Johnny Doughboy, tips of making money

It is hard to make a buck these days. It could drive a man crazy.

From Military Comics #25...By Bernard Dibble

Private Dogtag and the Radio Tooth

Have you heard the story about tooth filling picking up radio signals? It is a widely speard urban legend on the US, apparently dating back to a television interview with Lucille Ball. Snopes.com has an article quoting the interview.

If it is something you desire to happen you, you might think getting your tooth filled with an actual radio will guarantee it to work. If so, let this comic be a warning to you. Since science really works this way!

Also, seek help, because that is kind of crazy.

Private Dogtag From Military Comics #25 (1944)...by Bart Tumey.

31 //32 //33 //34 //35 //36 //37 //38 //39

Wang the Tiger: The Man Without Fear

This issue of Military Comics features a lot of interesting things. One of the best The Sniper stories, a Private Dogtag that could make an analytical essay on 1940s history or female objectification a few pages fatter,  and the key feature, a Blackhawk story taking place in China.

It isn't weird for the Balckhawks to have a story in China, they do their work all over the world. China was also struggling against Japan too, so an international, allies aligned force would want to help there. What is weird the turn the story takes.

China has it's own superhero, Wang the Tiger. This is an anomaly in a wartime comic. (Military Comics #25, dated Jan. 1944.) I don't want to spoil too much of what you are about to read, but be ready for a "classic" costume.

Also be ready for the "Ugh, why?" of Chop-chop's caricature. Now, I'm going to add a hopefully big post on Chop-Chop, but this deserves noting here. While all the Chinese people in this story are drawn like normal humans Chop-chop is still a bizarre looking little person.

Line art by John Cassone; Inks by Alex Kotzky

 03 //04 //05 //06 //07 //08 //09 //10 //11 //12 //13 //14 //15 //16 //17

It is possible that Wang the Tiger is a reference to The House of Earth trilogy, a early 1930s series by Pearl S. Buck. The lead character in the first book is Wang the Third/The Tiger.

Interesting too is the this new hero seem to share Military Comics disdain for superpowers, special gadgets, and flashy costumes. Well, I guess that last part is debatable.  

Wang the Tiger never shows up again in Quality Comics and to my knowledge DC has never used him either. 

Miss Fear

There are a great number of women throughout the golden age run of the Blackhawk team. Most are toss-away-at-the-end-of-the-issue girlfriends (i.e. Andre's love at the end of Military Comics #10). Some die sad deaths, caught by various violent ends. That is what being loved by the great hero Blackhawk often gets you. 

But in the mass of fallen loves and forgotten girlfriends there stands one women who comes back, and has she has captured the mind of fans like no other.

She is known as Fear.

It isn't fair to call Miss Fear a villain, but standard hero material she isn't. Her drive to punish those she decides are evil-doers started with the need to avenge her father, an assassinated Central Asian ruler. You will find out more below in her first appearance, Modern Comics #49 (May, 1946).

03 //04 //05  //06 //07 //08 //09 //10 //11 //12 //13 //14 //15 //16 //17

Miss Fear returns to act with the Blackhawks total of 11 times. Often she appears due their interests in the area crossing, but on occasion because of unrequited feelings for Blackhawk.

Miss Fear becomes a mysterious figure with an independent agenda. She could easily slip into the pages of The Spirit. She is made from similar stuff to other Quality Comics anti-heroines. Perhaps this is why, despite their repeated interactions with her, Miss Fear was always pushed away by Blackhawk.

There may be another interesting reason for the separation though. After her father was avenged Miss Fear turn to international vigilantism, much like the Blackhawks did after the war ended. The difference lies in the detail of this turn. While Blackhawk was often ruthless with his enemies, Miss Fear was still a shade darker. Doc Hermes explains,

"Fear turned up in different countries, usually with a small band of followers, always tracking down bad guys and shooting them dead. This set her apart from your usual super-hero. Blackhawk and his team were soldiers after all and had killed many of the enemy in combat; they carried sidearms and used them when necessary. But the casual almost flippant way that Fear plugged whoever she decided was evil seemed to make even Blackhawk nervous" (source).


In a comic that supports the cringe worthy likes of Chop-Chop, the depiction of this Central Asian woman is positive in contrast, but not entrly free of stereotype. In some of her appearance she is depictions as a bit of a Dragon Lady.

