Harvey Comics Classics Vol. 1: Casper The Friendly Ghost
August 20, 2007 | Trades
Harvey Comics Classics Vol. 1: Casper The Friendly Ghost
Leslie Cabarga, Jerry Beck
Dark Horse Books
$19.95 US (Paperback)
**** 1/2 (out of five)
Show me a longtime comic book fan over the age of 25 (or maybe 30) and I’ll show you a person who likely spent a good chunk of their childhood reading one or more of the following: Archie, Richie Rich and Casper, The Friendly Ghost.
For many, the innocent adventures of these iconic characters were a simple distraction on a lazy summer afternoon or a way to while away the time on long car trips, but for some of us they were the doorway into a much wider world of comics that lay beyond.
The adventures of Richie, the poor little rich boy who craved a life of adventure, Casper, whose appearance made it difficult for him to make friends, and Archie, who displayed remarkable ineptitude when it came to dealing with the opposite sex, were easily identifiable for young readers and their multitude of monthly books sold like hotcakes.
By the mid-to-late 1980s, though, the readership of comics began to change more and more and with edgy adult-themed books on the rise, these more whimsical series were shoved to the back burner — and in the case of Casper and Richie, put away for good.
Until now, that is.
Editor Leslie Cabarga has taken some of the best of Casper’s adventures — over 100, from his first one in 1949 to some all-time classics in the mid-60s — and represents them in one glorious package. All of his ghostly pals are there, too: From Wendy, The Good Little Witch to Spooky, The Tuff Little Ghost, Nightmare the horse and the Ghostly Trio.
These Harvey Comics Classics — beginning with Casper and continuing later this year with Richie’s first volume — feature fantastic art, wonderful characters and are a much-overdue tribute to a simpler time.
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