Misplaced Pages

#906093

37-823: Frank Henry Willard was born on September 21, 1893, in Anna, Illinois , the son of a physician. He determined to become a cartoonist early in life. After attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago in 1913, he was a staff artist with the Chicago Herald (1914–18), where he drew the Sunday kids' page Tom, Dick and Harry and another strip, Mrs. Pippin's Husband . He next wrote and drew The Outta Luck Club for King Features Syndicate (1919–23). In The Comics (1947), Coulton Waugh described Willard's art style as "gritty-looking". In 2003,

74-519: A female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present and 42.0% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.85. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% aged 19 and younger, 7.0% from 20 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

111-490: A few months after the strip began in 1923. Starting with the lettering, then the backgrounds, Johnson gradually progressed to the point where he was handling the entire operation; but it was only after Willard's death that he began signing it. When Willard died suddenly on January 11, 1958, the Tribune Syndicate hired Johnson to helm the strip. Johnson's first credited strip ran on March 3, 1958. (Frank Willard's tombstone at

148-528: A new strip for the Chicago Tribune Syndicate . That strip was Moon Mullins ... Ah, Moon Mullins! He made a horrible role model but a hilarious star nonetheless—as did his assorted pals ... Adventures included stints in jail, trysts with stolen cars, failed employment opportunities, misunderstandings and plenty of black eyes for all. Yet, there was a certain lightness to all of Moon's debaucheries that made his low-down ways pretty charming ... Willard

185-516: A powdered hot chocolate mix distributed by Superior Coffee and Tea and Smucker Foodservice Canada for the foodservice market. Moon Mullins was adapted for radio during the 1940s. In the third episode of the series (March 25, 1940), the Plushbottoms trade Moon's only suit to pay for a collect telegram and learn they are owners of a goldmine. In a CBS audition recording dated January 31, 1947, Uncle Willie asks Moon for $ 10 bail, and Moon teaches

222-441: A series of strip reprints for SPEC Productions. Moon Mullins merchandising began when agent Toni Mendez arranged a licensing deal for Kayo suspenders. The wave of products that followed included such items as a series of Kellogg's Pep Cereal pins, a Milton Bradley board game (1938), salt and pepper shakers, perfume bottles, Christmas lights, bisque toothbrush holders, a set of German nodder figures, carnival chalkware statues,

259-402: A wind-up toy handcar , oilcloth and celluloid Kayo dolls, coloring books and a series of jigsaw puzzles (1943). Kayo Chocolate Drink was the name of a bottled, later canned, chocolate-flavored milk drink . Created in 1929 by Aaron D. Pashkow of Chicago, it was bottled under authority of Chocolate Products, manufactured for decades, and featured Kayo Mullins on its label. It now only sold as

296-524: Is home to the Union County Fair, which began in 1880. In 1909, town residents attempted to drive out the black families who lived in Anna, after the lynching of William "Froggie" James in the nearby town of Cairo, Illinois , for the alleged rape and murder of Anna resident Anna Pelley. Anna was historically a sundown town , in which African Americans were excluded from living in the town's limits. Though

333-774: The American Comics Group (1947–1948). Dover Publications reprinted a collection of the daily strips in 1976, consisting of the third and fifth Cupples & Leon books. Representative samples of Moon Mullins daily continuity were featured in Great Comics Syndicated by the Daily News-Chicago Tribune ( Crown Publishers , 1972), and The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics ( Smithsonian Institution Press / Harry Abrams , 1977). The latter volume also reproduces several full-color Sunday pages. Comic strip historian Bill Blackbeard (1926–2011) edited

370-607: The Chicago Tribune with Willard. While assisting on Moon Mullins , Johnson remained active with other Tribune projects. He created several comic strip features for the Syndicate— Texas Slim (1925–1928) and Lovey-Dovey (1932)—did sports illustration work, and produced advertising cartoons. In 1940, he revived Texas Slim in Texas Slim and Dirty Dalton (with the companion strip, Buzzy ), which ran for 18 years. By

407-464: The Scoop newsletter documented the 1923 events that led to the creation of the strip: Moon was a tough-talking, if generally good natured, kind of guy who took (and dealt) plenty of punches during his run. And actually, those are very appropriate characteristics. See, back before Moon was created, Frank Willard was working on a strip called The Outta Luck Club for King Features Syndicate. That's when he got

SECTION 10

#1732859248907

444-687: The 1920s, at 449 Fourth Avenue. Victor Cupples had previously worked with the publisher Houghton Mifflin , and Arthur Leon had been with Laird & Lee Publishers. In 1902, Cupples and Leon ran the New York agency for the George W. Ogilvie Company and other Chicago firms. They also were the advertising managers for Jamieson-Higgins' Four O'Clock magazine. The duo saw that Grosset & Dunlap and A. L. Burt (New York), Donohue (Chicago) and Altemus (Philadelphia) were selling juveniles at varying prices from $ 1.25 to 25 cents. After talks with Edward Stratemeyer ,