The last time Miss Fear appeared was in the pages of Blackhawk #22 (Dec. 1948). Her fate was left unexplained.

You can read more Miss Fear Blackhawk #13 (1946) on Doc Hermes blog. Check back here for more of this mysterious adventurer and her time with the Blackhawks.

Song of the Blackhawks!

At the end of most stories, the Blackhawks would sing in victory at the end. "The songs provided a neat wrap up for the story and also created an identifying signature for the team"(source). Dick French wrote the Blackhawk verses.

"Hawkah - We're the Blackhawks,

Hawkah - We're on the wing,

Over land over sea,

We will fight to make men free

and to every nation 

liberty will bring.

Hawkah - Follow The Blackhawks,

Hawkah - Shatter your chains,

Seven fearless men are we,

give us death or liberty.

We are the Blackhawks,

remember our names."

You can see the song with sheet music in Military Comics #8 or here.

The Man in the Iron Mask (Part 3) - The Conculsion!

Read Part 1 // Part 2
Six months has passed since the battle that took Andre. The Blackhawks have retuned to the area in memorial only to meet with deadly foes. They are saved by man whose head has been encased in an iron mask.

They find this savior is their fallen friend, Andre. Andre has been horrifyingly disfigured by the circumstances of his supposed death, and has doomed himself to always wear the mask.

In attempt to save their teammate, the Blackhawks rescue a plastic surgeon from the axis powers only to find him to have gone mad while a prisoner.

Find out what will be come of Andre in the pages below!

01 //02 //03 //04 //05 //06 //07 //08 //09 //10 //11

The Man in the Iron Mask (Part 2)

Early in the Blackhawks' careers they lost a member, Andre, when he took a killing blow meant for Blackhawk and sacrificed his life to stop a Nazi plot.

That is in Military Comics #3, here we have number #9 and the loss of Andre is still felt by his team.

Enjoy part two of "The Man in the Iron Mask!"

 01 //02 //03 //04 //05 //06 //07 //08//09 //10 //11

The Man in the Iron Mask (Part 1)

Blackhawk month continues with its first great saga, The Man in the Iron Mask!

No leonardo dicaprio here, don't leave.

This epic tale starts in Military Comics #3 which introduces “Chop-Chop.” Why they chose this plot to go with that introduction, I will forever wonder. Chop-chop will spend most of the issue stabbing at any drama that might hit the page. This is listed as being by Will Eisner, it more likely by Bob Powell or Dick French. Art is by Chuck Cuidera.

 04 //05 //06 //07 //08 //09 //10//11 //12 //13

Part two will be up tomorrow! 

And He Was Called Blackhawk

The Blackhawk team exists because of one man, known only as Blackhawk. When his brother and sister-in-law are killed, "the flyer," a Polish soldier, vows revenge against the Nazis that killed them.

This perhaps explains Blackhawk's often ruthless and cold demeanor. The exception is with his team, and occasionally with the ladies. (There are many ladies for Blackhawk.) According to Jim Steranko's History of Comics, "He was a man in total control - unapproachable, unforgiving, unfathomable. He was his own law and his own morality. He lived in a world dominated by an atmosphere of fatalism. He was the first comic book anti-hero."

Blackhawk debut in August 1941 as part of the new Quality Comics Anthology, Military Comics.

Military Comics # 01 pg 03 //04 //05 //06 //07 //08 //09 //10 //11 //12//13 [Scans by cimmerian32, cleaned by yours truly]

This vague origin for Blackhawk would soon not matter. He would be man without a past. Even the building of the Blackhawk team is never explained when they appear in #2. This mystery seemed to work for the nazi-fighting pilot as the Blackhawk sales soared, making them the lead title in the analogy. By 1944, Military Comics' newsstands sales were equal to Captain America, The Flash and Batman.

The mystery of Blackhawk would be dissolved by DC in the 1976 as the title was revived after seven years for a short run. Luckily, sliver age doesn't concern us here.

Who created the Blackhawks has long been debated. The clearest answer comes from the 1999 San Diego Comic Con in the 'Spotlight on BLACKHAWK,' with Will Eisner and Chuck Cuidera. The transcript is here. An interesting read and resource for any golden age fan.

