TOY BUCK ROGERS ROCKET SHIPS (1930s) BUCK ROGERS COCOMALT MAP OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM (1933) 10 11 NEWSPAPER PREMIUM ILLUSTRATION (1930s)

Set of six Rocketship Balsa Wood Models sold in stores or as newspaper premiums. AD FOR A BUCK ROGERS CASTER SET FOR MAKING BR FIGURES Set was first offered in 1934

12 13 BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY ORIGIN PREMIUM COVER AND BACK OF BUCK ROGERS SOLAR SCOUTS PREMIUM (Cream of Wheat, 1936) Offered by Kellogg’s (1933)

14 15 Big Little Books The next BLB in storyline sequence was titled simply Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (#742). Like other popular newspaper comics of The story is from newspaper strips published the day, Buck Rogers was reprinted as in 1932-1933, and the content is the last to Big Little Books by Whitman, using text be written from Buck’s viewpoint: “Wilma adaptations of the daily strips. The strips and I had captured the arch-criminals Killer were numbered in sequence, but none Kane and Ardala, and we were now speeding of the BLBs contain content from the towards New York with our prisoners in tow.” first year of the daily newspaper strip. The story concerns a race of tiny men called Indeed, the earliest storyline appeared in Asterites who have come to explore Earth. Whitman’s second Buck Rogers BLB in Their actions hinder Buck and lead to Kane’s the form of a hard cover and a 3-color Full-color escape – although they eventually help Buck Soft Cover soft cover version, Buck Rogers in the Version recapture him. City Below the Sea (#765). The story tells of the sunken city of Atlantis. In Standard Hard Cover The next BLB in storyline order was Buck this BLB Buck and Wilma meet Killer Rogers and the Depth Men of Jupiter (#1169). Kane and Ardala Valmar, his female The content is from daily newspaper strips 1395 accomplice, for the first time. through 1514, published in 1933. In pursuit of Kane and Ardala, Buck, Wilma, and Dr. Huer With only a slight gap in the storyline, rocket to Jupiter and become involved in a war The Adventures of Buck Rogers (#4057) between the Woofs, who live on the surface of was published in 1934 as a Big Big Book. the planet, and the Depth Men, who live at the The content continues with newspaper bottom of valleys ten thousand miles deep. Dr. strips 817 through 909. The title page Huer sends Buck in a special pressurized suit to reads “The Story of Buck Rogers on the depths of Jupiter to confer with the Depth the Planetoid Eros”. The plot involves Men. Buck is captured and studied. The story Buck’s adventures on Saturn’s moons, ends with Buck barely escaping from the world with the kings of the moons competing of the Depth Men. for leadership. Dr. Huer, Buck’s Buck Rogers and the Doom Comet (#1178) scientist friend, resolves the problem by Big Big Book depicts the start of the second strip series, becoming the emperor of the planetoids. #4057 series #2 beginning with numbers 1 through 90, published in 1934. Speeding away from their In 1934 Buck Rogers on the Moons Um-Yani adventure on Jupiter, Dr. Huer of Saturn (#1143) was published, hears from the president of Earth that a reproducing newspaper strips #910 comet has been sighted that will collide with the through #1050 that were originally home planet. As a result, the population is in published in 1931-1932. The story hysterics. Kane arrives in time to cause more tells of an attempt by the Titanians to trouble, and in the end Buck, Wilma, and Dr. dethrone Dr. Huer, who deputizes Buck Huer watch from a spaceship as the Earth’s and Wilma to put down the uprising. moon is pulled from its orbit and the Earth Kane and Ardala also become involved. is inundated with tidal waves and massive Three-color destruction. The comet does not hit the planet, The new inventions introduced in the Soft Cover Version Standard however, and Buck and Wilma return to Earth story add to the pleasure of reading this Hard Cover BLB. to see what remains of civilization. 16 17 Killer Kane shows up again in Buck Rogers and the Planetoid Plot (#1197), Buck Rogers in the Overturned World reproduced from the newspaper series #2 (#1474) came next, reprinting the strips from (numbers 241 through 339), published in series #3, strips 445 through 630, originally 1934-1935. This was the last BLB published published in 1938. This is the only BR book by Whitman. From his headquarters on the with the Flip-It feature that allows the reader planetoid Kan-ar, Kane plots to land the to view a mini-story when the book’s pages small planetoid on Earth, in order to cause are turned rapidly with the thumb. In the massive destruction. Buck and his main story a Wokkie has his trunk damaged friends foil this plan and capture Kane. after being stung by a bee. The Wokkie’s The story ends with our heroes barely ability to sniff out Wing Bat Wu leads Buck escaping death in a runaway rocket ship. Phil to this particular evildoer’s whereabouts. A Nowlan’s name is misspelled on the title disguised Buck infiltrates the enemy defens- page. At the time The Planetoid Plot sequence es, ans he saves Earth from a reversal of its appeared in the newspapers, 1935, Cream climates. of Wheat began sponsorship of the BR radio program. This sponsorship lasted until May 1936, when the slow was dropped The last BLB was Buck Rogers and the Su- from the airwaves. per-Dwarf of Space (#1490), taken from the newspaper series #4, strips 1 through 138, The next book in storyline sequence originally published in 1939-1940. This is was Buck Rogers in the War with the the only All-Pictures Buck Rogers BLB. Af- Planet Venus, a Better Little Book (#1437). ter running a Martian blockade, Buck’s ship The title page reads “Buck Rogers in the is disabled and is drawn outside the solar Interplanetary War with the Planet system where he encounters a derelict space- Venus”, and its content is taken from the ship with only one person aboard, Amora. beginning of the newspaper strip series She and Buck save a tiny, dwarf-like man #3, numbered 1 through 100, published in named Bycepps from imprisonment. Then, 1937. This BLB starts with an invasion of together, they all save a planet that has been Earth by millions of Venusians, is filled with overrun by its enemies. complex battle strategies, during which Wilma is captured, and ends only when the Venusians are forced to retreat from Earth.

The next Better Little Book was Buck Rogers Versus the Fiend of Space (#1409), taken from the newspaper series #3, numbers 331 through 444, and originally published in 1938. Mechanical robots A BUCK ROGERS “COMET SOCKER” TOY (1935) begin abducting Earth’s best scientific minds, and Dr. Huer is one of the targets. Is Kane behind the plot? Will Buck be able to save Dr. Huer and the other scientists? With the help of The Wokkie, a small elephant- like creature, Buck prevails. 18 19 Comic Books

In 1940 Famous Funnies issued the first Buck Rogers comic books, and the run lasted until 1943. The first five issues reprinted artist Rick Yager’s Sunday storylines. Under its own BR series, Famous Funnies published BR material from daily and Sunday strips as well as some of its own original stories. The strip reached its artistic peak when Frank Frazetta took over the cover art with issue #209. The final issue of this run was dated July 1955. Toby Press published three issues of BR from January 1951 to June 1951. Gold Key/Whitman produced their own BR comic books from October 1964 until May 1982, describing them as “movie adaptations/movie editions.” Finally, in 1990-1991, TSR, Inc. produced ten issues of a BR comic book, described as a “comics module.”

