MEDIA IN COMICS 007

We've got some real early media for you today, so get ready for the crustiest scans of microfiche you ever saw.

Movies:

Steve Rogers and Bucky almost get to the movies to see a flick called Million Dollar Robbery before being interrupted by a real, if smaller-scale, robbery. BONUS: a classic case of real movies stars barely obfuscated by having their first names swapped, in Humphrey Raft and George Bogart, aka George Raft and Humphrey Bogart. (Captain America Comics 004, 1941)

Hired to look into dirty dealings on the Stupendous Films lot, Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan go undercover as stunt doubles. The comedy film that Shorty works on is never named, but Slam briefly works on a film called Jungle Man. (Detective Comics v1 004, 1937)

Larry Steele's own investigations into a series of high-profile kidnappings take him to the set of Too Much Money, a movie we never learn anything about. (Detective Comics v1 005, 1937)

It's just barely possible to make out that this movie that the Radio Squad boys watch is called The Fighting Cop. A bit on the nose, boys! (More Fun Comics 038, 1938)

Music:

Detective Bruce Nelson investigates a series of murders committed on stage while each victim was singing the same song. That song was originally called "The Night is Blue," but is now known as "The Song of Death." (Detective Comics 020, 1938)

In Action Comics 006, a grifter named Nick Williams falsifies some contracts and begins licensing Superman's name all over town, and one of the results of this is a song! Specifically, a big band tune called "You're a Superman!"

I wouldn't call it the greatest song ever written (no song should include the word "resistless," for example), but it's not entirely terrible. (Action Comics v1 006, 1938)

Newspaper Columns:

Written by Paul Revere Sr, ultra-patriot and father to comic book adventure kid Paul Revere Jr, "America Awake!" is one of those exciting titles that works for an anti-Nazi column in 1941 and also potentially for a pro-Nazi one in the present. (Banner Comics 003, 1941)

Jay Garson Jr, aka the Ragman, wrote his "Crime Does Not Pay" column right up until someone tried to kill him for it and he was forced to fake his own death. And then kept on writing it for a while afterward, seemingly mostly in order to give his old editor a hard time. (Cat-Man Comics 001, 1941)

Radio Shows:

In addition to "You're a Superman!" Nick Wilson's Superman-licensing deals included a Superman radio show, meaning that the DC Universe had one a full two years before we did.

Wilson also mentions having sold movie and comic book rights, but as he is beaten up and forced to stop his scheme by the real Superman not long after this conversation it's likely that those never saw the light of day. (Action Comics v1 006, 1938)

Theatre:

Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan investigate the crimes of the Broadway Bandit by getting jobs on Broadway, specifically as tap dancers in a production called Love on Ice that despite its name seems to be a variety show rather than anything with a discernible plot. (Detective Comics v1 016, 1938)

Renick's Frolics, the show in which "The Song of Death" appears, is another of these variety productions. (Detective Comics v1 020, 1938)

 

We learn nothing about Darkest Dawn other than the fact that someone is trying to kill the lead actress and Nadir, Master of Magic, is on the case. (New Adventure Comics 028, 1938)

GENERIC COSTUMED VILLAIN ROUND-UP 009

GENERIC! COSTUMED! VILLAINS!

It's not much of a costume but this dude named Marmi does manage to use a trained cobra to steal a huge ruby before the Radio Squad gets him, which is a feat. (More Fun Comics 072, 1941)

It's possible that this fellow was meant to have a name but he never managed to say it over the Green Mask's relentless mocking of his costume. He's munitions magnate August Mincer, who has no obvious ties to Nazism despite his gruesome swastika-themed deathtrap. His plans to take over the US munitions market and possibly the world are stopped by a boomerang to the head from Green Mask sidekick Domino the Miracle Boy (Mystery Men Comics 018, 1941)

A bunch of fake ghosts set to scare off Zara of the Jungle and her guy-pal Jeff Graves from a slavery operation, these guys not only have a great look but an unshakable faith in their armoured skull headpieces - not only that they will protect them from all incoming attacks but that their foes will only go for headshots. All of these guys must have so many concussions. (Mystic Comics v1 003, 1940)

This here bunch of handsome lads are the Communist-esque henchmen of spy Kursk. They capture weirdo hero Dr Hypno but don't manage to get what they want out of him before he projects his mind into a little cat and escapes. (Amazing-Man Comics 018, 1940)

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 386: THE EVIL ONE

(More Fun Comics 067, 1941)

It's always simultaneously great and perplexing when someone in a comic story calls themself something like the Evil One. Like obviously there are cackling devil-themed villains throughout comics who are aware of the role they are playing, but theoretically even a crypto-Nazi spy like this fellow believes that they are in some way doing the right thing by their country, right? Is calling yourself "the Evil One" mere propaganda or is it an indication that the character is in it for the villainy more than out of (in this case) patriotic fervour?

