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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1951 Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 1.5 |
| Cert #: |
0159743001
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Owner Comments
If the story of Kite Fun Books were a book, this comic would fall in the "Forward" section. It is one of two giveaways not from Western Publishing that pre-date the series known cumulatively as Kite Fun Books. This book is an 8 page giveaway created and distributed by Pacific Gas and Electric. It includes a 7 page story encouraging electrical safety while flying kites. The final page (or back cover) is dedicated to directions on creating your own kite. Not much is known about this book other than what can be deduced by examining it. It is copy write 1951 inside.
This copy, which CGC has given a 1.5 with off-white pages, is the only CGC graded copy as of 5/19/2010. Therefore, we launch this registry set with this lowly book, which is both a TOP POP and a BOTTOM POP.
As previously noted, this is one of two giveaways that fall into the forward section of our story. The other, not represented in this registry set, is a 1950 giveaway from Fawcett titled "Captain Marvel and the Lieutenants of Safety" #1 "Danger flies a Kite." Perhaps in the future, that book will also be found in this registry set. Another comic, a 1945 giveaway by Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co called "Jim's Adventure" which I thought was the first comic to promote kite safety has turned out to not be the case. Further examination of that book reveals, despite the story launching with a boy flying a kite, the intent of the story is to promote the benefits of the use of electricity instead of cautioning about its use around kites.
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1953 Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 4.0 |
| Cert #: |
0162937001
|
Owner Comments
Pinocchio Learns about Kites (sometimes called Pinocchio Kite Fun Book) was the first in an annual series of giveaways starting in 1953 and given away by various utilities. It is by far my favorite of the series, as well as the hardest to find.
Pinocchio first appeared in 1883 in The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Pinocchio in Tuscan means "Pine Nut," given to the boy who was carved from Pine. Pinocchio fame grew greatly when, on Feb 7, 1940, he premiered in Disney's second full length animated motion picture.
Pinocchio's history in Comics actual dates a few weeks prior. On 12/24/1939, he started with his own newspaper comic strip. Coincident with the re-release of the film to theaters in 1945, he first appeared in Walt Disney Comic & Stories in issue #63. The next year, in 1946, he first appeared in his own one shot comic, One Shot Comics #92.
The second re-release of the motion picture occurred in 1954. Coincident with that re-release is Pinocchio Learns about Kites. It was prepared (and copyrighted) in late 1953 for release to school in the spring of 1954. Artwork has been attributed to Carl Buettner or Jack Bradbury (I have seen both names noted,) story writing to Del Connell, and story editing to Craig Chase. Kellogg Adams (Writer, letterer, and inker) has also been mentioned as working on this book.
Two variations of this book have been identified: Pacific Gas & Electric and Florida Power & Light. These were probably printed from different plates, as the lettering differs on the back cover. The PG&E has "PG&E" in the text of the story on the last page and FP&L has "Power Company" in the text on the last page. (This is in reference to who to contact if your kite is stuck in the power lines. A total of 276,500 copies were reportedly printed based on royalty payments to Disney. Inside the book one finds 6 pages of comic strip wrapped around a 2 page centerfold of kite making instructions. A total of 8 pages.
This PG&E copy, as CGC 4.0 (Very Good) with White to Off-White pages is the only CGC copy of this variant as of 5/20/2010. Note the glued spine has been carefully repaired with yarn who knows how many years ago. I left the yarn there when getting it graded.
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1953 Florida Power & Light Co. |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 6.5 |
| Cert #: |
0989801004
|
Owner Comments
Pinocchio Learns about Kites (sometimes called Pinocchio Kite Fun Book) was the first in an annual series of giveaways starting in 1953 and given away by various utilities. It is by far my favorite of the series, as well as the hardest to find.
Pinocchio first appeared in 1883 in The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Pinocchio in Tuscan means "Pine Nut," given to the boy who was carved from Pine. Pinocchio fame grew greatly when, on Feb 7, 1940, he premiered in Disney's second full length animated motion picture.
