Beverly and Jeannie

Fortune Cookie Cutie

   Despite the presence of a major movie studio, it may say something about the small size of Creek Bend that the biggest news of the month was that the Chinese restaurant in neighboring Ludley was opening again. The owner had closed shop and moved on when his doctor advised a dryer climate, but Mr. Lee had the foresight to keep the property in his name. It only took a couple of months for Lee to find another doctor advising him to return to the humidity he'd grown accustomed to over the decade previous. He was now back where he was happiest.

   This was a big deal. Yes, there were a couple of diners within Creek Bend and numerous eateries in Ludley which provided plenty of take out meals, but something this exotic was going to rule the local food market for the near future. The grand re-opening even found many of the C.B.I.P. stars in attendance. The annies in particular turned out. The affair had all the glitz of a Hollywood premiere, with tuxedos and ball gowns the order of the day. 

   Someone in Hollywood had caught wind of the advance interest in Lee's place and sent out a newsreel crew to document the evening, knowing it would be an assembly of C.B.I.P.'s star stable. You never saw anything like it. One would think it the Coconut Grove or Ciro's on their best night, but it was Lee's Chinese in Ludley. Truly, the signs read only "Lee's Chinese" since it was cheaper not to include the word "Restaurant" on it! 

   Ed and Misty Carter commanded much of the attention of the newsreel camera, the pair dressed to the nines as they picked at their plates of lo mein, bowls of fried rice, and stacks of eggrolls. Misty knew from her society upbringing never to actually eat when a camera was near, but only to pick at her food so as to look presentable when a picture is taken. Ed was a little less trained in this field, and was desperate for the camera to be turned away so he could actually get some substance onto his fork. This created a rather amusing situation where the couple found themselves gobbling down whenever the camera turned it's attention elsewhere, only for the lens to return to the Carters to find them daintily poking at their plates which had mysteriously diminished portions of food on them.

   Lee let the camera crew do it's job for a while, but finally shooed the newshawks out of the dining area and let the customers get on with eating their meals. For a few minutes, the masticating was fairly audible, as so many in the room had been fighting the urge to just dive in and eat.

   Misty and Ed finally had the meal they wanted, and it was terrific. They let the food settle as they enjoyed a couple of cigarettes. Lee saw they were done and came over to the table. Ed wondered if they'd be asked to hurry out so as to make room for other customers, but the conversation was actually more business oriented.

    "You see how bare the walls are," Lee pointed, "I wonder if it would be alright for me to do like the Brown Derby and line the walls with photos of the stars who've eaten here."

   "I can't imagine anyone would object," Ed looked to Misty, "I imagine the studio would even supply the stills, wouldn't it?"

   "I'm sure of it. As a matter of fact," Misty's eyes narrowed as her natural instincts as a movie producer took over, "I think the studio might make a trade with you, Lee. You can have all the photos you want, and we'll get them all signed for you, if you make a catering deal with C.B.I.P. once a week."

   "Sounds like a good deal to me," Lee nodded after mulling it over, "a very good deal." With that, Thursdays became highly popular with the studio staff. Of course, stocking the studio commissary meant cooking up twice as much food on Thursdays, and Lee eventually noticed his staff was getting over-worked trying to meet the demand. The studio employed enough people to eat twice what Lee would sell on a regular day. He'd need a relief crew to work Fridays, as well as service the restaurant Thursday evenings. Once the staff wrapped up their duties at the studio, they had to rush back to Ludley and cook up another mountain of food to feed the regular customers. It was just too much for them to handle without outside help.

   It didn't take long for Misty to notice this as well, so she invited Lee to her office to pow-wow on the best way to ease the pressure. "Everyone at the studio loves the menu," she noted, "so I think there might be a riot if we went back to the way we had if before. On the other hand, keeping the bottom line where it is has always been the priority of a reputable movie studio. We could hire some extra hands from Amsterville to help you out on Thursdays and Fridays, but in time that would tally up. Eventually, it would be unworkable. I could pay for it myself so the studio doesn't take the hit. Even that would only be a temporary solution, though. In the long term, I think the best idea is for you to expand and open up a second eatery here in Creek Bend, close to the studio."

   "That's a lot of capitol," Lee shook his head, "yeah, business has been great, but if I open two locations it means two buildings, two complete staffs, twice the supplies, and so on down the line."

   "I've been told I have a good eye for investments. What would you say to taking me on as a silent partner in helping to bankroll the second restaurant? You could use my face for publicity, and eventually you could buy me out from my initial investment and have the business to yourself."

   "If the studio staff eats at my restaurant like they do in the commissary, you'll have your investment back in a few weeks. I hadn't thought of opening another branch, at least not in a town even smaller than Ludley, but you make a very good offer, Misty. I'll do it!"

