From Hee Haw #1 (July 1970), art by Frank Roberge
What? There was a comic book based on Hee Haw? The CBS (then syndicated for two decades) down-home country comedy variety hour set in the fictional Kornfield Kounty? Why, yes. And not just for one issue, but for seven...bringing us country-fried comic book comedy from the good ol' boys at Charlton Comics. (oh, c'mon—who else woulda published this?)
But 'round about now you may be having some problems coloring Buck Owens because you don't know what he looks like in real life. Well, let me help you little 'uns there. Right here's a gen-u-ine photgraphical picture of Mister Buck Owens in all his sartorial splendor, so you can see him in real life an' all. It's straight out of the comical book, too! (Okay, I promise to stop talking like this.)
So get out your grey, black, and white crayons, and get to work? What's that? My goodness, I never heard so much squawkin' from y'all since the chickens got ahold of the truck keys and headed on down to the Country Roadhouse Bar. (No, seriously, I will stop talking cornpone any minute now, promise.) Well, for those of you who have those new-fangled color tellyvisions and comic books, here's the way Mr. Owens oughter be colored, just like he is in this here cartoon. Ladies and gentlemen...Buck Owens!
Yup, that's about the type of humor you're gonna get on Hee Haw, broad, slapstick, and...dare I say it...corny. Take it away, Hee Hawwers!
Yup. That..............'s about the size of that. Still, it's easy to mock Hee Haw because of its redneck country humor. Go ahead! I'll be right here while you do!:
Um, yeah. Grant Morrison, this ain't. But Hee Haw the comic book has a certain goofy charm, and while you can poke fun at the TV show, you can't fault it for one of its great achievements: long before CMT or The Nashville Network and way before American Idol, it brought the great stars of country/western music to your television once in a week. And I do mean great stars:
Tanya Tucker (14 years old in this appearance!)
Charley Pride!
Kenny Rogers!
Chet Atkins!
Dolly Parton!
Queen of Rockabilly Wanda Jackson!
And of course...ladies and gentlemen...Mister Buck Owens!
In all fairness, whatever we think about the quality of the humor, structurally Hee Haw really isn't much different than Laugh-In, and you COULD make the argument that the level of musical guests actually gives Hee Haw the edge.
ReplyDeleteDoes every issue end with a drawing of Cathy Baker saying "THAT'S all!"?
ReplyDelete