Pinocchio's history in Comics actual dates a few weeks prior. On 12/24/1939, he started with his own newspaper comic strip. Coincident with the re-release of the film to theaters in 1945, he first appeared in Walt Disney Comic & Stories in issue #63. The next year, in 1946, he first appeared in his own one shot comic, One Shot Comics #92.
The second re-release of the motion picture occurred in 1954. Coincident with that re-release is Pinocchio Learns about Kites. It was prepared (and copyrighted) in late 1953 for release to school in the spring of 1954. Artwork has been attributed to Carl Buettner or Jack Bradbury (I have seen both names noted,) story writing to Del Connell, and story editing to Craig Chase. Kellogg Adams (Writer, letterer, and inker) has also been mentioned as working on this book.
Two variations of this book have been identified: Pacific Gas & Electric and Florida Power & Light. These were probably printed from different plates, as the lettering differs on the back cover. The PG&E has "PG&E" in the text of the story on the last page and FP&L has "Power Company" in the text on the last page. (This is in reference to who to contact if your kite is stuck in the power lines. A total of 276,500 copies were reportedly printed based on royalty payments to Disney. Inside the book one finds 6 pages of comic strip wrapped around a 2 page centerfold of kite making instructions. A total of 8 pages.
This FP&L copy, as CGC 6.5 (Fine Plus) with White to Off-White pages is the only CGC copy of this variant as of 5/20/2010. It is noted as having three tape stains on the spine.
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1954 Southern California Edison |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.0 |
| Cert #: |
0910201012
|
Owner Comments
Carl Barks
If there is one thing to be said about the 1954 Kite Fun Book, it is Carl Barks. Because this year a Donald Duck story was used that was written by him, this book is the most famous, and desired, Kite Fun Book of the whole genre.
The proper name for this book is “Donald Duck tells about Kites.” The name “Kite Fun Book” has been applied in later year as it was recognized as the second in a series of books which later used the name “Kite Fun Book.”
And what a story this book has. Heritage has noted when selling this book that back in 1977, a single copy had a higher price guide value than a complete run of Amazing Spiderman. I seem to remember both PG&E and SCE editions being in the Top 20 most valuable comics at the time. Can’t find that reference right now.
What has happened in the 33 years since then. While I this book hasn’t dropped in price, it has remained obscure. Other comics have continued to move forward. But Carl Barks art will ensure this book is never forgotten. I was surprised visiting Italy and seeing on the newsstand in 2010 comic books featuring Carl Barks Donald Duck stories, these right next to Time magazine in a honored place.
So, what do we know about this book. It has taken many years and different researchers to pull together the various bits of data out there. With little bits of data to go on, some bad conclusions may have been drawn.
Michael Barrier recently provided information from Disney royalty payments that show the total number of this comic is 830,000.
My current hypothesis is that there are 3 versions of the artwork. They are the SCE version, the PG&E version, and a generic version. All were created concurrently. There are 3 identified variants of the generic version, making a total of 5 comics required for a complete set.
Here is a summary of critical dates:
June 17th, 1954: First version created (8 pages), probably the "Generic" Version. Carl Barks paid for 8 pages of drawing
July 8th, 1954: Carl Barks paid for inking 7 pages and providing 8 additional pencil panels. This most likely provided the building blocks needed for all three versions.
Nov 29, 1954: Date on receipt stamp on Generic (blank indicia box) copy (in registry)
Feb 5, 1955: Date on PG&E Library copy
About this copy. This copy, which is uncertified, came from a new “find” in 2009. It will be sent into CGC soon, but I needed to compare the generic copy (which I busted out of a CGC case) with the SCE copy to ensure all differences were identified. In 2009, a Donald Duck Kite Fun Book appeared on eBay from a seller who didn’t know what they had. Turns out she actually had 22 copies, most likely from the belongs of an school teacher who’s class didn’t get them in 1955. Since Gerber estimates about 25 existed, the estimate should now be doubled making this the most common variant of this comic.
