Al Wiseman- An Appreciation by Mike Lynch
Note: This is the first in a series of "appreciations" of Al Wiseman by professionals in the comics/cartooning industry. Mike Lynch is a Brooklyn-based cartoonist whose work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Playboy, Barron's, Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, and many others.
Some Personal Dennis Comic Book Memories by Mike Lynch
(My version of Dennis -- done oh so quickly! The only thing I got right about it are the squiggles in the elbows! I would never have even attempted it if Bill Alger had not asked me nicely.)
It was another world and that was what I wanted. When looking at the Dennis comics as an 8 year old, I saw that the panels were not straight -- they were a little noodly and loopy! Occasionally, and for no reason, the characters would be in stark silhouette for a panel, returning to their normal state in the next. Elbows had a pig's tail swirl in them, noses were also, well, a little like pig snouts, and everyone had big round bold, black dots for eyes. The books did not look like other books. The Wiseman style was different. There was a nod to older comic strips; for instance, when Dennis would have that puff of smoke behind him as he ran. I remember noticing that. And I liked the way that folds were drawn in the clothing, very thin lines then, a very, very thick line. And the lettering would waver from comic book plain style (think arial), to something more fancy (times new roman). This was very much like some of the word balloons in my Dad's Pogo books that I had read and anything that smacked of Pogo was just fine with me!
The DTM comic books were bought at a little drugstore in the Hillcrest Shopping Center in Lawrence, Kansas in 1970-72 with my own money, thank you very much. They always had them, as well as Treasure Chest and sometimes Classics Illustrated comics. Dennis had 2 versions: a 25 cent giant and a higher priced digest sized comic. I would buy them before a family vacation. My family vacations were in the tradition of Jean Shepherd's short story Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss; me and my kid sister, sweltering in the back seat of the Chevy Nova in a sea of comic books, toys, stuffed animals, books, coloring books, and drawing paper. My Dad, whistling some tune (something classical) as we drove through the plains and up and down the mountains of America. My Mother was alternately the navigator and kid-wrangler.
Comic books were still new to me then. Do you remember when comic books were new? The idea of a whole book of color cartoons was still a fresh novelty. I had discovered Harvey comics at my gramma's the previous year and liked Hot Stuff -- but the next year I saw that Dennis had a Vacation Special. I can't remember where they were going in the comic book. (Most of my comic books of that time are either long-since tossed out, or maybe they might be in my sister's attic. Penny? Are you reading this? Wanna take a look?) Most of the book involved driving, with Dennis in the back seat. Like me!
I learned about Jewish people via Dennis. In one Christmas Special there was a substitute milkman during the holidays and Dennis rode on the milk truck with him and his son. They explained that they were Jews and the regular milkman wanted Christmas off and they, you see, celebrated Hanukkah instead of Christmas, etc. They told Dennis about their religion. It was news to me. What can I say? We lived in a small town!
Most of my memories are kid memories. I was even a little vague on what a cartoonist did at that time. Comics were one of the few things I chose to spend my own money on. Dennis took me away, out of the backseat of the car, and into a very specific world. I remember looking at the chairs, the tables, the silverware, cars, offices; it was all delineated with precision. Wiseman ensured that Dennis lived in a real world with real details. Every book had drawing lessons in it about light and shadow, and point of view.
Let me close by showing these 4 panels. These kind of scenes are particularly challenging since it's all just dialogue with no explicit action. Wiseman keeps the angles changing, shifting from one side of the table and then the other. And then opts for a silhouette, and, finally, a low-to-the-ground Dennis-size-view for the final panel. The kid logic of Dennis once again visually overpowering Alice and Henry. Love those puffs of smoke as he eats his banana.
-- Mike Lynch
Hey Kids, Comics!
Mike Lynch Cartoons
Berndt Toast Gang
Al Wiseman Appreciations:
Bill Wray
Joe Staton
Terry Austin
Jim Salicrup
Mike Lynch
Please order Dennis the Menace books from Fantagraphics (and ask them to reprint the Wiseman Dennis comic books and Sunday strips).
"Dennis the Menace" & related characters are ©Hank Ketcham Enterprises, Inc.
