MEDIA IN COMICS 006

Now that's entertainment. 

Magazines: 

Are magazine titles in comics more likely to be plays on real ones than other forms of media? Perhaps. We'll just have to see how many variations on Life and Time we can find over the years. Pretending to work for Living has enough caché that it gets these fascists into a secure aircraft plant - how long has it been since magazines were so relevant? (Big Shot Comics 014, 1941)

Movies:

I never actually mentioned it in the entry on the Hunchback of Hollywood, but the anti-Nazi movie that incites the story's action is called The Tyrant. Featuring Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes and Sergeant Duffy in minor roles! (Captain America Comics 003, 1941)

Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog's boy companion Richy (the Amazing Boy) never seemed to be that impressive to me, but Hollywood disagreed and he was made both the star and subject of a film called Riverfront Richy with lots of animal stunts. (Blue Ribbon Comics 011, 1941)

There's never any real indication of what Scoopin' Jive is about - music seems likely - but it's such a baffling name for a movie that I must celebrate it (Crackajack Funnies 036, 1941)

Similarly, we never really learn what Wings Aflutter is about, other than being a "new Navy Air smash hit" with a terrible name. (Jumbo Comics 034, 1941)

Theatre:

Minor super-villain the Black Death of course takes his costume and MO from a character in a stage production called The Black Death. There's not quite enough of the play's plot in the story to know if the fictional Black Death is supposed to be a metaphor or something or some sort of slasher movie killer as it appears. I sincerely hope it's the latter. (Thrilling Comics 010, 1940)

One of Professor X's attempts to get Sub-Zero involves attacking him in the audience of a big stage musical that his girlfriend Mary is appearing in as part of the "Living Chandelier". "George Whyte's Sandels" is a very specific-seeming reference, but I am unable to easily connect it to a show of the era. (Blue Bolt v1 006, 1940)

Fuller Spunk, former star of stage and now Holmes-inspired detective, starred in the evocatively-named shows Hector's Last Gulp and The Gripes of Raft. (Hyper-Mystery Comics 001, 1940)

Waltz of the Vampires is a ballet performance that is narratively used to set off vampire Carlos Hubbelo's bloodlust, but more importantly, it kind of rules? Comic book media is so often a version of something from the real world that it's always very fun to see something like this that (as far as I can tell) is just a sincere depiction of a vampire ballet. (Blue Ribbon Comics 011, 1941)

SUPER-HERO FILE 004: BUCKY

(Captain America Comics 001, 1940)

I probably wouldn't have thought of this before writing so many entries about Golden Age super-heroes and their hastily shoehorned-in boy companions, but Bucky really is a top-tier sidekick, conceptually. Probably not the top, since Robin really set the gold standard, but close! Consider:

In terms of the How Does He Acquire the Boy aspect of things, it couldn't be simpler. There's no need for some contrived (or ridiculously omitted) adoption process because Bucky is the Camp Lehigh mascot, meaning that he and Steve Rogers are essentially work friends. And since they also basically live together (in the same field of tents as one another, at least) the process of Bucky learning that Steve is Captain America and subsequently becoming his partner is as simple as him not being very careful about barging into other people's homes without knocking. 

Not only does Bucky get his own costume (not always guaranteed), but it's an unusually good one: thematically similar to his partner's but not derivative of it, and a smart enough look that it's appeared on various Bucky-inspired characters to this day.

I thought that Bucky might have been at the forefront of the "sidekicks without their own code name" movement but looking at the dates he is just a part of a larger trend. Similarly, he is just one of a wave of normal teenaged boys who adventure alongside a super-powered adult men. Neither of these are great features for a boy sidekick to have, but the fact that he is a victim of both trends rather than their originator goes a long way.

(case in point: crypto-fascist crook the Wax Man figures out that the two Buckys he has encountered are the same - it's a miracle that this doesn't happen more often) (Captain America Comics 002, 1941)

GENERIC COSTUMED VILLAIN ROUND-UP 044

Bored? Unemployed? Why not explore a career in low-tier supercrime? 

the ABC Gang:

I must regretfully inform you that the ABC Gang that is described here does not appear in this issue, as Spencer Steel and his pal Doakes instead get sidetracked by a different gang that is looking to rob the bank that they pegged as the logical next target in the ABCs' pattern. This is a real shame, because "gang who robs banks in alphabetical order by name, but only if the town also conforms to alphabetical order" is a 1950s Batman villain-level of crime-as-compulsive puzzle and I would love to see a 1940s interpretation of that.

Logically, Steel and Doakes would pick up the hunt for the ABC Gang in the next issue but no, they are completely forgotten by then. Golden Age comics, baybee! (Fight Comics 011, 1941)

the Vultures:

The Vultures, an elite Nazi air squadron, owe their success to the fact that they get all hopped up on "dope" (weed? heroin? are either of those going to help you do a dogfight? My lack of familiarity with both hard drugs and aerial combat is showing) before taking to the air.

