Jul 02 - The Cave of TIME***

Sunday, July 2, 1972 - Page 184
LOCATION: Bethlehem & Wonderland Cave, South Dakota

PRINCE VALIANT and THE CAVE OF TIME

Writer/Illustrator Hal Foster, in his epic weekly comic-strip "Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur," occasionally ventured into fantasy. Here is a startling 4-page episode in which our daring young hero boldly steps into The Twilight Zone...
(Free instant download: Prince Valiant PDF 8.3 MB)

My father gave me his vintage collection of Prince Valiant comic books when I was 13. These were small reprints of the magnificent full-page tabloid Sunday Comic strips that began in February 1937. I was stunned by this perfect blending of entertaining stories & exquisite art by the masterful Harold Foster. He set a high standard for graphic storytelling that influenced everyone who came after him. I wanted to be like that -- and I dedicated myself to becoming a self-taught artist & writer so I could tell my own amazing stories...

(12:00 PM 7/4/1972)

Sunday was a day of rest so I didn't get up until around lunch. I'm not gonna bother to think of the incidental stuff that happened Sunday -- a few more people came up -- Clint is the only guy I know by name of the new ones. I was asleep when they came so I missed the introductions. I almost got around to writing in this Journal but I was invited to go Truckin' (which means just going for a walk in the woods) -- So Mike Y., Mike N.G., Bruce, Me, John, Tim, Clint, and Brad went walking down Bethlehem Road, heading for Wonderland Cave. We had a walkie-talkie to stay in contact with Tom, but we never managed to communicate through it.

We got to Tim's car, parked past the washed out road, and we drove to a fire trail that connects with Wonderland (on the way we met Gil driving up with a new guy -- Jeff). Bruce stayed at the car to finish reading a comic book while we went on ahead. He tried but failed to catch up, and walked back to Beth, where he tried to contact us on the walkie-talkie, but he didn't succeed.

We all got to the Cave, with me and John, and Mike Y. in the lead. Part of the trail was washed out so we had to climb to the other side of the road. Being from Beth, we got to take a tour of the cave for free -- only Me, John, and Mike N.G. decided to go.

Inside Wonderland Cave

We walked back under clear skies (it had been cloudy before) -- Me, John & Mike Y. & Tim took the trail back -- everyone else cut thru the wilderness, led by Brad. I gave Mike the Psych Test on the way. When we got to Tim's car, Tim was there (ahead of us) along with Tom & Bruce who'd just arrived in the van. We all drove back to Beth in the van, and everyone else was already there. That night, me, John, Mike Y., Bruce, & Mike N.G. played poker. It got down to me, John & Mike Y. & Mike won. Finished by 1:00 A.M.

TOMORROW: My useless dam project