Stolzer, Rob :: Comic Strip Art

Ginger Meggs (Us Fellers) by JC Bancks - 1934

Artists: Jimmy (JC) Bancks (All) , JC Bancks (All)

4 Comments - 6,873 Views - 0 Like

Ginger Meggs (Us Fellers) by JC Bancks - 1934 Comic Art

Click Image to View Full Size

Additional Images:

Jimmy Bancks - Panel Details - 7 & 8

Jimmy Bancks - Panel Detail - 11

1934 Ginger Meggs Printed Strip from Annual

Previous Item:
Wally Bishop - Muggs McGinnis - Depression Era

Next Item:
Fanny Cory - Little Miss Muffet - 1947

Artwork Details

Title:	Ginger Meggs (Us Fellers) by JC Bancks - 1934
Artist:	Jimmy (JC) Bancks (All)
Artist:	JC Bancks (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Comic Strip
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	6,873
Likes on CAF:	0 1
Comments:	4
Added to Site:	7/26/2007
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Ginger Meggs, the character created by JC (Jimmy) Bancks in 1921, is one of the most well known comic strip characters from Australia. The strip was originally titled Us Fellers, but was renamed Ginger Meggs when it was clear that the character's popularity was the main driving force behind the strip. Bancks' work was character-driven, though his artwork had the animated line quality of Percy Crosby's Skippy. Fans were truly drawn to the language, wit and goings-on of Ginger.

This particular example, from August 7, 1934, features Ginger and Raggsey, as Ginger shows was a truly good guy he could be. It also features two of my favorites--Tony the monkey and Mike the dog--throughout the strip. Bancks' original artwork is very scarce. This is the first I've seen in all my years of collecting. The additional image in this gallery was scanned from the rare copy of More Adventures of Ginger Meggs, the 1935 annual; #12 in the series. What follows is a biography of JC Bancks, as lifted from Lambiek's site:

James Charles Bancks (1889-1952), or Jimmy Bancks for short, was born in 1889 as the son of an Irish railway worker in New South Wales, Australia. He left school at the age of fourteen, to start working for a finance company. His first illustration was published in 1914, in The Arrow, after which more publications followed and Jimmy Bancks was employed at The Bulletin, where he stayed until 1922. At the same time he submitted cartoons to the Sydney Sunday Sun, where he published 'Us Fellers', in 1921. Bancks developed it into 'Ginger Meggs', which became one of Australia's most popular comic strips.

In 1923, Bancks created 'The Blimps' for the Melbourne Sun; this daily strip ran until 1925, when he came up with 'Mr. Melbourne Day By Day' for the Melbourne Sun-Pictorial. Len Reynolds and Harry Mitchell wrote the texts for this strip.

Jimmy Bancks continued working on 'Ginger Meggs' until he passed away on July 1, 1952, from a heart attack.

The comic strip's popularity started lagging in the 1980s, until being taken over by James Kemsley, who not only revived the strip's fortunes, but created the daily strip format of Meggs. Kemsley sadly passed away on December 3, 2007, at the too young age of 59. The strip will continue with its fifth creator, Jason Chatfield.

For more information about the history of Ginger Meggs and his creator Jimmy Bancks, check out this extensive page.

Social/Sharing

About the Owner

	Rob Stolzer Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	September 2004
Last Login:	September 2025
Ebay Id:	robart
Website:	https://freeassociationfunnies.com/
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Rob's Classifieds Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF Read More About RobStolzer

Contact the Owner

Use can use a contact form to send an email to this gallery owner,
but, you must be logged in to use this feature.

Comments on this Artwork

You must be logged in to make comments.

Michael Bair
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 7/26/2007

Fantastic..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daniel Best
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 8/1/2007

Brilliant!!! If you ever decide to part with that then let me know and I'll happily double any offer you get.

Rarebit Fiend
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 8/4/2012

Wow, wow, and WOW again!! What an unbelievable quality! The only Bancks original I ever saw.

George Hagenauer
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 2/19/2024

rarely see ginger meggs esepcially of this vintage congrats!

All
	sly design 9/6/2025 3:39:00 AM
	Bob Goerder 9/6/2025 3:33:00 AM
	Dennis Books 9/6/2025 3:10:00 AM
	Randy Allman 9/6/2025 2:54:00 AM
	Richard Donnelly 9/6/2025 2:53:00 AM
View All


	Stefan H 9/6/2025 2:17:00 AM
	David F. 9/6/2025 1:44:00 AM
	Gio Scarp 9/6/2025 1:38:00 AM
	--J S-- 9/6/2025 1:24:00 AM
	Sam Casciato 9/6/2025 12:38:00 AM