The Vultures show up to defend the German military assets that Chip Collins and what I will charitably still call the Skull Squadron are busy blowing up. Disappointingly, the fact that the Vulture leader is high as hell throughout the ensuing dogfight and parachute duel does not come up at all.  (Fight Comics 014, 1941)

the Dust Bandits:

When Professor Fraser's incendiary dust gas bullets are rejected by the US Government for being a horrible war crime, he is determined to destroy the formula rather than, say, selling it to the Nazi Baron lurking in his home. Objecting to this lack of initiative, Fraser's lab assistant and step-daughter conspire to kill him, then hook up with a crooked banker to organize the Dust Bandits, aka the Dust-Gas Gang, for a quick crime spree before taking the Baron up on his offer. As is so often the case with fire-based super-villains they find themselves opposed by a fire-based super-hero, in this case the Flame. (The Flame 007, 1941)

the Leopard Men:

To my shame, this instance of the Leopard Man trope marks the first time that I thought to look into whether there was a reason that it was so common in jungle fiction other than that leopards are cool. It turns out that as has so often been the case a cultural practice among a colonized people was vilified and outlawed as a part of the process of cultural subjugation. Leopard Societies appear to have filled a pretty diverse set of roles across West and Central Africa, ranging from pro-trade fraternal orders to vigilante groups, but thanks to sensationalist reporting and pulp writing we are going to keep on encountering them as generic jungle villains. 

This particular bunch is after explorer Buck Johnson for some bullshit reason. (Great Comics 002, 1941)

SUPER HERO FILE 003: CAPTAIN AMERICA

(Captain America Comics 001, 1940)

Captain America! Hitler-Puncher Number One! Quite possibly in the top five of super-heroics' most well-known origins - a young man, physically unfit for the military but wishing to serve his country, is transformed into a super soldier with a combination of chemicals and radiation. The scientist responsible for this is murdered by an enemy spy rendering the young man a unique hero rather than the first of many. His first act as a hero is to bring the assassin to justice. A classic origin story, and one so well-trodden that my dad probably knows it. The really interesting thing about this origin is all the elements of it that were not there at first but rather accreted over time.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the initial presentation of Captain America's origin and the ones that would come later is the fact that Steve Rogers is simply not a character in the original. Okay, perhaps that is too far, but there is absolutely none of the stuff with Steve heading in to volunteer and getting turned away, and certainly none of the later addition of him as the downtrodden but good-hearted patriot. He's merely an emaciated canvas for the doctors to work on - he doesn't even get a word out until after Erskine is shot.

Not quite as thematically potent, perhaps, but the absence of the Vita-Ray treatment after Steve gets his Super Soldier Formula is very notable when you're expecting it. Turns out that that isn't added until the 60s! 

The assassination of Dr Erskine and its aftermath play out essentially the same as they always will, though the assassin is eventually specifically said to be electrocuted after crashing into the Vita-Ray machine, which obviously can't be the case here. Please also note Dr Erskine being called Professor Reinstein here, something that has been given a few different explanations over the years.

Steve Rogers is installed in the US Army as the lowest-ranked Private in history, which might be limiting to an on-the-go young super-hero except for the fact of the vexing conundrum of Camp Lehigh's location, which places him in close proximity to both East and West Coast locations depending on the needs of the story. Rogers' immediate superior, the belligerent Sergeant Duffy, has sadly all but disappeared from modern retellings. 

GENERIC COSTUMED VILLAIN ROUND-UP 043

You give a guy access to a mask and some super-science and how does he repay you? Crime!

Karno:

The dapper Karno has a cool flying submarine, a metal-melting weapon and a plan to combine the two and do some old-fashioned piracy with them. He thinks that this scheme will be enhanced by the expert submarine piloting skills of Sub Saunders, but quickly learns the same lesson that all villains do upon incorporating a hero into their plans: it's more hassle than it's worth. Karno gets a sock on the jaw and his own submarine melted around him for his efforts. (Fantastic Comics 017, 1941)

Captain Nomo: 

Speaking of ocean-based criminals from the future, Captain Nomo wants to run a successful smuggling operation in the year 10 000, despite being a member of the Coast Patrol, so he puts on a mask and sets out to eliminate the greatest threat to his grift: Sub Saunders. It goes poorly! (Fantastic Comics 019, 1941)

Bim Bagley:

"Big-shot criminal lawyer" Bagley is so into the idea of being a drug kingpin that he does at least a couple of dozen murders in an attempt to get ahold of a big dope stash, including shooting down a whole-ass airliner. It doesn't work out thanks to the Black Fury. (Fantastic Comics 022, 1941)

Whitey:

If he had only appeared once I would have written Whitey here off as just another dime-a-dozen gang boss, but in fact he vexes the Black Fury and Chuck an impressive four times, including at least twice after seemingly meeting a grisly end in the previous installment, and such persistence merits acknowledgement (particularly as his appearances all happen as Fox Features are entering their Time of Troubles and jettisoning most of their characters. His final appearance is in fact in a Holyoke-published issue of Blue Beetle!). Also please note the weird shadow on his right cheek, which is a persistent detail in his appearance that I think is supposed to be a gnarly scar. (Fantastic Comics 023, 1941)

DIVINE ROUND-UP 031

It's a wide-ranging and complicated theological world out there. 

the Death Orchid:

Once again we have a giant flower - in this case a carnivorous one - that is being worshipped as a god. Interestingly, the people doing so are Lamas, which I think might be being incorrectly used as a general term for Tibetans of a religious inclination, unless there are some major aspects of Tibetan Buddhism that I haven't heard about.

Adventure aviator Captain Kidd flies a fellow named Professor Teller to Tibet to find this fabled plant only to nearly be sacrificed to it with him and ultimately to destroy it. The price of scientific inquiry, I suppose.

Lamas! 

God Style: Animist (Fantastic Comics 019, 1941)

Isis: 

This version of the goddess Isis is okay with her followers being evil and scheming, as evidenced by the fact that her high priest is Nagana, aka the Queen of Evil, but not so hot on blasphemy, as seen here when she drops her own temple on Nagana as well as the faithful Kalkor and hundreds of others. 

Then when Nagana manages to come back to life in the present day she immediately starts badmouthing Isis again, prompting the goddess to show up (topless, in a repeat of the last time we saw her) and introduce an immortal foe for her in the form of Kalkor.

GOD STYLE: Real (Fantastic Comics 022, 1941)

the Black Sword:

The theology of the Black Sword Cult is not entirely clear, so the fact that they worship this swordfish is at least partially speculation on my part. They do use it to conduct human sacrifices, and the high priest does kill herself after Oran of the Jungle slays it, so I'm gonna go ahead and call this as a swordfish cult.

God Style: Animist, probably (Fight Comics 012, 1941)

Zeus: 

Zeus has a reputation for being weird and horny all the time, but this version of him might take the cake. He has stolen the Venus de Milo from the present and taken it back to Ancient Greece to bring it to life and marry it. Wild stuff. Featuring Hercules for a split second before Zanzibar the Magician turns him into a bird! 

God Style: Real (Mystery Men Comics 002, 1939)

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 971: THE MONSTER

(Fantastic Comics 023, 1941)

The comic opens in media res, as a (the) Monster bursts into the hotel room of art critic Iona Hall and carries her off into the night. Cut to the Gorman Art Gallery the next day, where we see... Iona Hall!?

As you might have guessed, this isn't the real Iona Hall, and "famous art connoisseur" Dan Kenneth spots this when he is introduced to the false Hall by gallery owner Gorman. When Kenneth attempts to discover the reason for this imposture, however, he and the repentant fake are attacked by gun-toting goons and have to engage in a thrilling chase, and then, when he is able to ask the question a second time, the Monster shows up and carries away the double in the same manner as the original.

It's such a weird situation that Kenneth can't even convince the police to look into it lest he be thrown in the drunk tank for challenging their view of reality. He simply has to adopt a new identity as the vigilante Gladiator in order to knock the beast out and discover just what the heck is going on.

So what the heck is going on? It's perfectly simple: art collector Craven has a painting by the great artist Velasquez and wants to have both it and some more money. To that end here is his plan:

1. Bring in art critic Iona Hall
2. Kidnap Hall as the Monster
3. Replace Hall with lookalike June Starr
4. Have his crony Gorman sell the painting at auction
5. Buy his own painting for less than it's worth
6. Ask Dan Kenneth to give the painting the once-over for him
7. As the Monster again, steal the painting from Kenneth
8. Hold Kenneth responsible for the loss of the painting
9. Collect the money from Kenneth and enjoy it while the painting hangs in his home.

Some flaws in this plan include:

1. Iona Hall seems to be completely superfluous to the plan, unless she is there to authenticate the painting
2. Even if this is the case, kidnapping and replacing Hall is only necessary if the painting is fake, which it isn't
3. June Starr is an unwilling accomplice who acts against the plan at least three times - an unkidnapped Iona Hall is far preferable
4. The auction is completely unnecessary if Craven openly owns the painting - just ask Kenneth to clean it for you
5. Plus you've driven down the price by buying it cheap. Perhaps they sold it for the amount that they thought that they could get out of Kenneth, in which case they chose the wrong scam and they should have been doing:
6. Insurance fraud. The scam they should have been pulling was insurance fraud

All in all I must assume that Craven was just too excited about his cool monster suit and came up with a plan that allowed him to use it a couple of times, because that is the only lens through which this scheme makes a lick of sense.

Categorized in: Accessories (Personal Transport - Robotic Exoskeletons), Animals (Monsters), Narrative Footballs (Misc Origin Story Guys)