   That's how Creek Bend got a Chinese place on the main street. Aside from the studio and it's suburb area, Lee's was the only thing in town that looked out of place. Odd as it looked to anyone who might drive through town, though, it did great business. Lee eventually opened two more restaurants in Amsterville and L.A. Misty proved as quick to see a good publicity stunt as the Boss always had. It was her idea to stuff Lee's fortune cookies with advertisements for the studio's new releases. After all she'd done for him, Lee was delighted to include them.          

Ink sheet

Doris Flowers

Minerva Mallen

Candy Sweeth

Simone Grace

Cave Cuties

   Daisy stepped forward at Steve's instruction. Now situated in open sunlight, the pretty mousette was under near-perfect lighting. Steve paused long enough to adjust a reflector before returning to his original position and raising his camera. Still within arm's reach of the brush behind her, Daisy looked enchanting in the natural surroundings. Steve clicked off a few shots, then shifted to a spot about a foot over to his left before snapping a few more. Daisy smiled as she reflected on how pleasant this was for a day's work. Certainly there were worse ways to spend a beautiful day than to be standing in the nice warm sunlight while dressed in a Creek Bend bikini, required to do little more than enjoy the moment as her picture was taken.

   A makeshift blind had been set up near Steve's car, a thick sheet draped around a rock outcropping that afforded protection from potential prying eyes (though said eyes were entirely imaginary out here). Doris stood by, waiting her turn in the "changing room" as Yvette finally stepped out from behind the curtain. Soon, all three girls were in the eye of Steve's camera, each a stunner in the town's signature swimwear. Patty was along this trip, as she sometimes joined her husband on location shoots, now going over a planned selection of picnic scenes the girls would act out as Mr. Morrow hovered about with his camera at the ready. The group had found an absolutely perfect section of the wilderness which surrounded the tiny town, a picturesque clearing through which ran a gentle stream which broke away from and later reconnected to the river. Daisy had found the place by accident while visiting Roger and Crissy.

   The Ralphwit property stretched a good distance, as Rog and Cris seemed determined to protect their natural privacy by scooping up the neighboring lands. Daisy had joined her friends during a "scouting mission" to inspect a new plot of land before purchasing it. This clearing was so pretty as to inspire a picnic table to be set up for future trips through the area, but Roger hadn't yet had the table brought in and Steve wanted to get some shots in the area before anything challenged the prehistoric beauty of the landscape Daisy had described to him.

   This spot was the first attraction. Another was a cave opening close by. Steve figured some great shots could be collected with such a visually interesting location. Patty went even further and suggested that the wardrobe for the shoot include some animal skins fashioned into bikini-like garments to play on the whole cave theme. This actually gave Steve some pause as the girls made ready to walk over to the new location. Their initial reactions to the cave would be their most interesting, visually. Should the girls wear their modern bikinis or arrive at the location in costume? What would make the most interesting set of shots? He finally decided the furs would be more unique and asked the girls to change before they moved on. As the stars walked back to the privacy screen, Steve turned to his wife.

   "This whole cave-girl aesthetic was your idea," he lit a cigarette for himself and for her, "you want to don a furry bathing suit and join the girls in the shoot?"

   "Maybe when we get home I'll do a single," Patty smiled as she took the cigarette, "but I think if I started showing up in your work shots, the Boss might feel you're trying to get me into pictures too."

   "He's tried to interest you in joining the stable. He knows a pretty girl when he sees one. And he's already seen you act in our Christmas shows each year."

   "Give that man time enough and there won't be a girl in this town who isn't an actress. In all honesty, though, I'm really not interested. Oh, it'd be nice to spend more time with you at the studio, but I'm just not interested in giving up my private home life. Actors just aren't allowed the simple life."

   "I don't know," Steve motioned toward the girls, "they pull it off."

   "They've had more practice at balancing it all. I'm happy just being your wife. I don't ask for anything more than that."

   "You do the occasional stage show. That USO routine of yours was a hit. You may end up on the screen anyway."

   "I have fun doing those shows," Patty took a puff, "they give me something to do every once in a while, and keep things from getting too routine, but it's not my life's ambition. I don't think I'd like doing it on a regular basis."

   "I understand," Steve swung his equipment over his shoulder, "but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before you end up in pictures yourself. You've got too much talent to not do so. If nothing else, that voice of yours is sure to make it onto wax."

   "We'll see." Patty kissed Steve before helping gather up the other items needed for the shoot. On the walk over to the cave, Steve stopped the girls a couple of times to get some pix. They looked so cute in their cave outfits that he dared not do so. The cave itself wasn't quite Bronson Canyon, but it did have a good look. Steve set up his tripod to get some shots of the girls in the mouth of the cave. Doris looked inside.

