Friday, April 28, 2017

It's enough to drive anyone dotty!

In this installment of Funny Book Funnies, we look in once again on that sphere-obsessed moppet, Dot Polka.  Whose idea was this, anyway?  Was there some brainstorming meeting within the offices of Harvey Comics sometime in the early 50s?  I'd really like to know who thought it would be a great idea to feature a little girl devoted to all things dotted and spotted in her own comic book (not to mention several other eventual titles with the "Little Dot" moniker).  Was Dot based on an actual real-life child?  If anyone can provide some insight, please feel free to comment below.

In the meantime, here's Little Dot in "Dot's Dandy" (already starting with the bad puns out of the gate!).



I'm not sure what's bugging Mr. Polka more; his daughter bringing up the subject of dots yet again or the fact that Dot is putting Swiss cheese on her pie!  Quiche I can understand, but PIE???  Yechhh!!!

And who has pie for breakfast?  Again, quiche would probably be more suitable to break one's fast.  At least it's not cold pizza with anchovies!  Double Yechhh!!!


Mr. Polka's tantrum seems to be a staple of most adult Harvey characters; grown men stamping their feet and flailing their arms when upset about something.  It's sorta comical, I guess.

I don't think your scheme to cure Dot of her obsession is going to work, Polka.  If anyone's going to be sick of dots, it's going to be you and the missus.  More sick than you are now, that is!  But Mrs. Polka is all in; just look at that expression on her face!


Oh, yes, please, Mrs. Polka; don't let the important task of baking a cake get in the way of curing your daughter's obsession.  It's the only way you can win money for a new hat.  Apparently hubbykins didn't get that raise, then you wouldn't have to try and win baking contests to have nice things!



Or maybe Daddy has a mistress he's keeping in an apartment he's renting for her in town.  No wonder he can't afford to buy his wife a new hat!

And Mom starts the plan off with a pun "Dot's" not very funny, lady!


Now what are her parents REALLY up to?  Looks like her mother is using Dot's enthusiasm for dots to get some cheap labor out of her!


So first we have pie for breakfast and now eggs for lunch! I suppose it's faster and cheaper than calling for pizza delivery!


Yeah, Dot, hurry up! You've got only a few more hours of daylight to be exploited some more!


If you look really, really hard, you can see dots in just about everything! Eventually you'll see them before your eyes without even trying!


So how are you going to refer to your daughter, Mrs. Polka? I suppose "Dorothy" is not out of the question (it is, after all, her given name).


Probably not a good idea, Dot; the cake will taste funny seeing as you put fully-baked cookies into a bowl of raw cake dough. Then there's the concern over salmonella...


Is it really your mom's cake, Dot?  You did most of the work!  Anyway, good luck!


So Dot had to come up with a name of the cake on the spot!  Not bad!  You don't even have to give your mom credit for the cake, unless there's some kind of age restriction!


Mr. Polka has returned from the "office" and is greeted by new decor.  Looks like Dot is going to have a switch taken to her backside!  OR WILL SHE???


Hey, Polka, guess what?  Your plan backfired and now your daughter has managed to convert your wife/her mother to the cult of Dotism!  Yes, Dot Polka will likely go on to have found a new religion called Dotism!  

Wow, that's some baking contest! First prize is 500 bucks???  Looks like Mrs. Polka was able to afford a new hat AND a new wardrobe as well!

So Mr. Polka has quite the dilemma!  Both his wife and daughter have an obsession with dots. Maybe it's time to move in with his mistress or start to amass a stack of therapy bills both female members of his family will generate!

Wouldn't want to be in your shoes, Polka, ol' boy!

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OK, that's it for this installment!  See you soon!

Excelsior!

Alan