Laurel & Hardy Meet The Three Stooges!

What happens when two of the greatest comedy teams of all time are brought together for a once in a lifetime event?  Comic book publisher American Mythology answers that question with a head-slapping, eye-poking, bowler hat-wearing, bone-crunching, piano moving, pratfall fun fest, the likes of which have never appeared before in comics for an event literally 100 years in the making.    

The comedy team of Laurel & Hardy is regarded by many as two of the founding fathers of comedy, paving the road for generations of entertainers to follow.  They are loved the world over, and their popularity has stood the test of time with an active and growing fan base.  From their famous bowler hats to their signature tune, “The Cuckoo Song”, the duo has warmed the hearts of generations with the hundreds of bits and routines made famous throughout the 1920’s and on into the 1940’s with classics like “The Music Box”, “Sons of the Desert”, and “Babes in Toyland”, as well as the recent 2018 theatrical release of “Stan & Ollie”.

The Three Stooges are an American tradition that set the bar in terms of physical comedy and whose influence continues to permeate all levels of pop culture to this day.  The Stooges have remained a staple in our culture since they rolled out their first two-reel classic over 85 years ago.  They actively entertained millions of fans worldwide with their own signature brand of silliness for over forty years, and their legacy has only grown exponentially with a near-constant television presence airing such wonderful classic films like “A Plumbing We Will Go”, “Punch Drunks”, and “Three Smart Saps”.  

Now, American Mythology Comics, the same company who brought The Three Stooges back into the comics’ spotlight in 2016, and again with a new Laurel & Hardy comic in 2019, is doing what many fans have considered impossible by bringing these two comedic forces of nature together for a special one issue crossover extravaganza coming February 26th to your local comic book shop.  

Interior art for the book will be provided by comic artist Diego Tapie (Pink Panther).  Cover art will be provided by veteran artist Jorge Pacheco, whose work appeared in the pages of Laurel & Hardy comics over three decades ago, and award-winning illustrator Eric Shanower.  The book will be written by veteran comic book writer S.A. Check, who has handled writing duties for both The Three Stooges and Laurel & Hardy for the current AM comic series, and comic book fan-favorite writer James Kuhoric (Six Million Dollar Man, Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash).  

“For a writer, this is like a solar eclipse, Haley’s Comet, and crop circles all rolled into one,” said book writer Check.  “An event like this is just as rare of a treat for the writer as it is for the fans to enjoy it when it’s all done.  I’ve been writing The Three Stooges comics for American Mythology for several years now.  Then I learned we’d also be working with Larry Harmon Pictures to put out new Laurel & Hardy comics, which I was lucky enough to become involved with.  One of the first thoughts that crossed my mind when we started the new Laurel & Hardy series was how awesome it would be if we actually made a comic featuring both of these legendary teams.  I never thought they’d pull it off, but the stars lined up and gave us one chance to make a bit of history in celebrating everything we love about both groups in one glorious fun-filled romp of a comic.  Getting to work with James Kuhoric on this comic was just an added bonus, because we’re both such huge fans of each group.  Jim and I have wanted to collaborate on a comic for years, and this was the perfect opportunity.  I don’t think fans of either Laurel & Hardy or The Three Stooges will be disappointed.”

“This is the reason we publish comics,” said Barlow Jones, marketing manager for American Mythology.  “We get to contribute something special back to the industry we love.  For the last four years, American Mythology has been fortunate enough to work with some of the most widely known and loved characters of all time, reaching not only here at home, but with a presence felt all over the world.  One of the very first books we published was The Three Stooges in conjunction with C3 Entertainment.  We’ve certainly had a lot of fun with The Boys over the years, and in some part, I think our work with them led to our involvement with Larry Harmon Pictures and the release of the new Laurel & Hardy comic series and Laurel & Hardy Follies classic reprints.  So, it only seemed natural to try to bring these two icons together inside the pages of American Mythology.  We’ve had nothing but support from both C3 and the folks at Larry Harmon Pictures, and we’re hoping we captured a little sliver of the same magic that made both comedy teams so beloved.  We just wanted to present yet another fine mess to be enjoyed by knuckleheads and cuckoos alike.”