One of the nicest memories of my childhood were the few minutes on a Saturday morning before my dad headed off to work when he and I read the newspaper together. I felt so privileged when he handed over my preferred section and I could catch up on the Bumsteads, Beetle Bailey, Andy Capp, Hi and Lois, et al, while sitting beside him at the breakfast nook.
I loved the funnies, mini-stories of comical characters laid out in strips. There were favourites, such as the aforementioned, and some less so, generally those of the science fiction genre, such as Sky Masters. But for several minutes, this book-loving tot would bury herself between the pages of the weekend’s entertainment section to enjoy the antics and adventures, reading the comics side to side, top to bottom, beginning to end.
Now, when I find myself searching for cartoon illustrations, while my tastes tend to run to the ones that make me feel all warm and fuzzy, or tickle my funny bone, those with a retro comic strip style will typically bring a smile to my face and returning memories of those Saturday mornings. Here’s one of my favourite collections:
