European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 10, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Sid Schapiro is new York Bureau chief America s favorite comic strip characters scampered into millions of Homes during an hour Long television special the fabulous  the program was Colo cast on the enc to network As a tribute to he nation s cartoonists and their fanciful creations which appear in 98 per ent of the newspapers in the United  with nostalgia the show had a Little of everything live entertain ment animation songs dances com Edy routines and pictorial  the transformation of Carl Reiner the versatile actor writer director pro Ducer into a cartoon. As Host and narrator Reiner provide the link for the animated sequences musical numbers film clips and inter views with the cartoonists. He also participated in the animation and Clown ing and even Sang one of the songs. Reiner informed his viewers that american cartoonists received a rare and unique Honor recently when their comic strips were exhibited at the louvre in  american funnies have been one of our Best International exports forever 40 years second Only to Money he quipped pointing out that our comic strips appear in Over 100 coun tries translated into Over 50  also enlightened viewers that the name Dagwood of the Blondie strip is now Nart of the dutch Lan Guage meaning a White Collar  of course some things do suffer i translation he said. Peanuts in Den Mark is called Radi Serne which Means the radishes " the comic strip was born in . Newspapers near the end of the last Century and has thrived Ever since. More than 70 years ago the yellow kid appeared in the sunday edition of the new York world on feb. 16, 1896, and became the first continuing comic hero. He eventually died a victim of parents complaints because of Bis bad grammar and  National cartoonists society pc which assisted in the production of the to show estimates there Are More than 500 comics it was noted that some 100 million people read the comics daily these Days markedly different from the strips of several decades ago in that there s More social commentary the fabulous funnies was billed As one of those so called entertainment documentary programs. The comics have been Analysed and Psychoanal Zedford their social Content but this show s emphasis was almost wholly on the entertainment value. Dick Ericson pcs Public relation director emphasized the objective was to have fun lots of  Mendelson. Creator and executive Page 12 Carl Reiner shows what people would look like if Annie s creator had his Way. Fabulous funnies the stars and stripes Rube 6oidbbrg quartet sin6s 6u/ cry into causing Floh for 70 6roh/ amp tackle 5lf?l, who startled glides Dom a slide old gu6ler who to crafts who sneezes imt0 fan starting machine i h  it Man s new Tattoo wit memoranda. Producer of a to special produce George Schlater and director Gordon Wiles delved history of nearly three quarters of Tutu by to Tell the evolution of the a c strips and their effect on american product Ion Mie comment most difficult vision. Prodi1967 and conf Erl the Gre and a sculpt  David Crom this is perhaps thelow Ever done for Tele on began in january used to the end of the year. When to Combine live action wit animation the impossible takes Long Rube Goldberg now 83appeared As a special guest and Toful f his celebrated comic love nouns Tir izing humanity s pen chant for do useless things in the most compoc Ltd manner. Goldberg Foiw Hora the pcs Reuben award framed said the to show let the pub Dice that cartoonists Loo just like eve done else. A group mus were sitting around in a rest auns in Washington . A few years and he recalled and decided to a Man at a neighbouring table what be ought we did for a us ing. The Man he  about 75 Cilfred on thei cartoonists file participated were Chester Gou Mebick Tracy Fred lass Well Barney Ingle and Snuffy Smith Mori Walker Beetle Baile Charles " " k ked us Over and said were members of the  on characters were Fea a. Some of the leading Schultz Pean i Chic Young Blondie Dick Browne i and  Starr on sirotto Soglow the Little kingly Foster Prince Vali an Milton Biff Steve Canyon Al Capp i l Abb Dunn they Lido it a i in Ernie Bushmiller Nanc Alfuth Mutt and Jeff americas of extant comic strip and pcs Pride it Jerry Robinson Stii. Life. At work Young at it keep them they be a  lurks during a Bush Miller a himself to comics no created lil artists were seen. Them greying but still cartooning seems Toung Naused Beiner. Cd to retain their on Timio u o. Child ight Tanter interviews hat i960 continued the strip for pure  who had helped him achieve Success Soglow who draws the Little King snapped nobody. 1 did it All  the fabulous funnies opened and closed with Caniff at his drawing Board turning out a panel of Steve  is the adventure strip creator who keeps his strip As True to lifers possible. For instance he is worried now about the fact that Canyon is Over age in Grade As an air Force colonel yet he hates to promote him to brigadier general explaining he could t go out and drink with the boys   recalled his Days As a kid sitting on my father s Lap while reread the jokes to  that s what he called them the jokes not comic or  with Reiner providing voices for allow the comic strip characters the View ers heard some of the expressions popularized in the strips including such exclamations As Charlie Brown s Good grief 1" Andy Gump s of my gosh crazy Kat s you Dingbat Majo Hoople s egad and of course Little orphan Annie s Leauv lizards the show also featured a couple of highly entertaining production number keyed to the comic strips with music furnished by John Scott Trotter and his orchestra. Ken Berry the pratfalls Captain of the of troop television series came on As jubilation t. Corn Pone in a version of that number from the i l Abner movie with the Doodle town pipers sing ing the Lively ditty. The Doodle town pipers also Sang Alley  Royal guardsmen Sang their hit song snoopy is. The red Baron Withan animated snoopy getting into the act of course. Reiner Sang Little  the comedy team of Jack Burns a Davery Schreiber turned their familiar taxi routine into an amusing interludes comic strip buffs Burns taking a cab in his Rush to pick up the sunday papers. And no commentary on the comic strip scene would be Complete without some reference to new York s volatile mayor Fiorillo h. Laguardia Reading the funnies Over radio during a news paper strike in the 1930s. A bit of weathered film clip took care of that nicely. The &8ulous. Funniest j i no history of comics could skip late mayor Laguardia s famous funnies Reading session. The stars and stripes Page 13