Scribbly #15 is an issue of the series Scribbly (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1952.
Synopsis for "Clover's Debut"
Part I:
Scribbly drops off Clover on his bike at her house to pick her up that night for a date. Mrs. Cooley points out that a corsage came for her, which Clover hopes is from Scribbly (despite only going to a movie,) but when her mother says it isn't, she refuses it, saying to give it to the cook (since she thinks it's from Bentley.) Her mother says she bought it for her daughter and a gown to go with it, saying that she isn't going on a date with her boyfriend, but instead she's going to have a formal coming-out-party and debut since Mr. Cooley has some sort of account set up with Bentley's uncle, Mr. Bilgewater. Clover slides down her banister to tell Scribbly to wear something nice (since he's otherwise sure to wear blue jeans,) but Mrs. Cooley states that she's there to be seen by society and that Mrs. Bilgewater is interested in eligible young men for her, mostly since Scribbly rides a bicycle. When Clover refuses to be told what to wear and that she can't bring her boyfriend, Mrs. Cooley starts loudly crying as if they've put their whole lives into such a thing and that in a free country like America, not taking the chance to improve your position makes this unpatriotic. This gives Clover a big idea and she offers that she'll have the party without Scribbly if they can put it off for a week. Thus, Clover decides she'll take one week to get Scribbly into being a part of society! She explains it all to him and Scribbly is unsure how he's supposed to manage that, though Clover offers she's seen movies about it. Thus, she says he just has to get a job in Mr. Bilgewater's office and “impress him!” Scribbly points out he likely can't just get a job that easily, but Clover offers that his office is so large that he'll never actually notice that he isn't doing any actual job. Scribbly points out the incredulity of just walking in and hoping no one will say anything, but she returns that they'll all be busy hoping he doesn't ask them what they're doing! This comes back around to him asking how he's supposed to impress him if no one's going to notice him and Clover just says he'll think of something.
Arriving at Bilgewater, Inc., but immediately gets caught when a secretary asks where he's going, since he doesn't know that he's not heading from accounting (he's currently in the accounting department,) he's not transferring from the stockroom, since it's on the other coast. Mr. Bilgewater, an elderly balding man, leans out of his office and demands a boy he rang for hours ago and he bursts in to claim that he's the one who can do it with a frantic salute, only for Mr. Bilgewater to demand that Scribbly throw out a large, fat man from his office, saying that he's trying to steal his business out from under him. Mr. Bilgewater urges him on as Scribbly goes to throw him out, only for his secretary to walk in and exclaim that that is Mr. Bilgewater! This is because the older man is the Old Mr. Bilgewater, who has long since retired, but is apparently just senile and accuses his son of being an “intruder.” Scribbly, having finished bashing the younger Mr. Bilgewater with a telephone, worries.
Part II:
The Young Mr. Bilgewater demands the cops be called, as he's being “assassinated,” prompting Scribbly to try to run and go get one. Mr. Bilgewater immediately “fires” him and orders him to get out and he mopes out into the hall where he finds Old Mr. Bilgewater again, promising him a new job. Scribbly says he wasn't that interested in having a job in all this, but wanted to impress Bilgewater. Old Mr. Bilgewater tells him that that's impossible, since Young Mr. Bilgewater is impressed by nothing less than himself, instead asking why he seeks his approval. He explains everything to Old Mr. Bilgewater and he offers he can certainly make that work, since the Bilgewaters have been doing that for years. Scribbly accepts it, but has no faith he can pull it off and walks home. That night, Scribbly meets Clover at the soda shop and says he messed everything up. She insists that it wasn't a crazy idea, it should work and that she's seen it hundreds of times. When Scribbly points out those were in movies and she's not actually helping him any but offering he start up madcap schemes, asking her to grow up, which makes her break up with him forever. The night of the coming-out-party, Scribbly mopes on the sidewalk until Bentley sits down as well, telling him that he's lost out himself due to a “dark horse” in the race. Scribbly sourly notes that the whole male population of “the 400” are there. Bentley says none of them matter compared to this dynamite guy: he's a young bachelor, cornered the stock market in two days, forced the Bilgewater family against the wall and could easily endanger their business entirely as well as Clover's! Scribbly decides he has to get busy to save her family. Thus, he changes out into a postman's costume (seemingly in the lobby) and claims he just got a different job and he has a letter for Old Mr. Bilgewater. Old Mr. Bilgewater emerges and says the two of them need to be fitted for “monkey suits” and they're soon well-tailored while Scribbly tries to explain the trouble with this “new guy” in town. Old Mr. Bilgewater tells him he'll meet him at the party and that he's been the one running things for this new guy, only to introduce Scribbly himself, revealing that he's done all of this to put Scribbly on top. Mrs. Cooley and Clover are shocked to see him at Clover's coming-out-party and Clover insists that he did and could do it after all, meaning it does happen every day. Scribbly muses that once in a lifetime is enough for him!