A Giant Movie Edition comic book adaptation of the BR movie was published in 1979 by Marvel Comics. Then Gold Key and Whitman Comics took over, BUCK ROGERS POP-UP BOOKS continuing their numbering from the 1964 single issue. The Giant Movie Edition was the same as issues #2-4 published by Gold Key. Sixteen issues of the Gold Key/Whitman run were issued. Then TSR published a 10-issue series based on their Buck Rogers XXVC Game from 1990 to 1991.

In 2009, Dynamite Entertainment began a monthly comic book version of Buck Rogers by writer Scott Beatty and artist Carlos Rafael, with the first is- sue released in May 2009.

A BUCK ROGERS “COMET SOCKER” TOY (1935)

WHITMAN BIG BIG BOOK (1934) BUCK ROGERS REPRINT COMIC BOOK

Eternity Comics (September 1989) 20 21 Hardcover/Paperback Books Movie Serial/Feature Film

In addition to the several BR books listed in the Bibliography, there have been In 1939 Universal Pictures produced Buck Rogers, a movie serial in 12 chapters. a number of other hardcover/paperback books over the years, including pop-up Larry (Buster) Crabbe played Buck, with Constance Moore as Wilma and Jackie books as mentioned earlier. The first such book, published in 1934, was The Moran as Buddy. Other featured actors were C. Montague Shaw (Dr. Huer), Henry Pop-up Buck Rogers in a Dangerous Mission and had a single pop-up in its Brandon (Captain Laska), Anthony Warde (Killer Kane), Philson Ahn (Saturian center, showing Buck and Wilma in a rocket ship. The book is 64 pages and Prince Tallen), William Gould (Air Marshall Kragg), and Jack Mulhall (Captain 4” x 5” x 1.2” in size. A second pop-up book was published in 1935 by Blue Rankin). The plot focused upon an underground revolution that was trying to over- Ribbon Press, titled The Pop-up Buck Rogers in Strange Adventures in the Spi- throw the regime of President Killer Kane. Buck sided with the revolutionaries, der Ship. It was 24 pages with outside dimensions of 8” x 9 1/4” x 3/8” and battling the Robot Battalion and the Zuggs (low intelligence humanoids who obeyed contained three pop-ups. their robot leaders), and penetrated Kane’s defenses with the help of a space colony on Saturn. The spaceship battle in the final chapter (“War of the Planets”) was one Other BR hardbound books include Armageddon 2419 A.D. (Avalon, 1962) of the most spectacular shown in movies of the time. The serial was re-released and Wings Over Tomorrow (Wildside Press, 2005), both by Nowlan; and Buck in edited versions in 1953 as Planet Outlaws for theatrical release, and in 1965 as Rogers: A Life in the Future (TSR, Inc., 1995) by Martin Caidin Destination Saturn for telecast as a television movie. (containing a reprint of the 1933 32-page premium, Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century). Dell Publishing issued two BR books in 1978-1979, both written by Addison Steele and both based on teleplays from the TV series. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was the first and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: That Man on Beta was the second. There was also a Buck Rogers Fotonovel that contained 500 color photos from the BR movie, a series of four “annuals” (1981-1984), a color/activity book, another pop-up book, a Little Golden Book illustrated by Kurt Schaffenberger (a Captain Marvel and Superman comic book artist), and a 48-page children’s book from Golden Press by Carole and Robert Pierce. Some of these are listed in the Bibliography.

22 23 Television Series

The first Buck Rogers television series aired on Saturday evenings on ABC. Kem Dibbs played Buck the initial season, beginning on April 15, 1950; and Robert Pastene starred the second season. Lou Prentis played Wilma, Harry Southern played Dr. Huer, and Harry Kingston was the evil Black Barney. The final episode of this brief series was telecast on January 30, 1951. Most of these actors are unknown today.

Then, in 1979-1981, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century appeared in another TV series, this one produced by Universal Studios. In addition, the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months before the series aired. The film and series were developed by Glen A. Larson, based upon the original characters, but with Buck an American astronaut in 1987. In this version Buck is launched on a deep space probe, but his rocket is blown out of trajectory and he is frozen for 500 years, returning to Earth in the Twenty-Fifth Century. The cast consisted of Gil Gerard as Rogers, Erin Gray as Wilma, Tim O’Connor as Dr. Huer, Pamela Hensley as Princess Ardala, Wilfrid Hyde-White as Dr. Goodfellow, Thom Christopher as Hawk, Jay Garner as Admiral Asimov, and Mel Blanc supplied the voice of Twiki, the robot. Glen Larson wrote some of the early episodes, and there were many guest stars, including a 71-year-old Buster Crabbe as an aging brigadier. DVDs of the complete Universal series are still available to the public.

The popularity of the TV series led to the revival of the Buck Rogers newspaper strip, daily and Sunday, drawn by Gray Morrow and written by Jim Lawrence. The strip ran from September 9, 1979 until October 26, 1980, and was later reprinted in its entirety, with the Sunday strips in color, in a large trade edition paperback.

EPISODE GUIDE FOR THE 1979-1981 BUCK ROGERS TV SERIES ON NBC (1980s)

