Sad Sack
Encyclopedia
The Sad Sack is an American
fictional
comic strip
and comic book
character created by Sgt. George Baker
during World War II
. Set in the United States Army
, Sad Sack depicted an otherwise unnamed, lowly private experiencing some of the absurdities and humiliations of military life. The title was a euphemistic shortening of the military slang "sad sack of shit", common during WWII. Baker said he took his title from a “longer phrase, of a derogatory nature”.
. It proved popular, and a hardcover collection of Baker's wartime Sad Sack strips was published by Simon & Schuster, Inc. in 1944, with a follow-up, The New Sad Sack (1946). The original book was concurrently published as an Armed Services edition mass market paperback, in that edition's standard squarebound, horizontal, 5 5/8" x 4" format, by Editions for the Armed Services, Inc., a non-profit organization
of The Council on Books in Wartime; it was #719 in the series of Armed Service editions.
After the war ended, The Sad Sack ran in newspaper syndication
in the United States until 1957. Baker then sold the rights to Harvey Comics
, which produced a large number of commercial spin-offs.
published original Sad Sack stories in the Sad Sack Comics comic book
series, which ran 287 issues, cover-dated September 1949 to October 1982. Harvey also published the one-shot comic The Sad Sack Comes Home in 1951.
Spin-off series were:
Supporting characters included the Sarge (Sack's First Sergeant
, the potbellied and tough but reasonable Sergeant Circle); Slob Slobinski and Hi-Fi Tweeter (Sack's buddies); the General (Brigadier General Rockjaw, always drawn with dark glasses, cigarette holder and Ascot tie
); Sadie Sack (Sad's redheaded female cousin in the WACs
); Ol' Sod Sack (Sad's hillbilly
uncle); and Muttsy the dog (whose dog tag # was K-9). The spin-off Sad Sack Navy, Gobs 'n' Gals had the supporting character Gabby Gob.
The Harvey Comics
and newspaper strip were aimed at younger readers than Baker's wartime originals, and the style of the strip changed dramatically. In the newspaper strip, the pantomime style was abandoned in favor of a more conventional comic-story format.
In the mid-1950s, Harvey Comics and Baker brought in Paul McCarthy to draw the Sad Sack titles, followed by Fred Rhoads
(who died February 20, 2000), Jack O'Brien and Joe Dennett. Others who periodically drew for the titles include Warren Kremer
and Ken Selig. Baker retained editorial control and continued to illustrate the covers of Sad Sack comics until his death in 1975.
In late 2000, Alan Harvey (eldest son of Harvey Comics founder Alfred Harvey
) sued Steve Geppi
(owner of Diamond Comics Distribution and many other properties), charging that Geppi had plundered Harvey's warehouses back in the mid-1980s, specifically of original art from Harvey's Sad Sack comic books. Geppi countersued, claiming that he had legal title to the original art thanks to a 1984 agreement he had made with Steve Harvey—at the time President of Harvey Publications, Inc., as well as President of Sad Sack, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Harvey Publications, Inc. The suit was settled in late 2002; at the time of the settlement, the New York Supreme Court
had dismissed Harvey's claims against Geppi. The settlement agreement allowed Geppi to keep the art, with no money changing hands.
The rights to Sad Sack are still owned by Alan Harvey, and have since been published under the name of Lorne-Harvey Publications and Re-Collections.
) made an appearance with Bob Hope
and Betty Grable
on the April 29, 1944 episode of G.I. Journal.
Sponsored by Old Gold Cigarettes, The Sad Sack radio program aired in 1946 as a summer replacement series for The Frank Sinatra Show. It starred Herb Vigran
in the title role with Jim Backus
, Sandra Gould
, Ken Christy
and Patsy Moran. Dick Joy was the announcer for the series which began June 12, 1946 with the episode "Sack Returns Home from the Army" and continued until September 4 of that year.
, Baker's strip was adapted by screenwriters Edmund Beloin and Nate Monaster for George Marshall's
film The Sad Sack
(1957), in which WAC Major Shelton (Phyllis Kirk
) has the assignment to turn bumbling Private Meredith C. Bixby (Jerry Lewis
) into a good soldier. The supporting cast includes David Wayne
, Peter Lorre
and Joe Mantell
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fictional
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character created by Sgt. George Baker
George Baker (cartoonist)
George Baker was a cartoonist who became prominent during World War II as the creator of the popular comic strip, The Sad Sack.-Early life and education:...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Set in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, Sad Sack depicted an otherwise unnamed, lowly private experiencing some of the absurdities and humiliations of military life. The title was a euphemistic shortening of the military slang "sad sack of shit", common during WWII. Baker said he took his title from a “longer phrase, of a derogatory nature”.
