Obscurity of the Day: Tode Tuttle


Here’s an obscure little panel cartoon that ran from 1940 to 1946. It’s distinguished, I think, from the kajillion other little panels of this type (Abe Martin, Country Parson, Aunt Het, etc) by the really nice crisp artwork of Ralph Kemp (of whom I know nothing except that he did this feature).

The feature started with the Jones Syndicate. They only had two features that I know of; this one and Dinky Dinkerton. The Todester switched away from Jones to General Features sometime around 1942-43, and Ralph Kemp apparently took a powder in 1945. In 1946 the panel was credited to Al Woods.

If anyone can supply more information on this feature or its creators I’d love to hear from you.

3 comments on “Obscurity of the Day: Tode Tuttle

  1. Allan,

    Ralph Kemp was born near Lewis Creek, Shelby County, Indiana, in 1902. He moved around a lot as a child but managed to graduate from Morristown High School in the county of his birth. He had a varied career outside cartooning, working as a publicist, realtor, and operator of a resort and a couple of taverns. He died in Mazatlan, Mexico, in February 1964.

    TH

  2. Yesterday I bought a bag of items from a yard sale in Rushville, IN. There are several items, including Mr Kemp's obit and a letter to his wife, Crystal about it. She kept the obit and photos of herself with a large shark and a fish she caught in Florida from newspaper articles. I thought this might interest someone. Thank you, Nancy A Meiring

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