MacDONALD’s/COCA COLA TV POSTER TV-RELATED COMIC BOOK 24 25 Some of the Creative People Associated with Buck Rogers Frank Frazetta: Frazetta (1928 - 2010) was an award-winning science fiction and fantasy artist, noted for his work in comic books, comic strips, magazines, John Flint Dille: In a sense Dille was the one who made it all happen. In the late paperback book covers, dust jackets, paintings, posters, and other media. He 1920s he was president of the National Newspaper Syndicate of America and had and his wife Eleanor had four sons. A recipient of the Award of Merit from the been thinking about adding a futuristic comic strip to his lineup of strips. When Society of Illustrators, he was the subject of a 2003 documentary. Philip Nowlan came to him and presented his ideas for such a strip, Dille liked Nowlan’s idea well enough to assign a Syndicate cartoonist (Calkins) to do a Martin Caidin (1927 - 1997) was a pilot, an author, and an expert on aviation sample strip. The rest, to coin a phrase, is comic strip history! and aeronautics. He wrote many books including Marooned, Black Thursday, Thunderbolt, Fork-Tailed Devil: The P-38, and A Torch to the Enemy. In Philip Francis Nowlan (1888 - 1940): From his boyhood Nowlan was a fan of addition, he wrote more than 1,000 magazine articles and countless screenplays. the stories of Jules Verne. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, He created the Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman for television and where he played football and acted in university shows, Nowlan worked as a also established his own company to promote aeronautical subjects for young newspaper columnist. He moved to the Philadelphia suburb of Bala Cynwyd people. and created and wrote the Buck Rogers comic strip. He also wrote several other stories for the science fiction magazines as well as the posthumously published Richard A. Lupoff: Dick Lupoff, born in 1935, has been a critic and historian mystery, The Girl from Nowhere. He was married to Theresa Marie Junker, of popular culture for many years. His books include Edgar Rice Burroughs: daughter of a Philadelphia baker, and they had ten children – four girls and six Master of Adventure (1965), Lovecraft’s Book (1985), and The Great American boys. Paperback (2001). In addition, he is a science fiction and mystery novelist. Addison E. Steele was one of Lupoff’s pseudonyms. Richard W. Calkins (1895 - 1962): A cartoonist for the National Newspaper Syndicate of America, “Dick” Calkins had been a pilot in the Army Air Force Larry (Buster) Crabbe (1908 - 1983): In 1933 Crabbe starred in King of the during World War I, was a lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve and co-creator of Jungle as Kaspa, the Lion Man. Publicity for this film emphasized his having Skyroads (an airplane adventure strip), when he was asked to do the artwork on won the 1932 Olympic 400-meter freestyle swimming championship. In 1933 the new Buck Rogers strip. Calkins drew the strip for many years, taking over its Crabbe starred in Tarzan the Fearless, released as both a feature and a serial. direction when Nowlan died in 1940. Just prior to the film’s release Crabbe married his college sweetheart, and they subsequently had two daughters and a son. Paramount put him in a number of Curtis Arnall (1898 - 1964): In addition to acting, Arnall had many different jobs Zane Grey westerns, then Universal gave him the lead in two very successful during his life. He was at times a cowboy, broker, fisherman, Coast Guardsman, science fiction serials (Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon). He was active on TV in the and telegrapher. Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, he appeared in local theater, 1950s, and during 1956-1957 had the title role in the adventure series, Captain including roles at the Pasedena Playhouse. In addition to playing Buck Rogers Gallant and The Foreign Legion. on the radio, he was Red Davis (and later was the first Pepper Young) and had roles on several other serials, including Just Plain Bill and One Man’s Family. Constance Moore (1919 - 2005): A band vocalist and radio singer, Moore entered films after starring on Broadway in 1942. In addition to the Buck Rogers serial, Rick Yager (1909 - 1995): Richard Sidney Yager was an artist most famous she appeared in many movies of the late 1930s and 1940s. Later in her career for his work on the Buck Rogers comic strip. Yager was hired by the National she co-starred with Robert Young in the TV series Window on Main Street (1961- Newspaper Syndicate in 1933 to work on the Sunday Buck Rogers page, thus 1962). beginning a 25- year run in which he was to be the backbone of the strip. One of his first contributions was a series of rocket ships that appeared in the last panel Kem Dibbs (1917 - 1996): Dibbs, who starred in the 1950 - 1951 television of each page. Some of these designs would later be licensed by other companies version of Buck Rogers, died at the age of 78 on March 28 in Rancho Mirage, and made into Tootsietoy rocket ships and balsa wood construction kits that sold California. This ABC series lasted only nine months, and Dibbs was replaced by by the tens of thousands during the Buck Rogers merchandising craze of the mid another actor before the show ended. Dibbs went on to appear on many other 1930s. TV programs, including Batman, Rawhide, Studio One, and Playhouse 90, and in such movies as The Ten Commandments, Paths of Glory, Party Girl, and Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. 26 27 Adele Ronson (1906 - 2000): Actress-singer Ronson was also a radio announcer. In addition to playing Wilma Deering on the Buck Rogers program, she appeared on such radio programs as John’s Other Wife, The Coty Playgirl, The Eno Crime Club, We Love and Learn, The Gibson Family, Meyer the Buyer, and Show Boat. Glen A. Larson: Glen Albert Larson, born in 1937 in Los Angeles, California -- a former singer and song writer -- is a television producer and writer, best known as the creator of the TV series The Fall Guy, Knight Rider, Magnum, P. I., and Battlestar Galactica. Larson re-used some of the sets, props, costumes, and effects work from Galactica to create the science fiction series Buck Rogers in 1979. The feature-length pilot episode was released as a theatrical film in March 1979 and grossed $21 million in North America alone.

Gil Gerard: Gerard was born January 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkansas. His father was a salesman, his mother a college instructor. He married his third wife, actress Connie Selleca, in 1979 (divorced, 1987); and they had a son, Gib. He has acted in movies as well as television. He also writes poetry. Erin Gray: Gray was born on January 7, 1950 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She graduated from Pacific Palisades High School and then briefly attended UCLA, focusing on math. She has also acted in movies as well as television. Her second marriage was to Richard Hissong in 1991. Their daughter Samantha plays Buck Rogers’ girlfriend, Maddy, in the pilot episode of James Cawley’s Buck Rogers Begins Internet video series. Gray and Gerard reunited in 2009 for this series, playing the characters’ parents in the pilot episode. Mel Blanc (1908 - 1989): Melvin Jerome Blanc began as a musician, playing with various bands in the Northwest. He made his radio debut in 1927. In 1937 he signed a contract with Warner Brothers, for whom he was to perform the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and countless other animated characters. Blanc later worked for Hanna-Barbera’s TV cartoons. He earned the nickname “The Man of a Thousand Voices” and is regarded as one of the most influential people in the voice-acting industry. He voiced the robot Twiki on the Buck Rogers TV series during 1979-1981. Gray Morrow (1934 - 2001): Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Morrow is best known as the art director of Spiderman between 1967 and 1970 and as illustrator of the syndicated Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and Prince Valiant comic strips, among others. James Lawrence: Lawrence has written fiction extensively for both children and adults in a variety of media: books, magazine articles, film and radio scripts, and comic strips. His radio credits include weekly scripts for Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, The Green Hornet, and Sky King. In addition to Buck Rogers, he has AD FOR NEW BUCK ROGERS PRODUCTS written for newspaper comic strips such as Dallas, Joe Palooka, Captain Easy, and Friday Foster. 28 29 BUCK ROGERS COCOMALT BLB PREMIUM - 1933 Arrived in a box with a letter from Buck Rogers.

