The Beverly Hillbillies Annual 1965

[1964] Annual. Original price 8/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors, Ltd.

Based on the US television series starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan and Donna Douglas.

Photo cover.
r: cover (modified) from Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #02 (Jul 1963 - Sep 1963).

Contents:

 2 Endpapers Illustration (uncredited).

 5 Title Page Illustration (uncredited).

 6 Contents page Illustration (uncredited).

 7 Community Chaos w: (uncredited); a: Tony Tallarico (uncredited).
r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #03 (Oct 1963 - Dec 1963).

35 Some Neighbourly Help w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli (uncredited).
r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #01 (Apr 1963 - Jun 1963).

67 Live Elegant w: (uncredited); a: Tony Tallarico (uncredited).
r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #02 (Jul 1963 - Sep 1963).

"The wacky, wacky world of the mixed up Clampetts."

It may be a straight reprint of material from the first three issues of the Dell series (albeit out of order), but it is in full color and, crucially, on better paper. Firmly in the vein of the originating series, the stories tend to be entirely disposable entertainment with no characterization shifts or lessons learned, changes to the status quo entirely absent. This is not, however, a negative - the stability of the scenario and the familiarity of the characters are perfectly suited to delivering a story; a method of storytelling much more satisfying than using the illusion of things changing while the status quo is nudged back into line every so often.

The first of the tales, Community Chaos, sees the Beverly Hills Betterment League visiting the Clampetts to see if they can improve the neighborhood with new ideas. The Clampetts take the notion that the community is desperately in need of several alterations, and begin making a host of changes which brings it more in line with what they understand as being a "perfect" place to live. Of course, their idea of making things more homely includes building a still to make moonshine, releasing wild animals to hunt, and bringing the attention of the police and fire departments upon the area. With an ending which recalls the best of the television episodes, it is a nice introduction, and there is enough minor details to keep older readers amused.

The second story, from the first issue of the comic, has an interesting recap of everything which led to the family moving to Beverly Hills, and it feels all the more noticeable for being the second story in the annual. Working their way around a film studio, they systematically ruin every production they come across - it may be a rather stale idea given the heights of ridiculous misunderstandings which epitomized the characters, but it gives a rather interesting parallel between the way the rest of their neighbors live and the way the family are trying to fit into their new location.

Naturally, with the nature of the stories, the unfortunate implications of "money fixes everything" crops up in the denouement. It isn't entirely comfortable, given how the financial situation created by the depression (and every financial crisis since) has led to a backlash against throwing money at problems. A truer moral of accepting people as they are is sidelined in favor of simplicity throughout the trio of stories, the third of which, perhaps, displays the best elements of the nature of the characters more than the preceding tales.

Live Elegant sees new neighbors move into the area, and the families - who, at first, are on less than stellar terms with each other - soon come to realize that they aren't so different after all. The Clampetts show the Von Strom's that there is more to life than stiff formality, and the Clampetts show that they can, when required, clean up and host a "respectable" dinner party. It is the best of the stories, and although the moralizing may be thicker than required to tell the story, it shows how much latitude there is in what, by other hands, could be a very limited scope for the series.

The Beverly Hillbillies Annual

1966