Wednesday, July 11, 2012

1975 Comic Strips: A Summary

Source*: Curtis, Dal. Rex Morgan, MD. 13 Jan - 31 Dec 1975, Publishers-Hall Syndicate (Chicago, IL). 
*p. 517-574 on disk from King Features Syndicate.


All comic strips are posted online by special permission of King Features Syndicate, Inc.
  • January 1 - 13: MISSING
  • January 13 - 15: Ben Salvo
    • It appears the Salvo story still continues - Rex is talking to a young lady named Jenny, who's in a hospital bed. Ben has left her a small trust, even when he knew she was with a man named Al Davison (Ben must have been in love with Jenny?)
    • It's hard to say what happened in this story
  • January 16 - May 29: Carl Holden, mental illness
    • Brice Adams is called by a mysterious woman, and he leaves immediately - he meets with a young woman named Christine "Chris" Holden (who we learn is his girlfriend), who is upset that her ex-husband, Carl, has been paroled and wants to see her
      • Carl nearly killed a man "and practically made a vegetable out of another"
    • Carl takes the day off with Chris, but Carl follows them
    • February 2 - 9: MISSING
    • It appears Carl is being respectful about his apologies to Chris and her interest in Brice
    • Carl calls Rex out to his farmhouse when his worker, Eddie, has a coronary - Chris is worried that he's falling back into his old ways
Rex Morgan, MD - March 19, 1975    © King Features Syndicate
    • Carl has a breakdown and threatens Rex that Brice needs to stay away from his "wife"
Rex Morgan, MD - April 25, 1975    © King Features Syndicate
    • Carl gets in a fight with both Brice and the cops, who are now chasing him after he sped off when he could not produce a license when pulled over for speeding
    • We miss a critical week in the suspense of what will happen to Carl - Chris is on her way to the farmhouse against advice, and Carl is waiting with a shotgun
    • May 17 - May 25: MISSING
    • The situation seems to have been resolved, with Carl being hospitalized - given a good prognosis being put on lithium
Rex Morgan, MD - May 27, 1975    © King Features Syndicate
  • May 29 - xxx: Keith Cavell, back in town, and introducing Valerie Layne
    • As Keith leaves his hotel room, he overhears the owner being held up at gunpoint
    • "As Dr. Keith Cavell thwarts an early morning motel holdup, he is shot by one gunman!"
    • Keith was passing through town on his way to see a woman, Valerie Layne, whom he'd met in Africa with her husband
      • Mr. Layne died in a plane crash 10 days prior, and Keith was visiting her to make sure she was okay; Valerie comes to him since he's hospitalized
    • When suggesting Keith join Rex's practice he mentions that he may not like it because "medicine has changed in the last few years" - he goes on to mention malpractice
Rex Morgan, MD - July 7, 1975    © King Features Syndicate
    • While Keith is preparing to propose, Valerie learns her husband's plane crash was due to sabotage, and that she's falling in love with Rex - what a day!
    • Melissa has another "heart flutter"
    • Keith is upset with Rex, thinking that he's moving in on Valerie
    • Rex goes with Valerie to meet the investigator on Bill's death in the plane crash
      • I find myself feeling very protective over Rex - I get angry when he flirts with anyone but June!
    • For the first time, we learn that Rex Morgan is bad at something - mechanics! I guess he is human, after all.
Rex Morgan, MD - October 8, 1975    © King Features Syndicate
    • Luckily, Valerie seems to be quite the mechanic - for claiming she knows nothing about planes, I'd say she's incriminating herself in her husband's death
    • The story is cut short, but here's the last strip we have in the story:
Rex Morgan, MD - October 25, 1975    © King Features Syndicate
    • If I had to guess, they probably nail Valerie for sabotaging her husband's plane - I hope that Rex and Keith made up, and that stories were set straight (Rex was not trying to hit on Valerie, as Keith suspected...)
  • October 26 - December 28: MISSING
  • December 29 - 31: (see 1976)

1974 Comic Strips: A Summary


Source*: Curtis, Dal. Rex Morgan, MD. 12 - 24 Aug 1974, Publishers-Hall Syndicate (Chicago, IL). 
*p. 515-516 on disk from King Features Syndicate.


