Lil Abner #73
Published October 1949, issue 73* of Al Capp‘s (Alfred Caplin) Li’l Abner comic is not only a great representation of good girl art, but also a lesson in economics and geo-politics. “Three billion rasbuckniks or Slobbovia perishes!!” to be exact. Well Lil’Abner went to Washington “T’git our annooal handout o’ free turnip seeds” and wound up going to Slobbovia to make sure they are good for a loan. Much to the dismay long-suffering sweetheart Daisy Mae, this happens to be the home of Jinx Rasputinburg “the prettiest girl in all Slobbovia, in fact she is the only pretty girl.”
While the loan wasn’t approved, it turns out three billion rasbuckniks is the equivalent to $175 dollars, a sum even the clan of hillbillies from the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch were able to come up with in 1949. Note what cost $175 in 1949 would cost $1,663 in 2012.
Li’l Abner #76
Li’l Abner and Daisy Mae were eventually married in 1952. The event was so momentous it made the cover of the real world Life magazine.
But there were plenty of other sexy characters, like pig farmer Moonbeam McSwine, Stupefyin’ Jones, Wolf Gal and Appassionata Von Climax (a role that launched the career of Tina Louise in the 1956 Broadway musical). All were drawn with curvaceous appeal that featured legendary country-bumpkin blouses and high hemmed skirts. Notcherly!
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