Wednesday, November 5, 2014

What WAS the Comic Battle of the 20th Century? Part 2 - Li'l Abner vs. Daisy Mae!

Continuing my 12-part series reviewing comic books that claim The Battle/Fight/Bout/Showdown of the Century on their covers. Today's battle---

Abner Yokum vs. Daisy Mae Scragg! First presented in Al Capp’s Li’l Abner #72, 1949.


WHY ARE THEY FIGHTING?
Funny story. Let’s start at the beginning.


As president of “The Lily-White League”, Miss Gerta Girdlebuster addresses the other Klan league members on how disgraceful boys and girls act in this day and age (1949). Her dream is to find “the one 100% Good American Boy.” After tireless hours (as a Peeping Tom) she finally succeeds.


Soon, 19 year-old Abner Yokum agrees to become the spokesperson for all-that-is-good-in-childhood. Li'l Abner's speeches are very successful and soon young’uns all over are turning their lives around!


This makes the Lily-White League so successful that when elderly philanthropists die, they leave all their money to the league! This upsets “The Sweet Innocence Society”.  The Society suddenly goes on a quest to find a “100 percent Perfect Good Girl” to compete with the League’s “100 Percent Good Yokum”.

Guess who they find! That’s right, Daisy Mae Scragg!


Suddenly, with “100 percent Perfect Good Scragg” becoming popular, millionaires are confused about where to donate their money. The solution? Have a physical battle! Duh.

Perhaps it will even be the battle of the century! 

HOW EPIC IS THE BATTLE?
The contestants come out blindfolded, because, um, well… we’ll get back to that. (Not really.)


As the bell rings, they both remove their blindfolds. Daisy Mae immediately SMACKS Li’l Abner!

By “SMACKS” I mean she kisses him. So, of course, the referee starts kissing Daisy May too!


Yeah, it’s probably some obscure boxing rule that hardly ever comes into play. Anyhoo, this is where our story ends.


WHO WINS?
In true love, there are no losers.

IS IT THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY?
No. No it is not.

Come back Friday for Part 3! Joe Palooka vs. Humphrey Pennyworth! It's a real boxing match! With hitting!

2 comments:

Richard J. Marcej said...

There better be a Popeye entry in this list (specifically from the Segar run on the strip)

Kerry Callen said...

Gotta have "Battle of the Century" on a comic cover, or I ain't touching it.