Walter Lantz New Funnies #212
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeWalter Lantz New Funnies #212 (October 1954, Dell) holds a firm place in funny-animal comics history as only the second comic book appearance of Chilly Willy, the shivering penguin who would go on to become one of the Walter Lantz Studio's most enduring animated stars. Crucially, this issue is where Chilly receives his first real character-defining story in print: an 'origin tale' explaining why the penguin is perpetually averse to cold, a narrative hook that gave him a distinct comic-book identity independent of his still-nascent animated persona. The issue documents the very beginning of Chilly's rise within the New Funnies anthology — a rise that would carry him from guest-star to solo feature headliner within a year — making it an important early marker in the character's entire publishing history. Because the comic debut preceded the theatrical release of the Lantz animated short 'I'm Cold,' the New Funnies run represents Chilly Willy's primary introduction to a mass audience for a brief window of time.
In "The Lemonade Raid," Chilly Willy makes his way from the South Pole to visit his friend Homer Pigeon, sharing the chilly tale behind his icy nature. When a mix-up at the zoo leads to Chilly being locked in a cold enclosure, the day takes an unexpectedly frosty turn. Written by Del Connell and brought to life with crisp, expressive art by Veve Risto—pencils, inks, and letters all by the same hand—this 1954 Dell comic features a delightfully wintery adventure. The cover, by Bill Weaver, captures the playful chill of the moment.
Oswald the Rabbit is desperate to ditch a hideous umbrella stand Aunt Agnes gave him—especially now that she’s coming to visit. With help from Floyd and Lloyd, he tries to dispose of it, but things go hilariously awry when the stand ends up fifty feet below the surface of a lake.
Chilly Willy arrives in the U.S. from the South Pole to visit his friend Homer Pigeon, sharing the curious tale behind his icy reputation. As the day unfolds, a mix-up with the zoo keeper lands Chilly in a cold enclosure meant for penguins—much to the confusion of Paul, Joe, Bill, and Bobo, while the giraffe watches on.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The series that became Walter Lantz New Funnies had deep roots: it began as The Funnies in 1936, switched to the New Funnies banner with issue #65 in July 1942, and was retitled Walter Lantz New Funnies starting with issue #109 in March 1946, at which point the book became almost exclusively a home for Lantz's animated stable of characters. By 1954, Dell was producing the title in partnership with Western Publishing — Dell financing and distributing, Western handling production — an arrangement that was one of the most commercially successful in the history of American comics. Individual story and art credits for issue #212 are unattributed in surviving records, which was standard practice for Dell/Western funny-animal books of the era; Carl Fallberg's production notes are cited by the Grand Comics Database as a source for certain story titles in the run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Second comic book appearance of Chilly Willy (debuted in Walter Lantz New Funnies #211, September 1954), making #212 the character's immediate follow-up appearance.
- Contains Chilly Willy's first origin story in comics: he visits Homer Pigeon in the United States and recounts why, as a penguin, he is always cold — a narrative that cemented his core character concept on the page.
- Chilly appears as a guest within the 'Homer Pigeon' feature, not yet headlining his own strip; the GCD notes he would achieve his own solo feature by issue #222 and ultimately replace Homer Pigeon's long-standing slot.
- The Chilly Willy comic appearances in New Funnies #211–#212 preceded the theatrical release of the Walter Lantz animated short 'I'm Cold,' placing print ahead of screen for the character's broader public introduction.
- Also features Woody Woodpecker (including a story involving the first appearance of a recurring character, Lucius La Luscious), Knothead and Splinter, Oswald the Rabbit, and Andy Panda — the full mid-1950s Lantz anthology roster.
- Published at 36 pages, full color, cover-dated October 1954, by Dell Publishing Co. as part of the Walter Lantz New Funnies series (Dell, 1946 series).
- Content from this issue was later reprinted in Walter Lantz Woody Woodpecker #107 (Dell), confirming the stories had lasting editorial value within the Dell/Western publishing pipeline.
- The series ran continuously from issue #109 through #288, when Dell and Western Publishing parted ways; Walter Lantz New Funnies never resumed under the subsequent Gold Key regime.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Walter Lantz Woody Woodpecker #107 (1969)
Key issues in Walter Lantz New Funnies
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