A lynching is no laughing matter – Silver Streak Comics #13, August 1941

The early 1970′s Green Arrow/Green Lantern teamups are among the most often republished comic books of all time. Written by Dennis O’Neil and drawn by Neal Adams, these “street level” tales found the heroes tackling a variety of contemporary social and economic injustices which included discrimination and drug abuse. These stories are often cited (in various documentaries, as well as in print) as being the first time that comic books addressed “real world” injustice, but that statement is wholly incorrect. As far back as 1941, costumed heroes were occasionally confronted with socioeconomic dilemmas.

Batman’s humble beginning – Detective Comics #27, May 1939

Superman’s June 1938 debut in Action Comics #1 was a lot of cliché things: it was a bolt from the blue, it burst like a bombshell, it took the publishing world by storm. Listen, seriously – it was big. It was the first comic superhero story and invented a genre that still defines most of the comics industry three-quarters of a century later. And it’s an OK tale in its own right: not great, but readable. That’s why it’s frequently reprinted in facsimile editions (I own a couple of them).

But what about Batman’s debut nearly a year later, in the May 1939 issue of Detective Comics? I’ll bet you’ve never seen that one reprinted outside of an expensive hardbound Archive edition geared toward collectors; in fact, I’d bet you’ve never seen that story at all. Batman’s first adventure isn’t often reprinted and I’m about to commit heresy (and risk a trip to the pillory) by suggesting the reason why it’s seldom seen.

Four more pages would have been GREAT! – Doll Man Quarterly, Spring 1948

I generally don’t go for blondes, but for the delightful Miss Torchy Todd I will gladly make an exception to that policy – as would any living heterosexual male on the planet.

In this blog’s virtual pages I often point out a tale’s social significance or connect the story to some historical event. Today’s story is definitely significant, and for a single reason: it features Torchy — in her underwear.

It’s streamlined! – Planet Comics #2, February 1940

Here’s a question I’ll bet you never thought to ask: why are the rocket ships in Golden Age comic book stories and movie serials bullet-shaped? Think about it for a moment and you’ll realize that most spaceships from the late 1930′s into the late 1940′s really are shaped like bullets (the proper word for which, by the way, is cylindroconoidal. I love that word. It’s the biggest word I know, plus when you say it aloud it sounds sort of dirty — try it). So what gives here? Today I provide the twofold answer (along with plenty of cool pictures).

Sorry, kids, but your folks have to go

I’m always hearing people saying these are tough times in which to be a child. Honestly, though, every generation says this same thing; people were saying it when I was a kid decades ago. It’s tough to be a kid, period, no matter what era you live in – I’m not disputing that. But I will propose the notion that the late 1930′s and early 1940′s were a tough time to be a parent, for one simple reason.

In order for a child to become a Golden Age comic hero, it was a requirement that his or her parents first had to die.

That’s not quite the way it happened – Jesse James Comics #1, August 1950

If history is such a “boring” subject, then why are the various forms of mass media always jacking with it? Why not just go make another boring movie about pretty sparkly vampires and leave real-life events alone? See, the problem here is that they usually get the story so very wrong, which has the unfortunate side effect of distorting the public’s perception regarding the real events. Or, as I once said to a fellow historian, “The problem with history is having to dig down through all the years of encrusted bulls**t to get to the facts.”

Torchy’s Back! (And her front’s looking pretty nice, too!) – Modern Comics #55, Nov. 1946

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here. I’ve been pretty busy with some paid writing and narration work (some of which even involves Golden Age comics!*), so there hasn’t been much time left to write for fun. That’s too bad, too – I have a couple of posts containing some good historical info percolating in the back of my brain right now. So, in the absence of any real substance, how about a little bit of Torchy instead? Nah, I didn’t think you’d object…

“Mexico’s No.1 Bandit!” – Pancho Villa, 1950

As the superhero craze slowly started to die off in the post-war years, comic book publishers began to look around for other ideas which might captivate their reading public. Two genres became very popular from the late Forties to the early Fifties: westerns and crime comics. It would stand to reason that a comic which combined the two would be a “can’t miss” proposition; consequently Avon Comics released numerous comic titles based on Western outlaws. They even looked south of the Rio Grande for inspiration, as seen by the 1950 “one-shot” release of Pancho Villa.

Hideouts & Hoodlums Roleplaying Game – The Raven

As mentioned often in this blog, I’m an occasional contributor to the Hideouts & Hoodlums roleplaying game. H&H is based on Golden Age comic books; while the game encourages players to create and play their own characters, it’s certainly possible to adapt actual Golden Age comic heroes for use in the game (either as player characters or NPCs). That’s exactly what H&H designer Scott Casper has done in the game’s latest supplement booklet entitled Captain, Magicians, and Incredible Men, Pt. 1 (a publication which was recently featured in this blog’s virtual pages).

