CANIFF RARITIES

Some recent auctions of historical interest...

This is a wooden button that was a sendaway premium for the "Terry & the Pirates" radio show, sponsored by the Quaker Oats Company.  Kids would send in two boxtops to become the good luck mascot of a B-25 bomber pilot.  They received the button and an 8x10 color photo of a B-25.  

A button like the one shown above recently sold for $10.  In 2011, a similar button along with the picture, envelope and instructions sold for $86.  According to two sources, recipients would also get their name on a roll of microfilm that would be carried in a real B-25.  The microfilm read "Good luck and drop one on the Japs and Nazis for me."  I'd like to believe it...but wow!  

This is a full newspaper page calendar from December 31, 1944, featuring the stars of "Terry & the Pirates".  I wonder if this was a special presentation for the Akron Beacon Journal, or more likely something made available to all the "Terry" carriers with the spot at the top to put their logo.  This page, still in pretty good shape, sold for $20.

This is a fold-out poster by Willard Mullin.  It was from the 1960 Reuben Award dinner, the annual event in which the National Cartoonists Society honors their best.  Mullin was a New York newspaper sports cartoonist and a Reuben winner himself.  The drawing depicts past NCS presidents and Reuben winners.  Caniff is spotted along the back of the bull.  This piece was sold from the collection of Bill Crouch, a legendary comic strip memorabilia collector who passed in 2011.  It sold for a staggering $152 (and no, honey, not to me).

 This is an envelope illustrated by George Wunder, Caniff's successor on "Terry and the Pirates."  I've not always been very enthused about Wunder's work, but it's growing on me.  This in particular is a stunning rendition of the Dragon Lady.  This item is perpetually on Ebay because the owner thinks it is worth $700.  Wunder original daily strips generally sell in the $30 - 150 range, and original illustrations normally don't crack a C-note.  But this envelope...best of luck to him.

PASSAGES 2012 - TV

Robert Hegyes [1/26]
Juan Epstein on “Welcome Back Kotter” (1975-79)

Ian Abercrombie [1/26]
Mr. Pitt on “Seinfeld” (1994-95)
Alfred on “Birds of Prey” (2002-03)

John Rich [1/29]
Director:
“The Dick Van Dyke Show” (41 eps, 1961-66)
“Gomer Pyle, USMC” (26 eps, 1967-69)
"All in the Family” (86 eps, 1971-74)
“Benson” (43 eps, 1980-82)
“Mr. Sunshine” (11 eps, 1986)

Phil Bruns, 80 [2/8]
TV character guest actor from 1960s – 1990s
4 different “Barney Miller” episodes playing different characters
George Shumay on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (1976)
The original Morty Seinfeld on "Seinfeld" (1 episode, 1990)

Davy Jones, 66 [2/29]
Davy on “The Monkees” (1966-68)

Joan Taylor, 82 [3/4]
Milly Scott on “The Rifleman” (1960-62)

Dennis Bowen, 61 [3/9]
Todd Ludlow on “Welcome Back, Kotter” (1975-77)

Jim Duffy [3/23]
Animator:
“Super Friends” (1981)
“The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang” (1981)
“The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show” (1983)
“Smurfs” (1983-84)
Producer on “G.I. Joe” (1985-86)

Warren Stevens, 92 [3/27]

Rojan on the “Star Trek” episode “By Any Other Name” (1968)

Col. Chaffey on the “MASH” episode “The Gun” (1975)

Garry Walberg, 90 [3/27]
Speed on “The Odd Couple” (1970-74)
Lt. Frank Monahan on “Quincy M.E.” (1976-83)

Mike Wallace, 93 [4/7]
“60 Minutes” founding correspondent (1968-08)

Paul Bogart, 92 [4/15]
Director:
“All in the Family” (97 eps, 1975-79)
“Archie Bunker’s Place” (9 eps, 1979-82)

Dick Clark, 82 [4/18]

Host:
“American Bandstand” (1956-87)
“Pyramid” [$10K, $25K and $100K] (1973-88)
“New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” (1979-2011)
“TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes” (1984-88)

George Murdock, 81 [4/30]
Dr. Salik on “Battlestar Galactica” (1978-79)
Lt. Scanlon on “Barney Miller” (1976-82)
Testikov on “The Marine Bioligist” episode of “Seinfeld” (1994)

Bob Stewart, 91 [5/4]
Creator of “The Price is Right”, “To Tell the Truth”, “Password” and “Pyramid”

George Lindsey, 83 [5/6]
Goober Pyle on “The Andy Griffith Show” (1964-68) and “Mayberry R.F.D.” (1968-71)

5/8 Maurice Sendak, 83
character designs for “Little Bear” [1995-2001]

Janet Carroll, 71 [5/22]
Carol Danzig on “Bronx Zoo” (1987-88)
Doris Dial on “Murphy Brown” (1990-96)
Gary on “Married with Children” (1994-97)

Dee Caruso, 83 [5/27]
Writer, “The Monkees” (1966-68), “Get Smart” (1965-68)

Dick Beals, 85 [5/29]
voice of "Speedy," the Alka Seltzer mascot

Kathryn Joosten, 72 [6/2]
Mrs. Landingham on “The West Wing”(1999-2002)

Richard Dawson, 79 [6/2]
Cpl. Newkirk on “Hogan’s Heroes” (1965-71)
Panelist on “Match Game” (1973-78)
Host of “Family Feud” (1976-85)

Caroline John, 71 [6/5]
Liz Shaw on “Doctor Who” (1970)

Frank Cady, 96 [6/8]
Sam Drucker on “Green Acres”, “Petticoat Junction” and “Beverly Hillbillies” (1965-71)

Doris Singleton, 92 [6/26]
Caroline Appleby in “I Love Lucy” (1953-57)

Don Grady, 68 [6/27]
Robbie Douglas on “My Three Sons” (1960-71)

Andy Griffith, 86 [7/3]
Sheriff Andy Taylor on “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960-68)
Benjamin Matlock on “Matlock” (1986-95)

Ernest Borgnine, 95 [7/8]
Quinton McHale on “McHale’s Navy” (1962-66)

Ginny Tyler, 86
Jan on “Space Ghost” (1966)
Invisible Girl on “The Fantastic Four” (1978)

Don Brinkley, 91 [7/14]
Created the TV series “Trapper John, M.D.”