   "Has Roger explored this cave?" Doris asked.

   "Not yet," Daisy offered, "but he's going to. What he wants to do with it I don't know, but it'll make an interesting location for a film shoot."

   "That it would," Yvette took a step inside, "provided no bears live in here."

   "If we move into the cave itself," Steve eyed the structure, "I'll need to go back to the car and get the generator for the lights."

   "Maybe you should," Yvette turned back to him, "it's pretty big in there. You could get some neat pictures." Shortly, Steve was adjusting some light stands, bathing the interior in illumination. It was quite a sight. Daisy wandered around the cavern, keeping an eye open for the best possible background. All of them wondered if anyone had walked this ground before they arrived. Indians used to live on this land, and it was possible the tribe had used this spot for shelter at some point. With this in mind, Doris and Yvette scanned the floor of the cave for evidence of a fire pit or old arrow heads or the like.

   What Yvette happened onto instead was rather unexpected. Next to a rock and covered in dust, was a metal box. It was roughly the size of a lunchbox, lacking any sort of handle but tied together with thick leather straps and buckles. Upon closer inspection, these straps looked to be a couple of belts that had been repurposed. Yvette picked up the box and moved it into the light as everybody gathered around.

   "We found something a bit newer than I expected," Daisy mused, "but we know somebody has been here before." Yvette placed the box onto a bolder in the middle of the chamber.

   "Maybe it's a time capsule," Steve smiled, "I've heard of kids putting these things together and planning to come back to them when they grow up."

   "Do we open it?" Patty wondered.

   "Can't do any harm," Steve shrugged, "we have to make sure anyway, and we can put it back when we're done." Daisy nodded and began working the belts which held the box shut. These came off easily enough, and the lid was opened to show a bundle wrapped in wax paper. Steve carefully lifted the package out of the box and began to unwrap it. The girls looked on with held breath.

   What Steve pulled out of the wax paper was rather different than anything the group was picturing. A small cloth bag was brought into view, and with it a folded sheet of paper. Steve unfolded the paper and studied it as Patty inspected the bag.

    "It's a map of the cave," Steve announced, "showing the location of something important, but it doesn't say what. There is a date here, August 14th, 1933. Someone meant to come back and pick it up, whatever it is."

   "Steve." Patty was bug-eyed as she showed the contents of the pouch to her husband. Steve poured into his open hand a neat pile of diamonds. The other girls popped their eyes wide as they stepped forward to give the rocks closer scrutiny. 

   "There must be more diamonds hidden in here," Yvette was captivated by the way they sparkled in the light, "maybe they're the loot from a heist or something."

   "Possible," Steve admitted, "that date might tell us something in the city records."

   "Where does the map say to find them, Steve?" Daisy asked. Steve carefully poured the diamonds back into the pouch as Patty held it open for him, then he inspected the map again. He pointed to a tunnel in back of the chamber.

   "Back there. A few turns into that tunnel. We'll need flashlights, I should have one in the car. I'd like to have more light than that if we go poking into that cave, though."

   "What about torches?" Doris picked up a branch which had fallen near the mouth of the cave. As she turned back and held the branch up in the manner of a club, the cave girl aesthetic was complete. Steve managed not to laugh, however, as Doris was so sincere and he dared not challenge that. Soon the lot of them were marching into the deeper reaches of the cave, holding aloft burning torches. Steve wasn't sure what the results would be under this light, but he made sure to grab a few shots with his camera before moving to the front of the line and guiding the way. Patty had learned enough of her husband's business to think to grab the camera and snap off a few more shots as the crew moved deeper into the tunnel.

    "Be careful here." Steve pointed to a crack in the floor. It was narrow enough to step over, but one might miss it if they walked over it in a rush. Clean air was being pushed up through the crack. Steve figured it was an underground river, possibly the same one his well was tapped into. That sound of rushing air was familiar to residents of the community, as it could almost always be heard when a new pipe was installed and most every home in the territory used well water. Creek Bend abounded in natural resources, and the prevalent underground river helped to make the vegetation of the area so lush. That in turn added to the humidity. Water could be scarce in other areas of the State, but drought was almost unheard of here.

   Yvette held a torch so that Steve could check the map. The target of their search was stored at the base of the cave wall in front of them, but the only thing visible in the torch light was a pile of rocks. Steve began to clear the pile away, as Daisy had her attention pulled to the other direction. Something was behind them, stirring in the darkness. Daisy cautiously moved her torch to illuminate a raised alcove. Her eyes popped wide as she made out the shape of a bear staggering to it's feet. It was a small bear, but it was large enough to be deadly. Daisy froze. What was she to do? How could she alert the others without calling the bear's attention their way?

