I love discovering obscure characters that have since vanished into Comic Book Limbo. And, by golly, I've found another who is worthy of standing side-by-side with Tommy the Time Traveling Cat or Travelin' Toughy.
Today, we examine the origin of Sir Spot, the Lion-Hearted Leopard, who first appeared in Animal Fair #1 (March 1946). The artist is Bill Bailey and the writer is unidentified.
A leopard named Freckles, who loves poetry, is picked on by bullies. In response, he's found a hidden location in the woods where he dons a cape and mask, then practices swashbuckling moves with a sword.
But, alas, Freckles knows he's too scared to ever really become a brave knight.
Until the opportunity is thrust upon him. A messenger from the queen stumbles up to Freckles, needing help. With no other choice, Freckles fights the soldiers pursuing the messenger. To his surprise, he wins! All that practice pays off.
Information in the scroll being carried by the messenger leads newly-confident Freckles (though we can now call him Sir Spot) to a castle, where the queen is being held by an evil duke. Sir Spot jumps the wall, takes out some guards, rescues a maid, encounters the duke, defeats him and then discovers the maid is really the queen in disguise.
The graceful queen knights Sir Spot, but Freckles decides that he should keep his knightly identity a secret. He'll be around for more adventueres.
His origin story is pretty cool, with Bailey's artwork endowing the story with energy and a sense of adventure. Sir Spot would go on to have stories in all 11 issues of Animal Fair, which you can read online HERE. He also later appeared in two issues of Fawcett's Funny Animals (#63 & #67). I haven't found these issues online, so I can't confirm whether they are new stories or reprints from Animal Fair, though both have different titles than any of the Animal Fair tales.
Next week, we'll return to the early days of Timely (later Marvel) Comics and visit with the original Human Torch.
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