Fighting Force

Tuesday Airforce Day. 

The AAFF (American Air Force Features) was a regular comic nespaper that was produced by the Bradbury company to be distributed at US Air Force Bases. It ran from 1955 to 1965 (at least) and had a mix of funny and realistic stories. Some of the artists included in this package were big names from comics and cartoons. I have show most of their work in seperate posts over the years from an incomplete set of micr-fiche issues I found online. The completely forgotten Millie & Terry by Jack Cole (the missing link between his cartoon work and his newspaper comic strip Betsy and Me), Gooch by the marvalous Josh Benton, and strips by Henry Boltinoff, Jack O'Brien, Shelly Moldoff, vic Martin, Ben Wiseman, Mort Drucker and Rogoff (who I suspect was one of the organising talents behind this feature).

What I haven't how yet (or at least I don't think I have) is this set of realistic stories about Air Force Heroes. At one point I was convinced that artist doing most of these was Carl Pfeufer. But after all these years I don't remember where I found that. I have some more realistic stuff after that. The last one is signed by Pete Constanza, who sems a good candidate for the Fighting Heroes as well.

A Word About The Wise

Saturday Leftover Day. 

Last week I shared some samples of Jack O'Brien's early sixties daily panel Cool Cat. I mentioned that I think he was a career army man from the early forties to the mid fifties, while building an impressive client list for his cartoons. From 1955 onwards he was also a regular contributor to the American Armed Forces Features. I have shared some of his work from that the pre-made Sunday section for army papers, but not yet his main feature, called The Wise Guy. As far as I can see, he did that strip once a week for over ten years. My sampels are from an internet source that has 1956 and at least two other years missing. Copies are hard to find, so if you have any, please tell me.