Hanna-Barbera Bandwagon #1

History

The book was produced by Western Publishing and Lithography — the same Racine, Wisconsin house that had just broken from Dell Comics in 1962 to launch the Gold Key imprint — and carries the K. K. Publications Inc. indicia that Gold Key used at the time. Production began early in 1962: payment remittance invoices from Western Printing & Lithography preserved in artist Bob Gregory's personal collection document rough-pencil visualization work being invoiced as early as January 18, 1962, some nine months before the October on-sale date registered with the Library of Congress Copyright Office. The cover painting — a musical-parade composition featuring Wally Gator, Touché Turtle, Augie Doggie, Lippy the Lion, Yakky Doodle, and Pixie and Dixie — was rendered by Norm McGary on a large Whatman Drawing Board with a separate acetate overlay for trade dress, original art that later surfaced at auction and confirmed the mixed-media production methods typical of Gold Key's painted-cover era.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Published October 1962 by Western Publishing / Gold Key Comics (indicia publisher: K. K. Publications Inc.); cover code 30004-210, on-sale date verified through the Library of Congress Copyright Office records.
• First issue of a three-issue series (1962–1963) that served as an anthology showcasing the full Hanna-Barbera television universe under a single title — characters include Snagglepuss, Yakky Doodle & Chopper, Augie Doggie & Doggie Daddy, Lippy the Lion & Hardy Har Har, Snooper & Blabber, Touché Turtle & Dum Dum, Wally Gator, Hokey Wolf & Ding-a-Ling, Loopy de Loop, Ruff & Reddy, Pixie/Dixie/Mr. Jinks, Boo-Boo Bear, and Officer Dibble from Top Cat.
• Interior art contributed by nine credited artists: Phil De Lara, John Carey, Veve Risto, Steve Steere, Bob Gregory, Kay Wright, Larry Mayer, Pete Alvarado, and Harvey Eisenberg — the last of whom was considered the pre-eminent Hanna-Barbera comics artist of the era, with his prolific work on the studio's characters drawing comparison to Carl Barks's relationship with Disney.
• Cover painting credited to Norm McGary; original cover art on a 15×19.75-inch Whatman Drawing Board with acetate overlay was later documented at auction, confirming Gold Key's painted-cover production approach.
• All interior stories in the issue were drawn either without panel frames or with extra-thick colored borders — a deliberate aesthetic choice that distinguished the book from standard panel-grid comics of the period.
• Opening story features Snagglepuss applying for a job as a royal jester; a separate story starring Officer Dibble appears as a text feature, making Top Cat characters guest stars rather than leads in this first issue.
• Interior art production is documented via Bob Gregory's personal invoice archive from Western Printing & Lithography Co., with pencil visualization work invoiced in January 1962 — nearly a year before publication.
• Content from the issue was later reprinted in Australia by K. G. Murray in the Hanna-Barbera Band-Wagon series (1977, issue #3), where the original page art was cut up and rearranged from its initial layout.

Full credits