Having had moderate success with BUZZY and A DATE WITH JUDY, in 1948 DC started this new teen humor title. It was similar to those in content with teenager Binky, his family, and girlfriend Peggy taking the main roles. Little Allergy, seen on this cover also featured in some stories as a pest and spoiler. Similar characters and other family members sometimes had stories. The book was edited by Larry Nadle, the regular DC humor editor at the time. The logo is by Ira Schnapp based on style, and he also did the book title. The series ran bimonthly or eight times a year until issue #58, Jan-Feb 1957, then there were two issues over the next year, probably to use up inventory. In 1968 the book was revived by editor Joe Orlando. It continued the same numbering. Issues 59-68 were largely reprints, though a few unseen stories emerged from inventory. After that, new stories were produced. The title became simply BINKY with issue #72, April-May 1970, and ran for another ten bimonthly issues. One final issue was published in 1977. Ira Schnapp had no work in the first eleven issues.

Most early covers were sight gags and had no cover lettering. The next one with lettering by Schnapp is this one from 1950. Ira’s cover lettering had not yet settled into the style he would use later, but the letter shapes are right.

From that point forward, most covers had lettering by Ira, as in these two balloons. The emphasized words in Peggy’s balloons are starting to look like what he would do later.

The balloons on issue #17 are even closer to Ira’s mature cover style of a few years later, but not quite there yet.

Issue #26 dated May-June 1952 has a balloon in Ira’s familiar style seen on almost every DC cover from this point on. Note the value of 25¢ at the time.

I think this cover of #33 with lettering by Schnapp sort of sums up the title nicely. Binky was all about the physical attraction of Peggy, but often distracted by other young women. Peggy was often annoyed by Binky’s antics, but appreciated his attention. At least this is what I think after having skimmed through but not actually reading the stories. Nice work by Ira on the sign.

The cover of issue #53, March-April 1956, was one of several with a four-panel story on it, something rarely seen at DC on anything other than humor titles.

After the title returned from a long hiatus in 1968, it had a new logo and cover lettering by Gaspar Saladino. Ira Schnapp left DC in 1968 and died in 1969, so was not involved in the relaunch.

Here are the covers I see Ira’s lettering on: 1, 14-18, 22, 24, 26, 28-29, 31-33, 35-42, 45, 47-54, 56-57, 59. That’s 34 in all.

As I expected, Ira Schnapp lettered plenty of stories for this title once he got started, sometimes doing entire issues. I suspect humor titles were his favorite to work on, and he did lots of them. This page from issue #12, Jan-Feb 1950, is the first Ira had work in. I like the art in the balloons in the last panel, probably done by the artist, but who knows? Ira could have added it.

Short features about other characters like Pam appeared in many issues, some with lettering by Schnapp.

Scribbly by Sheldon Mayer had a story in issue #15. As was often the case, Mayer did his own balloon shapes, sound effects and sometimes large display lettering, while Ira did the rest.

An example of one of Binky’s supporting cast with a story of her own.

A typical Ira Schnapp-lettered page from issue #27, July-Aug 1952. For one thing, the humor titles were somewhat lighter on dialogue than most DC comics of the time.

Ira also lettered his share of the two-page fillers that featured dating tips, like this one from issue #35.

This page from issue #55, July-Aug 1956, has an interesting lettering artifact: the parentheses around the word GULP! in the last panel. This was the original style for what we now call breath marks, those radiating lines on each side of such words indicating voiceless utterances. Ira used breath marks at times, but forgot here, and went back to the old style.

While most of the Ira Schnapp lettering in the revived title was on reprints, a few stories seem to be previously unpublished, meaning they sat in inventory for many years. This is one of the last to be published in issue #68, Aug-Sept 1969, but probably lettered at least ten years earlier. Note Ira’s use of breath marks around YAWN in the last panel.

Below is a list of all the stories Ira Schnapp lettered for this title, not including reprints. There are usually more than one Binky story in each issue, the numbers in parentheses tell which one is listed.

#12 Jan-Feb 1950: Binky 4pp (3), Lora 1pp

#13 March-April 1950: Pam 3pp

#14 May-June 1950: Binky 7pp (2), Fittin’ Thing 2pp, A Day With Binky’s Folks 6pp, Binky 7pp (3) Howie 1pp

#15 July-Aug 1950: Scribbly 8pp, Allergy 5pp, Fittin’ Thing 2pp, Lucy 7pp, Ginny 1pp, Binky 8pp (2)

#16 Sept-Oct 1950: Binky 12pp (1), Binky 6pp (2), Binky 5pp (3), Binky 7pp (4)

