Summer Olympics, Crack Comics, and Golden History

July 27 the 2012 Summer Olympics will being!

I bolded it so you won't forget.

Did you know there was no 1940 Olympics? These games were orginaly to be held in Tokyo, Japan, but Japan dropped there support for the games in 1938, moving to war. 

The Olympic Games were to be held in Finland after this, but were then suspended indefinitely following the outbreak of World War II. There were no Summer Games until the London Games of 1948.

This page from Crack Comics #1 (1940) looking at famed american runner George J. Saling, winner of the gold medal for 110 m hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

An interesting side note, July 27 is George Sailing birthday.

Super Snooper

What do you do when you just can't stay out of people business, but aren't really all that skilled about your snooping? Clearly you become a comedic detective. The pay is not so good, but you get top billing even if it isn't deserved!

This is Super Snooper, a regular from Police Comics.

Police Comics #1 

Super Snooper final appearance was Police Comics #23. From issue #1 to his end, Snooper stayed under the pen of Gil Fox.

Police Comics #9 (left) Police Comics #23 (right) 

"The Big Drag"

There is a time for back story, historical facts and in-depth analyses.

There is also a time to just embrace the oddness of the golden age.

This is Sargent Boyle in "The Big Drag" from Pep Comics #6.

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Written by Abner Sundell (Madam Satan creator)

Art by Charles Biro (Airboy creator, 16-year run on Daredevil Comics)

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!

Slap Happy Pappy in "The Lazy Hillbilly"

This blog is long over due for a Jack Cole gag comic. 

Meet Slap Happy Pappy, originally a Gil Fox creation. Pappy started in Crack Comics #1, staying under the pen on Fox until issue #8. This page is from Crack Comics #22, a few issues into Jack Cole's run.

Cole's early work often relies on Hillbilly humor. Here is a prime example. 

A big part of Cole's work in comics was the creation of one and two page gag pages, published across various Quality Comics. In just the 1940s Jack Cole wrote and drew well over 400 of these gag strips for Quality. His work with these is largely ignored as a half-effort for filler pages.

I really do believe this a shame, so I want to share with you wonderful study of his work.

Coles Comic on blogspot, run by Paul Tumey, is a long study of Cole's work. The blog also includes pages of other comic artist and writers, but Tumey's expertly done notes on Cole's work make this an invaluable research resource.  

A Gag Strip to Lighten Your Day

From More Fun Comics #10...

This comic is by the noted golden age DC editor Whitney Ellsworth. 

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

For Father's Day

I'm doing some major clean up on older post, the most recent has been the first Madam Fatal post.

What does this have to do with Father's day? In reality Madam Fatal was really Richard Stanton. Stanton went into hiding after his only daughter was kidnapped and his wife died of a broken heart. The new face he chose, an old woman's. Madam Fatal is a heroic father and the first cross dressing superhero!

You can read his origin story and details of his life in the DCU here.

Madam Fatal evolves with time, eventually finding his daughter. Even after her rescue, Stanton continues to live a good bit of time as an old woman. In some of the last issues he is seen switching between Madam Fatal and Richard Stanton, but reasons for this are never given.

Given how common place super heroes had become, original ideas for them were short. Odd as Madam Fatal is, you can say it isn't original.

Below the Madam Fatal from Crack Comics #3 (July 1940).

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Since so many of the original sites hosting  Madam Fatal 's comics have gone down. I will be working to restore them to the net. In short, more Madam Fatal to come!

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.

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.

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Brithdays

Today, I celebrate my birthday. As I sit here it write this post I find that I m too lazy, so have this.

From Don Fortune #2

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

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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.