Comic's Legend: Frank Willard - From 1999

Creator Frank Willard's comic strip, Moon Mullins, was first published in the Chicago Tribune newspaper in 1923, in part as response to the syndicate's success with another strip, Barney Google. As Moon developed its cast of characters including Lord Plushbottom, Kayo and Emmy Schmaltz, Willard also created his own style. Moon gained popularity and became a classic of visual storytelling.

Born in 1893 in the Chicago area Frank Willard decided to become a cartoonist at an early age. His broad humor and simple art were character-centered and drawn with a heavy line.

None of Willard's characters faired well in polite society. In one story, Moon and Emmy get embroiled in a stolen car scheme and are thrown in jail. Moon turns imprisonment into slapstick comedy. In another continuity, Moon and cast travel to Florida when Lord Plushbottom opens a night club. Emmy's attempts to get the Lord to marry her also ends in comic 'tragedy'.

At Willard's untimely death in 1958, Ferd Johnson continued Moon Mullins as a one-a-day joke strip.

The adventures of Moon were published in comic books including: Large Feature Comic #29, 4-Color #s 14, 31, 81 (Dell Comics, 1941-'45); Moon Mullins #s 1-8 (American Comics Group, 1947-'48); Popular Comics (Dell #1-, 1936--), and Super Book #3 (Western Comics, 1944?).

Cupples & Leon published cardboard bound editions of Moon from 1927 to 1933 that were precursors of comic books. Dover re-published two Cupples editions as an excellent collection of strips in 1976 in trade paperback form. The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics also features a section on Willard's rakish family of characters.

The work of Frank Willard is highly recommended for all ages.

Some older comics are expensive and difficult to locate. Price guides or comics dealers help. Comic shops, conventions, mail order companies and trade journals are best sources. Prices vary: shop around for the best values.

Michael Vance