Sugar and Spike
Encyclopedia
Sugar and Spike is the name of a comic book
series published by DC Comics
from 1956 through 1992, and the names of the main protagonists. Sugar and Spike was created, written and drawn by Sheldon Mayer
.
up through the early 1970s for 98 issues, when, either due to Mayer's failing eyesight that limited his drawing ability or due to market shifts, Sugar and Spike ceased to appear. Later, after cataract surgery restored his eyesight, Mayer returned to writing and drawing Sugar and Spike stories, continuing to do so until his death in 1991; these stories appeared in overseas markets and only a few have been reprinted in the United States. The American reprints appeared in digest size
d comics. In 1992, Sugar and Spike #99 was published as part of the DC Comics Silver Age Classics series; this featured two previously unpublished stories by Mayer.
Mayer had an agreement with DC that no one else could write Sugar and Spike. However, they have occasionally made cameo appearances in modern comic books: As theme park characters in Justice League
Spectacular. being baby-sat by Cassie Sandsmark
in Wonder Woman
#113. As teenagers on the crowded cover of Legionnaires
#43. They have a cameo on the screen of Planet Krypton in Kingdom Come #1. The two made speaking cameo appearances in the first two pages of Batman: The Brave and the Bold
#4, but they were not named. They are rescued by the underwater heroine Dolphin in "Showcase
" #100.
s named Sugar Plumm and Cecil "Spike" Wilson, who possessed the ability to communicate (via "baby talk
") with each other and to other infants, but not to adults. It was in many ways similar to the more recent cartoon Rugrats
, and shared ideas concerning baby-talk with P. L Travers' Mary Poppins
novel; one notable feature was that all babies spoke the same baby-talk "language", allowing Sugar and Spike to speak with not only human infants, but baby animals as well. Another popular recurring feature was paper dolls
of the two leads, with outfits based on designs submitted by readers. Mayer used his own children, Merrily and Lanney, as inspiration for the strip.
In addition to the toddlers and their parents, recurring characters included:
episode "The Siege of Starro: Part 1." The characters are pictured on the side of an "S & S Diapers" diaper service truck.
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 published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
from 1956 through 1992, and the names of the main protagonists. Sugar and Spike was created, written and drawn by Sheldon Mayer
Sheldon Mayer
Sheldon Mayer was an American comic book writer, artist and editor. One of the earliest employees of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications, Mayer produced almost all of his comics work for the company that would become known as DC Comics.He is credited with rescuing the...
.
Publication history
The comic was published in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
up through the early 1970s for 98 issues, when, either due to Mayer's failing eyesight that limited his drawing ability or due to market shifts, Sugar and Spike ceased to appear. Later, after cataract surgery restored his eyesight, Mayer returned to writing and drawing Sugar and Spike stories, continuing to do so until his death in 1991; these stories appeared in overseas markets and only a few have been reprinted in the United States. The American reprints appeared in digest size
Digest size
Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately 5½ x 8¼ inches, but can also be 5⅜ x 8⅜ inches and 5½ x 7½ inches. These sizes have evolved from the printing press operation end...
d comics. In 1992, Sugar and Spike #99 was published as part of the DC Comics Silver Age Classics series; this featured two previously unpublished stories by Mayer.
Mayer had an agreement with DC that no one else could write Sugar and Spike. However, they have occasionally made cameo appearances in modern comic books: As theme park characters in Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
Spectacular. being baby-sat by Cassie Sandsmark
Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl is the name of three fictional characters featured as superheroes in comic books and other media produced by DC Comics. The original was a younger version of Wonder Woman...
in Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
#113. As teenagers on the crowded cover of Legionnaires
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
#43. They have a cameo on the screen of Planet Krypton in Kingdom Come #1. The two made speaking cameo appearances in the first two pages of Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
#4, but they were not named. They are rescued by the underwater heroine Dolphin in "Showcase
Showcase
A showcase, or vitrine, is a glassed-in cabinet or display case for displaying delicate or valuable articles such as objets d'art or merchandise in a shop, museum, or house...
" #100.
Featured characters
The comic featured the misadventures of two toddlerToddler
A toddler is a young child, usually defined as being between the ages of one and three. Registered nurse, midwife and author, Robin Barker, states 'Any time from eight months onwards your baby will begin to realise he is a separate person from you...
s named Sugar Plumm and Cecil "Spike" Wilson, who possessed the ability to communicate (via "baby talk
Baby talk
Baby talk, also referred to as caretaker speech, infant-directed speech or child-directed speech and informally as "motherese", "parentese", "mommy talk", or "daddy talk" is a nonstandard form of speech used by adults in talking to toddlers and infants.It is usually delivered with a "cooing"...
") with each other and to other infants, but not to adults. It was in many ways similar to the more recent cartoon Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
, and shared ideas concerning baby-talk with P. L Travers' Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is a series of children's books written by P. L. Travers and originally illustrated by Mary Shepard. The books centre on a magical English nanny, Mary Poppins. She is blown by the East wind to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London and into the Banks' household to care for their...
novel; one notable feature was that all babies spoke the same baby-talk "language", allowing Sugar and Spike to speak with not only human infants, but baby animals as well. Another popular recurring feature was paper dolls
Paper Dolls
Paper Dolls is an American prime time soap opera which aired for 14 episodes on ABC from September 23, 1984 to December 25, 1984. Set in New York's fashion industry, the show centered around top modeling agency owner Racine , her conflicts with the family of cosmetics tycoon Grant Harper , and the...
of the two leads, with outfits based on designs submitted by readers. Mayer used his own children, Merrily and Lanney, as inspiration for the strip.
In addition to the toddlers and their parents, recurring characters included:
- Little Arthur, a "big boy" too old for baby-talk. A spoiled brat and bully, Arthur torments Sugar and Spike, but is invariably outwitted by them in the end.
- Sugar's Uncle Charley, a bachelor and police officer who is a stereotypical "fun uncle", often playing with the kids and giving them gifts when he comes to visit.
- Bernie the Brain, a child genius who, despite being the same age as Sugar and Spike, is an accomplished scientist and inventor who speaks and understands "grown-up talk". When he first encounters Sugar and Spike, he requires a translating device of his own invention to teach him their baby-talk (having already progressed past that stage, intellectually). He enjoys the chance to be a normal kid with Sugar and Spike, while the pair loves playing with Bernie's various inventions. The two often seek out Bernie when they encounter something they don't understand, particularly something involving grown-up behavior. He made a cameo in Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
#8 watching the WGBS news about the Crisis by Clark Kent, he appears to be very concern about what's going on.
In other media
Sugar and Spike have a cameo in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "The Siege of Starro: Part 1." The characters are pictured on the side of an "S & S Diapers" diaper service truck.