Whatever his name's origin, the Evil One delivers enough super-spy action to back it up: he's got a hidden base with a retractable wall hiding the entrance, a remote-controlled car and a paralysis ray gun, all deployed in a scheme to kidnap Prince Ivor, scion of an unnamed European nation that has been invaded by the Evil One's unnamed European nation.

Luckily for Prince Ivor, the Radio Squad are on the case! Also, the Evil One is not evil enough to ruthlessly murder the two police officers he just paralyzed, which seems like a real Evil 101 move to me. He is duly punished for his Neutral act when those same two guys capture him and rescue Prince Ivor.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 374: THE MAN WHO WAS DEAD

(More Fun Comics 063, 1941)

I'm just as guilty as I was with the Jungle Scientist of being immediately seduced by the subject's name as presented in the title of the story. The Man Who Was Dead - a terrific name if I've ever seen one. Pure bonus points to the guy for being a weird little imp about it.

The Man Who Was Dead of course escapes from police custody and so the Radio Squad here are forced to follow up on their only clue: a cufflink with some weird writing on it which they of course take to a university History Department and of course discover that the Man Who Was Dead is in fact History Professor Greene, who recently had a nervous breakdown. Also there is a sinister Indian gentleman named Professor Silna.

It all comes to a head in an abandoned house on the edge of town, in which Silna is of course revealed to have drugged and hypnotized Greene into an obedient and invulnerable servant using his Ancient Hindu Magicks. Silna realizes too late that he should have made himself immune to gunfire as well, as he is gunned down by Radio Squad member Sandy Kean. Greene gets to heal from the tremendous amount of abuse his body endured while under Silna's control and all the loot gets returned - a happy ending for all!

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 101: THE CLOAK

(More Fun Comics 054, 1940)

If a crooked importer named Crandall hatches a scheme to kill off his business rivals and then makes up a villain named the Cloak to blame the crimes on, is he in fact that villain? This correspondent says yes. 

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 040: THE INVISIBLE TERROR

(More Fun 044, 1939)

Not much to this fellow, just a scientist who turns himself invisible and immediately starts criming it up. He is our first invisible guy though, and he's yet another collar by the Radio Squad. Well, almost - he hurls himself out a window rather than go to jail.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 039: THE SLUGGER

(More Fun 043, 1939)

A common or garden-variety mugger, the Slugger's technique (sneak up and bash 'em on the head) and the frequency of his attacks lead to a lot of press coverage, starting a city-wide panic (as in our previous entry). In response, the Slugger leans into it, up to and including sending taunting messages to the police, a favourite villainous move of mine. Crime can't be seen to pay in a comic book, though, so he is eventually hauled in by the Radio Squad.

The Slugger represents my absolute lowest level baseline version of the super-villain by dint of scale of crime. While I'm sure that there are other super-muggers out there to be discovered, I will be very surprised if I encounter another uncostumed, non-powered one.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 038: THE MONSTER

(More Fun 039, 1939)

A man who trained a pair of great danes to steal, leading to a city-wide panic after glimpses of the dogs caused people to assume that some sort of creature was involved, which then lead to newspaper front pages. The Radio Squad eventually got their man, though sadly the dogs did not survive.

MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 004: THE PURPLE TIGER

 (More Fun 012, 1936)

A member of the surprisingly robust fraternity of guys who get a head injury and then become criminal masterminds. Distinguished mainly by appearing in Radio Squad, a pre-Superman Siegel and Shuster joint featuring police offers with RADIOS in their CARS, which is honestly more revolutionary than it might sound to us in this far future year.

SHOULD THEY BE BROUGHT BACK? Honestly just putting this here to note that I won't be adding this to every generic crime idiot's mini-writeup. If it's not there, just assume that my opinion is the same as for the Purple Tiger: There's no reason to bring the specific character back, but it's a perfectly fine name for a minor villain and you know I love legacy characters.