Sharpy Fox

 

Sharpy Fox number one, 1958

 

Hi Guys!

I'm back with some anthro-fox fun courtesy of I.W. Comics!  Today we've got issue number one of Sharpy Fox, which was published in 1958, I.W.'s first year of business!  In case you're wondering, I.W. stands for "Israel Waldman," who was the guy who started it all.  Mr. Waldman had a clever gimmick:  he bought up or otherwise acquired all of the printing plates that belonged to other publishers who had closed up shop!  Then he republished the stuff as his own!  I don't have to say it, but you can save a lot of money that way!  

I'm not really sure when or where Sharpy Fox debuted and I'm guessing that this is probably the only issue that Waldman put out.  He seems to have specialized in one-offs and really short runs.  According to Wikipedia, Waldman published 118 different comic titles that totaled only 332 actual issues!  

Anyhow, Sharpy Fox is typical of most 1950s funny-animal stuff.  It's basically a collection of several short stories, featuring different anthro characters.  Sharpy, as the name implies, is kind of a low-life, a scoundrel who busies himself with elaborate get-rich quick schemes.  Predictably, these don't work out for him.

Check it out and you'll see what I mean:

So there you have it!  Sharpy learns the hard way the cheaters never prosper!  It's a good moral, but I gotta say, the story was a stretch.  I mean, three look-a-like brothers in graduated sizes who all wear the same clothes?  OK, I get it, this is a comic book.  And lions don't wear clothes anyway!  But come on, even the comics have to show some respect for what's possible and what isn't!  

The art is pretty good for the most part, but it kinda lacks variety.  To me, it seemed like most of the panels just showed Pookey flailing around and gulping down pills.  Not exactly riveting, but maybe I'm missing something!  I'd reserve judgment until I can get my hands on a copy of Sharpy Fox number two, but somehow I don't think that's gonna happen!

Alright guys, that's all I've got for now.  See you next time!  

 

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"Your skin looks like a circus clown's, Betty..."

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