COMIC BOOK STORY: Woody Woodpecker (WW 20) (Patreon)

Now here is a real treat—a comic book story featuring Woody Woodpecker drawn by Laverne (Verne) Harding, one of the first female animators in the West Coast. Harding was certainly no stranger to the comics medium, as the artist behind “Cynical Susie,” a syndicated newspaper strip for United Feature Syndicate from 1933 to 1935, after which the penciling duties were succeeded by Bernard Dibble. An accomplished animator in her own right, Harding started at Lantz’s studio as early as 1934 and remained at the studio in 1960, when she departed to work at Hanna-Barbera.

In this story, Woody is given the ravenous appetite seen in some of his theatrical cartoons as he makes several attempts to swipe a roasting chicken from Wally Walrus. A bird intent on devouring another bird? In the words of Carl from The Simpsons, “It’s best not to think about it.”

From Woody Woodpecker #20 (August-September 1953).

(Also, a reminder: an exclusive animator breakdown on Der Fuehrer's Face will appear this Saturday on the $3+ level!)