While Captain, Magicians, and Incredible Men, Pt. 1 is packed full of 1930′s and 1940′s comic characters, the author’s just one guy – which is why some characters aren’t fully statted out and many other cool, deserving characters regrettably had to be omitted from its pages. While flipping through the Keltner Index, I noticed a character who absolutely should have been in the supplement but had to be excluded due to time constraints: Ace Magazines’ character The Raven.

Hyper the Phenomenal (Part Two) – Hyper Mystery Comics #2, June 1940

Golden Age comic titles seemed to come and go like the wind. Then, as now, a comic title could disappear for a host of reasons. Obviously one factor could be poor sales; dimes were hard to come by during the Great Depression and in wartime, and the competition between publishers was fierce – literally scores of different titles appeared on newsstands each month. Some comic publishers were actually financed by organized crime as money laundering operations, so these companies tended to get good distribution deals and didn’t suffer from paper shortages during wartime (paper was smuggled into the U.S. across the Canadian border); poor distribution and an inability to procure paper spelled doom for many a small publisher. Sometimes the talent would jump ship; writers and artists working for a small company (or even a larger one if that publisher paid poorly) might head for greener pastures if another comic publisher made them a better offer. At our distance of seven decades it’s often impossible to know why a particular comic title lasted just a handful of issues, especially for comic titles which arguably didn’t deserve to die off at all.

Hyper the Phenomenal (Part One) – Hyper Mystery Comics #1, May 1940

One of the most thrilling aspects (thrilling to me, anyway) of reading Golden Age comics is the idea that the reader is witnessing the birth of a new medium. While many conventions had already been established in newspaper comic strips by the late 1930′s, the media of the comic book and, especially, the superhero genre were still brand new. Editors, writers, and artists were in large measure still making it all up as they went along, experimenting with storytelling techniques, page composition, recurring villains, multi-issue story arcs – all of which are conventions that modern comic readers take for granted.

Captains, Magicians, and Incredible Men

First: a disclaimer. This is not a review – it’s a preview. Although I derive no direct commercial benefit from the book in question, I am connected with the company which produces Hideouts & Hoodlums, and I’ve written a published adventure module for the game (see sidebar on the right of this page).

As I’ve mentioned many times before, Hideouts & Hoodlums is a tabletop roleplaying game based on superhero comics of the Golden Age (1938 to the early 1950′s) with a secondary, rather unique, conceit. Back in the 1970′s, when Gygax and Arneson created the First Fantasy Roleplaying Game Which Was Totally New, Unique, Awesome, And Changed The Gaming Universe Forever™ (I hope that satisfies the trademark lawyers), what if they’d been fans of old school comics instead of fantasy literature? What would their trailblazer roleplaying game have looked like?

The Miracle in the Wildwood – Santa Claus Funnies #61, 1944

Today’s story is another medieval/renaissance “miracle” tale much like the one in the previous post. While one could draw all sorts of parallels and analogies between this tale and various historical/legendary events (like the Pied Piper of Hamelin or the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys), sometimes a story is just a story. This is a lovely little fable (despite the predictable ending) with some especially nice illustrations; I’m very much taken with the panels depicting the chapel on page three. It comes to us from a 1944 Dell Comics Christmas publication (the same issue which contained the Walt Kelly story about Santa, featured a few days ago).

The Christmas Chimes – Santa Claus Funnies #2, 1943

Religious miracle stories were almost a cottage industry in medieval times. The easiest way to create a “tourist trap” for people on religious pilgrimages was to manufacture a miracle tale about a nondescript out of the way chapel, spread the story around, and wait for the place to draw visitors.

A Christmas Carol – Santa Claus Funnies #1, 1942

When Charles Dickens set pen to paper to write a holiday story in the early 1840′s, he couldn’t have a glimmering of a clue of what he was about to unleash. Dickens’ tale, in which four spirits destroy the soul of a miser in order to redeem him, reconstructing him as a new and better man, has become a classic: A Christmas Carol has never been out of print since its first publication.

Santa and his Jeep – Santa Claus Funnies #1, 1942

Lots of people own Jeeps, but I’m willing to bet that more than a few of them have no idea what they’re driving (aside from a vague notion that it used to be a military vehicle). The jeep was introduced in World War II as a fast, light, four wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle. It ultimately outgrew its original recon role to become a staff car, courier transportation, a vehicle for towing light artillery, you name it. The jeep was, at one time, the most famous and recognizable vehicle in the world.

The Night Before Christmas – Santa Claus Funnies #61, 1944

I was going to save this one for a few more days, but I’m feeling pretty testy this morning. Anyone who’s an avid reader has doubtless heard about Ms. Pamela McColl’s decision to republish Clement Moore’s classic poem “The Night Before Christmas” in a bowdlerized form which omits all references to the act of Santa smoking a pipe. I’m thus presenting the Dell Comics 1944 (uncensored) version of the poem on my blog for public consumption today for several reasons: it’s a great poem, it’s wonderfully illustrated, and because I wish to opine that I consider Ms. McColl to be a complete idiot. I invite her to read up a bit on Thomas Bowdler as well as on the subsequent reactions to Bowdler’s “work” to discover the low esteem in which he and his spiritual followers (like Ms. McColl) are held.

