Published by American Mythology Productions
I don’t know how familiar this character currently is to the youth of today, but if you’re Gen X or an Elder Millenial, then I think it’s safe to say that you’ve seen many Pink Panther cartoons when you were a kid. In fact, I’m sure that just seeing an image of the character automatically puts that classic theme song in your head.
You’re welcome.
Unbeknownst to me, the character also appeared in several comic books over the years, the first of which was published in 1971. This comic book, published in 2017, commemorates the 46th anniversary of the Pink Panther’s existence as a comic book character and contains 5 short stories, 2 of which are reprints from previous comics and the other 3 were created specifically for this issue.
First up is BEACH BLANKET PINK, written by Todd Livingston and drawn by Jazz Dela Cuesta. In this 6-page story, the Panther is trying to have a relaxing day at the beach, but a series of disturbances, from rowdy kids, troublesome pets and even an angry whale all ruin his relaxation, leading to him coming up with a unique solution to finally get the beach experience that he craves.
Like most Pink Panther cartoons, this story is told “silently” with no dialog just a few side effects. It’s a credit to Livingston’s talent that the story is nevertheless quite easy to follow.
Livingston is joined by artist Jeff Scherer on OVER THE (ANT)HILL, a 3-page story starring The Ant and The Aardvark, a couple of characters who had their own cartoon stories that aired during some of the Pink Panther episodes in the early 1970s. The premise was that a blue aardvark (often just called “Blue”), which is also known as an anteater, is constantly chasing and trying to eat a red ant (often just called “Ant”), either through straight attacks or trying to trick the any into voluntarily getting into his mouth.
The story opens with the aardvark chasing the ant, as usual, but then they both get injured and end up in the hospital, where they talk about how they’re getting old and reminisce about previous adventures and wonder if it’s time to give up this whole hunter/prey routine of theirs. It’s a fun little story.
BACK IN CLASS is an 8-page story written by Danita Mangum and drawn by Diego Tapié, in which the Panther attends his college reunion. Expecting to relive his glory days as the Big Man on Campus, the Panther expects to be greeted as a star by his former classmates but soon discovers that not everyone remembers his youthful escapades quite as fondly as he does. Despite a few mishaps, the Panther at least gets a happy ending.
While other characters speak in this story, the Panther remains silent throughout, but Mangum still manages to capture his “voice” quite naturally.
The next two stories are the reprints form 1978, both of which are written and drawn by Warren Tufts. First is PINK VENTRILOQUISM. In this 5-page story the Panther speaks, which I don’t recall him ever doing in any of the cartoons that I watched (but it could just be that I’m getting old and don’t remember).
Not only does he speak, but he’s just received his diploma from the Correspondence School of Ventriloquism, and has honed the talent of throwing his voice, making it appear as if someone (or something) else is speaking, while Panther keeps his mouth shut. This new talent quickly comes in handy, as the Panther finds himself running from a fox, as both are being hunted by a fox-hunter, an armed man on horseback. With some clever thinking, making his voice appear to come from other areas, the Panther is able to help the fox evade the hunter’s wrath.
And the issue wraps up with the 6-age story PINK BELT. After being robbed of all of his money at gunpoint by a thief, the Panther heads to a nearby “school of karate” to learn the martial art in order to defend himself. After several lessons (it’s not clear exactly how much time passes), the Panther is awarded his pink belt (I assume that’s higher than a white belt, but still lower than a black belt), and now, feeling tougher, the Panther returns to the park, hoping to run into the park, hoping to run into the gunman again so Panther can disarm him this time. The Panther meets a local cop and offers to team up with him to catch the robber but, well, let’s just say that that’s a decision that the cop eventually comes to regret.
The stories in this issue are suitable for all-ages and should be enjoyable to both old and new fans of this iconic cartoon character.
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