I’m in a discussion somewhere else, and this came up. I could swear that when I used to read these almost 40 years ago that Richie Rich had a friend named Rollo?? Was it his cousin?? Or am I way off?
I recall he had a chunky friend or cousin, vaguely… hmm.
Not sure.
Wasn’t the rich kid from the Katzenjammer Kids called Rollo?
Maybe you are confusing the two comics. Or maybe I’m just wrong, my only exposure to these comics being through other people’s memoirs.
Richie Rich’s best-known cousin was Reggie Van Dough. It’s certainly possible that, given all the comic books Richie appeared in, another cousin was introduced at some point.
I was a major Richie Rich addict from about the mid-70s to the very early 80s. I had pretty much ever Richie Rich comic ever published during that time (and honestly I wish I still did. Ah, childhood nostalgia). As far as I can remember, there was never anyone named Rollo in the Richie Rich comics. His friends were Freckles and Peewee Friendly, his girlfriend was Gloria Glad, and his obnoxious cousing was Reggie Van Dough. He also had an obnoxious rich girl stalker named Mayda Munny (whom I could never figure out what she saw in Richie, since she was clearly in the throes of puberty and had an actual figure, while Richie looked and dressed like a baby).
But I digress…
Now that I think of it, I believe there was a blond kid in “Nancy” named Rollo, who dressed similarly to Richie. Maybe that’s who you’re thinking of.
Lamont Sanford had a friend name Rollo. If that is who you are thinking of, then yes, you are way off. 
Well, obviously she wanted to pull a Mrs. Robinson on him… 
Mayda Money…, ok it took me a while to get that one.
Yea, I know about Rollo on S&Son, and I’ve never seen Katzenjammer show. I wasn’t thinking of Reggie Dough. I must just be mistaken. Oh well. 35-40 years does that to you. I don’t know what’s worse, remembering that or not remembering it.
Maybe Mayda liked those shorts Richie wore.
**winterhawk11 ** is correct:
Rollo was the rich kid, but in the Nancy comic strip.
For the avoidance of doubt, here’s Reggie.
Now that that’s settled, permit me a small hijack:
How was his robot maid Irona’s name meant to be pronounced?
I grew up thinking it was “i-RO-na” (like “Rona”) but on reflection think it may have been “I-er-na”, a pun on “ironer” (one who irons) with the additional joke that her name contains the word “iron” (as in metal, hahaha).
Very clever but it doesn’t really scan as a maid’s name.
How long before Richie’s aunt Noovo caught on?
I don’t have a cite for this, but I seem to recall that this very question was asked in one of the Richie Rich letters pages. The correct pronunciation is “I-RO-na.” When I was a kid I always read it as “I-er-na,” though. And I always read Richie’s butler’s name as “CAD-burry,” (rhymes with “purry”), not “CAD-berry.”
I recalled that, too, but didn’t mention it because I have no way to cite it, the issue being long gone by now.
As I recall, the letters page was deliberately weaselly. One reader asked how old Richie was, and “Richie” replied (more or less) “I’d like to know what the readers think! Could you let me know?”, accompanied by a drawing of Richie and a birthday cake, with numbers swirling around them ranging from ~6 to ~15.
As for Cadbury, I recall a story where Richie parachutes from a disabled jet and lands on a deserted island, meeting Cadbury’s long-lost identical-twin cousin Charles. At their first encounter, Richie mistakes the island dweller for his butler and calls out “Cadbury!” He is immediately corrected by the snacking castaway; “No, slushberries. I’ve never heard of cadberries.”
Why I remember stuff like this, I dunno.
Wow–nostalgia rush! I remember that picture too, and can see it clearly in my mind’s eye! Darn, I wish I still had those issues! If I ever get a big pile of money I might just try to re-create that collection. Those comics (and searching for them, in the days before the internet and Ebay) were a fun part of my childhood.
I don’t remember this one at all, and I’m sure I never had that issue. Now you’ve got me curious about which one it was.
It’s interesting, though, because I think they contradicted themselves. Somewhere else in one of the issues, they said that Cadbury was actually his *last * name (same with Bascomb the chauffeur). In which case, Charles’s last name would be Cadbury as well, and presumably he’d know how to pronounce it.
Ah, well. Can’t expect Richie Rich comics to be consistent.
It’s “i-RO-na” in the series and the Christmas special.
Thanks folks for settling the burning question of the pronunciation of “Irona”. Though I must say, despite being a voracious Richie Rich reader in my early years, I don’t remember ever seeing a letters page.
(As far as I can recall each issue began with an advertisement for “GRIT - America’s Family Newspaper” in which Richie himself was selling copies. Oh God how I wanted to be a Grit paperboy.)
I was a huge RR fan in the early 70s.
Anybody remember Dr. N-R-Gee? He was an Evil Scientist[sup]TM[/sup] who had a red light bulb for a head.
Any clue to what issue that was in? (there were quite a few titles back then)
Richie Rich Cash #1 (1974) was his first appearance and his origin was explained in Richie Rich Profits #10 (1976).