I was talking to Lee Dean about the Great Lester and he told me that W.S. Berger had told him that the character Frank Byron Jr was made for the Great Lester to resemble a comic strip character from the Katzenjammer Kids, either Hans or Fritz or maybe even Max or Moritz, forerunners to the very popular cartoon of the early 1900’s (www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-kat1.htm). Great Lester himself said he looked a lot like a scared Indian. Lester claimed to have made Frank Byron Jr himself with a little help from the Mack’s shop.
In Stan Burns book used as a source in www.talkingcomedy.com/SI-Vent-2005/theater-siVENT05/HtgL-THTR-siVENT05.html but in the much earlier Coronet women’s magazine for 1945 Frank Marshall is credited as the genius behind all of Lester’s figures, which would include Frank Byron Jr, which does appear to have a very early “wedge” or concave throat area design for jaw action that can be seen at most extreme angles.I have given you this information because I am happy to announce that a wonderful Frank Marshall figure in the likeness of Frank Byron Jr. has come to reside in the Dan Willinger Marshall collection. You can click on this link to go and see this great Marshall. I hope you enjoy seeing this rare figure.
Click Here to see the latest Marshall Figure
Dan
