Walter Lantz Woody Woodpecker #73

Walter Lantz Woody Woodpecker issue number 73 was published by Dell Comics in 1957. During this era, Dell was the primary publisher for Walter Lantz’s animated characters, distributing high-circulation comic books that served as an extension of the popular theatrical shorts. These comics were part of the Dell Four Color series or standalone titles that aimed to bring the slapstick humor of the screen to a printed medium for a younger audience.

The character Woody Woodpecker, originally created in 1940, had evolved significantly by the late fifties, and the comic book iterations reflected the refined, cleaner animation style favored by Lantz’s studio at the time. The artwork was handled by the studio’s pool of talented comics illustrators who maintained a visual continuity with the films. While these issues were primarily viewed as disposable entertainment for children, they are now valued by collectors as artifacts of mid-century American animation and the golden age of licensed character comic books.