Appearing in "Clover's Debut"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Clover Cooley
- The Old Mr. Bilgewater
Antagonists:
- Bentley Bilgewater
- The Young Mr. Bilgewater
Other Characters:
- The Young Mr. Bilgewater's Secretary
- Mrs. Cooley
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Scribbly at Home"
Mrs. Jibbet shouts for Scribbly and Littul Snoony to throw out some junk, mostly a basket of broken toys of theirs. The two kids immediately decide that they can't throw away any of these nostalgic items of their formative years. Mrs. Jibbet tells her husband about it and he gets up to look into this, only to get caught up in looking at some of the old junk that was his once that he can't manage to part with. They start getting an idea to make a wagon with some of these wheels they've found, upsetting Mrs. Jibbet, but Wilton insists they'll find something to throw out instead. They root around their drawers and houses, producing a faded ribbon, a baby shoe, a teething ring and a broken rattle… only for Mrs. Jibbet to reveal those are nostalgic items she doesn't want to throw out (the ribbon being from their first date!) Cowed by the smiling menfolk, she sits down in a chair and tells them to go ahead and build their wagon…
Appearing in "Scribbly at Home"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Littul Snoony
- Mr. Wilton Jibbet
Antagonists:
- Mrs. Clara Jibbet
Other Characters:
- Dizzy
Locations:
Items:
- Wheels
- A Faded Ribbon
- A Disused Teething Ring
- A Baby Shoe
- A Broken Rattle
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Littul Snoony"
Littul Snoony has become enamored with his attractive young teacher, but she only points out he's not getting good grades. Snoony openly chooses to fail at class if it means getting more attention from her. Drifting out with hearts around him from the schoolhouse, upsetting Sisty who's been waiting outside for him for an hour, meaning it's too late to play ball then. Snoony insists he'll probably still be this dumb tomorrow, but Sisty says she'll have to coach him, finding he can't figure out what 1+1 is (guessing 11,) spelling cat (as “d-o-g”) and thinking the Atlantic Ocean is on the Pacific Coast. The Teacher walks by and commends his hard work and Sisty calls him a wolf for not being true to her, rolling up a sleeve. The next day, the Teacher worries for the “poor, stupid little dear…” and finds that Snoony got perfect marks! She gives him a red start of success and asks how he did it to improve so fast and he admits that his girl Sisty helped him, saying “She just said if I didn't get a star from you… I'd see stars from her!” revealing he already has a black eye…
Appearing in "Littul Snoony"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Snoony's Teacher
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- A Red Star Sticker
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Scribbly"
Littul Snoony demands help with homework from Scribbly, who tells him to basically get lost, since he's cuddling with Clover on the love seat, but Clover decides she isn't doing anything. He asks the confusing question of how to “Explain how wars start.” Clover tries to express a hypothetical situation in which America and England were quarreling, only for Scribbly to interject and say that they aren't and that if she keeps saying it, Snoony will likely start some kind of rumor. Clover tries to ignore him and continue, but when Snoony brings up America and England's “quarrel,” since they haven't been at war since 1812. He insists this is a duty as his brother, but Clover thinks it means little and they'll just end up being ignorant as each other. They start to angrily call each other stubborn and stupid and they keep fighting, threatening a break-up. Snoony walks out, thanking them that now he gets how wars start!
Appearing in "Scribbly"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Clover Cooley
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- "Clover's Debut" is a two-chapter story, with each chapter being as long as a standard Scribbly story.
- This issue also includes:
- A one-page Varsity Vic story by Henry Boltinoff.
- A one-page Bill story.
- A one-page Peg story by Henry Boltinoff.
- This marks the final run of Scribbly in his own series. He is soon remanded to a backup feature in Buzzy: America's Favorite Teen-Ager, a similar comic about mild romance and teenage hijinks and a single appearance in Leave It to Binky# 15
Trivia
- Despite the cover, Scribbly doesn't use an extendable boxing glove to defeat Bentley Bilgewater and four other boys somehow while dancing with Clover. Instead, Scribbly gets to dance with her because an old man has turned heaven and earth to make him look good, entirely without Scribbly's input.
- Despite his loud insistence that the United States of America having not been at war with the United Kingdom since 1812 is either only true on Earth-Two, since the War of 1812 famously started in 1812 and didn't end until 1814-1815 via the Treaty of Ghent. Furthermore, it did little to change the UK's views on America either: maritime belligerence continued and impressment of Americans continued, but the defeat of Emperor Napoleon of the French at the Storming of Paris.
See Also