Johnson, Alex :: My Art Collection - Sheldon Mayer Tributes - Faux Sugar and Spike #100 Covers

Sugar and Spike #100 Cover featuring Toon Fred and Sheldon's Characters by Fred Hembeck

Artist: Fred Hembeck (All)

10 Comments - 5,958 Views - 3 Likes

Sugar and Spike #100 Cover featuring Toon Fred and Sheldon's Characters by Fred Hembeck Comic Art

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Additional Images:

Note from Fred

2012-03-10 - New Paltz - Fred Hembeck and Joe Staton

Kyle Chaney - Less saturated Colors

Kyle Chaney - Saturated Colors

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Sugar and Spike #100 Cover featuring Gronk & Co. by Katie Cook

Artwork Details

Title:	Sugar and Spike #100 Cover featuring Toon Fred and Sheldon's Characters by Fred Hembeck
Artist:	Fred Hembeck (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Commission
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	5,958
Likes on CAF:	3 4
Favorited on CAF:	1
Comments:	10
Added to Site:	12/21/2009
Comic Art Archive:

Description

My wonderful wife, Kathy, bought me a great 27th anniversary present

I spoke to Fred on and off for a year or so about a Sugar & Spike centered drawing. We decided on a "cover" that featured Toon Fred, S&S, and other Sheldon Mayer related characters.

What he delivered is wonderful. We have, in no particular order

Toon Fred, in uniform, trying to earn a little Christmas cash
S&S in his lap determining the reality of this Santa guy
Bernie the Brain over TF's shoulder
TF's elf-girl assistant
The Three Mouseketeers running away with gifts from Santa's bag
Dinky Jibblet waiting to see Santa
Scribbly Jibblet annoyed to be waiting in line with his little brother and oblivious to the surroundings. One more reason "Big Brother's Leave Home."
The Red Tomata, err..., Tornado in uniform and ready to chase those criminal mice
The Cyclone Kids, RT's assistants,
Superman
Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern on the down escalator
S&S Parents on the up escalator

You'll notice that this is the cover of the non-existent S&S 100 and features the story "Claus and Effect".

For those that don't know,

Toon Fred is a classic Hembeck character with a long publishing history of his own. You can check him out in The Nearly Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus. It's available from Fred at the link AND you can have a sketch included.
Sugar & Spike are Mayer's most popular creation and their stories stand today. I wish I could point you more than one collection of S&S (or even just Mayer) goodness, but DC made only one Sugar & Spike Archive. You can also read a one page story here and you will find stories by Mayer in the Smithsonian Book of Comic Book Stories and The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics
The Three Mouseketeers are another Mayer creation again no dedicated collection, but the TOON book mentioned above has a story.
Scribbly (and Dinky) are part of Mayer's semi-autobiographical strip featuring a young cartoonist. In many ways, I think Scribbly is his best work. The Smithsonian book has a story.
The Red Tornado, Ma Hunkel in costume, is perhaps Mayer's greatest super-hero or not. The Smithsonian features her origin. The Cyclone Kids (Dinky Jibblet and Sisty Hunkel, Ma's daughter) are her able assistants.
Superman, a hero of comic's Golden Age, was made famous by Sheldon Mayer, The Man Who Saved Superman. Mayer pulled Supes off the stack of rejected strips and got him the cover of Action #1. The rest is history.
Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern were all created and published under Mayer's guidance. It can be argued that he is as responsible for their success as the creators involved with story and art.

Like the cover says, "Sensational Holiday Fun!"

PS. Drop Fred a line and buy a commission. You'll be glad you did.

PPS. I had the piece colored by Kyle Chaney. I think he did a very nice job for an extremely reasonable fee.

PPPS. Don't bother asking if my wonderful wife is available. She's not. You'll have to find your own source of comic art goodness. :)

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About the Owner

	Alex Johnson Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	January 2006
Last Login:	September 2025
Ebay Id:	alxjhnsn
Website:	http://web.mac.com/alxjhnsn
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Premium Member Q&A Alex's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF Read More About AlexJohnson

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Comments on this Artwork

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michael dunne
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 12/22/2009

First, you have a great wife! Second, this is an absolutely great commission, extremely clever! Congratulations!

Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 12/22/2009

A cornucopia of S&S, as well as Fred Hembeck, goodness.

JONATHAN MANKUTA
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 12/22/2009

This is SO well-done, in both art and concept...Hembeck is always a favorite, as is Sugar and Spike, and this piece really is well-thought-out and wonderful...what a great gift and a great wife!

Arthur Chertowsky
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 2/1/2011

Fred created a Christmas miracle here. So much to look at, so funny and so sweet!

Mike W
Member Since 2007

1 - Posted on 1/4/2013

Wonderful!!!

Joe Shaffer
Member Since 2010

1 - Posted on 12/17/2015

Such a great Hembeck, congrats

Aidan (Re-Legion ) Lacy
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 12/27/2018

You NAILED it. Fantastic

Dave W
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 10/30/2019

Home Run commission idea and execution. Congrats!!!

Dave W
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 7/11/2023

Fred is a man of many talents! Congrats! Your wife done good!

Andy Wurst
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 7/14/2024

Fantastic and perfect Hembeck!

All
	Alan E 9/6/2025 12:05:00 AM
	Aidan (Re-Legion ) Lacy 9/5/2025 10:56:00 PM
	Tom McDonald 9/5/2025 10:46:00 PM
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	Chris Johnson 9/5/2025 9:08:00 PM
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