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Lank Leonard - Mickey Finn -

Artist: Lank Leonard (All)

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Artwork Details

Title:	Lank Leonard - Mickey Finn -
Artist:	Lank Leonard (All)
Media Type:	Ink Wash
Art Type:	Comic Strip
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	151
Likes on CAF:	0 1
Comments:	1
Added to Site:	10/12/2021
Comic Art Archive:

Description

I had never heard of Mickey Finn until these strips popped up (inexpensively) on ebay in the early 2000s -- even though it must have been a popular strip, syndicated from the 1930s until the 1970s!� I ended up with about 10 originals,�mostly undated,�but my guess is from the '40s.

Though it has elements of a crime strip, Mickey Finn feels like more of a cozy, working-class character strip -- more along the lines of Gasoline Alley, or Bringing Up Father than Dick Tracy. It's a reminder of the�readership demographic that made the funnies such an important feature of newspapers going back to the Yellow Kid.� The graphic style is halfway between illustrational and cartoony -- a little like Ham Fisher, maybe -- a style that seems to have been out of fashion in newspaper strips for decades. The drawing is a bit stiff, and the strip overall is on the bland side, but pleasant, and with some period charm ("I wouldn't go out on a night like this if I had a date with Hedy Lamarr")� It's a clean line style, given depth and tone by Leonard's nice use of ink washes over zipatone -- an unusual technique in comic strips as far as I can tell. I can't imagine how these delicate tones survived the newsprint reproduction process, but they give the originals a lovely quality.�

Anyone with more insights about the strip, let me know!

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About the Owner

	Dan Mazur
Joined:	November 2020
Last Login:	September 2025
Website:	http://www.danmazurcomics.com/
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 10/12/2021

It's tough to find a wingman on a rainy night, but it takes him 4 tries instead of the customary 3 for the classic comedic beat. A strip for that age is a window and reflection of life during that era.

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