#17 Nov-Dec 1950: Binky 8pp (2), Binky 10pp (3), Lucy 8pp

#18 Jan-Feb 1951: Binky 5pp (3)

#19 March-April 1951: Lucy 5pp

#20 May-June 1951: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 8pp (2), Fittin’ Thing 2pp, Lucy 4pp

#21 July/Aug 1951: Binky 8pp (1)

#23 Nov/Dec 1951: Binky 7pp (3)

#24 Jan/Feb 1952: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 7pp (2), Coby 3pp

#25 March/April 1952: Binky 9pp (3)

#26 May/June 1952: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 9pp (2)

#27 July/Aug 1952: Binky 6pp (1), Allergy 4pp, Binky 7pp (2), The Fittin’ Thing 2pp

#28 Sept/Oct 1952: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 8pp (2), Fittin’ Thing 2pp, Lucy 3pp, Binky 6pp (3), Binky 6pp (4)

#29 Nov/Dec 1952: Binky 8pp (1), Coby 4pp, Tips to Teens 2pp, Binky 6pp (2), Lucy 3pp, Allergy 3pp, Binky 6pp (3)

#30 Jan/Feb 1953: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 8pp (2), Binky 6pp (3), Allergy 5pp, Binky 4pp (4)

#31 March/April 1953: Binky 8pp (1), Binky 6pp (2), Fittin’ Thing 2pp, Binky 4pp (3), Binky 3pp (4), Binky 8pp (5)

#32 May/June 1953: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 7pp (2), Fittin’ Thing 2pp, Binky 3pp (4)

#33 July/Aug 1953: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 5pp (2)

#34 Sept/Oct 1953: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 7pp (2), Fittin’ Thing 2pp

#35 Nov/Dec 1953: (all Schnapp) Binky 6pp, 8pp, 6pp, Allergy 5pp, Binky 4pp

#36 Jan 1954: Hubie 6pp, Tips to Teens 2pp, Binky 6pp (3)

#37 Feb 1954: Binky 6pp (2), Date Duds 2pp, Toni 5pp, Binky 6pp (3)

#38 Mar 1954: Binky 6pp (2), Binky 6pp (3), Tips to Teens 2pp, Binky 6pp (5)

#39 May 1954: Binky 6pp (1), Fittin’ Thing 2pp, Coby 5pp, Binky 6pp (3), Liz 4pp, Binky 6pp (4)

#40 July 1954: Fittin’ Thing 2pp

#41 Aug 1954: Binky 7pp (2), Binky 6pp (3)

#42 Sept 1954: Binky 3pp (3), Binky 6pp (4)

#43 Nov 1954: Binky 6pp (1), Coby 3pp, Binky 6pp (3)

#44 Jan 1955: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 3pp (2), Fittin’ Thing 2pp, Liz 6pp, Binky 6pp (3)

#45 Feb 1955: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 6pp (2)

#46 March 1955: Binky 6pp (1), Liz 6pp, Binky 6pp (3)

#47 May 1955: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 6pp (2), Binky 4pp (3), Kitty Karr 4pp, Binky 6pp (4)

#48 July 1955: Liz 3pp

#49 Aug 1955:Binky 6pp (1), Binky 6pp (2), Kenny 6pp, Binky 6pp

#50 Sept 1955: Binky 8pp (1), Binky 6pp (2), Binky 6pp (3)

#51 Nov 1955: Binky 8pp (1), Binky 6pp (2), Binky 6pp (3)

#52 Jan/Feb 1956: Binky 6pp (2), Binky 4pp (3), Binky 6pp (4)

#53 March/April 1956: Binky 4pp (2), Binky 6pp (3)

#54 May/June 1956: Pinky 6pp (1), Binky 4pp (2), Binky 4pp (3), Binky 6pp (4)

#55 July/Aug 1956: Binky 6pp (1), Binky 6pp (2), Liz 7pp, Binky 6pp (3)

#56 Sept/Oct 1956: Allergy 4pp, Binky 6pp (3)

#57 Nov/Dec 1956: Binky 6pp, 6pp, 6pp (1-3)

#58 Jan/Feb 1957: Binky 6pp (1), Allergy 3pp, Binky 6pp (2), Allergy 3pp, Binky 6pp (3)

#59 Oct 1957: Binky 7pp, 7pp, 6pp (1, 3-4)

#60 Oct 1958: Binky 6pp, 6pp, 6pp (1-3), Date Duds 2pp, Binky 6pp, 6pp (4-5)

#67 June/July 1969: Binky 5pp (3)

#68 Aug/Sept 1969: Binky 6pp, 6pp (3-4)

That’s a total of 883 pages if I’ve counted right. Other articles in this series are on my Comics Creation page.

Leave It To Binky on Wikipedia.