Steve shared this image of a jeep on the xmas issue of Black Cat Comics. This is issue #27 published February 10, 1951. According to this collector site, an issue of this comic sold in 2015 for $1,161! It probably doesn’t hurt the value that this issue includes an interview with John Wayne.
Comics Research Archives
1942 Jeep Comic Book
This 1942 souvenir Comic Book titled JEEP was spotted by Micah on eBay. It sold for $22.50 (not to me). It also included the mailing envelope, which I’m amazed still existed. Here are some pics:
From the eBay Ad:
1942 Jeep Willys MB cartoon comic Book US Army WW2 Rare Vtg Ex++ Truck Croft 40s.
Front cover has one small blemish on Bottom edge, otherwise the pagers are mint, no creasing or foxing or any signs of use, very crisp and edges nice, spine tight.
Has been sitting in a drawer for 75 years.
Comes in the original paper sleeve.
Sleeve shoes wear and splitting but still displays nicely.
A Date With Judy, Issue #22
Between 1947 and 1960, Judy (do we ever learn her last name?) dated A LOT. Every couple of months, Judy was on another date, hence the title “A Date with Judy”. During date #22, she hooked up with a feller who owned a jeep (who may have been her main squeeze named Oogie?), at least the jeep appears on the cover (I don’t know if the jeep plays a role in one of the stories inside the comic book).
As you may have guessed by now, I really don’t have any idea what I’m talking about regarding this comic book series! Anyway, here’s the cover.
Prior to the Comic book, there was a radio series by the same name.
Judy the Jeep Girl
In an effort to promote Bond drives during World War II, around 1944 Sgt. Jack Kreismer created “Judy the Jeep Girl”. The character, sometimes described as a paper doll, while other times described as a cartoon, has proved a difficult image to track down. To help raise bonds, July ‘traveled’ from California to Salt Lake City, then on to the Washington, D.C.
A photo of Jack and Judy appeared in the June 1, 1945, issue of Minute Man. It’s the best example of Judy the Jeep Girl that I could find:
You can see that Jack (on the left) and Allen Overby (on the right) are holding a booklet. Apparently it is a souvenir booklet that features Judy.
The only newspaper representation I could find for Judy is a less-than-perfect sketch that appeared in the Salt Lake Telegram on June 19, 1944. Judy is left to the man in the box (sauna?).
Later, on January 15, 1945, Elenor Roosevelt commented on Judy’s activities:
1950? Comic: The Story of the Universal Jeep on eBay
Bidding starts at $15. This is listed as a 1950 creation, but I would think it was published earlier than that. Given it includes a truck, but no CJ-3A, I’d say more like 1948? I’ll have to verify with my copy.
View all the information on eBay
“THE STORY OF THE UNIVERSAL JEEP – PROMOTIONAL COMIC
PUBLISHED BY WILLYS – OVERLAND, CREATOR OF THE JEEP
JEEP UNIVERSAL WAS A NAME USED BY WILLYS FOR ITS 1/4 TON CJ UTILITY VEHICLES
BACK COVER HAS AN AD FOR THE UNIVERSAL JEEP AND JEEP TRUCKS
16 PAGES, FULL COLOR, STANDARD COMIC SIZE”
1943 Cartoon w/ Bantam BRC Looking Jeep
This cartoon appeared in the short lived Apache Sentinel on October 22, 1943. It is a very Bantam-BRC looking jeep.
1945 Mutt & Jeff Comic W/ a Jeep
This Bud Fisher’s Mutt and Jeff comic appeared in the Sunday Star on August 5, 1945, under the title “Well Boys, Get Yourself a Jeep and Go Places”.
A close up of the last pane:
Beattle Bailey Disposes of His Jeep
1943 Jeep Cartoon From Collier’s Magazine
1945 Cartoon “An Episode at Cape Gloucester”
This February 08, 1945, cartoon published in the Roanoke Rapids Herald shares the tale of four GIs in Cape Glousester, New Britain.