BLB: Dick Tracy Encounters Facey

Here is another in my ongoing series of reviews on the 1960s Big Little Book series. You can find others by clicking on "BLB" at the bottom of this post.

Big Little Books were a series of story-books published by Whitman Publishers from the 1920s thru the 1980s. The books I have are 250 pages but very compact, only 10 cm x 13 cm x 2 cm (approx 4 inches x 5 3/4 inches x 1 inch). There is text on one side of each page and an illustration on the other. Although the writers were always credited, the artist never was. They began in the 1920s but then evidently stopped sometime in the 1940s? Then Whitman revisited the format. From 1967 thru the early 1970s such then-TV luminaries as Lassie, Flipper, the Lone Ranger, Bonanza, Shazzan, Space Ghost, Frankenstein Jr, Tarzan, and, yes, Aquaman, were featured. Eventually the TV series' stars fell by the way-side and were replaced with perennial favorites like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and Woody Woodpecker, who returned several times each.

This time we are looking at the very first book in this revised series, number ONE, Dick Tracy in Encounters Facey. Written by Paul S. Newman and published in 1967, this of course features the hard-hitting police detective and other characters created by Chester Gould. Oddly enough, the only credit goes to Chicago Tribune-NY News Syndicate, who I guess owned the copyright on the characters. The artist is not credited, but if it is not Chester Gould then it is someone who is definitely aping his style. Dick Tracy Encounters Facey as number 1 in this Big Little Book series has no precedents. However, it was probably given the number one slot because in atleast one previous iteration, Dick Tracy was the #1 spot before. This time it is followed by Bonanza, Flipper, Lassie, and Tarzan (which we already reviewed.) All of those were published in 1967.

BLB: Aquaman

Here is another in my ongoing series of reviews on the 1968 Big Little Book series. You can find others by clicking on "BLB" at the bottom of this post.

This time, to help celebrate Aquaman's "birthday" on January 29 I want to talk about one of my favorite BLBs, Aquaman in Scourge of the Sea, written by Paul S. Newman and published in 1968. It is number 17 in the 1968 Big Little Book series. It follows Space Ghost but is before Daktari. Does anybody here even know and/or remember Daktari?

BLB: The Lone Ranger & Tonto

Here is another in my ongoing series of reviews on the 1968 Big Little Book series. You can find others by clicking on "BLB" at the bottom of this post.

This time, to help celebrate the 67th anniversary of the debut of The Lone Ranger on TV (Sept 15, 1949) I want to talk about The Lone Ranger & Tonto in Outwits Crazy Cougar, written by George S. Elrick and published in 1968. It is number 13 in the 1968 Big Little Book series. It follows Bonanza and The Man From UNCLE, but is before Space Ghost, Daktari, and Aquaman.

BLB: Tarzan The Mark of the Red Hyena

This time, I want to talk about Tarzan in The Mark of the Red Hyena, written by George S. Elrick and published in 1967. It is number 5 in the 1967 Big Little Book series. It follows Flipper and Lassie, but comes before Tom & Jerry and Popeye. Heady company, I know.

BLB: The Man From UNCLE

This time, I want to talk about The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in The Calcutta Affair, written by George S. Elrick and published in 1967. It is number 11 in the 1967 Big Little Book series. This is clever, as all UNCLE fans know that secret agent Napoleon Solo wore UNCLE badge number 11.