On Sundays, both the Tribune and the Herald-American were delivered to our house, and both papers had large comics sections.
Before I learned to read, my dad would read the comics to me from both papers, and many times I would listen to Ed O’Connell read the comics over the radio. Everyone in our family enjoyed the Sunday comics, so I had to wait my turn, which was generally last.
I liked many of the comics, but I had eight favorites.
Little Orphan Annie fought crooks and corruption. She was the ward of Daddy Warbucks who, my dad said, reflected Col. Mc Cormick, the owner-publisher of the Tribune. Warbucks had two bodyguards named Punjab and the Asp, rather sinister characters who did the bidding of the multi-millionaire Warbucks. Annie had a dog named Sandy who oftentimes saved her life by attacking the thugs who threatened her.
Gasoline Alley presented the realities of life. The main characters were Walt and Skeezix. Baby Walt was found on his doorstep. This was the only comic strip in which the characters aged.
Dagwood and Blondie has been running in the Tribune for over 70 years, and the main characters have never aged. I get a laugh out of Dagwood’s constant bickering with his boss, Mr. Dithers. Dagwood spends most of his “working” hours planning how to avoid work and still get a raise.
It is apparent that Dagwood has a terrific metabolism because even though he stuffs himself with food, he never gains weight. If he had his way, he would spend his days soaking in his tub and sleeping on his couch.
Dick Tracy was one of the first comic strips to depict gangsters and murder. The characters had very creative names like Pruneface, Flattop, Mumbles, B.O.Plenty, Tess Trueheart and Sam Catchem, just to name a few. Dick was a one-man crime-buster who always got his man. My dad was a good friend to Chester Gould, the creator of Dick Tracy, and Mr. Gould gave me a Dick Tracy watch when I was 7 years old.
In the comic strip Terry and the Pirates, Terry Lee fought villains led by the Dragon Lady. During World War II, he was an army pilot who valiantly fought our enemies.
Prince Valiant was a brave Arthurian knight who roamed through medieval England fighting evil and rescuing damsels in distress who were imprisoned in the castles of villainous knights
In the comic strip Archie, Andrew, Archie, Jughead, Veronica, Betty and Reggie were high school students facing the usual problems of teenagers such as money, dates, school and cars. Archie’s biggest problem was Reggie, who was always trying to one-up Archie.
Beetle Bailey joined the army during the Korean War and has never left Camp Swampy, nor has he aged. His main goal over the past 63 years has been to avoid Sarge and try to get as much sleep as possible. Much of the time, Sarge assigns Beetle to KP duty because of Beetle’s failure to shape up as a soldier.
I have never lost interest in the comics, and I still read them on Sundays, but now I don’t have to wait my turn because I am always up early and get to them first.
John Stanger is a lifelong resident of Oak Park, a 1957 graduate of OPRF High School, married with three grown children and five grandchildren, and a retired English professor (Elmhurst College). Living two miles from where he grew up, he hasn’t gotten far in 74 years.