All comic strips are posted online by special permission of King Features Syndicate, Inc.

  • January 1 - August 11: MISSING
  • August 12 - 19: Wade Norton & his daughter, Janie... and a proposal
    • We start in the middle of a story with: "Having told June that he knows about Janie's phone call to her, Wade Norton than asks a question."
    • Oddly enough, we start this story with another proposal for June! Guess Kenny Baron didn't make the cuts!
  • August 17 - 24: Ben Salvo & his young wife
    • Ben Salvo, 28 years older than his wife, passes away, leaving a mysterious letter to Rex
      • Seems like his wife is messing around with another man... tsk tsk
    • The story is cut short due to missing strips
  • August 25 - December 31: MISSING

1973 Comic Strips: A Summary

Source*: Curtis, Dal. Rex Morgan, MD. 1 Jan - 2 Jun 1973, Publishers-Hall Syndicate (Chicago, IL). 
*p. 493-514 on disk from King Features Syndicate.


All comic strips are posted online by special permission of King Features Syndicate, Inc.
  • September 25, 1972 - June 2, 1973: Kenny Baron & the proposal
    • We start in the middle of a story with: "Unable to immediately diagnose Kenny Baron's loss of vision in one eye, Dr. Rex Morgan arranges to hospitalize the internationally known golfer!"
    • Kenny's manager, Rafe Jasper, wants his hospitalization to be kept a secret to prevent losing sponsorship money
    • Rex suspects MS
    Rex Morgan, MD - October 2, 1972    © King Features Syndicate
    Rex Morgan, MD - October 25, 1972    © King Features Syndicate
    Rex Morgan, MD - November 9, 1972    © King Features Syndicate
    • While June goes out with Kenny, Rex rushes Melissa to the coronary care unit
    • Kenny is discharged and immediately heads to NY with Rafe for endorsement meetings - Rex encouraged him to take it easy, but not change course too much
    • A special Christmas strip, below:
    Rex Morgan, MD - December 25, 1972    © King Features Syndicate
    • When June goes to NY to visit Ken, he offends a potential investor, and trips several times over his feet
    • Kenny's balance gets worse, and he's unable to shoot promotional commercials for $$
    • After his sponsors cancel him, Kenny makes a scene at the bar and is arrested
    • When Kenny proposes (via a ring left in her room, told they'd discuss over breakfast), Rex leaves work for the day
      • When she says yes, he's back on his game!
    • Story is cut short!!! Rex was just about to voice his concerns about June marrying Kenny...   hopefully the next story will fill in the blanks...
    • June 3 - December 31: MISSING

1972 Comic Strips: A Summary


Source*: Curtis, Dal. Rex Morgan, MD. 1 Jan - 30 Dec 1972, Publishers-Hall Syndicate (Chicago, IL). 
*p. 465-492 on disk from King Features Syndicate.


All comic strips are posted online by special permission of King Features Syndicate, Inc.

