Mr. Unswitchable-Dick Jesse

[stitcherbob]

 

[Cliff]

Bob, glad you are back. these comics are so cool! never remember them from when I was (much) younger. Wonder if Dick Jessee got a little miffed at the bad guy. heh

 

[aakar]

View attachment 7318View attachment 7319View attachment 7320

Thank you for this contribution, this thread has been one of the most enjoyable ones in a long time.

 

[M Jones]

Thank you for this contribution, this thread has been one of the most enjoyable ones in a long time.

I second that

 

[SoCal Racer]

Wow, these are great photos. 120" wheelbase, steel frame, cast iron Poncho motor..... How many remember calling the Pontiac engine a Poncho? How many remember the A/FX class, 1962, Pontiac Tempest (the "compact" car) with a 421" Pontiac big block? I think A/FX could be called the ancestor of F/C. Below is a link to what the 62 looked like.

1962 Pontiac Tempest AFX

1962 Pontiac Tempest. Correct clone of MickeyThompsons A/FX as it was after winning the 1962 Winternationals all the correct parts and expertlydone right down to the FX/A on the doors.. 421SD with 3-s

davidsclassiccars.com

I'm old....I remember it all! If not from firsthand experience, at least from the car magazines.

 

[stitcherbob]

 

[Cliff]

REAL Pontiac engine. Those engines & the Olds engines actually could run quick on nitro, espcially in the late '50's & early 60's. I still remember Ernies Camera Pontiac dragster. Ran on gas or fuel & it was a player. Safford-Gaide-Ratican Olds T/F could run with the best; was one of the 1st cars to run in the 7's I think. Even Garlits was amazed that an Olds could run so quick. Ya know, looking at the above photo, it was kinda sorta a forerunner of todays' chassis, ie: driver sits in front of rear end & sits high.

 

[mole]

READING THE COMIC STRIP REMINDS ME OF THE HOT WHEELS CARTOON TV SHOW BACK IN THE LATE 60'S

 

[Cliff]

I loved Peter Millar's Drag Cartoons.

 

[stitcherbob]

READING THE COMIC STRIP REMINDS ME OF THE HOT WHEELS CARTOON TV SHOW BACK IN THE LATE 60'S

 

[Cliff]

Bob, do you spend as much time as I do researching stuff? I'm called the King of the Reposters, but I think yer closing in on me. heh heh

 

[junglevsbrutus]

Cliff, this is my favorite Drag Cartoons issue, March '64, the 3rd issue ever. The SWC Willys is shown as a jack rabbit w/ Pete's drag monster doing the driving. He holds a carrot on a stick which to get the "Willys Rabbit" to race down the track. Meanwhile, in the background the Grist Bros. Willys driver is complaining to the official who frantically flips through the rule book. Of course, Pete also did the Isky ads that called SWC "Pebble, Pulp & Chef" and Mazmanian "Big June."

In the late '90s I got to know Pete at the CHRR and NHRA Museum gatherings. He was hilarious! Pete signed the copy of the same Drag issue. But even funnier was the following. Pete took the old ads from the 1960's comic books that offered a small overhead projector for young artists. Then he changed the copy to read something like "You Too Can Become A Famous Drag Racing Artist!" Best of all was the ad copy quoting Kenny Youngblood, myself and a few other hot rod artists making like comments like, "The Easy Projector is great, it made me rich and famous!" or "I wouldn't be the successful artist I am today without my Easy Projector!"

 

[Cliff]

That is a funny story. I never met Pete in person, but did have a chance to e mail him a few times. His character Temple McFlathead was based on a real racer; saw a photo of him once. Pete was really into flatheads & did a lot of funny stories about that.