What makes the SCE edition unique is, while it shares panels 7.1,7.4,7.4 and 8.3 (7 kite flying safety rules) with the generic version, on panel 7.3 the name “EDISON” appears instead of the word “ELECTIC.” On panel 7.4, an SCE logo is seen the side of the yellow utility truck.
Copies of this comic can be found in the census under (Publisher: Western) Kite Fun Books 1954 as well as (Publisher: Southern California Edison) Kite Fun Books 1954.
Image #2 shows the panels on page 7 which difer then the generic version.
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1954 Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Apparent SP |
| Grade: |
CGC 7.5 |
| Cert #: |
0904839001
|
Owner Comments
Carl Barks
If there is one thing to be said about the 1954 Kite Fun Book, it is Carl Barks. Because this year a Donald Duck story was used that was written by him, this book is the most famous, and desired, Kite Fun Book of the whole genre.
The proper name for this book is “Donald Duck tells about Kites.” The name “Kite Fun Book” has been applied in later year as it was recognized as the second in a series of books which later used the name “Kite Fun Book.”
And what a story this book has. Heritage has noted when selling this book that back in 1977, a single copy had a higher price guide value than a complete run of Amazing Spiderman. I seem to remember both PG&E and SCE editions being in the Top 20 most valuable comics at the time. Can’t find that reference right now.
What has happened in the 33 years since then. While I this book hasn’t dropped in price, it has remained obscure. Other comics have continued to move forward. But Carl Barks art will ensure this book is never forgotten. I was surprised visiting Italy and seeing on the newsstand in 2010 comic books featuring Carl Barks Donald Duck stories, these right next to Time magazine in a honored place.
So, what do we know about this book. It has taken many years and different researchers to pull together the various bits of data out there. With little bits of data to go on, some bad conclusions may have been drawn.
Michael Barrier recently provided information from Disney royalty payments that show the total number of this comic is 830,000.
My current hypothesis is that there are 3 versions of the artwork. They are the SCE version, the PG&E version, and a generic version. All were created concurrently. There are 3 identified variants of the generic version, making a total of 5 comics required for a complete set.
Here is a summary of critical dates:
June 17th, 1954: First version created (8 pages), probably the "Generic" Version. Carl Barks paid for 8 pages of drawing
July 8th, 1954: Carl Barks paid for inking 7 pages and providing 8 additional pencil panels. This most likely provided the building blocks needed for all three versions.
Nov 29, 1954: Date on receipt stamp on Generic (blank indicia box) copy (in registry)
Feb 5, 1955: Date on PG&E Library copy
About this copy. This copy, with a Pacific Gas and Electric library stamp dated 2/5/1955, is one of three from PG&E currently certified. It has been restored somewhat, so would probably be considered the lowest of the certified copies. To me, it ranks higher because of the history lesson provided by the library stamp. Two copies in the census are listed under (Publisher: Western) Kite Fun Book and a third is listed under (Publisher: Pacific Gas and Electric) Donald Duck tells about Kites.
What makes this edition unique is panels 7.1,7.4,7.4 and 8.3 which differ to introduce and summerize a total of eight kite flying safety rules instead of the seven in all the other variants.
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1954 |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.0 |
| Cert #: |
0162937002
|
Owner Comments
Carl Barks
If there is one thing to be said about the 1954 Kite Fun Book, it is Carl Barks. Because this year a Donald Duck story was used that was written by him, this book is the most famous, and desired, Kite Fun Book of the whole genre.
The proper name for this book is “Donald Duck tells about Kites.” The name “Kite Fun Book” has been applied in later year as it was recognized as the second in a series of books which later used the name “Kite Fun Book.”
And what a story this book has. Heritage has noted when selling this book that back in 1977, a single copy had a higher price guide value than a complete run of Amazing Spiderman. I seem to remember both PG&E and SCE editions being in the Top 20 most valuable comics at the time. Can’t find that reference right now.