The Story of Blackhawk

History has proven that whenever liberty is smothered and men lie crushed beneath oppression there always rises a man to defend the helpless…liberate the enslaved and crush the tyrant…such a man is Blackhawk…out of the ruins of Europe and out of the hopeless mass of defeated people he comes, smashing the evil before him...


May will be Blackhawk Month! Be Ready for a for learning about the legends.

Inferior Man in "Busting the Dive-Bomber"

I have said much about Al Jaffee and Inferior Man. I could still say more, but I think I should leave this post filled with only one important fact.

Jaffee sent his creation out with a bang.

Here is his last appearance from Military Comics #13 (November 1942).

Military Comics #13 (Nov. 1942) "There Are More than One Way To Skin A Cat"

After I started posting Señorita Rio, I thought I should pull some more forgotten female secret agents.

First I posted the origin of Madam Zero in "Her Name Was Zero."

Now, I want to highlight a lady known only as X in her last appearance. From Military Comics #13...

 41 //42 //43 //44 //45

If you liked this look at X of the Underground, I've posted all her stories that this point. You can read them and find out more about her all the way back in this post. 

Military Man: Johnny Doughboy

Johnny is not a newcommer to this blog. The name Bernard Dibble is. He started on newspaper strips in the 1920s. He best know for Iron Vic (see left) who he created for United Features Syndicate in 1940. He stayed in the comics game until the 1950s, when he began work as a Park Employee with the New York City Dept. of Parks.

Today, I share with you some of his work on John Doughboy from Military Comics #33, #17, and #34. (Please note that 34 contains some racist content.)

#17

#33

#34

You can read Bezzey Bubble, a short from Crack Comics, here.

For more checkout...

Comic creator: Bernard Dibble

Bernard Dibble

BERNARD DIBBLE - The Wooly Art and Cute Girls

From Crack Comics #39.

Johnny Doughboy

Staring in Military Comics #14 Bernard Dibble's" Johnny Doughboy", knocked "Inferior Man" out for the humor filler spot. Johnny Doughboy fit the military them more the the parody-superhero.

Johnny lasted as long as the title Military Comics did. His final appearance is #43.

From Military Comics #28...

Blackhawk: The Man in the Iron Mask

At a time when comics were mostly doing one shots Blackhawk started throwing in multi-part stories.

It starts in Military Comics #3 which introduces “Chop-Chop.” Why they chose this plot to go with that introduction, I will forever wonder.

Part 1

Part 2 (Military Comics #9)
Part 3 (Military Comics #10)

The Origin of Blackhawk

History has proven that whenever liberty is smothered and men lie crushed beneath oppression there always rises a man to defend the helpless…liberate the enslaved and crush the tyrant…such a man is Blackhawk…out of the ruins of Europe and out of the hopeless mass of defeated people he comes, smashing the evil before him...

Read the Origin of Blackhawk here.


*Note: This is not a scan from the reprint.

X of the Underground

Agent X was a female member of the European underground resistance movement. She worked undercover across the nations to perform acts of sabotage, create a network of people (mostly women) to help subvert the Naiz effort, and free people from Nazi tyranny.

X was created by Vernon Henkel (The Space Legion, Marvel titles during the early 1950s, mostly stuck to art after the 1940s). She had a short run in Military Comics, only appearing in six issues.

Military Comics #8 (March 1942): Introducing X
Military Comics #9 (April 1942): The Berlin Express
Military Comics #10 (June 1942): A Brother's Betrayal
Military Comics #11 (August !942): The Cholera Serum
Military Comics #12 (October 1942): The Gestapo's Costume Ball
Military Comics #13 (November 1942): "There Are More than One Way To Skin A Cat"

You can read #8, #10, and #11 online here.


Check out Military Comics 12 here.

Military Comics #7 (February 1942) Text story!

I will figure out a good way to do these pages yet.

Blackhawk text stories!

From Military Comics #18 "The Giant of the Air" (1st Blackhawk text story)

Military Comics #20 "The Way of Blackhawk"

Military Comics #21 "Fate Fights For Freedom"

Inferior Man

Inferior Man was a creation of MAD's Al Jaffee. This is long before the magazine and early in his career.
From Military Comics #11...