Page 24 - september-23

started collecting Harvey Comics as a child Mask & Puppet Corp. made a “stringless
in the late 1970s, but my interest in marionette” of her. Little Max, an orphan who
Imerchandise that featured Harvey’s never spoke, joined the cast, and a metal lunch-
characters did not really start until the early box was produced in 1948 featuring Joe,
2000s. While I originally only followed Richie Humphrey, and Max. Harvey gave Little Max
Rich, I have come to study and appreciate all his own book in 1949. An 18” tall Little Max
the characters Harvey was involved with over doll was produced in 1954.
the years. Here is a brief history of Harvey Ham Fisher died by suicide at the end of
Comics’ character merch-andise through the 1955, but an advertisement for a “Joe Palooka
lens of four of their most popular characters. Home Gym” in a February 1959 Harvey comic
Alfred Harvey founded Harvey Comics in book still says copyright, Ham Fisher. The
1941 by buying out Brookwood Publications Palooka family later added a son, Buddy, and a
and their comic book, Speed Comics. He then February 1960 Harvey comic book contained
recruited his brothers, Leon and Robert, to help Joe Palooka children’s boxing gloves, an advertisement for a 16” vinyl doll of him.
run the company, and together they renamed no date or manufacturer This ad also pictures Little Max, reminding the
the company Harvey Comics Publications, Inc. reader to look for his doll, but lists it as 21”
That name would vary over the years, instead of 18”. Since it is six years later, it
depending on usage. By 1942, anthologies of may be a different doll, but no examples are
newspaper comic strips were very popular, and available to compare.
the Harvey brothers took notice. They began
acquiring licenses to characters, starting with SAD SACK
radio star The Green Hornet, but later adding
newspaper strip characters including Blondie, The next character to help tell the Harvey
Dick Tracy, Mutt and Jeff, and the first Comics story is “Sad Sack.” Cartoonist George
character to help tell our story, Joe Palooka. Baker was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army during
World War II when he created the cartoon
character Sad Sack based on his friend, Private
JOE PALOOKA Ben Schnall. Baker published the first Sad Sack
American comic strip writer and cartoonist comic strip in the first issue of Yank, The Army
Hammond Edward “Ham” Fisher met boxer Weekly magazine in June of 1942. Sad Sack
Pete Latzo in 1921 and was then inspired to quickly became very popular with the troops.
create the cartoon character “Joe Palooka.” After the war, the style of the strip was
(Latzo became the World Welterweight changed for a younger audience and was
Champion from 1926 to 1927.) It took Ham syndicated in newspapers from 1946 until
until 1930 to get his creation syndicated, and 1958. In 1949, Harvey Comics published
by 1948, the comic strip named Joe Palooka was their first Sad Sack comic book, with scripts
ranked as one of the five most popular and art by Baker. While he eventually gave up
newspaper comic strips. Pinback buttons, Joe Palooka and Sad Sack Transfer Pictures booklets scripting, Baker would continue to illustrate
punching bags, children’s boxing gloves and from Japan, no manufacturer or date the covers of the Sad Sack comic books until
helmets, belt buckles, and more were made his death in 1975. In 1957, Harvey Comics
featuring the heavyweight champion. Individual items are easy enough started Harvey Films to produce a live-action Sad Sack movie starring
to find these days, but it is difficult, if not impossible, to know Jerry Lewis.
everything that was produced. Two other companies produced comic Sad Sack was never as heavily merchandised as Joe Palooka but in
book anthologies of the newspaper comic strip before Harvey Comics the 1950s, a doll was made of Sad Sack in uniform measuring
took over in 1945. approximately 20” tall. A February 1959 Harvey comic book contains
Soon, characters were added to Joe’s world, including Joe’s friend an advertisement for an 18” high Muttsy, Sad Sack’s talking dog, as a
Humphrey Pennyworth. The Ideal Toy Company made a 15” tall doll plush toy by Schwartz Toy Co., and another for a Sad Sack Roly Poly
of Humphrey in the 1940s, and a hard plastic coin bank was also (bop bag) in large and small sizes by Alvimar Manufacturing Co. Inc.
produced. Harvey gave the Humphrey character his own spin-off Button World Manufacturing Inc. made an “I Love Sad Sack” pinback
comic book in 1948. button in 1966, showing Sad Sack carrying a large sack on his back.
Joe Palooka married his girlfriend Ann Howe in 1949, and they had The pin came bagged with a cardboard header card depicting Sad Sack
a daughter, Joan. In 1952, Ideal made a doll of Joan, and National peeling potatoes – George Baker was credited with the copyright.

22 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles