Number 408


Two Dukes and Dopes


The Duke and the Dope was a feature from Giggle Comics, drawn and lettered, and also likely written, by animator/cartoonist Ken Hultgren.

If you Google Hultgren's name you find references to books on drawing he wrote, including one still in print from Dover Books, and animation he worked on, but I wasn't able to find any dates, like birth and (presumably) death. About all I know about his comic art besides these stories from Giggle is that he drew the Bambi Four-Color #12 for Dell in 1942. Here's a page scanned from the last Whitman Bambi reprint from 1984.


Hultgren worked for Disney for many years, including the years Carl Barks was with the studio, and probably when Walt Kelly was there, too. If you can confirm that or give me any other information on Hultgren please do.

I like these stories, scanned from Giggle Comics #52 and #54, April and June 1948, respectively. I think they're funny, and the artwork has a Walt Kelly touch to it, especially in the inking, and most especially around the eyes.