Bill Asher, 90
 Director:
“Bewitched” (131 eps, 1964-72)
“Gidget” (7 eps, 1965-66)
“Alice” (27 eps, 1977-79)
Producer: "Bewitched” (147 eps, 1967-72)

Tom Davis, 59 [7/19]
Writer, “Saturday Night Live” (1975-81, ’85-’95, ’02-’03)

Sherman Hemsley, 74 [7/24]
George Jefferson on “All in the Family” (1973-75) and “The Jeffersons” (1975-85)
Deacon Earnest Frye on “Amen” (1986-91)

Mary Tamm, 62 [7/26]
Romana on “Doctor Who” (1978-79)

Norman Alden, 87 [7/27]
Actor, 2 episodes of “Steve Canyon” (1958-59)
Aquaman on “Super Friends” (1973) and “The All-New Super Friends Hour” (1977)
Frank Heflin on “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl” (1976)

R.G. Armstrong, 95 [7/27]
Actor, first two episodes of “The Rifleman”

Russ Mayberry, 27 [7/27]
Director:
 “That Girl” (1969-70)
 “The Brady Bunch” (1970-71)
“Search” (1972-73)

Irving Fein, 101 [8/10]
Producer, “The Jack Benny Program” (1952-65)

Ron Palillo, 63 [8/14]
Arnold Horshack on “Welcome Back, Kotter” (1975-79)
Sgt. Squealy on “Laverne & Shirley in the Army” (1981-82)

Biff Elliot, 89 [8/15]
Schmitter on “The Devil in the Dark” episode of “Star Trek” (1967)

William Windom, 88 [8/16]
Commodore Decker on “The Doomsday Machine” episode of “Star Trek” (1967)

Phyllis Diller, 95 [8/20]
Regular panelist on “Hollywood Squares” in its many permutations

Jerry Nelson [8/23]
Count von Count, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Herbert Birdsfoot, Herry Monster, the Amazing
Mumford,  half of Two-Headed Monster on “Sesame Street” (1970-2009)
Scred on "Saturday Night Live" (1975-76)
Robin the Frog, Floyd Pepper, Lew Zealand, Camilla the Chicken and Crazy Harry on “The
Muppet Show” (1976-81)
Gobo Fraggle on “Fraggle Rock” (1983-87)
Statler on "Muppets Tonight" (1996-97)

Claire Malis, 69 [8/24]
Rose Polniaczek on “The Facts of Life” (6 episodes, 1983-88)

 Michael Rye, 94 [9/21]
Green Lantern & Apache Chief on “Challenge of the Super Friends” (1978), “Super Friends”
(1980-83), “SuperFriends” (1984) & “The Super Powers Team” (1985)
Narrator & Basketball Announcer on “The Super Globetrotters” (1979)
Duke Igthorn & King Gregor on “Adventures of the Gummi Bears” (1985-91)

Ken Sansom, 85 [10/8]
voice of Winnie the Pooh’s Rabbit in TV, film & home video (1988-2009)

Alex Karras, 77 [10/10]
George Papadapolis on “Webster” (1983-89)

Gary Collins, 74 [10/13]
Host, “Hour Magazine” (1980-88)

Bob Brunner, 78 [10/28]
Writer:
“The Odd Couple” (1972-73)
“Happy Days” (1974-78)
“Diff’rent Strokes” (1984-85)
Originated the “Fonzie” nickname, the catchphrase “Sit on it” and wrote the infamous “jump the
shark” episode

Leonard Termo, 77 [10/30]
Joe in “The Mango” episode of “Seinfeld” (1993)

Margaret Nichols, 82 [11/5]
Animator:
“The Scooby Doo/Dynomutt Hour” (1976)
3 separate “Super Friends” series (1977-79)
3 separate “Scooby Doo” series (1977-83)
“Smurfs” (1981-84)
Sequence director for “G.I. Joe” (1985-86)
“Transformers” (1986-87)
Animation director for “Muppet Babies” (1985-88)

Lucille Bliss, 96 [11/8]
Smurfette on “The Smurfs” (1981-90)

Emily Squires, 71 [11/21]
Director, “Sesame Street” (1982-2007)

Larry Hagman, 81 [11/23]
Major Tony Nelson on “I Dream of Jeannie”(1965-70)
J.R. Ewing on “Dallas” (1978-91, 2012-13)

12/1 Reinhold Weege, 62
Writer:
“Barney Miller” (1976-79)
“Night Court” (1984-90)
Creator/Executive Producer -  “Night Court”

Don Medford, 95 [12/12]
Director:
“The Rifleman” (1959-60)
“Twilight Zone” (1960-63)
“Airwolf” (1985)

Charles Durning, 89 [12/24]
Father Hubley on “Everybody Loves Raymond” (1998-2002)
Michael Gavin on “Rescue Me” (2004-11)

Jack Klugman, 90 [12/24]
Oscar Madison on “The Odd Couple” (1970-75)
Dr. Quincy on “Quincy M.E.” (1976-83)
Henry Willows on “You Again?” (1986-87)