What has happened in the 33 years since then. While I this book hasn’t dropped in price, it has remained obscure. Other comics have continued to move forward. But Carl Barks art will ensure this book is never forgotten. I was surprised visiting Italy and seeing on the newsstand in 2010 comic books featuring Carl Barks Donald Duck stories, these right next to Time magazine in a honored place.
So, what do we know about this book. It has taken many years and different researchers to pull together the various bits of data out there. With little bits of data to go on, some bad conclusions may have been drawn.
Michael Barrier recently provided information from Disney royalty payments that show the total number of this comic is 830,000.
My current hypothesis is that there are 3 versions of the artwork. They are the SCE version, the PG&E version, and a generic version. All were created concurrently. There are 3 identified variants of the generic version, making a total of 5 comics required for a complete set.
Here is a summary of critical dates:
June 17th, 1954: First version created (8 pages), probably the "Generic" Version. Carl Barks paid for 8 pages of drawing
July 8th, 1954: Carl Barks paid for inking 7 pages and providing 8 additional pencil panels. This most likely provided the building blocks needed for all three versions.
Nov 29, 1954: Date on receipt stamp on Generic (blank indicia box) copy (in registry)
Feb 5, 1955: Date on PG&E Library copy
About this copy. This copy, which based on the Western Library stamp came from their files, is the sole known copy of a blank indicia box. It shares the artwork a sole known copy from Florida Power and Light, having the same artwork on page 7. Overstreet also mentions a “label copy.” While I have not yet seen a label copy, it is most likely this same book (blank indicia box) with a label in the box from the distributing utility. It is graded CGC 9.0 (very fine to near mint) with off-white pages.
What makes this edition unique is, while it shares panels 7.1,7.4,7.4 and 8.3 (7 kite flying safety rules) with the SCE version, on panel 7.3 the word “ELECTRIC” appears instead of the name “EDISON.” On panel 7.4, an no logo is seen the side of the yellow utility truck.
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1955 Southern California Edison |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.2 |
| Cert #: |
0159743008
|
Owner Comments
The origins of Brer Rabbit are a little murky. There were apparently stories with Cherokee and / or African roots of such a rabbit. They entered mainstream culture through the writings of Joel Chandler Harris in the later 1800s.
Walt Disney version of Brer Rabbit originated in the disney film "Song of the South" in 1946. This live action film has intergrated into it 3 short Brer Rabbit cartoons.
The first comic apperance of Brer Rabbit dates from 1907 and is a Stokes illustrated edition of Joel Chandler Harris' children's book, with 50 full page. Title is Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit
The first Walt Disney Brer Rabbit comic dates from the time of the premier of "Song of the South." Four Color Comic #129 is titled "Uncle Remus and his tales of Brer Rabbit." Brer Rabbit continued to be appear regularly in the Walt Disney comics published by Dell through the 1950s, including regular appearances in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. He also had his own newspaper comic strip.
This 1955 Kite Fun Book features Brer Rabbit. The full title of this giveaway is "Walt Disney's Brer Rabbit in "Kite Tail."" It is a 16 page, half size giveaway. It includes a straight 16 page story, starting on the cover and ending on the back cover with 8 kite flying safety tips. Directions for building kites are included in the storyline (by owl.)
Two utilities are known for book, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric. The two books are identical with the exception of the name of the utility on the cover and, in the case of Southern California Edison, the company logo added near the base of the spine on the back cover.
This copy from Southern California Edison is graded CGC 9.2 with White pages. It is one of two in 9.2, with one finer in 9.4. (The 9.4 copy is misfiled in the census under "Briar Rabbit") The back cover photo shows an original utility advertising poster for this comic. The poster is also a part of my collection.
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1955 Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0159743015
|
Owner Comments
The origins of Brer Rabbit are a little murky. There were apparently stories with Cherokee and / or African roots of such a rabbit. They entered mainstream culture through the writings of Joel Chandler Harris in the later 1800s.
