ABBIE an' SLATS

Abbie an' Slats is an American comic strip which ran from July 12, 1937, to January 30, 1971. It was distributed by United Feature Syndicate. The story begins with stubborn, street-wise Aubrey Eustace Scrapple, aka Slats, recently orphaned in New York. Arriving by train in the small town of Crabtree Corners, where he was met by his older cousin, the spinster Abigail Scrapple, aka Abbie. Slats joined the household that also included Abbie's sister, the prim and proper Sally. Slats made an enemy of skinflint Jasper Hagstone when he drove into Hagstone's limousine while trying to avoid running over a dog. However, Hagstone's daughter, Judy, became the object of Slats' affection. Later, Becky Groggins became Slats' sweetheart. Becky's father, J. Pierpont "Bathless" Groggins, eventually became the central character of the Sunday strip. The strip was Capp's idea; he intended to start a second strip after the success of his popular Li'l Abner. Instead of drawing it himself, Capp recruited well-established freelance magazine illustrator Van Buren. Initially, Van Buren turned down Capp's offer, but he was lured by the prospect of steady work. The strip was widely syndicated to 400 newspapers, but it never equaled the popularity of Li'l Abner. Capp abandoned the strip in 1945, turning the writing chores over to his brother Elliot Caplin. Taking on Andy Sprague as an assistant in 1947, Van Buren continued to draw the strip, and it ended with his retirement in 1971. Van Buren continued Abbie an' Slats for 34 years, retiring in 1971. The National Cartoonists Society named him to their Hall of Fame in 1979. Out Of Print. Condition: Fine. Light edge and cover wear. Bumped corners.