Beep Beep #8
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeBeep Beep #8 is a solid mid-run entry in Dell's dedicated Road Runner series — the first ongoing comic vehicle for the Warner Bros. duo of Beep Beep and Wile E. Coyote, at a time when no other publisher had given these characters their own sustained title. The Dell run as a whole is historically important because it established comic-specific conventions for the characters that diverged meaningfully from the theatrical shorts: the Road Runners spoke entirely in rhyme, Beep Beep was portrayed as a family man called 'Papa Beep,' and Wile E. was given full dialogue, all of which shaped how a generation of readers imagined these characters away from the screen. Issue #8 also carries a minor production curiosity that makes it distinctive within the run: Dell accidentally omitted the cover price, making it the only issue in the series to go to newsstands without that information.
In "Seeing Isn't Believing," Daffy Duck’s imagination runs wild after reading a sci-fi tale, spooking him when he spots Elmer Fudd in a spray-painting outfit. Playing along with his own delusion, Daffy pretends to be a spaceman to trick Elmer into handing over all his food. Fred Abranz handles both art and inks, bringing the chaotic humor to life, while Pete Alvarado’s cover captures the absurdity in bold, dynamic style.
Wile E. Coyote, ever the schemer, fakes a sudden windfall and lures the Beeps to a farewell dinner after his mole machine fails. With a stack of fake cash and a fancy table setting, he tries one last trick to outwit them—though the real question is whether the Beeps will fall for the act, or if this is just another twist in the endless chase.
In "Space Chase," Daffy Duck, spooked after reading a sci-fi tale, sees Elmer Fudd in a spray-painting outfit and spins a wild tale about being a spaceman to trick Elmer into handing over his food. The story unfolds in a playful, cartoonish chase where Daffy’s antics take flight — but the real game is just beginning.
In "The Seedy Speeder," Wile E. Coyote discovers the secret behind the Beeps' incredible velocity—rare seeds that fuel their speed. But when he tries them himself, the results are… unexpectedly distracting.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The Dell 'Beep Beep the Road Runner' series grew out of three try-out issues published under Dell's long-running Four Color Comics umbrella (issues #918, #1008, and #1046) before launching as a standalone, numbered series — with those three Four Color issues retroactively counted as #1 through #3 — starting continuous publication in 1960. The artwork across the Dell run in the 1960s was produced by Pete Alvarado, a former layout and background artist for Chuck Jones, and Phil DeLara, a veteran Warner Bros. Cartoons animator who had worked on Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and Daffy Duck; however, no story or art credits were printed in the issues themselves. After Dell's run ended with issue #14 in 1962, Gold Key Comics picked up the property in 1966 and, for its first few years, largely reprinted stories from the Dell era — meaning the original Dell issues, including #8, served as source material for that subsequent run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published April 1961 by Dell Comics as part of the 'Beep Beep the Road Runner' series (Dell, 1960–1962), which ran issues #4–14, with three prior Four Color try-outs counted as #1–3.
- Issue #8 is notable within the run for a production error: the cover price was accidentally omitted by the publisher, making it the only issue in the Dell series to ship without a listed price.
- Contains four Road Runner stories: 'Smarty Party,' 'To Beep Or Not To Beep,' 'The Speedy Speeder,' and 'Stuck In The Muck,' plus one-page gag strips, a text feature titled 'Dinner Dilemma,' and a Daffy Duck backup story titled 'Space Chase.'
- 36 pages, full color; no story or art credits are printed anywhere in the issue.
- Artwork on the Dell series was produced by Pete Alvarado (former layout/background artist for Chuck Jones) and Phil DeLara (veteran Warner Bros. Cartoons animator); no credits appear in-issue to distinguish their individual contributions to #8.
- The Dell comics deliberately differed from the theatrical shorts: the Road Runner was re-cast as 'Papa Beep,' given a wife (Matilda) and three sons, and all Road Runners spoke exclusively in rhyme — conventions absent from the cartoons.
- Dell's run ended in 1962; Gold Key Comics resumed the title in 1966 with issues #1–88 (running through 1984), and the early Gold Key issues (1966–1969) consisted primarily of reprints drawn from the Dell run.
- The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote's first comic book appearance predated this series, occurring in 'Desert Dessert' in Bugs Bunny Vacation Funnies #8 (August 1958, Dell), which also introduced Matilda and the three sons.
Cast · 2 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Beep Beep the Road Runner #7 (1968), Beep Beep the Road Runner #8 (1968), Daffy Duck #65 (1970)
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