Some Personal Dennis Comic Book Memories by Mike Lynch
(My version of Dennis -- done oh so quickly! The only thing I got right about it are the squiggles in the elbows! I would never have even attempted it if Bill Alger had not asked me nicely.)It was another world and that was what I wanted. When looking at the Dennis comics as an 8 year old, I saw that the panels were not straight -- they were a little noodly and loopy! Occasionally, and for no reason, the characters would be in stark silhouette for a panel, returning to their normal state in the next. Elbows had a pig's tail swirl in them, noses were also, well, a little like pig snouts, and everyone had big round bold, black dots for eyes. The books did not look like other books. The Wiseman style was different. There was a nod to older comic strips; for instance, when Dennis would have that puff of smoke behind him as he ran. I remember noticing that. And I liked the way that folds were drawn in the clothing, very thin lines then, a very, very thick line. And the lettering would waver from comic book plain style (think arial), to something more fancy (times new roman). This was very much like some of the word balloons in my Dad's Pogo books that I had read and anything that smacked of Pogo was just fine with me!
The DTM comic books were bought at a little drugstore in the Hillcrest Shopping Center in Lawrence, Kansas in 1970-72 with my own money, thank you very much. They always had them, as well as Treasure Chest and sometimes Classics Illustrated comics. Dennis had 2 versions: a 25 cent giant and a higher priced digest sized comic. I would buy them before a family vacation. My family vacations were in the tradition of Jean Shepherd's short story Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss; me and my kid sister, sweltering in the back seat of the Chevy Nova in a sea of comic books, toys, stuffed animals, books, coloring books, and drawing paper. My Dad, whistling some tune (something classical) as we drove through the plains and up and down the mountains of America. My Mother was alternately the navigator and kid-wrangler.
Comic books were still new to me then. Do you remember when comic books were new? The idea of a whole book of color cartoons was still a fresh novelty. I had discovered Harvey comics at my gramma's the previous year and liked Hot Stuff -- but the next year I saw that Dennis had a Vacation Special. I can't remember where they were going in the comic book. (Most of my comic books of that time are either long-since tossed out, or maybe they might be in my sister's attic. Penny? Are you reading this? Wanna take a look?) Most of the book involved driving, with Dennis in the back seat. Like me!
I learned about Jewish people via Dennis. In one Christmas Special there was a substitute milkman during the holidays and Dennis rode on the milk truck with him and his son. They explained that they were Jews and the regular milkman wanted Christmas off and they, you see, celebrated Hanukkah instead of Christmas, etc. They told Dennis about their religion. It was news to me. What can I say? We lived in a small town!
Most of my memories are kid memories. I was even a little vague on what a cartoonist did at that time. Comics were one of the few things I chose to spend my own money on. Dennis took me away, out of the backseat of the car, and into a very specific world. I remember looking at the chairs, the tables, the silverware, cars, offices; it was all delineated with precision. Wiseman ensured that Dennis lived in a real world with real details. Every book had drawing lessons in it about light and shadow, and point of view.
Let me close by showing these 4 panels. These kind of scenes are particularly challenging since it's all just dialogue with no explicit action. Wiseman keeps the angles changing, shifting from one side of the table and then the other. And then opts for a silhouette, and, finally, a low-to-the-ground Dennis-size-view for the final panel. The kid logic of Dennis once again visually overpowering Alice and Henry. Love those puffs of smoke as he eats his banana.-- Mike Lynch
Hey Kids, Comics!
Mike Lynch Cartoons
Berndt Toast Gang
Al Wiseman Appreciations:
Bill Wray
Joe Staton
Terry Austin
Jim Salicrup
Mike Lynch
Please order Dennis the Menace books from Fantagraphics (and ask them to reprint the Wiseman Dennis comic books and Sunday strips).
"Dennis the Menace" & related characters are ©Hank Ketcham Enterprises, Inc.
1 Comments:
I'd like to thank Mike Lynch for taking the time out of his busy schedule to write this sensational post on Al Wiseman! And for drawing the wonderful Dennis sketch! And for making me realize that it was time for me to figure out how to make words italicized in html!
Thanks for everything Mike!
Any other cartoonists out there want to write about Al? Please let me know! Coming up (hopefully), Wiseman posts from: Bill Wray, Terry Austin, Fred Hembeck, Scott Shaw!, Glen Mullaly and former "Dennis" artists Frank Hill & Joe Messerli.
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