Harold Gray’s Little Orphan Annie debuted in 1924 and was a big success. FDR having not yet turned him against organized labor, Gray shows hardworking Annie going on strike in one of her many jobs. Tim and Kumar discuss the ’20s strips, their strengths and idiosyncrasies (one strip=one day?!), and how Gray’s outlook changed later.
The Eternal Orphan (stevestiles.com)
Legends Revealed! (comicbookresources.com)
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Hi, guys! I just discovered your podcast through an interest in Annie. I played Daddy Warbucks in my high school’s production back in 1990 (!), and recently took my kids (aged 10 and 4) to see a local production of the show. So I’ve been not only waxing nostalgic but also studying up on the source material (I had done a little of that back in high school, but had forgotten a lot). So I really enjoyed your discussion and, being a comics fan also, I’m looking forward to sticking around for more!
I’m looking forward to seeing what Will Smith does in the version for his daughter. I’m always going to have a soft spot for the Broadway show (although I actually prefer the movie version – Annie on stage is really far too passive a character from mid-way through Act I to the end; at least the movie ends with an action sequence that, it seems, could’ve come out of Gray’s old strip – plus, Carol Burnett’s Miss Hannigan is the tops; and Punjab and the Asp, so there ya go!) … but, as your discussion shows, the source material is certainly rich enough for more to be mined from it.
Thanks again for a great show!
Glad you enjoyed it! Hope you’ll stick around! –Tim