How Santa Got His Red Suit – Santa Claus Funnies #61, 1944

Dell Comics published an insane number of Christmas books and comics back during the Golden Age. The Digital Comic Museum website has an extensive selection of Dell’s holiday offerings. One Dell Christmas comic series was titled Santa Claus Funnies, which contained traditional comic tales as well as some text selections accompanied by illustrations; the comic book even featured illustrated sheet music of popular Christmas carols.

Japanese invade Los Angeles! – Speed Comics #23, October 1942

Seventy-one years after the fact, it’s difficult for us to imagine the anger most Americans felt after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The only modern analogue is the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but while the renewed national patriotic spirit from the latter event seemed to dissipate within the span of a few months, the American anger and desire to beat the Japanese after Pearl Harbor lasted for nearly four years.

As a result the comics began to turn their collective attention toward the Japanese after December 1941.

NEW Chess King DVDs – narrated by Steve Lopez

Chess King has just released a brand new series of chess DVDs, which I had the privilege of writing and narrating. Have a look at these preview videos (which I also wrote and narrated). The first is for Chess King’s Guide to Opening Ideas,

Are you wearing a mask or did a rodent die on your head? – Man of War Comics #2, January 1942

I hate ferrets. While your cats secretly hate you, ferrets openly hate you and will try to tear your face off to boot. Why anyone would keep these loathsome vicious creatures as pets is completely beyond my ability to comprehend. Ferrets hate everything. Back in the day I had a girlfriend who lived across the way from a couple who kept a pair of ferrets, and you could hear those beasts (the ferrets, not the couple) screaming at each other at all hours of the day and night – ferrets even hate each other.

So when I discovered a Golden Age comics hero named The Ferret a couple of months ago, I was compelled to check the story out immediately. A hero named “The Ferret”? Really??!!??

FDR was a philatelist – Stamps Comics #7, October 1952

At the risk of sounding like Ray Liotta at the start of Goodfellas, as far back as I can remember I’ve been a history buff. When I was four or five years old, my parents gave me small action figures and toy soldiers from a variety of historical eras, and (when I wasn’t playing with them) I used to spend hours looking them up in the family encyclopedia and reading about them. History was always my favorite school subject; many of my elective courses were history classes. Much later I spent a couple of years working as a historian.

This blog allows me to share some of my favorite interests: writing, gaming, movies, comics, and (on a good day) I get to throw a little history into the mix. Today’s a good day.

Villains: Captain Nazi (Part 2) – Whiz Comics #25, December 1941

After Captain Nazi’s first appearance in Master Comics #21 ended with his escape, the character crossed over into the pages of Whiz Comics, one of the best selling comic titles of the 1940′s. Why was Whiz Comics so popular? Because it was the home of Captain Marvel, the best selling comics character of the Golden Age.

BONUS BATTLE OCTOBER! Daredevil vs The Claw (Part 5) — Silver Streak Comics #11, June 1941

[SPECIAL NOTE: Longtime readers of this blog may have noticed a sidebar concerning ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. A newspaper yesterday published a story about an ALS sufferer; I'd be personally grateful if you'd read it. The guy in the article is one of my oldest friends; we've known each other since elementary school. We just happened to wind up married to sisters, so he's also my brother-in-law. This blog talks a lot about bravery and heroism, about stories and characters which show a lot of heart. When it comes to bravery and heart, one need look no further than Dave, who shows more far grace in the face of a life-threatening illness than most people do when confronted with a traffic jam or a long line at the supermarket cash register. It's an honor for me to be able to call Dave both a friend and a brother, and I'd be grateful if you'd be kind enough to spend a few minutes reading his story. Thanks! -- Steve]

With the eleventh issue of Silver Streak Comics the battle between Daredevil and The Claw became a whole new ball game. For openers, writer/artist Jack Cole moved on to other projects; this would be the first chapter of the series to not feature Cole as either the writer or artistic talent. Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, this would also be the last chapter of the epic struggle between the two comic titans.

Villains: Captain Nazi (Part 1) – Master Comics #21, December 1941

To help sell their magazines, comic books publishers of the Golden Age often played on the concerns and fears of the public – and Americans had a lot to be concerned about in the 1930′s and 1940′s. On the eve of the U.S. entry into World War 2 in 1941 the comic book industry increasingly turned their attention to the war in Europe and the dangers of fascism. This isn’t at all surprising; many of the men in the fledgling comic business were Jewish immigrants (or the sons of same), who still had ties to friends and relatives who remained behind. The U.S. knew of Hitler’s concentration camps even before our entry into the war, although it wasn’t clear what was happening in the camps; it was widely believed that they were work camps for political dissidents (much like the later Soviet gulags). Many in the comic business knew that Jews were being rounded up across Europe, and that whatever was happening in Hitler’s camps wasn’t good.

As a result comics began to depict Hitler as an enemy.