Basil the Royal... Hobo?

 

cover art by Tony DeAngelo

The third and final Basil story found in the first issue of Basil the Royal Cat (January 1953) continues to show the same mix of charm and slapstick humor that made the first two stories so entertaining. Tom DeAngelo continues to provide the solid artwork and I would presume the same unidentified writer provided the script. 

Basil is still stuck in the United States with no money, no food and no one who believes he's a king. He hooks up with a couple of hoboes and ALMOST manages to bum a meal off them before they pull him aboard a passing train. They are racing fans and this train is on its way to Indianapolis ("Indian-Apples?" asks Basil. "Where is that?")

They get kicked from the train and Basil knocks on the door of a home in hopes of trading some work for a meal. That house happens to be the home of a car designer named Jet-Cat, who has build a car so fast that no driver wants to risk driving it. But without the prize money from the race, Jet-Cat and his pretty daughter will lose their home!

So when Basil knocks on the door, he's assumed to be a race car driver. Before he knows it, he's racing in the Indy 500. 

The car, predictable, goes out of control, crashing out of the race track, through a barn and literally across half the country. Basil, who has been desperately trying to find the brakes, accidentally extends a pair of wings that turn the car into an airplane.

You would think that Basil would have been briefed on all this by Jet-Cat before the race, but there you have it.

By chance, he ends up back over the race track just as he's running out of gas. He lands on the track, crosses the finish line and is declared the winner.

I'm not a race car expert, but I'm not sure leaving the track and FLYING back into the race would be considered legal. On the other hand, he did travel at least 500 miles around the country--probably more--before getting to the finish line. And no one seems to have a problem with him being the winner. So there you have it.

I guess I sound like I'm making fun of the story, but these absurdities are a part of its humor and its charm. They are strengths, not plot holes.

Basil is about to take part in a victory dinner, but the two hoboes from earlier spot a cop and pull Basil along as they run for it. The poor king still doesn't get a meal.

I've said "charm and humor" twice already, but it really is the best way of describing the Basil stories. They are sweet and funny examples of the sweet and funny animal stories that were common in the 1940s and 1950s, but have sadly faded from the cultural landscape.

You can read this story HERE.

Basil the Royal Cat ran for a total of four issues. We are leaving Basil here, but the other issues are also worth reading. The first story in the second issue still has Basil in the U.S., but he's somehow acquired a bag of money and a bag of food in between stories. (Finally contacted his embassy, perhaps?) After that, he's back in his own kingdom, dealing with warmongers, counterfeiters and other villains. 

For us, we will be moving on to the Wild West and seeing what Jonah Hex is up to.