Casper: Dark Horse Sees a Ghost
This story originally appeared in PW Comics Week on January 23, 2007 Sign up now!
by Heidi MacDonald, PW Comics Week -- Publishers Weekly, 1/23/2007
Casper the Friendly Ghost is making a reappearance in the comics, thanks to Dark Horse and Harvey Comics Classics, volume 1. Animation writers Jerry Beck and Leslie Cabarga are editing this massive collection ofthe original Casper comics from the '50s and '60s. Volume 1, due in June, will feature more than 100 classic Casper stories, most reprinted for the first time. At nearly 500 pages long, it will be a definitive look at the character's comics history, including a little known early run at publisher St. John's, through the better known Harvey Comics stories of the '60s by acclaimed artist Warren Kremer.
The character of Casper originated as a series of Famous Films shorts for Paramount in 1947. Casper and other Famous Films 'toons were licensed for the comics in 1949—and eventually acquired entirely—by Harvey Comics in 1952, where the friendly ghost and his supporting cast—cantankerous uncles the Ghostly Trio, rival Spooky the Tuff Little Ghost and Wendy the Good Little Witch—flourished.
According to Beck, what makes the early Casper comics worthy of revival is that they were produced by many of the same writers and artists working on the cartoons—and with a little more latitude in the comics pages, they were able to expand on Casper's world, giving it a real charm. "They created their own little world, an enchanted forest all its own,"Beck told PWCW. He also praises the simple, iconic gags used on the covers. (The book will include a cover gallery, as well as 64 pages in full color.)
The art—by animation veterans—was also noteworthy. Many of the comics from the 1960s are by Kremer, who developed the style that most people think of when they think of Casper. "Before he started working on the Harvey comics, he was known more for his horror comics," said Beck. "He learned a lot from working with the animators, however, and his Casper and Wendy became the house style."
Fortunately for the project, Harvey kept a meticulous library of pristine proofs and copies, making assembling the reprints less of a chore. Beck hopes the volume will give the Casper comics the respect that has always eluded them. "This book could open people's eyes a little," Beck said.
Dark Horse has already had success with its Little Lulu reprint series, which is now up to 13 volumes. If Harvey Comics Classics takes off, Beck wouldn't mind bringing out collections of other classic Harvey characters such as Hot Stuff, Little Audrey and so on.
At least the announcement of the project has made the world a little safer for Casper fans. "A lot of my friends have been coming out of the closet as Casper fans since the news got out," Beck joked.
