Clicking on the following links or images will take you to the different Harvey Comics collections covered in this section:
Harvey Comics was founded in the early 1940s by Alfred Harvey and his brothers Leon and Robert. Initially, the company focused mostly on producing superhero comics; however, in the late 1940s, it shifted its focus to more lighthearted, kid-friendly fare, which proved to be much more successful. Some of the company’s most famous characters from this era included Casper, Sad Sack, Little Dot and Little Audrey. Later, many other spin-off characters were introduced, such as Baby Huey, Richie Rich, Little Lotta and Hot Stuff. These Harvey comics were wildly popular and led to explosive growth of the company,
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Because of changing tastes, Harvey Comics began to struggle in the early 1990s and eventually went out of business in 1994. However, the characters and stories created by the company continue to be beloved by fans around the world and have influenced generations of cartoonists and animators.
Some of the Harvey characters formed part of a comic-book ‘family’, i.e., they often crossed over into each other’s comics. One family was Casper, Spooky and Wendy, while another family was Little Dot, Little Lotta and (sometimes) Richie Rich. Although Sad Sack was not part of a comics ‘family’, he had a wide range of supporting characters (such as the Sarge), many of whom appeared in their own stories.
Of all the cartoon comics I read while growing up, I thought that the Harvey comics were the cutest. Reading them even now is a joyful experience and brings back fond memories of my childhood. I have selected my favorite comic titles for inclusion on my lists, and I hope others will enjoy browsing through the lists I have compiled. I also have a large digital collection of comics and would be happy to share some of them with my fellow comic lovers – please fill out this form if interested.
Please see below for a brief summary of the different Harvey comics covered on this site (in chronological order of the first Harvey appearance of each character).
Sad Sack (1949): Sad Sack is Harvey’s earliest and longest-running character, a hapless soldier always getting into trouble. He was created by George Baker for comic strips published during WW II. The Sad Sack comic book debuted in 1949, but the first 11 issues were reprinted comic strips. Sad Sack #12 (1951) was the first issue with original stories. Also, Sad Sack was a civilian in the first 21 issues (since WW II had ended), but re-enlisted in the military in issue #22 and remained there for the rest of his comics history.
Little Dot (1949): Little Dot was created by Alfred Harvey and Vic Herman and first published as a supporting feature in Sad Sack Comics in 1949. At the time, she was referred to as “Li’l Dot”. In 1953, she was given her own self-titled Harvey series which lasted for nearly 25 years. Little Dot’s stories often center around her collection of dots, which she sees everywhere and tries to collect in any way she can.
Little Audrey (1952): Little Audrey was created as an animated cartoon character in the 1940s. She quickly gained a following thanks to her charming personality and relatable stories, and began to be featured in comics published by St. John Publications. In 1952, Harvey Comics acquired the rights to the character and started a long series of comic books titled Little Audrey at first and later as Playful Little Audrey.
Casper (1952): Casper (“the Friendly Ghost”) is a beloved American comic book and animated character, known for his innocent and gentle nature. He was created by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo, and was first published in comics form in 1949 by St. John Publications. His first appearance in Harvey Comics was as a backup feature in Little Audrey in 1952. Shortly thereafter he got his own Harvey comic book, which quickly became one of their most successful titles.
Baby Huey (1952): Baby Huey (“the Baby Giant”) was created by Martin Taras and first appeared in the pages of Little Audrey in 1952. He is a gigantic and naïve duckling cartoon character of enormous weight and tremendous strength. Baby Huey’s popularity led to his being featured in his own comic book series in 1956, which ran until 1994.
Richie Rich (1953): Richie Rich (“the Poor Little Rich Boy”) was first published by Harvey Comics in 1953 as a backup feature in Little Dot #1. The striking features of the character were his extreme wealth and extravagant lifestyle, as well as his generosity and kindness. It took seven more years before Richie got his own Harvey title in 1960, but his popularity grew rapidly and he became Harvey’s most successful character.
Little Lotta (1953): Little Lotta was first published by Harvey Comics in 1953 as a backup feature in Little Dot #1 (along with Richie Rich). A couple of years later, she had her own Harvey title, which lasted for over 20 years. The character is known for her enormous weight, incredible strength and insatiable appetite, which often leads to humorous situations. Little Lotta’s stories often center around her love for food and her desire to help others.
Spooky (1953): Spooky (“the Tuff Little Ghost”) made his debut in 1953 as a supporting character in Casper #10. He is Casper’s cousin, although their exact relationship is not clear. The character is a mischievous ghost who enjoys playing pranks and scaring people. Two years after his debut, Spooky got his own Harvey title in 1955, which lasted for 25 years.
Wendy (1954): Wendy (“the Good Little Witch”) was introduced in 1954 as a back-up feature as well as Casper’s companion in Casper #20. The character is a friendly witch who uses her magic powers for good and often helps her friends and family. After several solo appearances in Harvey Hits, Wendy received her own Harvey title in 1960.
Hot Stuff (1957): Hot Stuff (“the Little Devil”) was created by the legendary artist Warren Kremer for Harvey Comics in 1957. Hot Stuff was the only Harvey character to make his debut in his own self-titled comic book rather than as a backup or supporting character. He is depicted as a cute and mischievous little devil who is always getting into trouble, but ultimately means well.