Granillo: The life of Babe Ruth, illustrated
From SABR member Larry Granillo at Baseball Prospectus on December 20, 2012:
Babe Ruth died in August 1948 at the age of 53. The following spring “Babe Ruth Sports Comics” was released to a nation full of comics-loving children. The magazine promised to to be “an all-sports magazine. … You might get a little more baseball than other sports in the spring and summer, a little more football in the fall, and a little more basketball and ice hockey in the winter.” Of course, with Babe Ruth’s name plastered on the cover, the Great Bambino was featured throughout the comics. For the first few issues, for example, Ruth’s life story was told and illustrated in a kid-friendly manner. There were also tips about how to swing a bat and throw a pitch and whatnot, mini-biographies of stars like Lou Boudreau and “The Clown Prince of Baseball”, and other features kids of the 1940s might like.
But Ruth was the draw, even if kids reading the magazine were all plenty aware that he had died only the year before. So what did kids who read “Babe Ruth Sports Comics” see of their hero? From the magazine’s second issue in June 1949, here’s a look at “The Life of Babe Ruth: Chapter 2, Babe Enters Professional Baseball”.
Read the full article here: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=19214
Originally published: December 20, 2012. Last Updated: December 20, 2012.