481-481: The 2010 census, Anna has a total area of 3.519 square miles (9.11 km ), of which 3.5 sq mi (9.06 km ) (or 99.46%) is land and 0.019 sq mi (0.05 km ) (or 0.54%) is water. As of the census of 2010, there were 4,442 people, 1,893 households and 1,097 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,269.1 people per square mile. There were 2,123 housing units at an average density of 606.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of

518-654: The Anna Cemetery in Anna, Illinois, is graced with an engraving of Moon Mullins.) Ferd Johnson was born December 18, 1905, in Spring Creek, Pennsylvania. Johnson became interested in cartooning after winning the Erie (Pennsylvania) Dispatch-Herald cartoon contest at the age of 12. After finishing high school in 1923 he attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, but left school after only three months to take an assistant's job at

555-601: The Ark , Poor Lil Mose and The Tigers . Their major competitor in books of comic strip reprints was Frederick A. Stokes , who died in 1939. To reprint comic strips, the company offered, for 25 cents, a square-bound paperback format of 52 pages of black-and-white strips. The flexible, cardboard covers were printed in black and red. Between 1906 and 1934, Cupples & Leon published more than 100 titles in that format. They collected Bringing Up Father , Little Orphan Annie , Mutt and Jeff , Reg'lar Fellers , Smitty , Tillie

592-566: The Toiler and other leading strips of the 1920s and 1930s. They produced at least 18 reprint collections of Mutt and Jeff daily strips, in 10" × 10" softcover books from 1919 to 1934. In 1921, they negotiated a contract to sell $ 405,000 worth of these books to magazine distributor American News Company , at the time one of the largest publishing contracts ever signed. They also published two larger hardcover editions, Mutt and Jeff Big Book (1926) and Mutt and Jeff Big Book No. 2 (1929). They left

629-423: The city was 95.7% White , 1.1% African American , 0.6% American Indian and Alaskan Native, 0.4% Asian , <0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.2% from other races , and .9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people (of any race) were 2.9% of the population. There were 1,893 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 14.1% had

666-518: The editors want to make room for them, so the old ones get dumped. And Moon sure qualifies that way." In April 1991, the Chicago Tribune dropped the strip, and the Tribune Media Syndicate told Johnson that it was the end. The last strip ran on Sunday, 2 June 1991. The strip was reprinted in a long-running series of Cupples & Leon books (1927–1937), Big Little Books and comic books for Dell Comics (starting in 1936) and later,

703-461: The game of Blackjack to Kayo. Lord Plushbottom plans to go to a costume party as an Indian but instead winds up with a suit of armor. Character actor Sheldon Leonard was in the cast. Cambria Studios produced two sample episodes of a proposed Moon Mullins syndicated TV series with their Syncro-Vox animation process in the early 1960s, but it did not clear enough television stations to go into production. Comic actor and director Howard Morris

740-795: The growth of grapes for winemaking —one of the area's principal businesses. For the purpose of farming, fruit growing, gardening, and dairying, the lands in and around Anna are not surpassed in Southern Illinois. The precinct in which Anna lies is situated on the divide between the waters of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and is well drained by the Cache, Cypress, and Big Creeks. Many cool springs of water aid materially in cattle farming in this area. In 1859, brothers Cornwall and Wallace Kirkpatrick started Anna Pottery in Anna. Their work became well-known and later, collectors' items; one of their most descriptive pieces

777-470: The main public high school for the two towns is named. Anna is known for the Choate Mental Health and Development Center , a state facility that opened in 1869. Anna was platted on March 3, 1854, after the new Illinois Central Railroad established a station there. It was founded by Winstead Davie and named after Anna Davie, his wife. It was then incorporated on February 16, 1865. The coming of

SECTION 20

#1732859248907

814-593: The makers of Bunny Bread, was founded in 1925. Lewis started the company with a $ 300 loan against his mother's house, and by 1987, the company was reportedly earning $ 80 million in annual sales. Founder Jack Lewis died in September 2001 at the age of 91. Bunny Bread itself was created in 1947, according to the Bunny Bread website. Anna is located at 37°27′40″N 89°14′20″W  /  37.46111°N 89.23889°W  / 37.46111; -89.23889 . According to

851-465: The north and south were clearly divided during the war. Contemporary newspapers were blatantly political. The Anna Democrat continued publication, while the Jonesboro Gazette was denied its constitutional right to freedom of the press from 15 May 1863 until it was allowed to resume publication on 5 March 1864. The newspapers were consolidated to form The Gazette-Democrat on 26 October 1939. Anna

888-457: The notion that some of his ideas were being slipped to fellow cartoonist George McManus (creator of Bringing Up Father ). So, in typical Moon Mullins fashion, Willard approached McManus and gave him a wallop that knocked the latter out cold and got the former fired. That little episode didn't stop Captain Joe Patterson 's interest from being piqued, however, and Willard soon set to work on

925-666: The railroad can be credited for prompting the founding of the City of Anna, although, from the time of the George Rogers Clark expedition into Southern Illinois country, emigrants recognized its agricultural possibilities. Centrally located in Anna Precinct of Union County, Anna was established by ordinance following the election of Trustees in 1855, although the plot was recorded in the county records on March 3, 1854. The area's elevation and fertile soil have made fruit farming—particularly

