Little Dinky Looks for a Real Job!

 

Cover Artist Unknown

A few weeks ago, I reviewed the first story in Animal Comics #4 (August-Sept 1943) and enjoyed it so much that I decided to review the rest of the issue as well, one story at a time.

This is despite the fact that the very next story involves a... a... a CAT! And cats are evil.

Oh, sure, Little Dinky plays the cute kitten card so that we don't suspect his neferious end goal of enslaving and eventually destroying humanity, but he doesn't fool me!

But I suppose he's fooled the rest of you, so I'll bite the bullet and review the story without overlaying it with any anti-cat conspiracy theories. DON'T BLAME ME WHEN THEY TAKE OVER, THOUGH!

Dinky is having a hard time finding a playmate. Her owner, Joan, is helping her Mom with housework.

Even a little chick in the barnyard has chores to do. Dinky is actually a little hurt when the chick's mother calls her a loafer!

So Dinky is now determined to do something useful, by golly! The dog tells him that a crow has been making trouble, but has been too clever for anyone to capture. Little Dinky decides to catch the crow on his own and prove he's not a loafer.

Of course, it would help if he knew what a crow looked like.

Soon, Dinky does meet the crow, but doesn't recognize what he is. The crow (given a perfect "I'm a mean-spirited bully" look by the artist) convinces the poor kitten that he needs to disguise himself as a bird AND learn to fly if he's going to catch the bird.

Dinky's not much on coming up with intelligent plans on his own, but he does discover that blind, unreasoning panic is a useful trait. When the crow attempts to push Dinky off a branch to "teach him how to fly," Dinky grabs the crow's leg, won't let go, and forces the big bully to crash to the ground. Then humans are then able to capture him. Dinky is well-rewarded for his efforts.

The script, by an unidentified writer, is straightforward, telling a simple story that's enhanced nicely by John Pabian's art. That art gives the various characters a real sense of personality, giving life to the tale, while also throwing in several really beautiful half-page panels. 

Of course, this is ignoring the obvious fact that Little Dinky is EVIL! It's tragic that I can't get anyone to see this.

We'll look at the next story in this issue of Animal Comics in a few weeks. In the meantime, you can read it online HERE. 

Next week, we'll return to Project Pegasus once more.