Jimmy Durante

Jimmy Durante was the real-life American comedian and entertainer, famous for his distinctive large nose and raspy voice, whose comic-strip likeness appeared in British humor publication Film Fun alongside other Hollywood celebrities of the era.

Few comic book subjects bridge the gap between Hollywood glamour and the printed page quite like Jimmy Durante, whose comic appearances stretch all the way back to 1933 — deep in the Platinum Age, when the medium itself was still finding its footing. Turning up in the same pages as the likes of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Clark Gable, Durante clearly kept the most luminous show-business company imaginable, making his comics outings feel like a who's-who of mid-century entertainment. His appearances span a remarkable arc from 1933 to 2015, touching titles as eclectic as 1000 Jokes, Black Cat Comics, and the wonderfully titled Any Similarity to Persons Living or Dead Is Purely Coincidental. With only ten catalog appearances, finding him is a treat for the dedicated collector who loves the place where classic celebrity culture and comic art happily collide.