CSBG Archive
365 Reasons to Love Comics #159
Anthropomorphism Fortnight continues with a particularly marvelous rabbit. But first, here it is, your moment of archive.
6/8/07
159. Hoppy the Marvel Bunny
Here’s one you didn’t you’d see, eh? But no, Hoppy’s great. Created by cartoonist Chad Grothkopf (fantastic name) for Fawcett in 1942, Hoppy was what his name and appearance implied– a funny animal version of Captain Marvel. He was one of the first super-funny-animals, beating out Marvel’s Super Rabbit and several others by about a year, though he came after Mighty Mouse. Hoppy first appeared in Fawcett’s Funny Animals, a title he would be featured in throughout the entirety of its 82-issue run, but he also had his own title, which lasted 15 issues.
Much like Billy Batson, this Hoppy cried “Shazam!” to transform into Captain Marvel Bunny. Hoppy’s Shazam stood for different things, however. It went something like this:
Salamander
Hogules
Antlers
Zebreus
Abalone
Monkury
Uh… yeah…
Like most Golden Age heroes, Hoppy spent quite a bit of his time promoting the war effort:
Don Markstein informs us of Hoppy’s mysterious fate. When Fawcett folded, it sold Funny Animals off to Charlton Comics, but because of DC’s lawsuit, Captain Marvel Bunny couldn’t continue– so he became Magic Bunny. However, years later, with DC now exerting ownership over the Marvel Family, Hoppy returned! They couldn’t have technically owned him, however, because they hadn’t bought out Charlton yet. No one seemed to care, though. Dare I ask– was Hoppy unimportant?
Well, maybe. But we love him anyway.
Hoppy’s only appeared a handful of times since the Golden Age, including an issue of DC Comics Presents, where he suddenly appeared to rescue Superman and the rest of the Marvels from certain death. And of course, he teamed up with Captain Carrot at least once.
In the 90′s, our pal Jerry Ordway brought Hoppy into an issue of Power of Shazam for a not-quite-in-canon guest appearance, but I’m fairly certain that’s the last we saw of Hoppy. C’mon, comics! Aren’t there any Hoppy fans out there? No? Dang.
Well, it could be worse. Judd Winick could be writing him. (Ouch.)
Alright, alright, you’re all going to tell me today’s was a really lame column. They can’t all be winners, people! I am sleepy. These things happen. Regardless, I love the Marvel Bunny because he’s silly, wacky, and weird. The comics industry is a cyclical beast, so I’m sure, much like the cicada, Hoppy will return one of these days in an exciting new adventure. I can always hope.
19 Comments
hifidigitalboy
June 8, 2007 at 6:30 pm
My first contact with Hoppy was on Crisis on Infinite Earths. Wasn’t this when DC decided to introduce the Marvel Family into it continuity? All I have to say was it was a great moment for me.
Adam Jones
June 8, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Shazam, indeed.
Ian Astheimer
June 8, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Don’t even kid, man. Just don’t.
Tom Fitzpatrick
June 8, 2007 at 7:19 pm
You guys really hate Judd Winick, don’t you?
I remember way back when he was doing Exiles for Marvel.
Those were pretty good.
Jason
June 8, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Well, since Earth-S has been brought back as “Earth-5,” Hoppy could come back. He was in World’s Funniest: his arrival drove a already-ticked Mr. Mxyzptlk into a rage, and he destroyed Earth-S. Evan Dorkin…good times. Does anybody remember who drew the Earth-S pages?
Conor E
June 8, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Exiles was the only book by Winnick I liked. It was also the only Chuck Austen book I liked, the thing was idiot-proof.
Here’s hoping for at least a cameo in the Captain Carrot revival…
Evan Waters
June 8, 2007 at 8:36 pm
There was a reference to Hoppy in FKATJL, which seemed to establish him as existing in the DCU (prior to New Earth, of course).
stealthwise
June 8, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Winick’s work may stink of hedonism and self-righteous social agenda, but Barry Ween was really good.
Michael
June 8, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Mostly because it didn’t stink of hedonism and self-righteous social agenda.
Well, okay, some hedonism.
fourth worlder
June 9, 2007 at 12:02 am
zzzz….
somehow rabbit week is even slower than duck week….
here’s an idea: most important or interesting alien world and / or alien race.
here’s another: super-team week (month?.
just please stop before we get to cat week.
fourth worlder
June 9, 2007 at 12:04 am
But if you do super-team month, please don’t spend half of it on the Legion of Super-Pets.
MarkAndrew
June 9, 2007 at 1:38 am
Ha! Hoppy is the only Golden Age comic I actively collect. (At least when I can find ‘em for ten bucks or less. Which is rarely.)
They’re usually surprinsingly enjoyable stories, as well.
Graeme Burk
June 9, 2007 at 8:22 am
And to connect it to the day before’s entry, Chad Grothkopf inked several issues of Captain Carrot!
The Kirbydotter
June 9, 2007 at 8:47 am
C’mon! USAGI YOJIMBO already!
The Kirbydotter
June 9, 2007 at 8:55 am
Aside from CC Beck, Ordway was the only one to do Captain Marvel justice. He managed to bring the Big Red Cheese to a modern public in a new, yet classic way.
MarkAndrew
June 9, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Oh wow. I never noticed that!
Kenn MFP
June 9, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Bill, how can you think everyone would dislike Hoppy? I first saw him in that DC Comics Presents – a great Superman and Captain Marvel team-up that started with Clark going into the broom closet to change, pulling open his shirt, and seeing a red jersey with a golden lightning bolt. And saying something like, “This red uniform? This puny little cape?”
Best of all, it was a two-parter, with this cover of the second issue:
http://www.comicvine.com/comic/dc-comics-presents/2943/21267/&i=33378
Hoppy is definitely a reason to love comics for me!
Levantine
June 9, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Isn’t he getting an action figure in the new Captain Marvel line from DC Direct. A two-pack with Billy IIRC
Ben Herman
June 11, 2007 at 10:32 am
I thought that issue of Power of Shazam where Hoppy showed up was great. I was always very fond of that series in general. Da Ordster did fantastic work on it. I was quite sad when it got the axe.