Today in Comics History, October 6: Happy birthday, Alfred Harvey!

Born on this day in 1913: comic book publisher and writer Alfred Harvey, who co-created Little Dot and Richie Rich (so you know who to blame)! In fact, he founded the whole dang Harvey Comics company!


from Green Hornet Comics (1942 series) #12 (Harvey, April 1943)



Enlisting in WWII, Harvey was tapped by the government to create comics that taught soldiers how to operate and maintain military machinery they'd be dealing with. He also created the patriotic War Victory Comics/Adventures, a nickel comic (when most others were 10¢) whose proceeds went to the war efforts and the USO.


cover of War Victory Comics #1 (Harvey, Summer 1942), inks by Joe Simon (?)
Harvey was one of the editors who "got" what Joe Simon and Jack Kirby were doing and encouraged their work.



(top) from Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics (Ten Speed, July 2020), script and art by Tom Scioli;
(bottom)cover of Stuntman #1 (Harvey, April 1946), art by Jack Kirby

A friendly letter from Al in the pages of Rags Rabbit introduced the new, as-yet-unsullied by that scary Jack-in-the-Box, logo for Harvey Comics.


house ad from Rags Rabbit (1951 series) #15 (September 1953)
Let’s take a look at that logo right now on the cover, shall we?


cover of Rags Rabbit #15; artist uncredited and unknown
How about a closer look?


Closer...CLOSER...


THE ALL-SEEING EYES OF RAGS RABBIT COMPEL YOU TO WISH ALFRED HARVEY A HAPPY BIRTHDAY




I o-bey oh Rab-bit Mas-ter. Hap-py birth-day Mis-ter Har-vey.