BUCK ROGERS COMIC STRIP REPRINT BOOKS The Collected Works of Buck Rogers Chelsea House Publishers 1969 Editor Robert Dille Intro by Ray Bradbury Buck Rogers Complete Newspaper Dailies Hermes Press 2009 Editor Ron Goulart 30 31 News from the Buck Rogers Website Bibliography A Buck Rogers website exists on the Internet and reports that new Buck Rogers board games and a chess set are in development. Based on the 20s -30s style of Buck Rogers, a “Modar’s Gauntlet” is available now. In addition, Retro A Go Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Newspaper Dailies, Go is developing high-end Belt Buckles, Key Chains, Card Cases, Embroidered 6 Volumes, 2008-2012 Neshannock, PN: Hermes Press, 2009. Patches, and more. ZICA Toys has announced an all new, highly articulated 1/9th scale line of action figures based on the television movie and series, Buck Caidin, Martin. Buck Rogers: A Life in the Future. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, Rogers In The 25th Century. Dynamic Forces has launched another comic book 1995. vision of Buck Rogers. Cawley Entertainment Company and Retro Film Studios announces an Internet Series For Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. Go Hero DeLong, Thomas A. Radio Stars. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1996. has brought back a full scale, sparking-popping replica of the 1930s Atomic Dille, Robert C. (Ed.). The Collected Works of Buck Rogers in the Disintegrator, originally released by Daisy. Flint Dille (grandson of John F. 25th Century. NY: Chelsea House, 1969. Dille) wrote, “When Steve Forde showed me the Go Hero collectible figures he was developing, I was amazed! They’re great. They set the benchmark for Goulart, Ron. “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.: The 60th Anniversary of a the quality we want with all of the Buck Rogers products we’ll be releasing.” Special SF Hero.” In Amazing Stories (September, 1988), pp. 87-95. ReelArt Studios is creating a 50’s style statue. Hermes Press is releasing every Harmon, Jim. The Great Radio Heroes. NY: Doubleday, 1967. Buck Rogers Daily and Sunday Comic strip in a series of books that started in late 2008. It has also been reported that the entire comic strip canon will be available Harmon, Jim and Donald Gint. The Great Movie Serials. Garden City, NY: in one pristine quality presentation. Doubleday, 1972. Lowery, Lawrence F. (ed.). The Big Little Times, Volume VI, Number 4, July-August, 1987. Concluding Remarks Lowery, Lawrence F. The Golden Age of Big Little Books. Danville, CA: Educational Research and Applications LLC, 2007. It certainly seems that Buck Rogers has not been forgotten, especially if one believes all that is posted on the Buck Rogers Website. In fact, it looks as if he Nowlan, Philip Francis. Armageddon 2419 A.D. NY: Avalon Books, 1962. may be poised for yet another comeback. We should all be thankful if this is the Nowlan, Philip Francis. Wings Over Tomorrow. Rockville, MD: Wildside case. Interplanetary multi-media Buck has been with us too long to be ignored Press, 2005. now that the exploration of space is actually taking place. Reinehr, R. C. & Jon D. Swartz. The A to Z of Old-Time Radio. Lanham, MD: On the other hand, it seems the Cawley Entertainment Company/Retro Films Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. Studio project, Buck Rogers Begins, may be stalled and may not even be finished. The show was set to star Bobby Quinn Rice of Star Trek: New Voyages (Phase Swartz, Jon D. & Robert C. Reinehr. Handbook of Old-Time Radio: A II) fame as a young Buck Rogers and Samantha Gray Hissong as Madison Gale, Comprehensive Guide to Golden Age Radio Listening and Collecting. Buck’s love interest. Apparently, the necessary funding has not been raised to Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1993. produce the new TV series. Buck Rogers Begins was off to a good start, however, Weinberg, Robert. A Biographical Dictionary of Science Fiction and Fantasy as Cawley and company were working with The Dille Family Trust (who still Artists. NY: Greenwood Press, 1988. hold the rights to the Buck Rogers character), and even the original stars of the 1980s Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV series, Gil Gerard and Erin Gray, had been cast as Buck’s parents.

32 33 WHITMAN LETTER March 3, 1939______THE COLLECTOR’S CORNER

Collectors seldom get to see or learn about the decisions made behind the scenes of producing a product. Reading correspondence between a publisher and author or artist provides some insight into the workings that underpin a product.

In past issues of the BLT, some correspondence has been reproduced - most notably the letters between Whitman and Disney concerning the first Mickey Mouse BLB.

Bob Barrett, Member #860, sent information concerning correspondence between the Whitman Publishing Company and artist John Coleman Burroughs regarding a never published Better Little Book for which John Coleman Burroughs did the illustrations and for which he was paid.

The agreement was for JCB to illustrate a manuscript for a BLB titled The Two Gun Kid and the Bad Land Raiders. The plan got underway in March of 1939, just after the change in the BLB logo from Big Little Book to Better Little Book. With Bob’s permission, the sequence of the correspondence is reproduced on the following pages. You can see the progress of the plan, the amount paid to an artist in those days. But no one knows why this completed BLB never went to press. It is also not known who wrote the Western story or the number of pages intended for the book. BURROUGHS LETTER March 12, 1939 ______JCBs relationship with Whitman began at the start of the Better Little Book era (1939-1949). He illustrated several BLBs and BLB covers (e.g., John Carter of Mars #1402, Charlie Chan, Villainy on the High Seas #1424, The Shadow and the Ghost Makers #1495). He also did two BLBs besides the Two Gun Kid that were never completed: Tarzan and Tantor (the narrative might not have been long enough to fill a BLB) and Captain Marvel (a legal battle between the Superman publisher and the Captain Marvel publisher brought this work to an end before publication).

The sequence of the following letters is interesting. It begins on March 3, 1939 with Whitman’s invitation to JCB to illustrate the manuscript. JCB accepts the invitation, and Whitman sends panels in which to do the illustrations and offers $250 for the work. On May 6, 1939 JCB sends the finished work. Whitman acknowledges receipt and sends the agreed upon payment.

