Friday, September 02, 2005

Comic Book AD: That's a familiar plot (contains 40s era stereotypes)

Here's some old ads for Grape Nuts Flakes featuring Volto and his idiot-pal Jimmy. If you have ever seen a fruit pie advertisement or any Marvel comic printed in the last 35 years you will recognize the story formula.

Volto appeared in a few 40's era books pushing breakfast cereal. I read somewhere he was a character in a few actual comic stories but I couldn't find any confirmation of it.

More than likely he was strictly a product-related creation, much like Spider-Man or Batman are today.

Another damned "Jimmy" getting into trouble and needing a super-hero to save him.

Because he's stupid, Volto is getting mauled by a bear. Jimmy distracts the bear and Volto kills it. On the way home, the bear's angry mate seeks revenge and Volto tosses it into a crevasse.

Jimmy needs rescuing after Volto directly exposed him to danger. And where are all the 'Junior Rangers' he saved?
Volto always makes a situation worse before he makes it better.

Damn damn damn.

I am already obsessively compelled to yell Shazam!, 3X2(9YZ)4A and Kimota! at least once a day because you never know. Now I have to add Volto to that list.

It could happen.

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2 comments:

  1. MarionetteFriday, September 02, 2005 5:25:00 PM

    Since when is wood magnetic?

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSaturday, September 03, 2005 8:45:00 PM

    I remember the Volto from Mars ads from a stash of Golden-age comics my grandmother had stored at her house. I'd read them when I visited Grandma, back when I was a kid. Seems like I read somewhere that Frank Robbins did the art!

    ReplyDelete

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