Number 794

Comical Comics Week: Cosmo the Merry Martian

This is the first day of Pappy's last August theme week. In recognition of school starting next week we're presenting some kids' comics, funny stuff from my collection.

Cosmo the Merry Martian, published by Archie ("Archie Comics Are COMICAL Comics!"), and drawn by Bob White, came out in late 1958. There were a lot of space stories in that time, reflecting the interest because of the Russian satellite, Sputnik, launched into orbit in the fall of '57. I bought Cosmo, and thought it was pretty clever. The title only lasted six issues, and I'm not sure why. People who remember it recall it with fondness, but maybe there just weren't enough of us to keep it going.

Sherm Cohen showed this first issue on his Cartoon Snap blog in April, 2009, but I think it's been enough time to give it another viewing. According to Scott Shaw! and his Oddball Comics website, Bob White was a regular Archie artist until he got caught moonlighting, drawing for Tower Comics in the mid '60s. He was blackballed by Archie, and left comics to go into another line of work. Another source online said White died a few years ago. I'm sorry about that, but a positive is that over 50 years later we can still look at Cosmo and enjoy what Bob White did for the kids of that time.

That year I bought all of the Archie Annuals but Katy Keene. That's the one I'd want now.

This is the back cover of Cosmo the Merry Martian #1. I never ordered anything from the ads in comic books. My mom would never have given me $2.98 to buy it, and even then I figured the rocket couldn't be more than some printed cardboard. If anyone has ever seen one of these for real let me know if I missed out.