34 35 WHITMAN LETTER March 16, 1939______BURROUGHS LETTER May 6, 1939______

WHITMAN LETTER May 11, 1939______

BURROUGHS LETTER May 6, 1939______

36 37 • • • • • •

In 1938 the Dell Publishing Company worked with Whitman to publish the One of the more popular Mickey Mouse BLBs is Mickey Mouse in the Famous Feature Stories book. It contained stories about Whitman’s licensed Blaggard Castle. The story line and illustrations were adapted from the 1932 daily characters. The story lines were written by Whitman free-lance authors and the comic strip done by Floyd Gottfredson. The story tells about Mickey and his friend illustrations were captioned pictures adapted from the Big Little Book format. Horace Horsecollar when they visit the Castle and meet Professor Ecks, The copy I showed in the Golden Age of Big Little Books had a back cover that Doublex and Triplex, three brothers who are mad scientists engaged in testing a repeated the picture on the front cover. Recently it was discovered that some new hypnotic ray gun. They are not sure if it will work and state “If our ray is copies of the book have an ad on the back cover. This suggests that the book shorter than an X-Ray, your brain will be hypnotized. . . but if it isn’t, then it will underwent a second printing and that the ad is a way to tell one printing from be an X-Ray! and your brain, instead of being hypnotized, will be burned!” another. This claim about X-Rays in the strip scared some young readers so much so that Dr. Rubin G. Alley of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania wrote to the Disney Studio to complain that the story was frightening his patients. Gottfredson and others working on the strip issued a personal apology to the doctor, complete with specially drawn Mickey Mouse art.

The letter reads “Dear Doc: I’m awfully sorry you had trouble on account of my ad- ventures in the comic strip. Of course I know X-Rays can’t hurt you, but Horace didn’t know it and the pro- FAMOUS FEATURE STORIES FAMOUS FEATURE STORIES fessors are all crazy, so they Back Cover - First Printing Back Cover - Second Printing didn’t! Do you see? So I hope you’ll show this letter to the • • • little boy who was scared, Whitman’s transition books appeared in 1938. A and tell him that when any- transition book is one that was published at the time thing gets wrong with me, the Whitman changed its patented logo and phrase “Big first thing I do is go to a hos- Little Book” to “Better Little Book.” Thus some pital. And then I do whatever 1938 BLB titles have variations in printing. Some the doctor tells me. ‘Cause can be found with the Big Little Books logo and a doctors always know best. blacked out logo. Some have a blacked out logo and Your Pal, Mickey Mouse.” a Better Little Book logo. Some have variations in their ads at the back of the book (e.g., Smitty Goes The art and lettering style matches those of the “Blaggard Castle” story. It seems Native has at least 5 variations). All these variations a sure bet that this apology was bound to calm the nerves of the doctor’s young appeared in the first 1400 series (1938). When the patients, specially since it came straight from Mickey Mouse! variations were described and listed in an issue of the BLT, it was speculated that more variations in NEWLY DISCOVERED This apology letter was recently offered through a Hake’s Americana and this 1400 series might be discovered. And one was TRANSITION BOOK Collectibles Auction. discovered earlier this year - Flash Gordon in the Water World of Mongo. 38 39 • • • • • •

For many years, Jim Blackledge, Member #565, and I have been tracking down Other foreign items that some BLB collectors like to add to their collections are BLB-related items published in other countries. Although Argentina and Brazil the Great Britain air raid books for kids. These books are about the size of the reproduced many different Whitman titles, most translations are of Disney books Whitman Penny Books. The British called them Better Little Books. They were - mainly Mickey Mouse. published by Raphael Tuck and Sons Ltd. during the years of the German blitz of England. A purpose for the books was to give youngsters something “to read Recently Jim found one translated into German and published in Germany. I during air-raids to take their minds off things.” found one in Italian and published in Italy. Others have been found in Danish and published in Denmark. A box set of Wee Little Books were discovered in Great Tuck published dozens of these little books, 3 1/2” x 2 1/2”, 32 pages plus a full Britain. Here are examples of our most recent finds. color cover illustration, and staples at the side.. There is an ad on the back cover. Some of these little books contain factual information (many are based upon military subjects that were highly relevant during the early 1940s), most contain fiction, and others feature biographies of historical figures. The interior contains 6 black and white illustrations scattered within the text. The Blitz (the German word for “lightning”) was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain and Northern Ireland by Nazi Germany at the start of WWII. It took place between September 7, 1940 and May 10, 1941. London, was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 57 consecutive nights. More than one million London houses were destroyed or damaged, and more than 40,000 civilians were killed, almost TRANSLATED BLB - DENMARK TRANSLATED BLB - GERMANY TRANSLATED BLB - HOLLAND half of them in London. The city centre of Coventry was almost completely de- stroyed in one night raid. The population hid in subways and other shelters dur- ing the bombings. It was common for the children to read the Better Little Books in the shelters. The bombing did not achieve its intended goals of demoralizing the British into surrender or significantly damaging their war economy. In fact, the eight months of bombing never seriously hampered British production and its war industries continued to operate and expand. After the successful Allied landing in Europe, the Germans launched the first V-1 rocket bomb on London. It continued sending more than 100 a day into southeast England for a total of 9,521 V-1 bombs before the war ended. TRANSLATED BLB - ITALY TRANSLATED BLB - ITALY The British Better Little Books are historically interesting and highly collect- ible. You can see a nice collection of them on the Deke Wilson (Member #1010) website: www.dekescollection.net

