Prize Comics published a children’s comic called Wonderland Comics from Summer 1945 to April-May 1947. Of the nine issues, eight of them contained the tales of Fantastic Ferdy. Unlike Alex who was the lead in Wonderland Comics, Ferdy was not a portal Fantasy character (typically descended from Lewis Carroll’s stories.) He wasn’t a little boy who found a crazy world of giants and witches. Ferdy lives in a fairy tale world and has some fantastic adventures.
The writer for the comic is not known but the primary artist was Marv Levy (1925-2012). Marv trained with the Chesler Studio before serving in WWII as an infantryman. In 1945, returned from the battles of Normandy, he would have only been twenty years old. He did the first five stories with a random selection of others finishing off the series.
“In the peaceful village of Havelot…” (Wonderland Comics #1, Summer 1945) begins with Princess Pat about to marry but a giant comes to town and everybody runs. Except for Ferdy, who says he will defeat the giant. He is hoping Pat will say he doesn’t have to but she says the opposite so off he goes. The giant captures him and puts pepper on him then ketchup. Ferdy beats up the giant (which we don’t see) and returns triumphant. He is about to marry Pat when a boy runs in crying about the next giant, Zoot Suits.
“Fantastic Ferdy” (Wonderland Comics #2, Fall 1945) has another giant (who looks a lot like the last one) come to town and try to scare folks. Nobody reacts, telling him to go away. The giant overhears that this is Ferdy’s new plan to defeat giants. He goes away to think of something new that will frighten the humans. He returns wearing a Zoot Suit with an anchor chain hanging down the front. He names himself after his attire. He interrupts Ferdy’s wedding and the groom has to deal with the giant. He does this by hitting him with his own anchor chain. The wedding continues but is interrupted by a boy crying about Shaggy Haggy.
“A Witches’ Convention” (Wonderland Comics #3, February-March 1946) has the wedding set for Friday the 13th. Ferdy decides to ask Shaggy Haggy the witch if this is a bad omen. Since Ferdy is a Pisces, it is okay. Shaggy tells Ferdy about her problems. She needs a frightened victim to take to the Witches’ Convention or she will lose her license. Ferdy offers though he is not scared but proves horrified by her cat. Ferdy and Shaggy fly to the convention on her broom. The head witch, Queen Hagola, threatens to take Shaggy’s license since Ferdy is not scared. Until he sees all the cats. Shaggy’s license is renewed. She flies Ferdy to his wedding. Pat is not pleased to see her future husband with another woman.
“It’s Murder, Folks!” (Wonderland Comics #4, April-May 1946) is not about murder but beds. Ferdy can’t sleep, even on a stack of mattresses. King Zowie summons him to be his bed tester. Ferdy goes for a walk while the beds are being delivered. He sees a fakar doing the Rope Trick. Ferdy climbs the rope and enters Hindoo heaven. There he tries a bed of nails, is captured by a six-armed statue which he tickles to escape and meets a friendly tiger. Satisfied, he climbs down the rope and lands on one of the new beds. His insomnia is cured. No sign of Princess Pat. I guess that storyline is done…
“A Sleigh-Ride in July” (Wonderland Comics #5, June-July 1946) begins with a hot July. Ferdy climbs a wall into a garden seeking some relief from the heat. He finds Old Man Winter staked to the ground. Diana the Huntress ties him up every summer. Ferdy, thinking he’d like to cool off, releases the old man. He in turn lets his accomplices out: Jack Frost, the North Wind, the Snow Witch and Harry the Hail. Now everything is too cold! Ferdy jumps on Winter’s sled and rides away, crashing into the wall. He wakes up on the other side to find he has been having a hot dream.
“On Strike” (Wonderland Comics #6, August-September 1946) has the giants, who hate and fear Ferdy, go on strike. They are led by a small, blond haired boy the giants call “The Runt”. The giants attack but Ferdy cleans them out. The Runt decides Ferdy is right and humans are better. The giants throw him out the window. He is last seen flying away with the ducks. Alvin Charles’s art is quite a comedown from Marv Levy’s. Some panels are hard to decipher.
“Life has become dull…” (Wonderland Comics #7, October-November 1946) has Ferdy about to marry Pat (Not done!) when a pigeon delivers a message from Big Stuff, the King of the Giants. He wants Ferdy’s help. Our hero departs mid-ceremony to ride off to the land of the giants. Big Stuff explains that giants have been mysteriously disappearing. Ferdy meets Medium Stuff, the king’s daughter. She explains that all the kid giants like to watch a human called Bowtie, a singer on television. (He looks like Frank Sinatra.) While watching TV, Medium Stuff goes into a trance and walks off. Ferdy follows her to Bowtie. He tries to hypnotize Ferdy but our hero puts up a mirror and Bowtie enchants himself. Ferdy’s reward is a giant-size soda. The artist is unknown but much better.
“The Witch Hazel” (Wonderland Comics #9, April-May 1947) starts with the titular girl who just can’t find a husband. She mixes a potion that is supposed to make her as beautiful as Princess Pat but turns her into a hag. In her despair she vows to stop everyone from getting married. This is down by destroying every wedding dress in town. Ferdy thinks it might be Ralph the Rascal but he was suppose to marry Horrible Hattie. The two go looking for the culprit. Next Hazel enchants all the husbands and calls them to Elk Tooth Cave. Ferdy follows Ralph there. Hazel has a potion for Ralph to drink. Ferdy steps in and makes her drink it instead. Hazel becomes a beauty! All the husbands want her and go chasing after her. Ferdy included.
Conclusion
“Fantastic Ferdy” strikes me as a comic intended for girl readers. The emphasis on marriage would not have appealed to boys. The fact that the ceremony is always interrupted may have the writer playing both sides. Either way, this comic is a long way off from the Sword & Sorcery comics of the 1970s. That being said, Gardner F. Fox will create “Crom the Barbarian” three years later.
Fantasy and fairy tale elements in children’s comics were common through the 1940s. Ferdy belongs to the same tradition as “Dicky in the Magic Forest” and “Danny in Wonderland”. These simpler and more innocent fantasy strips will help create an audience for more adult heroic fare in later decades. They will also lay the groundwork for more sophisticated comics like Asterix and Obelix and the Harvey setting I call “The Land of Harvey”. Eventually that sword Ferdy carries will become an actual weapon against some very evil monsters…
