“Mitzi McCoy” was featured in several of Pierre Mouchot‘s French comic book titles—first in Fantax, then in Robin des Bois, Le Casseur, and P’tit Gars. In all, about ⅔ of Mitzi’’s episodes appeared in Mouchot’s titles. Le Caseur, featuring Big Bill, had the longest run of the four, with Mitzi appearing in 20 issues (Nos. 32–51). As with the case of most (all?) of the others, an episode (or more) started inside and concluded on the back cover. I haven’t seen interiors of Le Casseur, but I was able to track down a bunch of the covers (with guidance from my friend Gérard).

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The examples above show episodes that came from the third and fourth chapters of “Mitzi McCoy.”

If you’re curious how these look in English (and in full color!), see below for information on how to order “The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, the Complete Mitzi McCoy.” 

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Happy Easter!

In 1956, NEA offered an illustration for subscribing newspapers to run on Easter Sunday (or in the case of the reproduction shown here, for the Grand junction, Colorado Daily Sentinel, on Saturday, March 31). Kreigh Collins’ illustration ran in full color, which was a rare occasion (outside of the papers’ Sunday comics). My apologies that I don’t have a color example to show.

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Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

“The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, the Complete Mitzi McCoy,” is available for immediate delivery at a reduced price; it features the entire run of Kreigh Collins’ first NEA feature.

MITZI McCOY ran from 1948 to 1950 and showcased Kreigh Collins’ skill as an illustrator and storyteller. His picturesque landscapes, lovely character designs, and thrilling action sequences brimmed with detail and charm, and the strip’s ensemble cast rotated in and out of the spotlight taking turns as protagonists in the dozen story arcs collected in this volume. The last story collected in “The Complete Mitzi McCoy” is the narrative bridge that set Collins and his characters off on a new journey, beautifully told for the next couple of decades in the much-lauded adventure strip Kevin the Bold.

The collection includes an introduction by Eisner Award-winning author Frank M. Young, an Afterward by Ithaca College’s Ed Catto, and previously unpublished artwork and photos. Longtime comics artist Butch Guice also provides a new pin-up of the character Mitzi McCoy.

The book costs $30 only $20! For domestic shipping, add $4; for international orders, add $25 for first class shipping. To place an order, leave a comment below or email me at BrianEdwardCollins1[at]gmail.com, and I will give you PayPal information.

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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.