HOVERBOY AND THE BUCKET BRIGADE #2
"THE WORM HAS TURNED...EVIL!"
February, 1967

In 1966, Bob Stark joined with publisher BELL to create Hoverboy comics aimed at younger children. The first comic was HOVERBOY'S FOOD FUN MAGAZINE, informing its readers about the importance of the food groups. The book lasted only one issue. When BELL tried to enforce some editorial changes, Stark tried to terminate the contract. Stark lost, freeing BELL to produce Hoverboy comics without any input from Stark.

The longest lived of BELL's series' was HOVERBOY AND THE BUCKET BRIGADE, based on the Art Nance Productions cartoon [which had come about through a completely unrelated deal C.L. Nutt had made that same year]. The cartoon was produced in the popular Jay Ward (George of the Jungle) style. The cartoon ran only 13 episodes, but the comic ran until 1970, when BELL allowed their contract to lapse on a property that was no longer making them any money.