Night Owl Cards

As a youngster, I enjoyed reading the comics in the daily paper. The concept of a new amusing strip each day fascinated and entertained me, and I remember at an early age cutting out individual strips of Peanuts or Blondie and stacking them up for months and then going back and reviewing past strips. We didn't get the Sunday paper at our home. But my grandmother did. So when we'd go over to her house, the Sunday funnies from that week, and previous weeks, would be waiting for us in the room where she kept all the toys for the grandkids. I had my favorites and others that confused me. I don't know if anyone remembers "They'll Do It Every Time," a one-panel strip that addressed the frustrations of everyday life. That just seemed too adult to me. I had no idea what it was saying. As I got older, I'd appreciate more sophisticated, off-beat strips like Tank McNamara and Bloom County. But anyway, comic strips were an everyday part of life. My brother ...

Today is Free Comic Book Day, which is yet another modern-day celebration that would have been a lot more useful to me in, say, 1980. That's when I read comic books. That's when I bought the few that I bought. It's an interest that didn't stay with me long nor follow me into adulthood. While I appreciate comics and cartoon drawings and story-telling immensely, I have no desire to read through a comic book anymore and haven't for years. When Free Comic Book Day comes around every year, I look at the offerings online with faint interest. But the days of wanting to turn those pages are gone. Besides, cards take up all my free time. I decided to look at a few instances of comics on the fronts of cards. I talk all the time about how much I love the cartoons on the backs of cards (and how they should be on the back always ). But comics on the front are a rarity. This is by no means an exhaustive, historical look. I don't have the time today. I just want t...