Blue Beetle, Civic-Minded Hero

Mystery Men Comics #4 (Fox, 1939)

Just a reminder Blue Beetle is awesome. 

The Lynx and Blackie

Since I'm going back over all the Fox Comics posts, I figure this need reposting as much as anything.

Meet the Lynx and his kid sidekick Blackie in there first appearance in Mystery Men Comics #13 (Aug 1940).

Art by Jim Mooney.

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The Lynx and Blackie ran in Mystery Men Comics 13 to 31. Unfortunately, Lynx didn't keep the costume. By Mystery Men Comics #21 he has a shirt with a logo. Blackie still has to save him from a deathly peril classically reserved for women.

The Lynx and Blackie seem familiar somehow? DC thought so too, This was one of the titles DC Comics sued Fox Comics over, winning $2,000.
You can also find this comic here.

Chen Chang, Villian of Many Faces

Angered by the Western world's exploitation of China, Warlord Chen Chang plotted to "to bring disaster upon the white race." His opposition in this nefarious effort is American Richard Kendall, who success in thwarting evil plans and surviving is only by sheer luck.

I first posted about Chang in '08. For a fuller introduction to this wonderful villain, check it out.

All the stories I've read with Chang are written inconsistently. Sometimes he is a brainy, pure evil mastermind, and in the next issue he acts like he was raised by parrots. If you need an example, look that the henchman here.

Mystery Mean Comics #13
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I know that I am not suppose to come out of this liking Chen Chang more than Ken Doll Kendall, but I do.

I mean, come on! This guy has fairly elaborate death traps ready to go at moments notice with no repeats. In his many travels he has no trouble picking up spies and murderous curious performers. He is innovative, and has great networking skills. Also, the only reason he is not seven kinds of dead is because he is just that good. That is most of what you need to be a good bad guy.

Kendall tries to be witty and gets tied up a lot. A lot. And the man has no sense of style!

Billy Bounce, The Kid Detective

Billy Bounce wants to be a detective, but things aren't going so well. Although it would appear from the art above he can levitate, it seems to only be a power he possesses in front of billboards. No flying detective high-jinks here.

The first strip is signed Norman Lee. The rest vary, but normally have Lee in the name some where. The name Norman Lee looks like a pen name, only ever appearing in these first few issues of Mystery Men Comics.

Mystery Men #12

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Mystery Men #14

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Mystery Men #15

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Billy Bounce appears in Mystery Men Comics #1-15. No relation to this Billy Bounce.

Lt. Drake and The Skull

Last year for the 4th of July I shared with you patriotic heroine Miss Victory. Rather than post another star-spangled superhero, this year I bring you a often forgotten hero from Fox.

Lt. Drake's only real claim to fame is that Klaus Nordling did the strip's art. It is his earliest confirmed work. (Fun fact: Nordling did a lot of work for Fox, signing his name as Spark Stevens, F. Klaus, Ed Norris and Clyde North.)

Lt. Drake of the U.S. Naval Intelligence started running in Mystery Men Comics #1 (1939) when the magazine was still under the name Bruns Publications. Drake's last appearance is in #25. He fal away from the line up with no note or fan fare.

An interesting point for the strip is the early mark of a share universe between the superheroes in house. Villains in Lt. Drake were normally one shots. In a way The Skull is no different, but his appearance in Lt. Drake is not his first in Mystery Men Comics. In #14 The Skull, apparently the same man, is the villain for Blue Beetle. 

Meet The Skull as he face off with Lt. Drake below!

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Read More Lt Drake!

Hemlock Shomes and Poston

Military May didn't end as I would have hope. It was missing one key post, the story of Chop-Chop. School is taking up more time than I thought it would, so please wait for this post until I can do it justice.

Until I hope you enjoy some regularly scheduled programming.

Have some Hemlock Shomes from Mystery Men #12.

Klaus Nordling and Lt. Drake of the U.S. Naval Intelligence

Writer and artist Klaus Nordling, famous for his work on Lady Luck, started his career in 1939. His first work is Baron Munchausen, a Sunday strip comic. Soon he was working with Fox Comics on "Spark Stevens" and "Lt. Drake of the U.S. Naval Intelligence."

F. Klaus, who singed the first panel of the comic below, is really Nordling. He did do the pencil work here, if not the writing. The writer is is marked as unknown by the Grand Comics Database, but Nordling did the writing on a number of strips.Now to see some early work! Here is Mystery Men #12 (July 1940)"The Stuffed Fish Smugglers"

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More more infomation on Klaus Nordling:

Klaus Nordling (Artist Profile)

Nordling, Klaus (Who's Who Bio; A few of his pen names, and a list of known works)

Mystery Men Comics #13 (Aug 1940) Highlight Reel

Showing the Stories of Blue Beetle, Lt. Drake of the U.S. Naval Intelligence (Klaus Nordling), and the first appearance of The Lynx and Blackie.

Blue Beetle will pwn you with ease...as long as you don't use a car.

Lt. Drake stars a Lady In Her Underwear.

Lynx and Blackie are the Shirtless-man and the pantsless boy wonder!

The Chen Chang story from this issue posted in here.