The History of “Corky’s Noon Cartoon” Collection
Corky Mizer was born in 1941. His legal name at birth was Harry Mizer, though his grandmother
nicknamed him “Corky” after the character from the “Gasoline Alley” comic strip, first published by
Frank King in 1918. Corkleigh “Corky” Wallet was the actual name of the character, but he was referred
to simply as “Corky”. Corky Mizer’s namesake forever tied Corky to the “Funny Papers”.
Not only was Corky’s grandmother a comic strip devotee, Corky also became an avid reader of the
“Funny Papers.” Growing up, reading a variety of comic strips, Corky developed a fondness for the
illustrative literary genre and carried his affection for them forward throughout his life. It was this
connection with cartoons that inspired Corky to create his own series of “Noon Cartoons” centered
around household and backyard pests. Corky grew up on a farm in Battle Creek, Michigan where pest
infestations were a part of life. His knowledge of pests eventually led him to start his own Pest Control
company, Corky’s Pest Control, in 1967.
Corky maintained his appreciation for the comics and after over 49 years in business, he decided to
produce his own brand of pest cartoons. In June of 2016., Corky’s “Noon Cartoon” series came to life.
Corky knew he would need to hire talented cartoonists to produce his cartoons on a daily basis. Each
day at noon a new cartoon would be posted on line via Facebook. Additionally, an ongoing collection of
the cartoons was placed on the Corky’s Pest Control website, so that cartoon enthusiasts could view
them in their entirety.
Corky’s artists were recruited from around the globe. Most were from the United Stated, but some
were based in Mexico, Sweden and a variety of other locales. Artists included Bart Slype, a particularly
talented cartoonist who originated the series of “Bugsy’s Saloon.” Bugsy was a giant cockroach who
owned and operated his bar serving libations to a variety of pests, including, spiders, ants, bees, rats and
gophers. Slype also contributed to the daily production of other cartoons. Other talented artists
included, Rob Botts, Ivan Camilli, Mike Carter, Jeremy Joseph, Kevin Neely, Justin Bowen, Kathy Latus,
Mike Essa, Paul Hernandez, and several other freelance artists. By 2018, Corky had compiled the second
largest collection of pest related cartoons on the planet!
Corky’s sense of humor was not only evidenced in his cartoon creations, but also in his radio and TV
advertising campaigns. In 2003, Corky hired a local radio personality, Glenn Erath, to compose a jingle.
The jingle prominently featured Corky’s 1-800-901-1102 phone number and became so popular, that
Corky had to add staff just to answer the large volume of phone calls. Erath was known for his
humorous radio creations, and when combined with Corky’s own keen sense of humor and unique
delivery style, Corky’s TV and radio commercials not only informed but entertained audiences. This only
served to further endear the Corky’s brand to thousands of loyal customers. Part of Corky’s business
philosophy was to always have fun along the way and it paid off!