Number 952


Klaus Nordling's Barker is no dummy!


Klaus Nordling, who was born in Finland but emigrated to the U.S. as a child, was an important artist in the Will Eisner studios from 1939 until the 1970s. He drew Lady Luck for Eisner's Spirit Section. He also drew other characters for Quality Comics, using his smooth ink line and cartooning skills on several features, including Pen Miller and the Barker. This story is from The Barker #7, in 1948. The Barker was Carnie Callahan, who presided over a carnival sideshow of characters.

In this story Nordling draws a sexy ventriloquist's dummy, Lulu Belle, who uses "her" sex appeal to separate suckers from their money. Nordling made Lulu Belle a vamp while also showing she was clearly a dummy. Her ventriloquist had some special equipment installed to make her more human, and even the Barker, no dummy he, is fooled for a time.

Nordling died in 1986, age 76.

I showed another Barker story in Pappy's #718.