The third and final (for now) volume of Drawn + Quarterly's full-color hardcover Little Lulu books has been out for a bit. I'm sad that the series has been put on hiatus just as it was picking up some steam.
Alas, the current copyright holder of the Lulu entity, who has no plans to do anything with this property, declined to renew the license. Their reasons are unconvincing and a lot of hard work done on the fourth, fifth and sixth book has bitten the dust.
There's a chance the tide may turn back in our favor, but once a property is in the hands of a mega-corp owner who just regards it as a thing (like Charles Foster Kane with his warehouse of unseen art treasures) rather than something that makes the world a better place, like these classic Lulu stories, it's not looking too rosy that this series will continue.
If you've not picked up this third volume, please consider getting it. I think the story selection is outstanding, with some of my top favorites from the 14-year run of the John Stanley-written iteration. When and if said megacorp decides to allow the renewal of the license, we hope to finish the six-book series. If not, well, it's been fun and at least we got the original, un-traced versions of some of the best stories from the first six years of the title back into print.
I was wondering why Drawn + Quarterly labelled the third book as their "final" volume without further clarification. Now I understand why there's a halt to the series, and I do hope that the license gets renewed at some point. A real shame that the copyright holders failed to take the initiative. These lineup of books made me appreciate the works of John Stanley and his clever storytelling skills. He takes simple premises and develops them through the personalities of the characters in such a fascinating manner. From the battle of the sexes to dealings with self-image/identity, these comics can resonate with anyone to a great extent. I've enjoyed reading these grounded stories that take place in a regular suburban town, as we see kids react to the world around them. More people should read these types of comics, as the market has been oversaturated with superheroes and villains for years. The Dark Horse books are no longer in print anymore and are becoming relatively expensive, so this has been a great option in reading the highlights of Stanley's 14-year-long tenure on Little Lulu. Thank you for your contributions to this series, it has opened my eyes in learning about John Stanley and other comics from the Golden Age.
ReplyDeletei love this blog so much...very happy to have stumbled on to it! huge fan
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marco. You're most welcome!
ReplyDeleteI'm late to the party, but I'm a Stanley fan who is pleased to be here. I look forward to reading your other posts. Will there be more in the future?
ReplyDeleteHi, Hal, this blog is finished, save for whatever occasional news update I might have. There are close to 300 posts and loads of content, so I hope a deep dive into it will prove enjoyable for you.
ReplyDeleteHello! Congrats on this great blog.
ReplyDeleteI am looking for a Tubby story I read as a child in the 1960s but can't remember the title. Summary: Tubby makes a phonograph record of him playing the violin as a gift to Gloria. I did searches here but couldn't find it. Do you have that story, or can you point me where I can read it? Thanks in advance!
Hi Ayrton,
ReplyDeleteThat story doesn't ring a bell, but it could exist! So many of these stories are just a hair's breadth apart in their concepts that they tend to blur together. I've thought about Lulu and Tubby stories that it turns out don't exist--I just imagined them! I will keep an eye out for this story you mention. If it's in a John Stanley-written issue (probably the "Tubby" title) I might spot it for you!
Thanks for your interest in this blog. This was years of work and I'm glad it can still find new readers. There's a LOT of content here.
This post made me reflect deeply. I admire how you tackle such meaningful topics with honesty and empathy—it’s rare and refreshing.
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