Comic strip
Originally drawn in pantomime by Baker, The Sad Sack debuted June 1942 as a comic strip in the first issue of Yank, the Army WeeklyYank, the Army Weekly
Yank, the Army Weekly was a weekly magazine published by the United States military during World War II. The idea for the magazine came from Egbert White, who had worked on Stars and Stripes during World War I. He proposed the idea to the Army in early 1942, and accepted a commission as Lieutenant...
. It proved popular, and a hardcover collection of Baker's wartime Sad Sack strips was published by Simon & Schuster, Inc. in 1944, with a follow-up, The New Sad Sack (1946). The original book was concurrently published as an Armed Services edition mass market paperback, in that edition's standard squarebound, horizontal, 5 5/8" x 4" format, by Editions for the Armed Services, Inc., a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
of The Council on Books in Wartime; it was #719 in the series of Armed Service editions.
After the war ended, The Sad Sack ran in newspaper syndication
Print syndication
Print syndication distributes news articles, columns, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. They offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content of which they own/represent copyrights....
in the United States until 1957. Baker then sold the rights to Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
, which produced a large number of commercial spin-offs.
Comic book
Harvey ComicsHarvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
published original Sad Sack stories in the Sad Sack Comics comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series, which ran 287 issues, cover-dated September 1949 to October 1982. Harvey also published the one-shot comic The Sad Sack Comes Home in 1951.
Spin-off series were:
- Sad Sack's Funny Friends #1-75 (Dec. 1955 - Oct. 1969)
- Sad Sack and the Sarge #1-155 (Sept. 1957 - June 1982)
- Sad Sack Laugh Special #1-93 (Winter 1958/59 - Feb. 1977)
- Sad Sack's Army Life Parade #1-57 (Oct. 1963 - circa 1975)
- Little Sad Sack #1-19 (Oct. 1964 - Nov. 1967), featuring a child version of the character
- Sad Sad Sack World (Oct. 1964 - Dec. 1973)
- Sad Sack Navy, Gobs 'n' Gals #1-8 (Aug. 1972 - Oct. 1973)
- Sad Sack USA #1-7 (Nov. 1972 - Nov. 1973)
- Sad Sack USA Vacation one-shot (Oct. 1974)
- Sad Sack Fun Around the House one-shot (1974)
- Sad Sack's Army Life Today #1-4 (circa mid-1975 to Nov. 1975, and May 1976)
Supporting characters included the Sarge (Sack's First Sergeant
First Sergeant
First sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...
, the potbellied and tough but reasonable Sergeant Circle); Slob Slobinski and Hi-Fi Tweeter (Sack's buddies); the General (Brigadier General Rockjaw, always drawn with dark glasses, cigarette holder and Ascot tie
Ascot tie
An ascot tie, or ascot, is a narrow neckband with wide pointed wings, traditionally made of pale grey patterned silk. This wide, formal tie is usually patterned, folded over, and fastened with a stickpin or tie tack. It is usually reserved for wear with morning dress for formal daytime weddings and...
); Sadie Sack (Sad's redheaded female cousin in the WACs
Women's Army Corps
The Women's Army Corps was the women's branch of the US Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps on 15 May 1942 by Public Law 554, and converted to full status as the WAC in 1943...
); Ol' Sod Sack (Sad's hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
uncle); and Muttsy the dog (whose dog tag # was K-9). The spin-off Sad Sack Navy, Gobs 'n' Gals had the supporting character Gabby Gob.
The Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
and newspaper strip were aimed at younger readers than Baker's wartime originals, and the style of the strip changed dramatically. In the newspaper strip, the pantomime style was abandoned in favor of a more conventional comic-story format.
In the mid-1950s, Harvey Comics and Baker brought in Paul McCarthy to draw the Sad Sack titles, followed by Fred Rhoads
Fred Rhoads
Fred Rhoads was an American cartoonist best known for his contributions to George Baker's Sad Sack.Born in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, Rhoads studied illustration in New York from 1940 to 1942, at which time he joined the U.S. Marine Corps to serve during World War II...