BOX SET OF WEE LITTLE BOOKS TRANSLATED BLB - BRAZIL TRANSLATED BLB - SPAIN GREAT BRITAIN 40 41 • • • LETTERS Having trouble identifying the “paper spine” variety of the Moon Mullins and Kayo BLB (GW26a) and the “hard cover spine” version, (GW26c). The I have been a BLB Club member for some 28 years, and although I have not (yet) spines of all copies I have seen to date have a thin piece of board backing them. had the pleasure of meeting you personally, I feel a sense of kinship respect for However, since the “board” is considerably thinner than the boards of the front your work, and good fellowship that is difficult to describe, but deeply felt. and back covers, it may be giving them the appearance of a paper spine. The spines are not as stiff as later hard cover spine books (like Moon Mullins and the I want to thank you for the effort you have sustained over all these years to bring Plushbottom Twins, which has the usual backing thickness of the covers). enjoyment to me, and to all BLB Club members. The quality of your research, your obvious delight when uncovering new “discoveries”, your unique ability Is it possible that these lighter-board spines might be categorized as the “paper to integrate knowledge of the story lines and artists into the cultural context of spine” variety, and the “hard cover spine” would be something that I haven’t the period over which the books were produced - all these aspects provided a yet encountered??....or do copies exist that are truly paper spines without any “richness” to BLB Club membership that helped to make collecting BLBs such stiffening behind them? Does the light-weight stiffener mean it’s a “hard cover a joyful activity. spine”? JOHN PANSMITH I’m very glad that the Club was not dissolved at year end of 2011. It may be a Member #810 small organization, but my intuition tells me it has made a big impact on those of You have asked some good questions, John. My thoughts about the differences us fortunate enough to have discovered the many pleasures of membership in spines on early BLBs are speculations based upon the many copies of those books that have passed through my hands. Each time I get a BLB, I compare it BOB HEWITT to the copy I have in my basic collection. This procedure has led to discoveries Member #221 of differences. Thank you, Bob, for your nice comments. And thanks to the several hundred Club When the paper spines were first noticed, I wrote an article about them in the members who also wrote and gave thanks for the continuation of the Club and its Big Little Times – Volume 5, Number 6. For some of those early BLBs there may newsletter. have been 3 spine variations (no cardboard, thin cardboard, thick cardboard). But I’ve never found 3 variations for any one title. And for the first Dick Tracy • • • BLB, I’ve never found one with a reenforced spine. This does not mean that one does not exist. I am pleased that the BLB Club is continuing. Through its newsletter, The What I called “paper spine” was for books that had no cardboard in the spine Big Little Times, and its publications, The Golden Age of Big Little Books and –they are really just the cover paper with no stiffening. I have 11 titles with paper The Collector’s Guide to Big Little Books, we have been able to store in our spines. They are the first 11 BLBs published by Whitman. Americana portion of our library more information on Western, Whitman, and the BLBs than anywhere else. Who knows what persons in the future will want For the hard cover I did not differentiate between “thin” cardboard and the to research an interesting part of American history (the 1930s and 1940s) to say later “thick” cardboard. I have the same 11 titles with cardboard in the spines something about it to future generations. This legacy is important and would (some thin and some thick). I assumed that the thin cardboard was Whitman’s be lost forever if just stored in the memories of those who experienced it. Such test to see if it would work OK. Whitman eventually ended up with the thicker important writings are what libraries are all about – to store and preserve cardboard spine. historical information and other knowledge. As a librarian, I I am sure that Whitman discovered early on that appreciate such work and am pleased that some collectors, like yourself, take the the spine ripped easily. Today it is hard to find time to write about the materials that you collect. The typical “picture books” and these titles with unripped spines. “price guides” do not add to historical knowledge. Thanks again, for continuing a Club that provides knowledge about its collectibles. Hope this clarifies my interpretation of what was AMY PEARSON taking place in those early days of developing Librarian BLBs. PLEASE, DON’T EVER DO THIS! 42 43 Being a reporter Jane has been described on occasion as a Lois Lane-type. JANE ARDEN However; this is not an accurate comparison. Jane was without a Superman or even a Clark Kent. She seldom needed a male to rescue her. Jane was similar to Brenda Starr in personality. Brenda appeared in newspaper comics several years FEARLESS GIRL REPORTER later. AND THE MOST 1 Jane Arden was more popular in Canada and Australia than in the United States. BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE NEWSPAPER WORLD Possibly this was due to this strip’s early use of WWII themes. Canada felt the effects of the war more directly as its freighters were torpedoed before America’s by vessels became Germany’s targets. People living in previously English colonies Walt Needham (Member #1102) had close ties with those who were enduring the nightly bombing of the mother cities. Although little recognized today, Jane Arden was one of the most robust of the comic heroines to appear in newspapers and the BLB format. While there was Another reason for its popularity in general was the production of numerous Jane only one Jane Arden Better Little Book published, she had an exceptionally Arden paper dolls and costumes. The girls of that era enjoyed seeing the styles long newspaper run. She was among the first major comic characters to become of the times while the boys liked seeing the attractive Jane in her underwear. Its involved in World War II plots. She was featured on radio and in the movies. many years of newspaper publication allowed for massive collections of dolls and She appeared for years as a paper doll on a Sunday page with many cut-out clothing. An example of a 1930s Jane Arden and her collection of sports outfits fashions sized to fit her various poses. Because the newspaper media supported can be found in Trina Robbins (4) book on paper dolls. Even now newspaper Jane two characters identified as Jane Arden in the 1960s, her career ended as a nurse Arden dolls and costumes are popular sales items on EBay. or an employee of a small western town newspaper in the 1800s.

The Jane Arden newspaper strip itself ran for over forty years, beginning in 1927 and ending in 1968 (2). It was created for the Register and Tribune Syndicate. It was first written by Monte Barrett and drawn by Frank Ellis. At first its plots were quite insipid, the stories emphasizing romance more than adventure. The drawing was far from dynamic as well. Significant changes occurred in the 1930s when new artists were added. It was expanded from a daily to include a Sunday page with a separate story. Added was a side panel with Jane Arden paper dolls and clothing appropriate to her current adventure. Readers would send in their own suggestions as to clothing design. Their names were printed along with the outfits. Jane Arden also included a Lena Pry topper, featuring a character that was true to her Dickensonian name.

Barrett died in 1949 and Walt Graham took over the scripting until 1968. There were many artists to follow when Frank Ellis left, most notable being Russell Ross. Ross gave the characters his individual style as well as added new ones, such as Tubby, an office boy, abducted from the comics, Flying to Fame and Slim and Tubby (3). Others were gradually added to the cast: Honey Chile and JANE ARDEN PAPER DOLLS Police Inspector Murphy (4). By this time Jane was well established as a reporter/adventurer. When Ross left in 1955, he was followed by Jim Seed, William Hargis, and Bob Schoenke. As the newspaper str ip drew to an end, Jane shared it with a cowboy hero of the Old West.

44 45 As noted earlier, Jane Arden and the Vanished Princess was the only Better Jane’s adventures could be found in other media as well. A radio show, The Little Book in which Jane appeared. Published in 1938, the original writer, Adventures of Jane Arden (2), was first broadcast in June 1938 from New York on Monte Barrett, furnished the plot, but the illustrator was now Russell Ross, the WTZ. Several months later it moved to the Blue Network. Although termed by second artist who drew her newspaper adventures. The plot no longer involved Dunning (1) as a soap opera instead of adventure program, it seemed to involve gangsters but was concerned with international events. more detection than soap bubbles. For example, although most of the programs are lost, one was titled Murder in the Elevator. Each serialized episode ran for Tania, the lovely princess of 15 minutes and was heard every weekday at 10:15 AM. Jane was played by Ruth Anderia, disappeared and unless she Yorke, a veteran radio actor who had been awarded the title role in Marie, the returned in time for her coronation, Little French Princess. Radio buffs recognize this program to be the first daytime her country would be placed soap opera aired on CBS. The Adventures of Jane Arden, sponsored by Ward under the rule of the evil Grand Baking left the air in June of 1939. Duke. Because of her striking resemblance to the princess, Rosella Towne starred in the movie, The Prime Minister, Count Moritz, Adventures of Jane Arden, released in 1939. recruits Jane to travel to An- Apparently Warner Brothers intended it to deria to help prevent this from be the first of a series of films but this was happening and to take Tania’s place if not to be. necessary. Wolfe and Sloane, spies working for the Grand Duke, kidnap The movie trailer is available on You-Tube not only the princess but Jane and her (Just Google The Adventures of Jane Arden), friends. Jane concocts a plot to free but the film itself is hard-to-find. The plot is them all. domestic rather than foreign. Jane leaves her reporter job to go undercover, There is a subplot consisting of an intrigue involving the Anderian spies who are pretending to be a jewel thief in order to trying to help Jane. The princess who had been kept a prisoner is located and she is bring a gang of real jewel smugglers to freed in time to thwart the Grand Duke’s false coronation. Jane supplies the proof justice. However, her identity becomes of the Prime Minister’s treason. known and she is often in danger. In the EXAMPLES OF THE JANE ARDEN COMIC STRIP film, Jane is given a romantic partner, Ed Towes, who is played by William Gargan.

