Sad Sack - Comic Book

Comic Book

Harvey Comics 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:

• 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 (Oct. 1964 – Dec. 1973) commonly known as Sad Sad Sack World
• 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, 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.