Happy New Year—and happy 115th birthday to Kreigh Taylor Collins!
Wishing all of my readers a wonderful, prosperous, and healthy New Year (me included, as a stomach flu is preventing me from writing any more).
See you in 2023!
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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.
Early in his career, Kreigh Collins did freelance work for the Fideler Company, a publisher in Grand Rapids, Michigan. One of his early projects was illustrating various “Unit of Teaching Pictures” programs from Fideler’s Informative Classroom Picture Series.
It was a plum assignment. Each unit included 20+ detailed black and white illustrations, and there were at least 18 different units. The unit’s historical themes were right in Collins’s wheelhouse, and the project kept him busy for several years starting in 1937. The Informative Classroom Picture Series was used by primary school teachers as a part of a social science curriculum.
CHRISTMAS IN MANY LANDS was one of the later themes. It included 21 plates showing different countries’ holiday customs and traditions. Not surprisingly, European countries featured prominently, but a couple of unexpected outliers were included (Plates 20 and 21). Perhaps a scene from your home country is included…
A new custom to me was the Festival of St. Lucia (Plate 10). Celebrated on December 13, it kicks off the Christmas season in Sweden. What caught my eye was the woman’s “crown of light”—my kind of holiday!
Another Swedish custom involves the Christmas Sheaf, which I can only understand to mean gifting sheafs of paper, such as comic books.
I received a gift of such sheaves from my friend Roger. It consisted of 18 TOM MIX comic books, originally published in 1953–54. Included is ROLAND DEN DJÄRVE—a Swedish translation of KEVIN THE BOLD. Most of the covers featured cowboys (either Tom or Bill), but three sported Kevin-inspired artwork.
I first laid hands on a copy of TOM MIX nearly ten years ago; it was included in a box I received from Uncle Kevin and basically disproved my theory that my grandfather was unaware of these foreign versions of his brainchild. Roger has written extensively about the TOM MIX comic book series (and so many others) on his remarkable website, and I look forward to featuring more of TOM MIX in the New Year.
Wherever you are celebrating—happy holidays and best wishes for a wonderful new year!
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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.
Here is another Sunday Times Mirror section I acquired while putting together The Complete Mitzi McCoy. As usual, Ham Fisher’s “Joe Palooka” leads off, followed by Milt Caniff’s “Steve Canyon” and “Mickey Finn,” by Lank Leonard. Next up is “Kerry Drake,” by Alfred Andriola/Allen Saunders and “Superman” by Wayne Boring (and likely Stan Kaye). Next is Merrill Blossar’s “Freckles and His Friends,” which shares a page with an ad for Colgate Dental Cream (I’ve never heard that term instead of “toothpaste” before), and Frank Miller’s “Barney Baxter in the Air.”
Found in the comics section’s center spread was the half-tab “Mitzi McCoy” episode I was looking for. Lacking an appearance by its titular character, it is one of my favorite episodes nonetheless. Beneath “Mitzi” is a pretty sweet ad for Rinso detergent; facing that is “The Flop Family” by Swan, alongside a Phillip Morris cigarette ad.
Roy Crane’s “Captain Easy” and V.T. Hamlin’s “Alley Oop” share the next page; by “Henry” by Carl Anderson follows. Next up, “Bobby Sox” by Marty Links, and “Rex Morgan, MD” by Bradley and Edgington. Sharing the page with an ad for Ajax Cleanser is “Boots” by Martin. Harry Hanand’s “Louie” follows, sharing a page with a nicely illustrated Pepsi ad. Then it’s “Out Our Way featuring the Willets,” by J.R. Williams, and “Our Boarding House.”
Taking its usual spot on the back cover is “Lil’ Abner” by Al Capp.
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“The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, the Complete Mitzi McCoy,” features all eleven of its story arcs, plus the transitional sequence where the comic strips morphs into KEVIN THE BOLD.
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 afterword 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’s price is $30. 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 or Venmo information.
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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.
Published in late 1957, issue No. 3 of the French comic book Big Horn follows the same format as its two predecessors. In addition to Warren Tufts’ title comic, it also features John Wheeler’s KID COLORADO, a short story, and Kreigh Collins’ KEVIN LE HARDI (“Kevin the Bold“).
Because these comic books are so thick (132 pages), they don’t scan very well. These images are photos I took outside with the comic book spread flat beneath a piece of plexiglass. Sorry about the glare. First up is BIG HORN.
BIG HORN is followed by KID COLORADO.
A three-page short story, likely a space filler, buttresses the comic book’s non-titular features.
