Walter Lantz Woody Woodpecker #148

Woody Woodpecker #148 was published in 1968 by Gold Key Comics, a division of Western Publishing that held the long-standing license to adapt Walter Lantz's animated characters into print. By the late 1960s, these comics were aimed primarily at a younger demographic, moving away from the more anarchic tone of the original theatrical cartoons toward standardized, family-friendly adventures. The issue serves as a quintessential example of the post-Code era of licensed animation comics, where the focus shifted toward simple, episodic storytelling suited for the newsstand market.

The interior artwork for these Gold Key titles was typically produced by a rotation of studio staff and freelance artists who were required to maintain the specific, rigid aesthetic established by the Lantz studio. While individual stories within issue #148 were rarely credited to specific illustrators in the era's standard practice, the visual language remains consistent with the house style of Western Publishing's comic department. The issue is regarded today as a nostalgic artifact of a mid-century period where televised animation and comic book distribution were tightly integrated cultural pillars.