962-508: The sun go down on you in Anna persisted on Highway 127 until the 1970s. The Stinson Memorial Library is a public library located at 409 South Main Street in Anna, Illinois. The library was designed by Walter Burley Griffin , an understudy to Frank Lloyd Wright , in 1913 and constructed in 1913–14. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1978. Lewis Bakeries,

999-418: The time he took Moon Mullins , it had evolved from long story continuities to a gag-a-day strip. In 1978, Ferd's son, Tom Johnson, signed on as his assistant. Ferd Johnson stayed with the strip until it came to an end upon his retirement in 1991. Moon Mullins appeared in 350 papers at its height but declined to 50. Johnson said, "They just kept dropping off because it's so damn old. The new ones come out and

1036-412: The town was named after Anna Davie, the wife of the town's founder, some outsiders believed that the town's name was an acronym for "Ain't No Niggers Allowed". The town has become infamous for it by its portrayal in literature and film. The phrase is still well-known, with few non-white residents owing in part to its historical reputation. Signs using a pejorative for Black people warning them not to let

1073-786: The two men published a juvenile that sold for 50 cents but appeared to be worth more. Cupples & Leon published the American editions of the UK children's weekly story paper Chatterbox , founded by John Erskine Clarke , prompting a UK researcher of Chatterbox to comment: In 1913, they were publishing Roy Rockwood 's Dave Dashaway series and other aviation juveniles. Scouting was another focus of their serial novels, along with their Motor Boys series. In 1914, they published Grimm's Fairy Tales , illustrated by Johnny Gruelle . In 1903, Cupples & Leon collected such strips as The Katzenjammer Kids , Alphonse and Gaston , Happy Hooligan , On and Off

1110-616: Was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 39,602, the median income for a family was $ 44,420. The incomes of 20.2% of the population were below the poverty level. Public schools in Anna include Anna Jr. High School, Davie School, and the Lincoln School, all part of Anna District#37 , and the Anna-Jonesboro Community High School District #81. Cupples %26 Leon Cupples & Leon

1147-688: Was a pig from which wine could be consumed. The business ran until 1900, according to an exhibit at the Union County Historical Society Museum in Cobden . During the American Civil War , Camp Anna in 1862 was the mustering and training location for some Illinois Infantry regiments, including the 81st, 109th, and 110th. There have been various commemorations ever since, including: 2013 and 2022. Sentiments in Union County for

Moon Mullins - Misplaced Pages Continue

1184-664: Was a tough guy in a derby and turtleneck; everyone remembers him as the kid who slept in a pulled-out dresser drawer. Running the boarding house was sour ol' Emmy Schmaltz (she later married insubstantial Englishman Lord Plushbottom.) Rounding out the continuing cast were the cook Mamie and her less than industrious husband Willie. Moon Mullins is not likely to be adapted into the new big Broadway musical (although you never know), but I always liked it and would like to see it remembered. The Sunday page's topper strip , Kitty Higgins , ran from December 14, 1930, to 1973. Ferdinand "Ferd" Johnson (1905–1996) began as Willard's assistant

1221-414: Was always enjoyable and funny in a low-key way. Frank Willard's art was better than it's given credit for, very smooth and subtle; but his real strength was in the amusing personalities he gave his characters. (Longtime assistant Ferd Johnson took over after Willard's death in 1958.) "Moonshine" Mullins, as his name hinted, was a shady sort of rogue, always in trouble and often in jail. His little brother Kayo

1258-482: Was an American publishing company founded in 1902 by Victor I. Cupples (1864–1941) and Arthur T. Leon (1867–1943). They published juvenile fiction and children's books but are mainly remembered today as the major publisher of books collecting comic strips during the early decades of the 20th century. In Manhattan, the company was initially located in the Presbyterian building at 156 Fifth Avenue and, during

1295-595: Was in tune with the working class characters he created, as noted by David Westbrook in From Hogan's Alley to Coconino County: Four Narratives of the Early Comic Strip : After Johnson took over, other characters were added to the cast, including: The strip was reviewed by Dr. Hermes in Dr. Hermes Retro-Scans : It was never so hysterical that you felt you just had to clip it and show it to everyone you knew, but Moon Mullins

1332-549: Was repeated in 1978, without Archie , under the title Fabulous Funnies . Anna, Illinois Anna is the largest city and retail trade center in Union County, Illinois , United States. Located in Southern Illinois , its population was 4,303 at the 2020 United States Census , a decline from 5,135 in 2000. It is known for being tied to its close neighbor Jonesboro , together known as Anna-Jonesboro, and of which

1369-504: Was the voice of Moon when the strip was adapted to animation for Archie's TV Funnies (1971–1973), produced by Filmation . Moon and Kayo became one of several rotating segments on the Saturday morning cartoon series. Other comic strip character features in the rotation included Broom-Hilda , Dick Tracy , The Captain and the Kids , Alley Oop , Nancy and Sluggo and Smokey Stover . It

#906093