Fight Comics Teach You to Fight!

From the pages of Fight Comics #6 tips in keeping fit though hitting people.

I must tell you that while hitting maybe good exercise, getting hit back can make you become badly out of shape.

Patsy Pinup

Fight Comics #47 (Dec. 1947) was the about the girls. It has Senorita Rio ON her first cover, and it introduced Patsy Pinup.

Here is her first appearance. "Sista Swing" was only used once for this strip.

Starting at Fight Comics #48 to #51 the pen named used for the rest of strip was Wanda Graham. Pasty didn't appear after that.

    [Back Up link #48]

Fight Comics #19 "The Broken Mirror"

Spot art by Alex Blum

 

"Her Name Was Zero"

There were many spies during world War II. They were daring, quick individuals, and generally good looking. At least, that's what golden age comics taught me.

None was as mysterious as the woman known as Madam Zero. Little of her story is know of her since she only appeared in four issues of Fight Comics in the early 1950s.

Although these issues are available online, a solid collection of all her stories has been complied in Madam Zero Secret Files Collection. The introduction is fitting, making this collection well worth your time.

Below you will find Madame Zero's introduction from Fight Comics #82. Written by George Dennison (also the pen name on #83), art by "Charles Sultan" (who maybe Matt Baker, but I can't can't decide).

Read By scrolling here. Read page by page below.

                                   001 //002 // 003 // 004

    Back up Links: 01 // 02 // 03// 04

The True Life Story of Gene Tunney

Gene Tunney was an undefeated man. During his successful boxing career, he was the regaining World Heavyweight Campaign from 1926-1928. He was know for his strategy.

From Fight Comics #19....Art by Alex Blum

 22 //23 //24 //25 //26

There an identically titled story in Fight Comics #6, but the art and script of 19 are completely different. It is listed second as the art is less than fantastic. 


 38 //39 //40 //41
(I brightened the panel to the left, but I was not able to nicely clean these scans. They are exactly from yo will see in the cbr file.)

Star Pirate

He is only known as Star Pirate. No one knows from where he hails, only that he captains the ship "Revenge" and has yet to meet his match.

Star Pirate began in Planet Comics #12, and lasted till #64, when reprints started. (But he's in #65, #67, 68 and 70 of the reprints.) His original wrier used the pen name "Leonardo Vinci." The owner is unknown, but the artist for most of the strips signs. The original was Al Gabriele, but later the title sported Maurice Whitman, Leonard Starr, and Joe Kubert. It was young artist Murphy Anderson, along with writer "Len Dodson," who handled the largest part of the run, staring in #33.

Star beings and ends his adventures being thrown up against one gorgeous female villain after another. For the first part of his career it is done along side his purely loyal first mate, Trodelyte or Trody. Trody only make it to #31, where he is replaced by Star's "Martian-pal" Gura. Gura only makes it to #35.

But in #36, Star picks up the pirate that will stay with him to the end of his run.

Once a enemy, Blackbeard joins with Star to escape the rival band of pirates.You can read the story here. #36 also is when Star Pirate becomes a comic for laughs over serious drama.

Below a story from from Planet Comics #41. Star takes a spaceship of male colonists to a forgotten world populated only by women.

Page 01//Page 02//Page 03//Page 04//Page 05//Page 06//Page 07

UK monthly, Planet Stories (Atlas, 1961-62), reprints some of the Planet Comics titles, including Star Pirate.

Series info for Planet Comics.

Murphy Anderson essay by Michel Vance

More Star Pirate on the way!

Fight Comics #47 Highlight Reel

See Señorita Rio drawn by Lily Renee! (See more of her here!)

See Rip Carson, a creation of "Rollin Bell" (Later written Rollin W. Bell) and artist Jack Kamen, staring Fighting Comics #19. Rip was a parachute trooper during WWII, later an ace fighter pilot in Korea. His run is Fight Comics #19 to 85, except #69 when they made the magazine shorter.

See Patty Pinup, a humor strip, by "Sista Swing."

See part of Kayo Kirby, originally a creation of Will Eisner, here by "Chuck Walker."

See Hateful Herman, a humor strip, by "Happy Larke."

See pirate captain "Captain Fight" who appeared in Fight Comics #44-69.

See Hooks Devlin, spy/detective.

See it all here!

"It's Smart to be Dumb" by George Tracy

From Fight Comics #47...

Madam Fatal, first cross-dressing superhero

Madam Fatal began running in Crack Comics #1 (May 1940), a creation of Art Pinajian. Fatal debut six months before DC's cross-dressing Red Tornado in Scribbly. Madam's final appearance was in Crack Comics #22 (March 1942) . Pinajian drew the series until the end.

Madam Fatal was really retired actor Richard Stanton. When his daughter was kidnapped, he set about making a new life for himself as an old woman. His foes now underestimated his speed and strength, and he easily topped them. No one knew of his secret but his pet bird, a parrot named Hamlet.
Stanton does save his daughter, but continues fighting crime as an old woman. Though now, instead living only as her, he swishes between identities.

Fatal shows up once in the modern era as part of the DCU. At the funeral of Wes Dodds, Wildcat (Ted Grant) mentions Madam Fatal's funeral, where no one showed up but he traveling cast of La Cage aux Folles (JSA #1). Stanton is buried in Valhalla Cemetery.

Read the Origin from Crack Comics #1 here! [Link fixed 06/2012]

At someone point Golden Age Comic Book Stories had “The Secret of the Rex” from Crack Comics #8 on the site, but the link no longer works. I've linked to it in hopes it will come back someday.

Gold Nuggets: Madam Fatal...Drag Queen of Justice! looks at some panels from Crack Comics #11

Read her final story at Crack Comics #22. [Dead link - I'll post the story at a later date 06/2012]

For more info on Madam Fatal....
Toonopedia article on Madam Fatal
Madam Fatal Profile on International Hero
Gay League - Madame Fatal

Señorita Rio

Señorita Rio, Rita Farrar or Consuela Maria Ascencion De Las Vegas, was an American secret agent. She disguised herself as a Brazilian entertainer, taking advantage of her Latin background to go in to place other agents could blend in. She was often assigned to root out fascists Central and South America during World War II.

Senorita Rio appeared in #19-71 (1942 to 1951). The only exception is #69 when the comic dropped from 52 pages to 36. She has a lot of big name artist throughout her run: Nick Cardy, Lily Renee, Jack Kamen, and Bob Lubbers. Most notable due to the amount of time she spend on it is Lily Renee, see her interview with TCJ below.

Further info after the comics!
Fight Comics #19 (June 1942) "Swastika Web" [First appearance] Art by Nice Cardy Read it here OR take it page by page - Page 01//  02 // 03  // 04//  05 // 06 // 07 // 08

Fight Comics #47 (Dec. 1946) "Horror's Hacienda" Story by "Morgan Hawkins" (often used pen name, unknown owner); Art by Lily Renee Read it here or see it on comics19-at flicker. (Note that the pages are backwards.) And checkout the rest of Fight Comics #47 on a Highlight Reel.

Oddball Comics has a recap of “The Santo Bello Assignment” from Knockout Adventures #1

Links
Rio Rita (Toonpeida)
Rio Rita Profile (FemForce)
The Comics Journal - Lily Renée - An interview with the interesting woman who did so much of the art for the strip.