1955 oddity.

[rjpb]

This magazine sized comic from 1955 is a recent ebay pickup. Actually an all-comics (aside from advertising) issue of the Stanford Chaparral, an unofficial college humor magazine put out by the Hammer & Coffin Society, it contains 1/2 - 2 pg. parodies of mostly newspaper strips, but also a weak Superman parody. While it may seem inspired by Mad Magazine, a quick search on the net indicates earlier (annual?) issues dating back possibly as far as 1948. One was titled Purple Ape Crash Comics (love that title). Fairly recent issues appear to exist as well, but no indication that there have been regular issues over the decades. Any Stanford alumni out there familiar with this title?

 

The main appeal to me beyond the proto-underground look of the book, is the wild cover - more in line with something found in 1960/70s fanzines than 50s humor mags. I have no clue what happened to Bill Davis, the cover artist, but I love the way he drew the creature.

 

[143ksk]

That's very cool! Any chance we could see some interior scans?

[aardvark88]

Wow. That is much earlier than Berkeley Barb or Gothic Blimp Works UG tabloids circa 1964-68. Great find.

[selegue]

Merryman (Inferior Five) prototype!

I'd love to see some interior scans too.

 

Jack

 

Wow. That is much earlier than Berkeley Barb or Gothic Blimp Works UG tabloids circa 1964-68. Great find.

[rjpb]

As you can see the Superman parody is poorly concieved and drawn - pg.2 is no better.

 

 

This Bringing Up Father parody is more successful, bith conceptually and artistically. Note the refrences to Dr. Frederick Wertham throughout - the whole strip is part commentary on Wertham's championing Bringing Up Father as "healthy vulgarity" in contrast to what appears in comic books.

 

 

[rjpb]

The Jester on the cover is the mascot of the Hammer & Coffin

Society, a Stanford club dating back to the early part of the 20th century.