I have written about Stan lee and Dan DeCarlo's Willie Lumpkin before and showed some sampled in color and black and white. Here is the remainder of what I have in my collection. As you can see, the strip did not run for 'only a year or less' as is often stated. It ran from December 1959 to May 1961. The Sunday page (easily the best part of it) started early in February 1960. That also seems to be the strip changed from it's original format, which Stan Lee lifted from the popular Miss Peach strip, of having all the characters stand in line in one panel and reacting to each other. When the strip was reprinted in Marvels fan magazine Mavel Age (a complete run of which can now be bought from me because they take up too much space in my crowded office) they never chose any episodes of those first five months, so they may come as a shock to some of you.
I think these samples show why the strip ultimately failed. I think it Stan Lee failed to create a solid suporting cast for Willie, instead relying on new gags every time. It's only when he does do longer run with characters in Willie's village, the strip comes alive for me.
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