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COMIC BOOK REVIEW! CAMP RUNAMUCK #1, APRIL 1966 (Dell Comics)

I'm sure most of you remember CAMP RUNAMUCK if only due to Adny Shernoff's remarks about it in PUNK magazine's "Drunk as a Skunk" contest, but I sure recall the days when it was on and... Well, I was hoping that the show would have focused on the comings and goings of the young 'uns who inhabited the camp gettin' into all kindsa kiddoid hijinx, but as far as I remember it was more or less centered around the less-than-exciting adults who ran the place! Naturally that small sad fact made it a grown up program at least in my household and I quickly ditched the show preferring to stay locked in my rook playing with my dinky. 

Come to think of it not only did I tune out on CAMP RUNAMUCK but a good portion of the NBC sitcoms that popped up during the 1965-66 season as well, including such shows as GET SMART (which I "got into" during its final year on NBC and sole one on CBS --- go figure!) and CAPTAIN NICE (editor's note --- actually that 'un was on in 1967) which for the life of me I don't even remember being on the air. At least I got my share of downhome laffs watching OZZIE AND HARRIET over at ABC not forgetting that all time laff fest GILLIGAN'S ISLAND!

This comic does the series much better not only because (for once) the Dell artwork reflects a funny comic book-y feeling but the kids do seem to be a whole lot more present here than they seemed to be in the tee-vee series! Or so I think since, like I told ya, I tuned out rather post-haste on this 'un which, come to think of it, so did many other disgruntled suburban slobs which mighta resulted in the dismal ratings. The stories here are good 'nuff kiddie camp hijinx too where the staff takes 'em on a canoe ride which of course turns into one of those funtime disasters that the kids actually groove to, while the other has the staff getting caught up in a trap and being rescued by the gals from nearby Camp Devine. Not what I would call rip-roarin' funny but still better'n some of the humor that Dell was plopping onto the kids back during them days when Gold Key stole their thunder and the once-leader was left to flop around for a few years before finally takin' the ol' deep six route.

Hey, after all these years I forgot that former LAUGH IN/PARTRIDGE FAMILY reg'lar Dave Madden popped up here as one of the counselors! Sheesh, with that sorta credentials you woulda thunk that CAMP RUNAMUCK woulda been syndicated from here to Fanabla and back! Who knows, this 'un might pop up somewhere on the cathode connection one of these years, probably on one of those stations that feature those Shriners Hospital ads with those two kids who Brad Kohler can't stand because they actually like to get dressed up and be operated on.