Walt Disney version of Brer Rabbit originated in the disney film "Song of the South" in 1946. This live action film has intergrated into it 3 short Brer Rabbit cartoons.
The first comic apperance of Brer Rabbit dates from 1907 and is a Stokes illustrated edition of Joel Chandler Harris' children's book, with 50 full page. Title is Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit
The first Walt Disney Brer Rabbit comic dates from the time of the premier of "Song of the South." Four Color Comic #129 is titled "Uncle Remus and his tales of Brer Rabbit." Brer Rabbit continued to be appear regularly in the Walt Disney comics published by Dell through the 1950s, including regular appearances in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. He also had his own newspaper comic strip.
This 1955 Kite Fun Book features Brer Rabbit. The full title of this giveaway is "Walt Disney's Brer Rabbit in "Kite Tail."" It is a 16 page, half size giveaway. It includes a straight 16 page story, starting on the cover and ending on the back cover with 8 kite flying safety tips. Directions for building kites are included in the storyline (by owl.)
Two utilities are known for book, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric. The two books are identical with the exception of the name of the utility on the cover and, in the case of Southern California Edison, the company logo added near the base of the spine on the back cover.
This copy from Pacific Gas and Electric is graded by CGC as 9.8 with white pages. It is one of seven copies in this top grade. It comes from a group I purchased in 2009 which were found in the papers of an old school teacher.
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1956 Gulf States Utilities Company |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.6 |
| Cert #: |
0159743018
|
Owner Comments
Woody Woodpecker was created in 1940 by Walter Lantz Animation Studios and distributed by Universal Pictures. He has been called the most screwball animation character of the 1940s. His first appearance was in "Knock Knock" with Andy Panda, released November 25, 1940. His film career continued until about 1972.
Woody Woodpecker quickly found his way into comic books. His first appearance was as a bit player in Dell's "New Funnies" starting in 1942. By 1947, he was getting his own issues in Dell's Four Color series. By 1952, Dell had given him his own comic magazine.
Woody Woodpecker also found his way to television in the fall of 1957. Coincidently, this Kite Fun Book, copyrighted 1956 was released in the spring of 1957. The Random House Achieve copy sold by Heritage several years ago is stamped "Received 1/11/1957." Del Connell and Kellog Adams are credited for work on this book.
The Woody Woodpecker Kite Fun Book is known from three utilities and with a blank indicia box. This copy from Gulf States Utility Company is graded by CGC as 9.6 (Near Mint Plus) with off-white to white pages. It is the highest graded copy from this utility as of this writing. It is also the single finest graded of any Woody Woodpecker Kite Fun Book. (As of 6/3/2010)
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1956 Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 5.0 |
| Cert #: |
0159743017
|
Owner Comments
Woody Woodpecker was created in 1940 by Walter Lantz Animation Studios and distributed by Universal Pictures. He has been called the most screwball animation character of the 1940s. His first appearance was in "Knock Knock" with Andy Panda, released November 25, 1940. His film career continued until about 1972.
Woody Woodpecker quickly found his way into comic books. His first appearance was as a bit player in Dell's "New Funnies" starting in 1942. By 1947, he was getting his own issues in Dell's Four Color series. By 1952, Dell had given him his own comic magazine.
Woody Woodpecker also found his way to television in the fall of 1957. Coincidently, this Kite Fun Book, copyrighted 1956 was released in the spring of 1957. The Random House Achieve copy sold by Heritage several years ago is stamped "Received 1/11/1957." Del Connell and Kellog Adams are credited for work on this book.
The Woody Woodpecker Kite Fun Book is known from three utilities and with a blank indicia box. This copy from Pacific Gas & Electric is graded by CGC as 5.0 (Very Good to Fine) with off-white to white pages. It is the highest graded copy from this utility as of this writing. (Another CGC 5.0 exist, also in my collection, but it has lower page quality) (As of 6/3/2010)
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1956 Illinois Power Company |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 7.0 |
| Cert #: |
0155111030
|
Owner Comments
Woody Woodpecker was created in 1940 by Walter Lantz Animation Studios and distributed by Universal Pictures. He has been called the most screwball animation character of the 1940s. His first appearance was in "Knock Knock" with Andy Panda, released November 25, 1940. His film career continued until about 1972.