    Steve uncovered another metal box, this one of fairly good size and able to hold a bundle the volume of a basketball. It must've been crammed full of diamonds, because it was fairly hefty. Daisy whispered in Steve's direction. "Don't open it here. Wait till we get outside." Steve turned to Daisy to ask why, and noticed how dead still she was as she eyed the object of her concern. The entire assembly turned in the direction of Daisy's gaze, pouring more light onto the bear. With this, the bear's attention was fully on the people in his cave. The bear stood and let out a bellow. The natural instinct of the group was to make a mad dash, but the confines of the cave and poor lighting managed to keep their flight responses in check. Patty turned the camera and snapped a shot, the flash blinding the bear and sending it back to it's feet.

    As the bear brushed it's paws over it's eyes and tried to reorient itself, Daisy, Doris, and Yvette pushed forward and held their torches out to keep the bear at bay. "Get those diamonds back to the main chamber," Yvette yelled, "we'll hold him off until you're clear!" Steve had to use her plan, since he was the only one strong enough to lug the treasure out of the tunnel in a hurry. He took off as the girls pushed their torches at the bear to keep it back. Patty made ready to set off another flash in order to give the girls a chance to run away. In the excitement, Steve left his flashlight behind. Yvette noticed and scooped up the device before tossing her torch near the bear.

   "Box him in, girls!" Yvette held the flashlight on the path through the tunnel as Doris and Daisy threw their torches into place. The bear, now roaring wildly, was encircled by the torches. The girls gathered near Patty, who snapped off another shot to confuse the bear before the group of them took off using the flashlight beam to direct their footfalls. Steve had unceremoniously dumped the box into the lit chamber at the cave's entrance, then darted right back into the tunnel. He didn't figure there was time to run back to the car for his gun, not with his wife and friends trying to fight off a bear only with torches.

   Steve met the girls near the crack in the floor, where he gave each a boost as they jumped over the small separation. If only the gap could be widened, it would prevent the bear from reaching them. A few stomps around the crack only confirmed that it was solid rock and there was nothing Steve could do to open it further. The bear could be heard going crazy as it swatted away the torches and made for the tunnel trail. Steve looked for a weapon of some kind, if only to buy some time for the girls. Hearing the bear huffing in the darkness as it galloped toward him, Steve darted for the lit portion of the cave. The girls were standing at the mouth, calling Steve toward them. Outside, Steve instructed the gang to start climbing the hillside. There simply wouldn't be time to reach the car before the bear could overtake them. 

   Steve and his wife, joined by a band of cartoon cave girls, huddled on the slope above the cave opening as the bear launched out of the mouth and began roaring it's head off. In the open now, the bear quickly calmed down and wandered off. Steve waited a good while before he began to climb back down to the cave. "I'll get the box and take it to the car. We'll open it there, just in case the bear decides to circle around again. You stay here until I get back."

    Rather than make the girls march through potentially dangerous woods, Steve drove the car back up to the cave so the girls could climb down and crawl in. They never did see the bear again, and attention was quickly pulled to the contents of the second box. Inside, there were multiple cloth bags, each housing what must have been thousands of dollars worth of ice. Then there was the crown jewel of the collection, a rather gigantic diamond which was nestled in the center of the box. It was a spectacular sight.

   "It's nearly as big as the Eye of Heaven!" Daisy compared the rock to the infamous gem Roger had given Crissy before their wedding.

   "Hard to believe there are two diamonds this size in the same town," Steve mused, "maybe Rog knows something about this." It was a short drive to the Ralphwit house. Roger and Crissy were bemused to find a trio of cave girls at the door, but it was stunned silence which greeted the sight of the diamond. Roger thought back as he held up the ice. This gem was more rounded than the Eye of Heaven, but they looked similar in clarity. The Eye had been traded over many centuries. This rock was likely something similar. 

   "I think I have it," Roger stated, "that date was in '33 you said? There was a big diamond heist in L.A. I remember hearing about. The newspaper records there will be able to tell you which jewelry store was robbed. I remember it because there was a huge diamond said to be similar to the Eye of Heaven involved. This has to be it."

   "What a publicity story this will be," Steve excitedly paced the room, "Daisy Poise, Doris Flowers, and Yvette Pond recover loot from L.A.'s biggest diamond heist! We couldn't dream up something this good!" 

   The jeweler was pretty excited to get the merchandise back, and made gifts of bundles of diamonds to each of the girls involved. Back at the studio, the event was greeted with plans to turn it into a two-reeler. The publicity was great, but the story went through some changes on it's way to the screen. By the time the picture was released, the small crack in the floor had become a gaping chasm and the single small bear an entire family of grizzly bears the three annies faced alone. It made for a swell picture.  

