Charlton Fools' Day - Abbott & Costello!

Happy Charlton Fools Day!

The Dojo has been invited to participate in a grand new tradition, and for my part here are among the greatest fools every concocted by the mighty mavens at Derby Connecticut. Abbott and Costello first got together in the late 30's and during the 1940's, especially during World War II and even into the early 1950's were among the most popular entertainers in movies.

The even had their own comic book from St.John Publishing (Check those comics out here). They moved to television to try and translate their popularity to the small screen and had a good degree of success. They broke up in 1957 and the untimely death of Lou Costello in 1959 abruptly ended any chance the team had to get back together.

That is until Hanna-Barbera decided the duo might make a good Saturday morning TV show which ran in 1967 and 1968.  Bud Abbott voice himself and Stan Irwin supplied the voice for the late Costello.


The cartoon show lasted one season and might be largely forgotten save for one thing -- Charlton Comics concocted a comic book based on the handsome designs of the cartoon show. Getting Steve Skeates to write the scripts and Henry Scarpelli to deliver the art, the books are little gems of comic book comedy. Later Tony Tallarico took over the title, and it ran until 1971, long after the show itself had been cancelled.

Tony Tallarico Original

The comic also featured some offbeat fairy tales (of a sort) drawn by Richard "Grass" Green and sometimes written by the likes of Sergius O'Shaughnessy (Denny O'Neil to you and me) and Skeates himself. To read an issue for yourself check this out.

Here are those distinctive and funny fourth-world breaking covers by Scarpelli (the first seven) and Tallarico (the rest).

Have a Happy Charlton Fools' Day you all.

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