(who died February 20, 2000), Jack O'Brien and Joe Dennett. Others who periodically drew for the titles include Warren Kremer
Warren Kremer
Warren Kremer was an American comics writer and artist best known for his creation of the Harvey Comics characters Richie Rich, Hot Stuff the Little Devil and Stumbo the Giant. His style is known for big, bold compositions, and a keen sense of contrast and color.- Childhood and early career...
and Ken Selig. Baker retained editorial control and continued to illustrate the covers of Sad Sack comics until his death in 1975.
Litigation
Alfred Harvey
Alfred Harvey was the founder of comic book publisher Harvey Comics and the creator of the comic book characters Little Dot, Richie Rich, and Adam Awards....
) sued Steve Geppi
Steve Geppi
Stephen A. Geppi is a comic book distributor, publisher and former comic store owner. Having established an early chain of comic shops in Baltimore in the mid-late 1970s, he is best known for his distributing business. Geppi founded Diamond Comic Distributors, the largest comic direct distribution...
(owner of Diamond Comics Distribution and many other properties), charging that Geppi had plundered Harvey's warehouses back in the mid-1980s, specifically of original art from Harvey's Sad Sack comic books. Geppi countersued, claiming that he had legal title to the original art thanks to a 1984 agreement he had made with Steve Harvey—at the time President of Harvey Publications, Inc., as well as President of Sad Sack, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Harvey Publications, Inc. The suit was settled in late 2002; at the time of the settlement, the New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
had dismissed Harvey's claims against Geppi. The settlement agreement allowed Geppi to keep the art, with no money changing hands.
The rights to Sad Sack are still owned by Alan Harvey, and have since been published under the name of Lorne-Harvey Publications and Re-Collections.
Radio
Sad Sack (played by Mel BlancMel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
) made an appearance with Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and Betty Grable
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
on the April 29, 1944 episode of G.I. Journal.
Sponsored by Old Gold Cigarettes, The Sad Sack radio program aired in 1946 as a summer replacement series for The Frank Sinatra Show. It starred Herb Vigran
Herb Vigran
Herbert "Herb" Vigran was a well-known American character actor in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1980s. Over his 50-year career, he made over 350 television and film appearances.-Career:...
in the title role with Jim Backus
Jim Backus
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
, Sandra Gould
Sandra Gould
Sandra Gould was an American actress, who appeared mainly in television. Among her many credits was a regular role on the sitcom Bewitched as the second Gladys Kravitz....
, Ken Christy
Ken Christy
Ken Christy , was an American television and film character actor. Christy was born in Greenville, Pennsylvania, United States.-Career:...
and Patsy Moran. Dick Joy was the announcer for the series which began June 12, 1946 with the episode "Sack Returns Home from the Army" and continued until September 4 of that year.
Film
At Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, Baker's strip was adapted by screenwriters Edmund Beloin and Nate Monaster for George Marshall's
George Marshall (director)
George E. Marshall was an American actor, screenwriter, producer, film and television director, active through the first six decades of movie history....
film The Sad Sack
The Sad Sack
The Sad Sack is a 1957 Paramount Pictures comedy film starring Jerry Lewis and Peter Lorre.-Plot:Lewis plays Private Meredith Bixby, who cannot fall in line with army procedure, even though he has had 17 months of training. A psychologist , is assigned to make him into a good soldier, and she...
(1957), in which WAC Major Shelton (Phyllis Kirk
Phyllis Kirk
-Early life and career:Born Phyllis Kirkegaard in Syracuse, New York , she contracted polio as a child which resulted in health problems for the rest of her life. As a teen, she moved to New York City to study acting and changed her last name to "Kirk"...
) has the assignment to turn bumbling Private Meredith C. Bixby (Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
) into a good soldier. The supporting cast includes David Wayne
David Wayne
David Wayne was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years.-Early life and career:...
, Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
and Joe Mantell
Joe Mantell
Joe Mantell was an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Angie" in the 1955 film Marty, which earned the Best Picture Award....
.
Sources
- "Sad Sack No.292" Big H Books, 2005. ISBN 0-9766354-0-2, ISBN 978-0976635406
- "The Sad Sack Collectors Pack" Recollections Comics, 1993. ISBN 0-9766354-1-0, ISBN 978-0976635413
- Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs: The Sad Sack
- Strickler, DaveDave StricklerDave Strickler is a reference librarian noted for his compilation of Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924–1995: The Complete Index, regarded as a major reference work by researchers and historians of newspaper comic strips....
. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, California: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 0-9700077-0-1 - Grand Comics Database
- YourDictionary