Posting Pause Passes!
Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted, but I've been up to my inkwells in work. Hopefully, I'll share some of it with you shortly, as well as do some of the posts I've been promising, including details of my trip to Harry Pottersville and the movie that haunts my dreams/nightmares.
Until then, here are a few more of the Richie Rich pages that were recently returned to me. They are from a long time ago, so no apologies for my drawing flaws. One thing I cannot take credit/blame for, however, is the design of Richie's faithful butler, Cadbury. The designs for the comic were from the syndicated Richie TV show, and I was obliged to follow them. I had no problems with most of the other characters' looks, but I felt the designers on the show really dropped the ball with Cadbury. Granted, he was a difficult character to render well, and even some of the Harvey artists had trouble with him (fans will know of whom I speak). Even so, the designers on the show reduced him to the neckless wonder you see above. Believe me, and I say this with no pride, my renderings are an improvement on how he looked on the show.
For an example of how Cadbury should really look, check out these examples from Mykal's blog. The examples you'll see there were drawn by Harvey artist extraordinaire, Ernie Colon. Nobody, but NOBODY, could draw Cadbury like Ernie! It pains me to say this, but even my hero, Warren Kremer, couldn't come close.
All design issues aside, one thing I liked about doing this story was getting to draw the villain, The Onion. This rascal with the super-stinky onion addiction was a favorite of mine as a kid, so it was fun to get a chance to draw him "professionally". As an added bonus, since The Onion wasn't featured on the TV cartoon, I got to draw him as I saw fit. Any grief on his design, I'll accept.
One last note: Not sure who did the inks or letters on this, but they look serviceable to me.
Enjoy.
Labels: Cadbury, Harvey Comics, Richie Rich, The Onion
posted by Bill White at
8:37 PM
7 Comments:
Bill: I like these pages a ton! I'm really loving the bad guy, who has a real Hanna-Barbera feel about him, which I love. What was his name? Plus, he could breath fire? I completely agree about Mr. Colon being the master of Cadbury - as well as one of the best artists for Richie Rich period.
I have always heard that Casper (along with Cads) being thought of as hard to draw among the Harvey guys. True?
The chacter's name, as I already said, is The Onion. Created, if I am not mistaken, by Warren Kremer and Lenny Herman,
Absolutely correct about both Casper and Cadbury being hard to draw. I had both Warren Kremer and Ernie Colon explain the ins and outs of drawing Casper to me, but what it boils down to is that, if the features are placed even a little bit off, he looks like crap. It's harder to do than it looks.
As for Cadbury, he walks a weird line between "cartoony" and "funny" that is hard to get right. Ernie, as you have noted, had it down cold.
These are a nice treat Bill. You've done some really great work through the years. I love seeing stuff like this.
Wow, these are really wonderful Bill! The Onion is awesome. I love how his sidekick has to wear a gasmask :^)
Thanks for posting these as I learn something new about the world of cartooning with everyone.
Thanks for the kind words Newton and David! If people like seeing this stuff, I guess I'll continue to dig into my "archives" (a.k.a. Piles o' Crap) and post some more till you beg me to stop.
David- Glad you appreciated the gas masks on The Onion's minions. That was my idea, and I thought it hilarious at the time. What a clever fellow, me!
BTW, if you all don't check out Mykal, Newton and David's blogs, you're missing some fun readin'!
i love these pages.
the overhead shot of the avalanche is great!
my favorite is the image of the elephants putting out the fire. that must have been a lot of work to draw!
eeteed
eeteed-
That elephant panel really wasn't any special chore. When I look at it now though, it bothers me. I think the elephants look a bit too Warren Kremer-ish, which takes them out of the style of the rest of the characters. Also, I should have varied the poses on the elephants- changing the poses so they don't all look so similar (stretched out trunks, ears, etc.). Ah, well, that is Monday morning talk.
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