Woody Woodpecker quickly found his way into comic books. His first appearance was as a bit player in Dell's "New Funnies" starting in 1942. By 1947, he was getting his own issues in Dell's Four Color series. By 1952, Dell had given him his own comic magazine.
Woody Woodpecker also found his way to television in the fall of 1957. Coincidently, this Kite Fun Book, copyrighted 1956 was released in the spring of 1957. The Random House Achieve copy sold by Heritage several years ago is stamped "Received 1/11/1957." Del Connell and Kellog Adams are credited for work on this book.
The Woody Woodpecker Kite Fun Book is known from three utilities and with a blank indicia box. This copy from Illinois Power Company is graded by CGC as 7.0 (Fine to Very Fine) with off-white to white pages. It is the highest graded copy from this utility as. of 6/3/2010)
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1958 Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 8.5 |
| Cert #: |
0147122017
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Owner Comments
Tom and Jerry was a series of cartoon shorts made by William Hanna and Joe Barbara at Metro-Golden-Meyer (MGM.) The first of the cartoon shorts was called "Puss gets the Boot" and was released February 10, 1940. Altogether, 114 cartoon shorts featuring Tom and Jerry were made between 1940 and 1958. They were nominated thirteen times for Academy Awards, winning seven of those times. After the introduction of television to the masses, Tom and Jerry moved on from the big screen to the small screen.
In comics, the first Tom and Jerry comic book was in Dell's "Our Gang" comics #1, date Oct, 1942. This duo's popularity continued to rise and by issue #33 (April, 1947) they started appearing on the left portion of the cover. By issue #37 (September, 1947), they had taken over the cover spot. The title of the book was changed for issue #40 (December, 1947) to "Our Gang with Tom & Jerry." The takeover was completed with issue #60 (July, 1949) when the "Our Gang" was dropped and the series title became just "Tom & Jerry." With their own comic magazine, this duo continued through the change over to Gold Key comics and finally wrapped it up with issue 327 in February of 1980.
Besides their own series, various specials, giants, and giveaways over the years featured Tom and Jerry. This one, the 1958 Tom and Jerry Kite Fun Book was prepared in January of 1958 and released to school children in the Spring of 1958. Del Connell and Kellog Adams are credited for work on this book.
All copies are identical except for the issuing utility. Two utilities are documented here: Pacific Gas and Electric and Florida Power and Light. This copy given away by Pacific Gas and Electric is graded by CGC as Very Fine Plus (8.5) with White pages. It is the finer of two copies currently graded of these variant.
(Note: There is no kite fun book with a 1957 copyright. The 1956 book was released in the spring on 1957, the year following the copyright date. This book was issued in the spring of 1958, the same year as the copyright date. This shift will be undone in 1963, when Western shifted back to using prior year copyright dates. The overall results is two books dated 1963 and none dated 1957)
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1958 Florida Power & Light Co. |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.6 |
| Cert #: |
0155111003
|
Owner Comments
Tom and Jerry was a series of cartoon shorts made by William Hanna and Joe Barbara at Metro-Golden-Meyer (MGM.) The first of the cartoon shorts was called "Puss gets the Boot" and was released February 10, 1940. Altogether, 114 cartoon shorts featuring Tom and Jerry were made between 1940 and 1958. They were nominated thirteen times for Academy Awards, winning seven of those times. After the introduction of television to the masses, Tom and Jerry moved on from the big screen to the small screen.