Issue 2 review!

https://bizarrechats.blogspot.com/2019/10/cartoon-cuties-2-rock-bakers-charming.html?fbclid=IwAR0BKJa7Yciq-fuRTCoT-0mgQTQNArsAmciPtX1e2tifXJ1MK3rKtQu-iec

Color plates for short story collection cover

Issue 2 on sale!

Here's the Amazon link (which oddly enough is our 100th post)...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1690996161?fbclid=IwAR2zVzQL4z6H2E4hD2h-MY5geE3AP6Jd9WnzAa1VVhQJ7qQKFHkVZNe4iS8

Louise Beaumont

The first three covers...

Colors/edits by Jim Luwdig

Colors by Rusty Gilligan/edits by Jim Ludwig

Colors/edits by Jim Ludwig

Color plate for issue 4's cover

Colors by Steve Shipley

Commission drawing

   Recent commission piece shows Simone Grace and Swamp Mouse. Swamp Mouse is Markie Meece, a character for a spin-off one-shot from Cartoon Cuties, another project in the chute for future release by inDELLible, God willing.

The Sweet Smell of Success

   Minerva inspected a pair of sketches showing what Mr. Ballard had in mind. She shook her head as she handed them back.

   "I'm not sure, Mr. Ballard. I'm not opposed to your product, but I don't think it's best to use an annie skunk to endorse a line of perfume. It gives the impression that we have the same, shall we say, social problem, as a real skunk."

   "It makes for good ad." Mr. Ballard insisted.

   "Maybe so, but I think you'd do better with an actual cartoon, a drawing of a more animal-type skunk. I wouldn't want to give my fans the impression that I have an odor like that. I know what you're thinking, but I have my reasons. People sometimes don't take for granted that annies are just like them. They see the animal features and let those inform them on what annies must be like. Don't take it personally, though. I once turned down a deal from Palmolive for the same reasons."

   "Maybe you have a point," Ballard looked over the sketches, "but a celebrity endorsement is what my company really needs right now."

   "If you're not set on using me," Minerva looked around the studio commissary, "I'm sure you can make an arrangement with one of the other stars. It would only carry a negative tone if I were the one selling the product. What about Daisy Poise? Or Trudy Kitten, or Wendy Marco? I'd be happy to help arrange it."

   "It would mean a completely different campaign, a far more generic one, but I wouldn't turn down your help if I can still get a star's face in my ads." 

   "Trudy might be a good choice. She likes her perfumes and has that up-scale glamorous style that would make a good print ad."

   "Yes," Ballard eyed Trudy as she sat across the room and picked at her lunch, "she certainly has a good look. Soft and feminine, but with a sort of high society poise. I must be guilty of the type of thinking you mean. I just wrote that off to her being a cat. That balance of cuddly and sophisticated."

   "It's all about impressions. Take real cats. They're attributed a sense of pride and poise for the way they move. But if you really look at them, cats are fairly clumsy, and not very bright. That detached manner in which they interact with their owners gives them a sense of sophistication that they don't really possess." Ballard smiled as he looked back to Minerva.

   "You're a dog person, aren't you?"

   "For good reason, I'd say. Dogs are intelligent, at least smarter than other pets. And they're the only dumb animal that seems to know shame. When a dog does something wrong, they try to hide it. And they can be taught a number of things. Cats... They lack the learning abilities of a canine, certainly."

   "Well, I'll grant you we tend to go by our impressions rather than the reality, particularly when we meet new people. I never stopped to think Trudy Kitten's grace on her feet might have more to do with her personally than with her being a cat. Or, looking like a cat, I guess I should say."

   "You didn't really think I was a skunk before you met me," Minnie smiled knowingly as she looked at him through narrowed eyes, "did you?"

   "No, certainly not. But I guess I did have an impression that you had more skunk-like traits. Not the odor, I mean, but I guess I did expect something a little different about you. I never really thought about it."

   "That's more or less why I think you should use another girl in your ads. I don't think people naturally expect someone like me to stink, but it might push some people's impressions in that direction. Imagine some girl in school who has a tail like mine. If I advanced the idea that she had something to cover up, that she only smells as good as she does because she uses your perfume, it might open the door to her being teased for no reason."

   "Yeah..." Ballard mulled it over, "I suppose you might have something there. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that."

   "I know. Like I said, the ad would work fine with a real cartoon skunk. But, if you really need a celebrity in your ads, I'm sure we can find an actress willing to take the job. Daisy Poise once did a Revlon campaign."

   "She's got a good look, certainly." Ballard looked back toward Trudy. "So does Miss Kitten. The more I mull it over, the better I think she'd fit the bill."

   "C'mon," Minerva stood, "I'll introduce you."

