The Beverly Hillbillies Annual 1966

[1965] Annual. Original price 9/6.
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) #06 (Jul 1964 - Sep 1964).

Contents:

 2 Endpapers Illustration (uncredited).

 5 Title Page Illustration (uncredited).

 6 Contents page Illustration (uncredited).

 7 Treasure Hunt w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli.

r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #06 (Jul 1964 - Sep 1964).

11 Granny Goes Hunting w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli.

r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #06 (Jul 1964 - Sep 1964).

18 Jethro Digs In w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli.

r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #06 (Jul 1964 - Sep 1964).

25 Elly's Turn w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli.

r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #06 (Jul 1964 - Sep 1964).

30 End of the Hunt w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli.

r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #06 (Jul 1964 - Sep 1964).

36 Holiday Havoc w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli.

r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #05 (Apr 1964 - Jun 1964).

65 The Show Must Go On w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli.

r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #07 (Oct 1964 - Dec 1964).

73 Hillbilly Hands w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli.

r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #07 (Oct 1964 - Dec 1964).

86 The Big Night w: (uncredited); a: Henry Scarpelli.

r: Beverly Hillbillies (Dell) #07 (Oct 1964 - Dec 1964).

"The uproarious adventures of the crazy Clampetts."

The extended treasure hunt sequence (which seems like a plot from a television episode) is funnier than it should be, and allows some much-needed characterization to shine through. While the notion of eccentric millionaires wasn't completely unknown in British comics, the tendency to paint the subject in very broad strokes had an unfortunate tendency to skip the finer writing skills required to truly sell the characters as living, breathing people rather than stock characters pulled from the music halls and transplanted to the page.

While it may seem out of character for members of the family to go off on a treasure hunt, it is actually very much in keeping with what we see elsewhere - they are driven by competitive behavior rather than the need for more wealth, and by showing their deficiencies we get to see beneath some of the softening which set into the television series in its' third season. Good use is made of splitting the story into chapters, with enough room given to each strand of the treasure hunt that the ending doesn't appear to be pulled from thin air.

Holiday Havoc runs through several of the themes which have already been well-covered both on screen and in print, and is an unnecessary fish-out-of-water tale which goes out of its way to make sure we see just how different the family are from those around them. It is wearisome to see the same elements cropping up again and again without new ideas being introduced into the fabric of the stories, but it isn't the most glaring example of how the storytelling potential would be squandered. In taking the family out of their usual surroundings, I had an expectation of something different being added to the story, but there is nothing which hasn't been seen before.

The story spread across The Show Must Go On through The Big Night is the biggest disappointment - upon inveigling themselves in the Beverly Hills Community Theatre Charity Performance, the usual antics close with Mrs. Drysdale in hospital and the suggestion that another show be put on. The negative continuity which the stories display really begins to be noticeable here, with no mention of the film studio from their previous strip being brought up, and the preponderance of coincidences surely brings up questions regarding the safety of anyone unlucky enough to be within shouting distance of the Clampetts.

Not a brilliant collection of strips, by any standard, though any disappointment is offset somewhat by the first tale.

1966

The Beverly
Hillbillies Annual

1967