I can be a mean bastard, but this cover makes even my icy heart thaw a bit – M-G-M’s Lassie #31

Awwww. I mean, really…

Awwww.

And a big thanks to the mysterious “Suzie” who affixed her signatute to this wonderful cover (from artist Mo Gollub — what a name — who did so many classic painted covers from this era).

Sadly, there’s no Lassie rescue of a drowning fawn in any of the stories inside. Instead we find the world’s most famous dog fighting evil in South America and at one point even racing a train(!). Lassie might not be more powerful than a locomotive or faster than a speeding bullet, but she seems to be faster than a locomotive. I guess that counts for something.

I didn’t scan anything from any of the Lassie stories. They’re a little stiff, and it’s hard to build a lot of drama with a character that just stands around most of the time and has dialogue like “Ruff!” and “Awoo!” Seeing Lassie stalking around, smelling things and warning of danger appears to be best suited to the realm of the moving picture.

I did, however, enjoy a brief four-page story towards the back of the book that’s Lassie-less. Check it out for yourself — it stars a black panther. Not the T’Challa brand, but the real thing:

I also liked the Dell “Pledge to Parents” on the inside of the back cover:

You won’t find any of the pederastic undercurrents of Batman and Robin in a Dell book!

Finally, here’s an ad for a Schwinn bicycle (a Phantom — oooh!):

I like how it’s advertised that it can carry luggage. When I read “luggage,” I think steamer trunks, not the books and baseball mitts that might have been lugged around on one of these.

Man, that’s a cute cover.