Suspended Animation Classic #368
Originally published January 7, 1996 (#1)
(Dates are approximate)
Comics Legend Jim Davis
By Michael Vance
His art is seen everywhere, yet few know his name. His career spanned the early days of the Disney Studios, the wild ‘60s animation of Robert Crumb’s “Fritz the Cat”, and the subtle, silent humor of “The Pink Panther”. Yet when recognized at all, Jim Davis is usually mistaken for the guy that draws “Garfield” in comic strips.
Jim Davis in not that, and much more.
At the very least, he was at two of the right places at the right time. He was animating “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”, and then “Superman (for Fleischer) when comic books were coming of age.
Having no comic book writers and artists themselves, some publishers were then supplied with stories by other companies called “Shops” in the late ‘30s and ‘40s. Shops created work for several publishers simultaneously. Davis was on the spot.
Without dropping his brush at Fleischer, or Warner Brothers later, Davis began acting as an agent for moonlighting animators and drawing some material himself for the B. W. Sangor Shop, which eventually became the American Comics Group.
He and his animators drew exclusively for young children, most often using “funny animals” as their foils for fun.
Only three publishers, Pines, National, and ACG, featured Davis’ art, produced initially for these companies through the Sangor Shop. His credits include “The Fox and the Crow”, “Flippity & Flop”, “Tito and His Burrito”, “Hound and the Hare”, and “Witch Hazel”.
Except for “The Fox and the Crow” (DC/National), these were published in titles including “Ha Ha”, and “Giggle Comics” (ACG). As the California agent for B. W. Sangor, he is also indirectly responsible for dozens of additional features including “Super Katt” and “The Duke and the Dope”.
His animation work also plays on millions of television sets and through VCRs worldwide every day. Of the dozens of features he helped animate, his favorite was “The Pink Panther”.
Jim Davis’ work is highly recommended.
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Tags: comic book comics art funny animals animation Walt Disney Fleischer
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The greatest humor comic books ever done (with The Flaming Carrot coming in as a tie) by Richard Hughes and art by Ogden Whitney. Huge influence on me as a boy of eleven and as a writer.
Tags: comic book Hervie Herbie
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Editor of American Comics Groups titles, and creator and writer of Herbie, my favorite humor title.
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My book, Forbidden Adventures: The History of the American Comics Group, was reprinted in Alter Ego #61 and #62 with lots of additional art and photographs. Cover by Dick Giordano.
Tags: comic book history
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Cover by Michael Ploog.
Tags: comic book history
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