Stumbo Tinytown #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeStumbo Tinytown #1 marks the launch of the solo series spotlighting one of Harvey Comics' most original creations — a gentle, dim-witted giant whose comedic predicament (being ten times the size of everyone he loves) gave Harvey's humor line a warmhearted outsider dynamic absent from its ghost and devil titles. By graduating Stumbo from backup feature to headliner, Harvey signaled that its Silver Age expansion wasn't just Casper clones; the book demonstrated the studio's confidence in character-driven, size-disparity comedy aimed squarely at young readers. The series also served as a recurring showcase for the two artists most responsible for the visual identity of Harvey Comics — Warren Kremer and Howie Post — making issue #1 a useful marker for scholars of the distinct 'Harvey house style' that Kremer had spent over a decade developing.
"Big Trouble" in Stumbo Tinytown #1 (1963) finds Mary Ellen navigating the subtle social games of childhood with a clever twist—after proving she can play baseball just as well as the boys, she deliberately strikes out, playing up her girlhood to win a boy’s favor. A quiet, character-driven moment from a classic Harvey comic, this issue captures a fleeting, genuine moment of growing up, all told with the crisp, clean typeset lettering that defines the era.
In this brief, whimsical tale from *Stumbo Tinytown #1* (1963), Stumbo’s gentle giant size makes him the perfect playmate for the neighborhood kids—especially when they swing from his finger. But when Officer O’Floodle grows concerned about Stumbo’s stamina, he comes up with a balloon-powered solution to keep the fun going.
In "Tip Top Crop," Stumbo’s generosity takes a whimsical turn when he donates his entire head of hair to keep Mr. Thatch’s wigmaker shop afloat. When a sudden cold leaves him shivering, the townsfolk rally to craft a nightcap—each contributing their own odd bits and pieces in a gesture of community spirit.
In "Winter Worries," Mr. Weatherman’s snow clouds never reach Tinytown—instead, they’re quietly gathered by Stumbo, who builds an igloo to brace for winter. When the townsfolk discover the cozy shelter, they turn it into a winter sports hub, unaware of the unexpected source.
When Stumbo starts burning up with a fever, it turns out the real culprit is his accidental proximity to a volcano—literally. With quick thinking and a giant’s strength, he lifts Tinytown to safety, shielding it from a potential eruption, then sets it back down once the mountain cools.
In "The Tricky Witch," a mischievous spell from a fleeing witch turns naive Stumbo tiny—only for O'Floodle to step in, club the witch unconscious, and use her own book and wand to undo the chaos. The story’s blend of slapstick and whimsy shines in its tight five pages, with the typeset letters adding a classic charm to the tale.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Stumbo the Giant was conceived by Warren Kremer, the artist-editor who effectively defined the look and feel of Harvey Comics across 35 years, and the character debuted as a backup strip in Hot Stuff, the Little Devil #2 (December 1957). After appearing regularly in Harvey Hits anthology issues and as a supporting feature in Hot Stuff Sizzlers, Stumbo earned his own dedicated title in August 1963 — a promotion that reflected Harvey's habit of testing characters in anthology vehicles before spinning them into solo books. Kremer brought his animation-influenced draftsmanship (honed partly through early work in pulp magazines and at Ace Publications) to the series, with fellow Harvey stalwart Howie Post sharing art duties throughout the run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published August 1963 by Harvey Comics (indicia publisher: Illustrated Humor Inc.), cover price 25 cents, 68 pages, full color.
- First issue of a 13-issue solo series for Stumbo the Giant, running from August 1963 through November 1966.
- Stumbo the Giant was created by Warren Kremer and first appeared six years earlier in Hot Stuff, the Little Devil #2 (December 1957), where he debuted as a backup character.
- Stories and art in issue #1 are by Warren Kremer and Howie Post — the two artists most closely identified with the Silver Age Harvey Comics visual style.
- Issue #1 contains multiple short humor stories built around Stumbo's size disparity with the Tinytowners; recurring supporting cast members include Officer O'Floodle, Doc Sawbones, and Mayor Mr. Thatch.
- At least one story in issue #1 is a reprint sourced from Hot Stuff Sizzlers (1960 series) #2, illustrating Harvey's standard practice of recycling material from anthology titles into solo books.
- Hot Stuff the Little Devil appears as a backup feature within the issue, maintaining the cross-character synergy typical of Harvey's Silver Age lineup.
- Warren Kremer, the character's creator, worked at Harvey Comics for 35 years and was by some accounts one of the most prolific cover artists in comics history, with Stumbo among the characters he created or significantly defined.
Reprints
↩ Reprints Terry and the Pirates Comics #18 (1949), Blondie Comics Monthly #50 (1953), Casper the Friendly Ghost #11 (1953), Casper the Friendly Ghost #15 (1953), Chic Young's Dagwood Comics #40 (1954), Blondie Comics Monthly #70 (1954), Hot Stuff, the Little Devil #3 (1958), Hot Stuff, the Little Devil #4 (1958), Hot Stuff, the Little Devil #5 (1958), Hot Stuff, the Little Devil #6 (1958), Hot Stuff, the Little Devil #7 (1958), Hot Stuff, the Little Devil #9 (1959), Harvey Hits #49 (1961)
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