In comics, the first Tom and Jerry comic book was in Dell's "Our Gang" comics #1, date Oct, 1942. This duo's popularity continued to rise and by issue #33 (April, 1947) they started appearing on the left portion of the cover. By issue #37 (September, 1947), they had taken over the cover spot. The title of the book was changed for issue #40 (December, 1947) to "Our Gang with Tom & Jerry." The takeover was completed with issue #60 (July, 1949) when the "Our Gang" was dropped and the series title became just "Tom & Jerry." With their own comic magazine, this duo continued through the change over to Gold Key comics and finally wrapped it up with issue 327 in February of 1980.
Besides their own series, various specials, giants, and giveaways over the years featured Tom and Jerry. This one, the 1958 Tom and Jerry Kite Fun Book was prepared in January of 1958 and released to school children in the Spring of 1958. Del Connell and Kellog Adams are credited for work on this book.
All copies are identical except for the issuing utility. Two utilities are documented here: Pacific Gas and Electric and Florida Power and Light. This copy from Florida Power and Light is graded by CGC as Near Mint Plus (9.6) with White pages. It is the finer of two copies currently graded of these variant.
(Note: There is no kite fun book with a 1957 copyright. The 1956 book was released in the spring on 1957, the year following the copyright date. This book was issued in the spring of 1958, the same year as the copyright date. This shift will be undone in 1963, when Western shifted back to using prior year copyright dates. The overall results is two books dated 1963 and none dated 1957)
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1959 Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 8.5 |
| Cert #: |
0155111005
|
Owner Comments
An unnamed prototype Bugs Bunny first appeared in the cartoon short Porky's Hare Hunt, released on April 30, 1938, however it was not until July 27, 1940 with the release of A Wild Hare would Bugs appear as we know him today. His carreer includes an amazing 163 Warner Brothers cartoon shorts in the golden age of american animation.
His apperances in comic books are even more numerious than his fil apperances. Starting in comic books with Looney Tunes #1 (Sept, 1941), he has gone on to appear in countless other comics including over 400 issues of Looney Tunes (and Merry Melodies) as well as over 300 isses of Bugs Bunny comics, mostly from Dell, Gold Key, Whitman, or DC.
The Bugs Bunny Kite Fun Book is dated 1959, and was prepared in late 1958 for release to schools in the spring of 1959. A newspaper articel on its release has been found in the 2/7/1959 edition of the Fresno Bee. Don Christensen and Kellog Adams are noted as associated with the production of this book.
Two variants of this book have been identified. They are Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric.
This CGC 8.5 (Very Fine plus) copy with white pages is finer of two graded copies from Pacific Gas and Electric as of 6/24/2010.
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| Slot: |
Kite Fun Book nn 1959 Southern California Edison |
| Item: |
Kite Fun Book #nn Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 2.5 |
| Cert #: |
0155111004
|
Owner Comments
An unnamed prototype Bugs Bunny first appeared in the cartoon short Porky's Hare Hunt, released on April 30, 1938, however it was not until July 27, 1940 with the release of A Wild Hare would Bugs appear as we know him today. His carreer includes an amazing 163 Warner Brothers cartoon shorts in the golden age of american animation.
His apperances in comic books are even more numerious than his fil apperances. Starting in comic books with Looney Tunes #1 (Sept, 1941), he has gone on to appear in countless other comics including over 400 issues of Looney Tunes (and Merry Melodies) as well as over 300 isses of Bugs Bunny comics, mostly from Dell, Gold Key, Whitman, or DC.
The Bugs Bunny Kite Fun Book is dated 1959, and was prepared in late 1958 for release to schools in the spring of 1959. A newspaper articel on its release has been found in the 2/7/1959 edition of the Fresno Bee. Don Christensen and Kellog Adams are noted as associated with the production of this book.
Two variants of this book have been identified. They are Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric.
This UGLY CGC 2.5 (Good plus) copy with cream to off-white pages and marker on the cover is the only graded copy from Southern California Edison as of 6/24/2010. As with most of the comics in this collection, I personally sent this comic in to be graded knowing it would receive a low grade. As to the why, it simply because it is the only copy I have been able to locate in over 10 years looking.
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