  • January 1 - 22: Justin Babcock & Kathy Taylor, minors  (see 1971)
  • January 23 - March 19: MISSING
  • March 20 - April 22: Suzy & the Professor
    • We start in the middle of a story with: "As Mrs. Woody expresses her concern about Suzy, Dr. Rex Morgan promises to stop by and see the young waitress!"
    • We see Suzy out with a Jess Wilder, who's trying to coax her into drinking while badgering her about liking a Professor Alex Grant
    • Rex tries to comfort Alex Grant, who appears innocent but has been receiving harassing phone calls - this is causing his peptic ulcer to flare up
    • Jess and some henchman waits for Rex to beat him up - aren't they surprised when Rex also turns out to be a much smarter fighter!
Rex Morgan, MD - April 8, 1972    © King Features Syndicate
    • We learn Jess has fire-bombed Alex's house; he pretty much tries to destroy anyone who's "trying to make time" with Suzy
    • The story is cut short after Suzy confesses her love to Alex, and June has an urgent phone call for Rex
  • April 23 - July 23: MISSING
  • July 24 - 29: Laura and Mark Pace, mental health
    • We start in the middle of story with: "Firm in her refusal to have Mark court committed, Laura breaks down when Brice becomes angry with her."
    • After Mark is hospitalized briefly, Laura, his wife, wants to bring him home, thinking he would be happier
    • July 30 - August 20: MISSING
    • We start up in the middle of a fight - Laura wants to leave Mark because she's in love with Dr. Brice Adams; she's also afraid of Mark, suggesting we missed some strips where he may have hit or threatened her
    • After a big mix-up, Laura finds Mark already at Brice's apartment with a gun
    • The story is cut short, but they are able to talk Mark down and convince him he needs treatment for his illness
Rex Morgan, MD - September 16, 1972    © King Features Syndicate
  • September 17 - September 24: MISSING
  • September 25 - June 2, 1973: Kenny Baron & the proposal (see 1973)

1971 Comic Strips: A Summary

Source*: Curtis, Dal. Rex Morgan, MD. 1 Jan - 31 Dec 1971, Publishers Syndicate (Chicago, IL). 
*p. 447-465 on disk from King Features Syndicate.


All comic strips are posted online by special permission of King Features Syndicate, Inc.
  • January 1 - February 12: The Delacort's, stroke and alcoholism (see 1970)
  • February 12 - May 15: Beth & Kevin Brown, child abuse
    • A mother brings her child in with a head injury, having fallen from his high chair in the morning and has now become unresponsive
    • February 14 - April 11: MISSING
    • Beth's mother, Mrs. Stevens, and Beth's husband, Kevin, are concerned about Beth - she's been unusually agitated in the past 6 months
    • Kevin initially agrees to see a psychiatrist with Beth, but changes his mind when he thinks "airing" out their problems might lead to her being committed
    • Kevin keeps the appointment, and his interview with the psychiatrist suggests that he's a bit more aggressive than necessary with his 2- and 3-year olds (see image)
Rex Morgan, MD - April 29, 1971    © King Features Syndicate
    • It turns out that Kevin has been abusing the children, and Beth has been covering for him (see image)
Rex Morgan, MD - May 12, 1971    © King Features Syndicate

    • Story ends with Kevin admitting that he'll do anything the doctor asks (including reporting himself to juvenile court authorities)
  • May 16 - September 19: MISSING
  • September 20 - October 23: Heidi Claridge, the pathological liar
    • Enter the middle of a story with Heidi, Melissa's niece, driving a suspicious Dr. Brice Adams out to the lake, but she gets upset and leaves him in the middle of nowhere
    • Rex has asked Heidi to marry him?! Or so Heidi tells Melissa...
    • Heidi turns out to be a pathological liar. Phew!
    • Heidi files a complaint to the police against Rex when he won't submit to her wooing
    • Melissa slaps her in the face for what she's done!
Rex Morgan, MD - October 16, 1971    © King Features Syndicate
    • The story is cut short, but ends with Melissa seeing Heidi off, Heidi again tricking her into feeling guilty for what's she done.
  • October 24 - December 19: MISSING
  • December 20 - January 22, 1972: Justin Babcock & Kathy Taylor, minors
    • We start in the middle of a story, with this description text, "When Rex Morgan and Scooter Babcock question Beth Weldon, they find her very defensive!"
    • We learn something about Justin Babcock breaking into an apartment thinking that inside, a Kathy Taylor had overdosed on drugs
    • Justin sneaks out of the hospital - he's just had knee surgery - to find Kathy, who sounds like she's on drugs
    • We find out Justin's mother passed away from alcoholism, that Justin is a clean kid but has gotten caught up in messes by trying to help other kids break their addictions
    • Kathy is brought to intensive care after passing out in a diner, but recovers well
    • The story is cut short, but likely only by one strip that may/may not have added anything else to the plot