   About a month later, Trudy Kitten began appearing in ads for Ballard Cosmetics. They were lovely ads, with Trudy seen lounging on pink satin bedding, looking at the viewer with a coy smile. Minerva nodded approvingly as she scanned the ad printed in her favorite magazine. She was again seated in the studio commissary next to Mr. Ballard.

   "I want to thank you, Minerva. We've had our biggest sales boost in years thanks to Trudy doing this campaign."

   "I'm glad I could help. I think it's been a boost for Trudy as much as it has been for you. She's got three new pictures lined up as result of the Boss seeing this ad."

   "An ad block has that much power? I mean, you always hope they do when you invest in one, but I didn't think that kind of influence was possible."

   "It was a matter of inspiration. Fresh ideas for the next Trudy Kitten cartoon were coming up short. Then the Boss saw your ad and ideas came flooding forth."

   "From such a generic image? I was convinced we'd dropped the ball on this, until the new sales numbers began coming in."

   "A generic image is open to more interpretations sometimes. It doesn't take much to trigger a good idea for someone with a knack for this business. Wendy Marco became my co-star because the Boss saw one of my publicity stills side by side with the photo of Wendy printed in the local high school paper."

   "I wouldn't have thought Creek Bend would have a school large enough to have a school paper."

   "The school itself is over in Ludley. Students are from there, Creek Bend, and parts of Amsterville. Put them all together and you've got a decent sized student body."

   "That's a market I've been wishing I could crack."

   "Students?"

   "Girls wear perfume from an early age, but it's most important to the young lady just discovering boys. That's the prime market for cosmetics."

   "Do you not make as many teenage sales as you'd like?"

   "Oddly, no. Our chief demographic seems to be housewives. Women who've already landed their man. Our previous ad campaign was built around the idea of using our products to keep those men at home at night."

   "Well, I can see that. Your perfume line does seem targeted toward passions and romance of a level beyond the kids you're talking about. You may want to try something a little more cutsie if young girls are your target."

   "My impression has always been that girls think along the same terms, no matter their age."

   "To an extent. But you said yourself, the current motto of Ballard Cosmetics seems to be 'Keep Your Man' when 'Get Your Man' is more what you want if younger girls are your key demographic. And at that age, a girl doesn't like to appear too forward. What you need to do is take notes from your target audience. They set out to snag their man alright, but with as much subtlety as possible. To get a relationship off right at that age, a girl knows she has to make the boy think it's really his own idea."

   "Interesting..." Ballard hunched forward and stroked his chin as he processed this perspective, "I've always favored the direct approach and that's what I've been playing to in my ads. No wonder our products are most popular with married women. They know from living with men that the best approach with a man is the direct approach. But a teenager... directness is completely alien to them! How could I have not seen it for so long?"

   "Don't you discuss business with your wife?"

   "You know, we've discussed every product, but commercials she's never had much to say about." Ballard was largely lost in thought as he scooped up his hat from the table and waved to Minerva before marching for the door. Minerva watched him go, wondering how something so obvious regarding romantic relationships had so escaped a perfume manufacturer for so long.

   The ad campaign that resulted from the conversation was a cute one. Teenage girls were depicted something like Army commandos, donning their war paint lipsticks and perfumes while eyeing a boy from around a corner, waiting for the perfect moment to leap out and take down their target, as it were. Ballard also dabbled in a new medium. Previously, he'd been content to stick with print ads, but now he was filming commercials for television. For help in this he again turned to Minerva for advice and suggestions of the best studio personnel to help him. The first commercial was adorable, showing a pretty young girl following from a distance a handsome young man. She sized up her prey, selected the right scent, and slid up next to him. All the while, the ad was scored as if it were a military operation. The spot ended with the pair eating at a fine restaurant and the legend "Mission Accomplished" floating over the scene as the camera panned over to the product itself.

   It worked. Ballard Cosmetics was soon the West Coast's biggest supplier of cosmetics to teenagers. This campaign proved such a hit that Ballard was able to open two new factories and take his product national. Mr. Ballard knew how much he owed Minerva, who was recipient of gift packages of perfume periodically. As Ballard's industry grew, so did the gifts Minerva would find shipped to her door at the start of every month. Diamonds, minks, and eventually Cadillac cars arrived at her home. Minerva was overwhelmed. Never, she had to figure, has a man given so much to a girl for so little! The inventory became so voluminous that Minerva had to start giving the bulk of it away as gifts. 

   That's why, if you ever visit Creek Bend and tour the studio, you can smell such a sweet aroma wafting around you. It's the same way if you happen to pass by the campus of Ludley High... Where every girl has her boy and the staff all have Cadillacs....         

