Bill Wright and "An Education for Thursday"

[David A Gerstein]

	Dear Folks,

	I hope to clear up a few things about the Gottfredson story
"An Education for Thursday."

	It was first printed in comics in 1942's WDC&S 22-24, under
the title mentioned above.  This was a 6-panel version made from
Gottfredson's original strips.

	In Feb. 1950, a completely different reformatting was made as
MMOS 269 (or thereabouts).  The story has the new title "MM's Surprise
Visitor."  It has been made into 8-panel pages using GOTTFREDSON'S
art, NOT a redrawn version!!!  It's EXACTLY like the version in WDC&S
22-24, only laid out differently!  I believe the confusion comes
because some of the panels were enlarged into half-page panels in this
version, and in THOSE panels alone, it appears that Bill Wright added
some things to the scenes to make them more detailed.  But on the
whole, this is Gottfredson's original version, if rather mutilated.

	About 1962, the story was redrawn by Paul Murry and used
again.  This version was clearly a direct redraw from the 1942
printing, right down to panel layout on many pages, and the fact that
the pages have 6 panels.  This is the version which has been reprinted
in an Oberon Dubbelalbum, which I saw when visiting Disney Comics in
Burbank in 1991.  According to Thom Roep, Oberon has always used the
Murry version of the story.

	As far as I can figure out, Norway's special edition used the
48-page 1950 version, with SOME added art by Bill Wright, but in fact
very little.  It's important to note that the original version of
"Thursday" was INKED by Bill Wright... so the style isn't SO
different.  But if you compare the 1950 version with Wright's "MM and
Pluto Battle the Giant Ants" of the same year, the difference is
clear.

	I am very glad that this 1950 version was published.  It was
one of the most popular of all Dell MMs and therefore is quite easy to
find.  So although the story is banned in the United States, I was
easily able to add it to my collection one day when I had a yen to
read it, and then later find another copy quickly to give a friend for
his birthday.

	It's really very funny, but also VERY stereotyped.... I'm not
saying I don't wince to hear Thursday referred to as a "monkey" or as
a "jungle ape" (the latter by Minnie).  He's just an exuberant KID who
isn't used to life in Calisota!

	David Gerstein
	<David.A.Gerstein at williams.edu>
	"I'm de Fuller Brush Man!  I'm givin' g'way free semple!" (But
NOT of "An Education for Thursday" 1950 edition... I didn't say it was
THAT easy to find ;-)