Posted By Dan Greenfield on Nov 11, 2023 | 3 comments

From the often-forgotten classic PS: Preventative Monthly Magazine…

By WALT GROGAN

It’s Veterans Day! And we’re here to celebrate it with a look at PS: Preventative Maintenance Monthly, a postscript (hence the PS) to Army manuals, in a smaller more user-friendly form that was used to remind service men and women about tips they shouldn’t forget.

PM Monthly was created by comics legend Will Eisner (himself a veteran) in 1950 as the follow-up to Army Motors, a magazine he helped design. Eisner edited and contributed art and covers until 1971 when Murphy Anderson (a Navy veteran) took over the art chores. Later artists included Joe Kubert, Mike Ploog, Dan Spiegle and Alfredo Alcala.

PM Monthly featured a cast of characters including Pvt.Joe Dope and Sgt. Half-Mast McCanick. But probably the most popular character was Connie Rodd, a character who, like Joe Dope, was created for the Army Motors mag but who came over to PM Monthly.

Connie was a striking blond who was later joined by Bonnie, a Black civilian woman, in 1970. Between the 1950s and 1970s both Connie and Bonnie’s feminine appeal were played up for the mostly male servicemen at that time. As more women joined the service, Connie and Bonnie’s sex appeal was appropriately played down.

So, in honor of Veterans Day, here are 13 COVERS AND PAGES from PS: Preventative Maintenance Monthly:

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Preventative Maintenance Monthly #1. Will Eisner art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #100. Eisner art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #175. Eisner art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #191. Eisner art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #193. Eisner art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #224. Eisner art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #258. Murphy Anderson art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #290. Anderson art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #292. Anderson art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #321. Anderson art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #361. Anderson art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #362. Anderson art.

Preventative Maintenance Monthly #452. Artist unknown, but they liked Star Trek!

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And as a 13th Dimension Veterans Day lagniappe, here’s the PS: Preventative Maintenance Monthly Calendar for 1968 — which works in 2024!

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MORE

— 13 COVERS: A VETERANS DAY Salute With MADEMOISELLE MARIE. Click here.

— 13 COVERS: A VETERANS DAY Salute With SGT. ROCK. Click here.