Yvette Pond

Future characters

   As yet unnamed, these twins are set to appear up around issue 14 or so (unless they turn up sooner, as it's all very fluid until publication). Their creation was spur of the moment, as I noticed I hadn't created a character with freckles yet and was curious to see how that would work (a lot of new characters spring from seeing what I haven't done yet and wondering what it'll look like). Most of what I figured out about these girls came from looking at the resultant drawing. They're farm girls who share some physical similarities with the Baxter sisters. Maybe these are cousins to Bev and Jean?

In-progress color plate for issue 3.

Colors by Jim Ludwig

The Baxter Sisters Meet Dr. Macabo

   Beverly rushed into Jeannie's bedroom, excitedly shoving a folded newspaper into her sister's face as Jean was putting on some fresh socks. The paper was so close that Jeannie had to pull her head back to adjust her vision as Beverly pointed to a particular ad block.

   "Look! The Starlight is running THE CRAWLING EYE tonight!"

   "Is it the movie you want to see again, or is your excitement just part of your crush on Forrest Tucker?"

   "Tuck is just a bonus," Bev examined the ad, "I want to see this one again. And they're playing one of our cartoons before the main feature!"

   "The last time you saw that picture, you had nightmares."

   "Only one."

   "Well," Jeannie smiled, "if your heart is set on it, I have no other plans for tonight."

   The Starlight was just outside of Ludley. A pretty good crowd had turned out for the show, and the girls could see why as they pulled their car into a choice position. The main feature was only part of a spook show being hosted at the drive-in. The host for the show was dressed like a stage magician with a black domino mask, a tall fella calling himself Dr. Macabo. Beverly was still holding the newspaper and checked it again as she reached out to grab the speaker.

   "The ad block doesn't say anything about a live show," Beverly reported, "just the movies on the line-up. THE CRAWLING EYE, THE CREEPING UNKNOWN, MAN-MADE MONSTER, and GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE, and a few cartoons. Nothing about Dr. Macabo."

   "Maybe he's new," Jeannie offered, "and this show is like a test run for future shows." Beverly huffed and crossed her arms as she slumped back into the passenger seat.

   "I didn't come to see a silly stage show. I came to see the movie."

   "Now, Bev, they do these things all the time. You'll have to wait till sundown for the show to start anyway. Just enjoy it."

   "I'm sorry." Bev nodded. "I just don't have any patience for these characters any more. Vampira kept breaking into the movies she was showing and ran them down. Never mind the people watching at home who might be enjoying the picture."

   "Well, monster pictures never do get a lot of respect. They make money, but they're considered kid stuff."

   "Meanwhile kid's movies are respectable enough. I guess the Boss actually has a lot of guts, releasing a good dozen B monster flicks each year."

   "Of course, that's peppered with a number of other genres. Oaters, crime pictures, no studio makes all of it's pictures spookers."

   "Truth be told, those are the ones financing the more respectable pictures, though."

   "Does this have anything to do with Uncle Simon?"

   "He makes a very good living producing monster pictures. He even said he was interested in casting me in the lead of one if annies ever make the break into straight feature leads."

   "You can't take this stuff personally, you know. Who cares what the critics think about Uncle Simon, or Bert Gordon, or Sam Katzman, or any of a hundred other guys. They're not hurting for it. Their movies are playing all over the country, and the tickets are selling still. The laugh is on the critics who think they should be making dramas and four hankies."

   "Oh, the financial end of it I understand, but I never did like the hoi polloi thinking they're so superior. They talk down good pictures and kill careers of men trying to give the audience what it wants."

   "Why do you think the Boss moved to Creek Bend to set up shop? And what about us? You know, they don't think much of cartoons either. An annie who works in pictures is a social outcast in certain circles. Misty knows all about it, but she doesn't let it bug her. She never did."

   "I didn't mean to run down this Macabo guy, Sis," Beverly sighed, "I guess I'm guilty of the same sort of thing that bugs me. I just got to a boiling point, I guess. Uncle Simon's last picture got a pretty nasty pan, and I guess I've been stewing over that. I like these monster pictures. A lot of people do. When the critics tear into these flicks, they're tearing into the audience at the same time. It's not that I begrudge them their opinion on these movies, you understand. It's just that smug attitude that they're better than the rest of us. I've had my fill. And in our business, we see a lot more of it than I think is healthy."

   "Maybe." Jeannie stretched. "But you have to focus on the good things. Speaking of, I'm going to hit the snack bar before the show starts. Hamburger?"

   "With cheese. Onions and pickles, too." 

