Updated: June 23, 2024

Amid this monkey business emerged the authorized comic book starring the fast-rising super-stars who were something else not to mention, groovy, boss, and outa site. On December 1, 1966, Dell Comics released the first issue of its ongoing series, The Monkees.

As comics historian Martin OHearn uncovered and reported on his blog, The Monkees #1 was penciled by Mo Marcus, and inked by Dick Giordano, Sal Trapani, and Frank McLaughlin. The assignment first went to Giordano, but Dick subcontracted it to Mo, pulling in his studio mates Sal and Frank to help complete the job.

The art on Dells Monkees stabilized with the second issue, as Arneson hired Jose Delbo for the book. Delbo drew the series in a cartoony style, suiting the nonconformity of the scripts Arneson was producing, which featured the Monkees tangling with spies, the Monkees as cowboys, the Monkees as superheroes ( the Supermonkees, incidentally, not the Monkeemen made famous on the TV show ), the Monkees encountering an abominable snowman, that sort of thing, all produced without licensor interference or approval. Each issue featured photo covers and interior short stories. The Monkees was one of Dell Comics’ saving graces during a shaky period when the publisher’s once-mighty comic-book line was shrinking.

When Monkeemania was on the decline, Dells comic was cancelled with issue #16 ( Nov. 1968 ), although around a year later, one more issue, #17 ( Oct. 1969 ), was released, reprinting The Monkees #1.

Concurrently, a lesser-known but intriguing comics version of the Monkees was published by Charlton in 1967 in one of its song lyrics magazines. Teen Tunes and Pin-Ups #3 featured a two-page, black-and-white Monkees strip written by Steve Skeates and drawn by future Batman artist Jim Aparo. Issues #4 and 5 of the mag also featured Monkees stories by Skeates and Aparo, and all three Charlton short stories bore the title of a Monkees tune.