Tom and Jerry Comic Album [1973]

1973. No price info.
68 pages. B&W contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Also suitable for colouring and crayoning

Cover painting by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

SBN: 7235 1919 6

Contents:

 3 Tom and Jerry Comic Album title page.

 4 Indicia

 5 Tom and Jerry The Bird Brain w: UNKNOWN; a: Harvey Eisenberg.

r: Tom and Jerry Comics (Dell) #134 (Sep 1955).

15 Tom and Jerry Deep Freeze w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

r: Tom and Jerry (Gold Key) #228 (Feb 1966).

25 Tom and Jerry Mountain Retreat w: UNKNOWN; p: Lynn Karp, i: UNKNOWN.

r: Tom and Jerry Comics (Dell) #128 (Mar 1955).

35 Tom and Jerry Troubled Sleep w: UNKNOWN; p: Lynn Karp, i: UNKNOWN.

r: Tom and Jerry Comics (Dell) #129 (Apr 1955).

45 Tom and Jerry Jerry and Tuffy w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

r: UNKNOWN.

47 Tom and Jerry Bear Scare w: UNKNOWN; a: Harvey Eisenberg.

r: Tom and Jerry Comics (Dell) #138 (Jan 1956).

57 Tom and Jerry Crystal Ball w: UNKNOWN; a: Harvey Eisenberg.

r: Tom and Jerry Comics (Dell) #143 (Jun 1956).

Note: Back cover is identical to front, with SBN added.

The rough paper, black and white contents, and sloppy reprinting all mark this out as a quick and cheap space-filler on World's schedule, with nary a thought given to how young readers would react, so it comes as something of a surprise to find the contents are so amusing. Odd choices, sure, but strips which possess a certain energy to them which is very appealing.

While the cover is uncredited, the artist's inspiration has likely been identified (unless someone can find a better fit) as Tom and Jerry Comics (Dell) #62, which boasts a remarkably similar cover - albeit one in which the action is moving away from the reader, and lacking a secondary threat in a carelessly discarded rake. Switching the direction of the characters, and giving the lawnmower a distinctive (very sixties) look, makes this work much more effectively as a cover. There's something very familiar about the yellow and blue seed packet, though I can't place where I have seen it at the moment.

It is the stories you are likely more interested in, so:

Tom finally manages to get rid of Jerry and Tuffy, tricking them with a booby-trapped hatbox which he has disguised as cheese with some spread. When Jerry attempts to cut it, he and Tuffy are kicked by a boot hidden in the box, hurtling them outside. Jerry makes a temporary shelter out of an old newspaper, which has an article on kindness to birds. Tom snatches the paper away, and resolves to be nice to birds as they only eat a few crumbs.

Jerry and Tuffy get their hands on a "Pecking Pete" toy, which mimics a woodpecker, in order to infiltrate the house again. After Tom lets them in, hiding inside of the toy, they begin to torment him - drilling holes in his house, beating him up, stealing his food. Tom says that the bird is worse than the mice he used to have, which is where the "woodpecker" reveals a fear of mice. Tom frantically calls on Jerry to come back to him...

A perfect introduction to the theme and (more or less) story of the Trojan Horse for younger readers. Gut instinct leads me to the conclusion that six and seven year-olds would be the primary audience, and if this leads them to discovering the classics, then the title has performed a great function.

The first page of the next story, Deep Freeze, is taken directly from the American Tom and Jerry #228. These kind of slapdash slip-ups should be familiar to collectors of World titles. An annoying glimpse behind the curtain for some, I find these little slips a great help in determining where World went looking for their content.

Winter, and Jerry is having fun in the snow, though Tom is less than pleased with cold weather. Locking the mice out, Tom takes shelter in the house as the mice make snowballs in preparation for their eventual use. Staying in an old doll's house, Planning to move South for the winter, Tom hops on a freight train, but Jerry and Tuffy follow him onto the train, bringing their supplies.

Unfortunately, the carriage is a refrigerated one, and Tom is too large to fit in the heated doll's house. While tormenting Tom, the doll's house is set on fire, and Jerry is forced to turn on the sprinkler system. As the water freezes solid, though they soon arrive in Florida. When they are thrown off the train, Tom discovers what Jerry and Tuffy brought with them in their supplies.

The more of these strips I read, the more I tend to side with Tom, a sentiment reinforced by the next story, Mountain Retreat.

Jerry and Tuffy set about redecorating - which means making life as difficult as possible for Tom. Fed up, he leaves for his mountain retreat, though Jerry tricks him into giving his tormentors a lift. Crafting a bear from an old rug (which makes as much sense in context), Jerry attempts to give Tom a fright.

The second story to have some form of puppetry as a plot point, emphasising the lack of added-value content - I really would have appreciated some make-it-yourself feature alongside the reprints. Ah well...

In Troubled Sleep, Jerry and Tuffy are snoring so loudly that Tom can't get any rest. Plugging the mouse-hole with an old rubber heel, Tom is finally able to get some sleep, but the mice have other ideas - attaching a bicycle horn to Tom's back, though the noise soon begins to annoy everyone.

Bear Scare features a real bear, which Jerry sets on Tom. Say what you will, World at least attempted to gather stories together which formed a continuing thread of ideas throughout this collection. The story isn't a fantastic example of the series, but at least serves to provide an unusual setting for the characters to move in. Some of the artwork is below par, but acceptable nevertheless.

A slight change of pace in Crystal Ball, with Jerry and Tuffy discovering an old fishbowl, which they decide to use as a crystal ball to make some money as fortune tellers. You don't need a crystal ball to work out who they are going to try it out on... Tom, naturally, becomes their first customer, and when told he will soon travel over water, Tom refuses to pay up. Having been told his fortune, he refuses to allow it to come true, forcing Jerry to get creative in order to bring his prediction to reality.

If I was Tom, I'd be investing in rodenticide.

Telling readers they can colour in the pages is a brilliant wheeze. It is actually a surprise that more publishers of B&W material didn't pull the trick, as it allows the title to serve a dual purpose - read the stories, then try your hand at colouring them in. It's brilliant. Have you read all your old comics, and are looking for something to do? Get out your crayons and felt pens.

Actually, don't. That would be bad.

Although, with the rise in popularity of adult colouring books, a smart comics publisher could clean up with the right title.