   Beverly thought things over as she waited for Jeannie to return. Jean always managed to cut through the clutter and see the bigger picture. Some people can get on your nerves, but the trick is not to let them stay there. A girl in Beverly's position certainly had experience with the annoying elements of society. Intellectuals self called, reporters, producers, writers, the kind of puffed-up personalities who could drive you out of the business if you thought only about pleasing them. But there were the others, the ones who didn't think it was a crime to be a regular Joe. Bev knew some great people. Fans, peers, even directors and producers, and yes, writers and reporters too. Focus on the good you know, not the bad you've seen.

   Dr. Macabo went into his act as Beverly went through her hamburger with cheese, Dr. Pepper, and Eskimo Pie. It was a nice, clean act, done with the children present in mind. Beverly certainly appreciated that. For all her teasing of the camera in her cartoons, she always kept the kids in mind. They had always been and remained her largest audience. This endeared Dr. Macabo to Beverly, and she found his shtick less tiresome as she looked at it as a means of entertaining the tykes gathered up near the platform erected in front of the screen. It was less a spook show than it was an extension of a television kiddie show. It was upon realizing this that Beverly finally recognized Dr. Macabo's voice. It was Sam Wetherly, KLOR's afternoon newsman. He pulled double duty as the kiddie show host Mr. Sam, of Mr. Sam's Treehouse.

   The Baxter sisters had actually met Sam a few times. Sam had secured for the station a block of cartoons starring the Baxter girls, and had even had Bev and Jean on his show once. Sam was a sweet fella, a loving family man and Sunday school teacher who did a lot for the kids he entertained for the sheer joy of spreading smiles. Beverly felt a little queasy as she realized how quickly she'd dismissed him as Dr. Macabo. Here he was doing something nice for the kids of Ludley and Creek Bend, and all Bev could think about was the way it might make the movie look bad to be spoofed by a horror host. Dr. Macabo even made an introduction to the first cartoon, praising the Baxter girls.

   "C'mon, Sis," Beverly opened the passenger door, "before the cartoon starts." Jeannie wasn't sure what was going on as she followed Beverly up to the stage. Dr. Macabo was pleasantly surprised to see the girls join him on stage to the applause of the children below. It was an unexpected treat for the Baxter sisters to even do a song before the cartoon began. Beverly pulled Sam aside as the kids turned their attention to the screen.

   "Thank you for that wonderful introduction, Sam."

   "I had no idea you were here. Who arranged this?'

   "Nobody. We just happened to be in the audience. I was floored when I figured out it was you behind that mask."

   "Bless you girls. The smile you put on those kids' collective face was priceless."

   "It was our pleasure, Sam. Is this Dr. Macabo act something new?" 

   "I'm trying it out. I have a promoter watching. If he likes what he sees, I start touring the LA drive-ins. After you two showed up, I'd say it's in the bag."

   "I certainly hope so. You deserve it."

   Back in their car, the Baxters munched on a huge tub of popcorn as THE CRAWLING EYE unspooled. Jeannie smiled to herself as she looked at Beverly.

   "That was really nice of you. How did you figure out that was Sam?"

   "He can hide his face, but not his voice. I figured I owed him for what I was thinking when he first took the stage. He did good here tonight. I wanted to tell him that."

   "I guess he got his LA deal."

   "Good for him. I hope it's a nice long run."

   "I think we might be able to help him. We can get the Boss and Uncle Simon to give him a good deal on getting newer movies for his shows than most of these hosts get to use."

   "That's a great idea. And we can get him a good deal on cartoons, too!" 

    That night, Jeannie stayed up late to jot down some ideas for new cartoons. They were spook themed, with future Dr. Macabo shows in mind. Beverly tossed in her sleep, plagued with visions of cycloptic space monsters with a tendency to rip the heads off human victims.   

Daisy Poise

Crissy and Roger

Minerva Mallen and Doris Flowers

Candy Sweeth

   Here's a character drawn for a future issue. It's all rather deceptive at first glance, too. In the 50's, just about every product used a cartoon character to sell it. Had annies been real, this would have provided employment, and such is the theme here. This annie (as yet unnamed) is seen here as the mascot for Princess Coffee television commercials. As the Princess of the Animal Kingdom, she sells coffee while dressed in a pink body suit and make-up to play an actual forest creature (the aesthetic of her on-air character actually owes most to the Caramel Bunny commercials of the 70's, but I think this image has a nice 50's look to it). Below one can see what she looks like out of costume.With the help of Dave Noe, her name shall be Candy Sweeth.

A swell bunch of gals

   I never set out to draw "femanimals" and I never expected I'd have a whole string of them, but Cartoon Cuties has been one of my most pleasant professional experiences. The characters continue to prompt new episodes and have given me enough material for several comic book issues already (it takes a while for a comic book to be released, though). And more new characters keep popping up, characters I look forward to sharing with you. Here's to the girls. I have no idea where they'll take me next, but I look forward to following them.

Crissy and Roger, updated pieces