KEVIN LE HARDI brings up the rear of the book with the action picking up where it left off in BIG HORN No. 2. Originally published on November 25, 1951, the episode features someone I like to call the original Princess Lea.
The KEVIN LE HARDI episodes cover the second half of the chapter featuring Baron Von Blunt. That chapter begins here; the action in BIG HORN No. 3 begins here.
The final (complete) KEVIN THE BOLD episode covered in BIG HORN No. 3 is particularly dramatic.
Unlike the previous BIG HORN titles in which KEVIN LE HARDI appeared, the KEVIN sequence wraps up at the comic book’s ending, with the next chapter being featured in Big Horn No. 4.
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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.
A very busy week with my day job has led to having nothing ready to post today. Instead, here is a quick update.
As previously mentioned, the reason I started this blog was to raise awareness of my grandfather’s career as a cartoonist. One of the reasons I wanted to raise his profile was my plan to publish a collection of his comic strips and I hoped to sell books to folks outside my immediate family!
My first idea was to do a book featuring KEVIN THE BOLD, but this seemed intimidating because the strip ran for so long. While searching for KEVIN episodes to fill the holes in my collection, I acquired the complete run of MITZI McCOY, and the idea of putting together a book with only about 100 episodes seemed much more manageable for a first-timer like myself.
Once the book came out in 2018, this blog continued, and I circled back to my original idea—doing a book on KEVIN. By this point, I had become more familiar with the 78 story arcs of Kreigh Collins’ better-known comic feature and my publishing plans evolved into the pipe dream of publishing all of KEVIN’s adventures in five volumes—each with about 200 episodes. This dream included a sixth volume with UP ANCHOR!’s run of 174 episodes.
Knowing how much work went into the MITZI book, I realized I’d be lucky to do a single volume on KEVIN, but unlike producing six more collections, this was a viable plan. KEVIN THE BOLD, Volume 1 would feature the strip’s first 205 episodes—the 15 chapters that appeared from October 1, 1950 through August 29, 1954. I was confident that I could find a new publisher; however, this step proved to be harder than I expected, and I paused on my color-correcting efforts.
If anyone has any leads or suggestions for a publishing partner, please let me know by commenting below or by sending an email to brianedwardcollins1[at]gmail.com. (Even if you don’t have any leads, I love hearing from fan’s of my grandfather’s work!) Besides the wonderful episodes that Volume 1 would feature (about 95% of which are beautiful half page examples from the Chicago Sunday Tribune), I have plenty of other material to include, and I think it would be a fantastic book.
Thank you! Schedule permitting, a chapter from 1958 will start next week.
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The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, the Complete Mitzi McCoy, features all of MITZI’s eleven chapters, plus the transitional sequence where the comic strips morphs into KEVIN THE BOLD.
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 afterword 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’s price is $30. 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 or Venmo information.
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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.
The posse comes across Stub’s disabled hotrod—but where are Peggy and Tiny?
Breaking free, and with no time to waste, Tiny reaches Peggy before the wolfpack.
In the dramatic conclusion to MITZI McCOY’s eighth chapter, Tiny saves Peggy and Stub saves Tiny, with Peggy attesting to Tiny’s heroism.
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Besides this chapter with Tiny and little Peggy Smith, “The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, the Complete Mitzi McCoy,” features ten other story arcs, plus the transitional sequence where the comic strips morphs into KEVIN THE BOLD.
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 afterword 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’s price is $30. 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 or Venmo information.
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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.
It’s back to school as usual for Peggy.
Before his days as a cartoonist, Kreigh Collins did a lot of painting, and the wintery outdoor setting shown in the first frame of the January 15 episode certainly evokes one of those rural landscapes.
Meanwhile, back in Scott County, Stub, Mitzi, and Tiny set off on an investigation. (To learn why Stub drives an old hotrod, I recommend purchasing the book listed below!)
The January 22 episode is quite delightful, with the second tier handsomely featuring Peggy, feeding the remnants of her lunch to the birds and clambering through the snow.
The suspense builds as the four groups converge: the posse, the wolves, Peggy, and Tiny.
To be continued!
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Besides this chapter with Tiny and little Peggy Smith, “The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, the Complete Mitzi McCoy,” features ten other story arcs, plus the transitional sequence where the comic strips morphs into KEVIN THE BOLD.
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 afterword 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’s price is $30. 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 or Venmo information.
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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.
As we enter the dog days of August, running a sequence featuring a pup seems appropriate. Kreigh Collins included a number of pooches during his 25-year run as a cartoonist for the NEA syndicate; here is the first—Tiny, an Irish Wolfhound.