STILLS FROM THE FILM THE ADVENTURES OF JANE ARDEN

46 47 Was there either a real or fictional character that inspired the creation of Jane In her last newspaper appearances Jane “time-traveled” to the 19th Century Arden? Several possibilities have been suggested: Nellie Bly was a spunky news American West, teaming up with a cowboy that Bob Schoecke had created earlier. reporter employed by the Hearst chain who went around the world; Beatrice Fair- The comic was called Laredo and Jane, Jane this time worked for a frontier town fax, pen name of real journalist, Marie Manning, was well known at the turn of the newspaper. This lasted until 1968. century. The Film Producers had turned Beatrice into a movie heroine. Although Miss Manning’s real job was giving advice to the lovelorn, Beatrice became a As the Jane Arden newspaper comic wound down, Auden Publishers issued a reporter/adventurer, solving crimes in group of books for young people with a heroine named Jane Arden. Apparently 1916 with the 15-chapter Beatrice the name “Jane Arden” has not been copywrited or some arrangement was made Fairfax serial. Mary McGrory, a with the Register and Tribune Syndicate for its use. Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist who was on Nixon’s hate list because of This Jane was not the old Jane Arden pursuing a second career as a middle aged her work in the Watergate scandal, woman. She was a young, sophisticated nurse whose author borrowed from the lists Jane Arden as her inspiration for titles of the highly successful Cherry Ames series books. They included Jane becoming a reporter (2). Arden Student Nurse, Jane Arden Registered Nurse, Jane Arden Head Nurse, Jane Arden Space Nurse, Jane Arden Staff Nurse, Jane Arden’s Home Coming, and Reprints of the Jane Arden newspaper Jane Arden Surgery Nurse. Written by Kathleen Harris as romances, they began strips appeared in comic books, start- in the 1950s and continued to the 1960s. They were first published in hard cover, ing with Famous Funnies #2 which and were successful enough to be reprinted in paperback. However, they did not was published in September of 1934 MARY McGRORY reach the popularity of Jane Arden in her prime or the Cherry Ames epics. (2). Perhaps there is no need for a Jane Arden, Reporter. Many of today’s real women After Issue #35, the reprints were moved to Feature Funnies #1 which began in reporters have her characteristics. Improved equal opportunities for men and 1937. The magazine was later changed to Feature Comics. Crack Comics #1 to women do not make her position a novelty. She has disappeared as an entity but #25, also had an Arden presence. Jane had her own comic for two issues in the she is present in many of today’s media heroines, United States. On the other hand, Australia Atlas Publication gave Jane her own magazine for 29 issues. Jane Arden coloring books were also for sale.

JANE ARDEN COMIC BOOK BOOK: CHERRY AMES SERIES

JANE ARDEN COMIC BOOK JANE ARDEN COLORING BOOK 48 49 References CLASSIFIED ADS 1. Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press. BLB ITEMS WANTED BLB ITEMS FOR SALE BRITISH AIR RAID BOOKLETS 2. Author Unknown. (ND). Jane Arden (Comics). Wikipedia Retrieved on Pre-1941 Tuck and Sons Publishers 3/29/2012 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Arden_ 32-page format

Bonnie Prince Charlie 3. Goulart, Ron. (1990). The Encyclopedia of American Comics. New York: Very Good/Fine Facts on File, Inc. Book has number written on cover $10.00 4. Robbins, Trina (1987). Paper Dolls from the Comics. Forestville, CA: Eclipse Comics. David Livingston Very Good/Fine Book has number 5. Author Unknown. (ND). Don Markstein’s Toonopedia: Jane Arden. written on cover Retrieved on 4/6/2012 at http://toonopedia.com/janearden.htm $10.00 Sir Francis Drake Fine Book has number written on cover $12.00

The tory of Canada Fine Book has number written on cover $12.00 BOOKLETS FOR SALE TheStory of South Africa The Tuck Air-raid booklets shown in Fine Book has number the next column are hard to get in Great wirtten on cover Britain and rare to find in the U.S. $12.00 Please add $1.50 for shipping for any LARGER AIR RAID BOOKLETS number of Air-raid booklets purchased. 16-page + cover format Secrets of the Manor Send payment to: Fine Larry Lowery $15.00 P.O. Box 1242 When Jungle Drums Beat! Fine Danville, CA 94526 $15.00 [email protected] Rainbow Island (925) 837-2086 Fine $15.00 MIGHTY MIDGET AIR RAID BOOKLET 32-page format

The Red Flash Very Good Date stamped on cover $15.00

50 51 The cards were numbered sequentially but divided into seven sets (series). BIG LITTLE BOOK There were 32 cards per set and each featured a different character: Flash Gordon (#1 - #32) Dick Tracy (#33 - #64) Popeye (#65 - #96) Tom Mix (#97 - #128) G-Man (#129 - #160) Buck Jones (#161 - #192) PROMOTIONAL CARDS Dan Dunn (#193 - #224)

