Little Iodine
Encyclopedia
Little Iodine was a popular Sunday comic strip
, created by Jimmy Hatlo
, which was syndicated by King Features
and had a long run from 1943 until 1985. The strip was a spin-off from an earlier Hatlo creation.
, Little Iodine was the daughter of Henry Tremblechin and his wife, Cora. Her purpose was to serve as a pesky nuisance to the strip's star, Henry, and her behavior caused endless misery for her mild-mannered, easily unsettled father.
However, Iodine proved to be popular in her own right, stealing the strip from her parents, so Hatlo promoted the character into her own strip in 1943. Iodine's antics gave the Sunday comics
page a female precursor to Hank Ketcham
's Dennis the Menace
. From 1943 to 1966, Little Iodine was written and drawn by Hatlo, who said, "I tried to make her the embodiment of all the brats I knew... I tried to make her naughty as hell—and still likable."
Al Scaduto also contributed to the strip in 1966, with Hy Eisman
and Bob Dunn
taking the strip from 1967 through its end in 1985. Iodine also appeared in a series of 56 Dell Comics
between 1949 and 1962.
, her husband, Charles Rogers and Columbia
executive Ralph Cohn, produced a 56-minute feature film, Little Iodine, starring Hobart Cavanaugh
as Henry, Irene Ryan
as Cora and Jo Ann Marlowe as Little Iodine.
In the movie, Iodine thinks that her mother is having an affair with Professor Simkins (Leon Belasco). Consequently, she tries one antic after another to break up the adulterous couple. Her efforts backfire when they cause conflict between Henry and his employer, Mr. Bigdome (Emory Parnell
).
The film was scheduled for release earlier than October 20, 1946 (its actual distribution date), but that date was postponed due to an epidemic of polio that prevented children across the United States from attending films. The film is currently believed to be lost.
. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, California: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 978-0-9700077-0-4
Sunday strip
A Sunday strip is a newspaper comic strip format, where comic strips are printed in the Sunday newspaper, usually in a special section called the Sunday comics, and virtually always in color. Some readers called these sections the Sunday funnies...
, created by Jimmy Hatlo
Jimmy Hatlo
James Cecil Hatlo , better known as Jimmy Hatlo, was an American cartoonist who created in 1929 the long-running comic strip and gag panel They'll Do It Every Time, which he wrote and drew until his death in 1963...
, which was syndicated by King Features
King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
and had a long run from 1943 until 1985. The strip was a spin-off from an earlier Hatlo creation.
Characters and story
First seen during the 1930s in a supporting role in Hatlo's popular gag panel, They'll Do It Every TimeThey'll Do It Every Time
They'll Do It Every Time was a single-panel newspaper comic strip, created by Jimmy Hatlo, which had a long run over eight decades. It first appeared on February 5, 1929 and continued until February 2, 2008. The title of the strip became a popular catchphrase, still used today by many people who...
, Little Iodine was the daughter of Henry Tremblechin and his wife, Cora. Her purpose was to serve as a pesky nuisance to the strip's star, Henry, and her behavior caused endless misery for her mild-mannered, easily unsettled father.
However, Iodine proved to be popular in her own right, stealing the strip from her parents, so Hatlo promoted the character into her own strip in 1943. Iodine's antics gave the Sunday comics
Sunday comics
Sunday comics is the commonly accepted term for the full-color comic strip section carried in most American newspapers. Many newspaper readers called this section the Sunday funnies, the funny papers or simply the funnies....
page a female precursor to Hank Ketcham
Hank Ketcham
Henry King "Hank" Ketcham was an American cartoonist who created the Dennis the Menace comic strip, writing and drawing it from 1951 to 1994, when he retired from drawing the daily page and took up painting full time in his studio at his home. He received the Reuben Award for the strip in 1953...
's Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace (U.S.)
Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written and illustrated by Hank Ketcham. It debuted on March 12, 1951 in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate...
. From 1943 to 1966, Little Iodine was written and drawn by Hatlo, who said, "I tried to make her the embodiment of all the brats I knew... I tried to make her naughty as hell—and still likable."
Al Scaduto also contributed to the strip in 1966, with Hy Eisman
Hy Eisman
Hy Eisman is an American cartoonist who wrote and drew the Sunday strips The Katzenjammer Kids and Popeye. In December 2008, Eisman was the first to introduce the character of Bluto to the Popeye Sunday page...
and Bob Dunn
Bob Dunn (cartoonist)
Bob Dunn was an American cartoonist, entertainer and gagwriter who drew several comic strips.In addition to his own strips, Dunn was known for his work on Jimmy Hatlo's Little Iodine and They'll Do It Every Time.King Features syndicated Dunn's Just the Type from May 5, 1946 to November 24, 1963...
taking the strip from 1967 through its end in 1985. Iodine also appeared in a series of 56 Dell Comics
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
between 1949 and 1962.
Film adaptation
In 1946, Comet Productions, a company established by Mary PickfordMary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
, her husband, Charles Rogers and Columbia
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
executive Ralph Cohn, produced a 56-minute feature film, Little Iodine, starring Hobart Cavanaugh
Hobart Cavanaugh
Hobart Cavanaugh was an American character actor in films and on stage.Born in Virginia City, Nevada, Cavanaugh made his film debut in San Francisco Nights...
as Henry, Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan was an American actress, one of the few entertainers who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television and Broadway....
as Cora and Jo Ann Marlowe as Little Iodine.
In the movie, Iodine thinks that her mother is having an affair with Professor Simkins (Leon Belasco). Consequently, she tries one antic after another to break up the adulterous couple. Her efforts backfire when they cause conflict between Henry and his employer, Mr. Bigdome (Emory Parnell
Emory Parnell
Emory Parnell was an American vaudevillian and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36 year career...
).
The film was scheduled for release earlier than October 20, 1946 (its actual distribution date), but that date was postponed due to an epidemic of polio that prevented children across the United States from attending films. The film is currently believed to be lost.
Sources
Strickler, DaveDave Strickler
Dave Strickler is a reference librarian noted for his compilation of Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924–1995: The Complete Index, regarded as a major reference work by researchers and historians of newspaper comic strips....
. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, California: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 978-0-9700077-0-4
External links
- Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry
- Review of the Little Iodine movie at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...