MITZI McCOY was featured in many small-town, rural newspapers, so the story Collins cooked up likely resonated with many of its readers. These episodes started appearing in January, 1950.
The action is a real throwback, set on a small family farm where the entire family, including young Peggy, pitched in to do the chores.
Peggy’s father is skeptical, and others less so, but as editor for the Freedom Clarion, Stub is always on the prowl for news.
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Besides this chapter with Tiny and little Peggy Smith, “The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, the Complete Mitzi McCoy,” features ten other story arcs, plus the transitional sequence where the comic strips morphs into KEVIN THE BOLD.
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 afterword 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’s price is $30. 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 or Venmo information.
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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.
During a trip to Italy this summer, I met with an old friend from Trieste—Fabrizia had been an exchange student that stayed with my family when I was a senior in high school. What made the reunion sweeter was that she gave me a package containing 14 issues of the Italian comics publication Il Nerbiniano. Another friend had generously purchased them for me and mailed them to Fabrizia in order to avoid expensive international shipping. Talk about overstimulation—being in Venice, and having a bella regazza hand over such a wonderful trove of my grandfather’s artwork!
Il Nerbiniano was published for at least ten years; the issues I received came from years IV through VIII (I’ll use Roman numerals per the publication’s style because “when in Rome…”) The number of issues per year varied from four to six. At some point, an Italian translation of KEVIN THE BOLD began running, but without a complete collection, it’s hard to say when—the comic strip’s storylines do not appear in their original sequence. The oldest copy I have seen (Anno III, n. 1) has a sequence from mid-1951, whereas KEVIN’s introductory chapter ran in Il Nerbiniano a few years later (starting in Anno 6, n. 1). This issue was published in the last quarter of 1980.
First up was a profile on Roberto Diso, an artist who illustrated MISTER NO.
This was followed by some material I didn’t have any luck in translating/researching, I’m sorry to say.
For me, things got exciting at the mid-point of the book. The orientation of the artwork on the pages changes, with half of a KEVIN THE BOLD tabloid episode appearing before and after a four-page section geared toward subscriptions. Because the action picks up with the third and fourth tiers of the episode (January 28, 1951), there isn’t a KEVIN logo identifying the strip. Following the four subscription pages, another half-episode appears—the first and second tiers of the February 4, 1951 episode. It’s a shame they are arranged like this, otherwise each spread would feature a single tabloid version. It would have been an impressive layout due to Il Nerbiniano’s ample trim size—these reproductions are larger than the original tabloid versions.
Issues of Il Nerbiniano generally included two to four KEVIN episodes, but on this occasion, it ran the equivalent of eight episodes—meaning KEVIN occupied more than half of the issue’s pages. As the issue’s featured comic strip, it ran in two colors.
Halfway through the pages featuring Collins’ artwork, The “Count de Falcon” chapter ends and the action transitions to the next sequence,“The Search for Sadea.”
The conclusion of the “Sadea” chapter would appear in Il Nerbiniano’s future issues (assuming there were any). As the final issue of 1980, the back cover was dedicated to a New Year’s greeting (“Best wishes to all readers”).
By splitting the tabloid comics in half and running them on two separate pages, they are printed about 12-3/4″ wide, larger than the original Sunday versions. ’ve heard of half-page comics turned into tabloids, but vice-versa? Interesting. By running landscape-oriented versions, they appear twice as large as they would otherwise, but only half as many comics fit in the six pages allotted to Kevin. Either way, there wouldn’t be enough room for the entire sequence, so it’s nice to see them enlarged like this, it must be a sign that Il Nerbiniano’s editors appreciated the quality and detail of Kreigh Collins’ comics. Perhaps this sequence continued in the next issue of Il Nebiniano?
For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.
Once again, beautiful Marie dominates the July 7 episode, which includes a very charming, barrier-breaking throwaway panel where she addresses the reader directly—visible only in the half-page format such as this. Meanwhile, the final panel introduces a character who has proven to be a scene-stealer in the past.
Where have I seen that snout before? Craigwood Molloc Druich bears a resemblance to a certain pup Collins had featured in MITZI McCOY nearly 20 years earlier—Stub Goodman’s dog, Tiny.
Tiny played a significant part in the metamorphosis of MITZI McCOY into KEVIN THE BOLD—but that’s another story.
To be continued…
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“The Lost Art of Kreigh Collins, the Complete Mitzi McCoy,” back in stock, features the entire run of Kreigh Collins’ first NEA feature, MITZI McCOY, and includes Tiny the Irish Wolfhound in one third of its episodes.
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 afterword 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’s price is $30. 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.
Kreigh’s Comics 