by In 1937, the press run for BLBs was 1,000,000 copies. Some titles had more than one press run. It is unknown what the press run was for the BLB cards, Jeff Kepley but knowing how hard it is to find BLB cards it would be a safe guess to say Non-sport card collector and BLB Club member #1337 it was a fraction of what the press run was for a BLB. It is also unknown how many complete sets (all 224 cards) there is out there among collectors. To see a complete set of all 224 cards, refer to the Golden Age of Big Little Books, Working with Stephen Slesinger, Inc., the Whitman Publishing Company pages 340 through 346. The last 2 sets (Buck Jones and Dan Dunn) have been produced and distributed Big Little Book cards in 1937 to promote certain titles reported to be very difficult to find. Also the popularity of collecting Flash in the Big Little Book 1100 Series. These cards were similar to the popular Gordon, Dick Tracy and Popeye makes these sets very hard to come by. Goudey baseball cards of the 1930’s. On one side of each card there is a full color illustration taken from a Big Little Book (BLB) being promoted, and on the The first set was adapted from the Flash Gordon and the Tournaments of other side is part of the story, rewritten to motivate the reader into buying more Mongo Big Little Book, and the BLB was adapted from the Flash Big Little Books. Gordon Sunday pages, strips #48 through #65 beginning December 2, 1934 and ending April 21, 1935. This is the third story line in the Flash Gordon Sunday feature. The story begins with Flash, Dale and Zarkov enjoying the hospitality of Vulcan, ruler of the Hawkmen. When Ming captures Vulcan and the Hawkmen, Flash agrees to save them by entering a “Tournament of Death,” a sequence of challenges in which the participant emerges alive or is killed.

Front and Back of Card #1

The size of each card is 2-3/8” x 2-7/8”. The cards were available at the “Five and Dime” stores that sold BLBs (such as Woolworths and Kress). These cards were printed in linear strips, eight cards to each strip and four strips to a set (there were no wrappers for these cards). Cards on a strip could be separated along perforations and distributed individually. One card was given to a customer Front and Back of Card #2 for each Big Little Book that was prchased. 52 53 The second set was adapted from the Dick Tracy in Chains of Crime Big Little The fourth set was adapted from the Tom Mix in the Fighting Cowboy Big Little Book. This BLB was adapted from the daily strip beginning May 26, 1935 and Book. This BLB was the first of five Tom Mix BLBs prepared specially for the ending August 3, 1935. The story begins when Mary Steele opens a hot dog Whitman BLB format. The story tells about troubles in a small town called Snake stand and hires Toby Townley to be her cashier. Toby skims the nightly cash Prairie. This town becomes engulfed in a feud, and it is governed by unscrupulous deposits to bet at the horse track. Toby is in cahoots with a crooked bank teller politicians. Tom rides into town, makes some quick enemies by exposing a card named Mark Masters. After Masters is killed by Bookie Joe, Dick Tracy arrests cheat, then proceeds to clean up the town and save it from an Indian attack. Toby. Charges against Toby are dropped because of Mary’s help in the case.

Front and Back of Card #99

Front and Back of Card #34 The fifth set was adapted from the G-Man Vs. the Red X Big Little Book. This BLB story is the classic “FBI against the gangsters” story. The lead in the story is G-Man Tod Morgan, son of the District Chief. When Morgan’s father and his boss The third set was adapted from the Popeye Sees the Sea Big Little Book. The are murdered by poisoning, he is assigned to find the killer. His leads take him to content of this BLB was written specially for the BLB format by Popeye’s creator the home of the Emperor, who Morgan believes is the Red X. Evidence against the Elzie Crisler Segar. This story tells how Popeye finds and rescues a kidnapped Emperor is difficult to obtain. Finally with the help of a hidden microphone and sailor. camera, the FBI has enough evidence to arrest the Red X and his men.

Front and Back of Card #65 Front and Back of Card #129

54 55 Unknown at this time is the source for the Buck Jones sixth set of cards. None of For youngsters in the Depression Era, Big Little Books were the forerunner to the 4 Big Little Books in the 1100 series match the story line or artwork displayed comic books. The first series of Whitman Big Little Books was the 700 series, in the 32 cards. In this story Buck thwarts the unscrupulous doings of a notorious which covered the years 1932 to 1934. The Big Little Books that these 224 cattleman and saves the ranch of a beautiful woman from an illegal takeover. promotional cards were based on were from the 1100 series. This was the second series of Whitman Big Little Books. The 1100 series covered the years 1934 to 1936. The first 1400 series was published from 1937 to mid-1938. Lowery in his Collector’s Guide to Big Little Books considers these series to be the Golden Age of Big Little Books. There are 254 titles in the Golden Age. Whitman went on to do five more 1400 series lasting until 1949. Lowery considers them to be the Silver Age of Big Little Books (now called Better Little Books).. The Silver Age is comprised of 295 Better Little Books. Whitman next published a BLB TV series of 6 titles in 1958. In 1967-9, Whit- man resurrected the original Big Little Book logo with 35 hard cover books. The hardcover books gave way to 37 soft cover books before Whitman ended with its last endeavor with the Big Little Book format in the mid-1980s.

If you are interested in card collecting, you might enjoy subscribing to: Wrapper Front and Back of Card #161 2020 Farmington Lakes Dr. #15 Oswego, IL 60543, [email protected].

The seventh series was adapted from the Dan Dunn on the Trail of the Counterfeiters Big Little Book. The contents of this BLB was derived from a 1936 daily strip story line. The story begins as Dunn lays out plans to capture the Chinese smuggler, Wu Fang. Dunn learns that Wu Fang has teamed with Ace Bart, a notorious counterfeiter. Babs, an orphan was kidnapped by the counterfeiters. Dunn, with the help of a Northwest Mounted Policeman, captures Wu Fang and gives him a truth serum, and Fang then reveals the where about of the counterfeiters. Armed with the information from Wu Fang, Dunn rescues Babs and successfully rounds up the counterfeiters.

EXAMPLES OF Front and Back of Card #206 UNCUT BLB CARD STRIPS 56 57 FOR SALE If you missed getting a copy of the Pre-WWII Newspaper Paper Doll Cut-Outs BLT 30-year INDEX, you might want $1.00 each plus shipping to contact Walt Needham, Member #1102. He has made some extra If interested, contact Larry Lowery copies for his friends. Contact him at: P.O. Box 1242, Danville, CA 94526 [email protected]. (925) 837-2086 [email protected]

THE BLT 30-YEAR INDEX

The BIG LITTLE TIMES© is published twice a year on a June/December semi- annual subscription basis by the Educational Research and Applications LLC. 1 2 3 4 It is one of several publications produced for The Big Little Book Club.

The Club and its publications are devoted to people who research, collect, or are just enthusiastic about Big Little Books© and similar books.

The BLB Club maintains a website: biglittlebooks.com

Correspondence can be sent to: BLB Club, P.O. Box 1242, Danville, CA 94526 5 6 7 8 Contents of this publication: ©ERA, LLC 2012, all rights reserved.

Subscription rates: $15.00 per year US $20.00 per year Canada

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 58 59