Amph 1001 Comic Books You Must Read: 280. "Superboy" #49

59. Boy Commandos #1

[image=http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/simonandkirby/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/BoyCommandos01a.jpg]

Writer: Jack Kirby, Joe Simon

Artist: Jack Kirby, Joe Simon

DC(Winter, 1942-3@ World's Best Comics Inc.)

"The ultimate 1940's kid gang. Four orphans from four nations--Brooklyn (USA), Andre (France), Alfie (England) and Jan (the Netherlands)--form an elite commando squad under the command of Captain Rip Carter. Their comic was a smash hit!"

 

I can't picture it as anything other than some kind of weird proto-Captain Planet team. "American exceptionalism! French culture! British Imperialism! Dutch... Something! By your powers combined, I am Captain Carter!"

 

60. Powerhouse Pepper #1

[image=http://www.atlastales.com/covers/3389t.jpg]

Writer: Basil Wolverton

Artist: Basil Wolverton

Marvel (January 1943@* 1942 20th Century Comics)

"Wolverton's dim-witted hero has a heart of gold and the super-strength to knock his opponents cold. He speaks in alliterations and rhymes. His adventures, which appeared in many Marvel titles, were mini-masterpieces of slapstick action."

 

Wolverton's dim-witted hero has a heart of gold and the super-strength to knock his opponents cold. He speaks in alliterations and rhymes. His adventures, which appeared in many Marvel titles, were mini-masterpieces of slapstick action.

Eh, another character that's obviously frozen in his own era. I gather from both the description and the cover that it had to be some sort of answer/competition to Popeye.

 

61. Daredevil Comics #15

[image=http://www.comicconnect.com/data/Image/gallery/dar2.514_thumb.jpg]

Writer: Charles Biro

Artist: Charles Biro

Lev Gleason(February 1943@* 1942 Comic House, Inc.)

"Pee Wee is captured by The Steamrollers. Meatball braves snow and frigid waters to save him. He succeeds but dies of pneumonia. Inspired by Meatball's courage, Curly helps bring his old gang to justice and joins the Little Wise Guys."

 

God, does that sound awful.

 

It does, doesn't it?

Ironically, the back story for one of the earlier entries of this list indicated that the Little Wise Guys actually go on to become more popular than the title character, and even shove him out of his own comic book...

 

Perhaps this one is on the list to remind us that there's a reason most books didn't survive into the 1950s.

 

62. Jumbo Comics #48

[image=http://images.comiccollectorlive.com/covers/a9f/a9fb5581-e62f-4a64-b2e3-442d87137db8.jpg]

Writer: Uncredited

Artist: Dan Zolnerowich, Mort Leav

Fiction House(February 1943@* 1942 Real Adventure Publications, Inc.)

"Sheena continued to rule over Jumbo Comics while Fiction House firmly established its company look: Beautifully drawn covers, most often featuring beautiful women. Behind the covers, readers would find solid writing and above-average art.

Beautifully drawn covers? Notice that her right arm is out of proportion? And that was true on the last Sheena cover in this thread, too.

 

To be fair to the artist though, I think the arms are the last thing the reader was supposed to be focusing on with Sheena's covers...

 

You mean I am supposed to do something besides stare at the scantily clad blond woman on the cover?

 

64. Captain Marvel Adventures #22

[image=http://images.wikia.com/marvel_dc/images/d/d9/Captain_Marvel_Adventures_Vol_1_22.jpg]

Writer: Otto Binder

Artist: C. C. Beck

Fawcett(March 1943@* 1943 Fawcett Publications, Inc.)

"In "The Monster Society of Evil", a 25-chapter serial, Captain Marvel faces his deadliest foes: Captain Nazi, Sivana, Ibac, and others, all led by the mysterious Mr. Mind. Marvel was so popular that his number was now published twice per month."

It looks like his deadliest foe was his waistline.

 

Definitely looks very beefy.

 

That's the famous "don't get sand kicked in your face" Charles Atlas physique of the 40's-50's-60's...:

[image=http://www.tomheroes.com/images/COMICAD%20charles%20atlas%20and%20dance%20floor%20hog.jpg]

Charles Atlas was voted "most perfect man" at some world's fair or other such contest way back when. Captain Marvel certainly bears more than a passing resemblance to him.

 

I love C.C. Beck's art, easily the best stuff from the Golden Age.

And, regarding anatomy, Captain Marvel's toning is actually more consistent with heavy lifting than the ultra-chiseled stuff you see today.

 

65. All Winners Comics #9

[image=http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/f/10/4bb6167d5eaad/detail.jpg]

Writer: Uncredited

Artist: Alex Schomburg, Carl Pfeufer

Marvel(Spring 1943@* 1943 USA Publications, Inc.)

"The Human Torch fights gorilla saboteurs. Captain America's sidekick Bucky gets an eerie foreshadowing of his future. A bored Sub-Mariner decides to visit British soldiers on Nazi-held Crete. It ain't a classic comic book, but it sure is fun!"

 

66. Plastic Man #1

[image=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080525214830/marvel_dc/images/thumb/2/23/Plastic_Man_Vol_1_1.jpg/300px-Plastic_Man_Vol_1_1.jpg]

Writer: Jack Cole

Artist: Jack Cole

Quality Comics (Summer 1943@ 1943 Vital Publications, Inc.)

"Jack Cole's striking cover launches Plastic Man's own title. Inside the issue are four new Plastic Man stories, five, if you count the text page. Nasty villain of the issue: Professor Goodman, who uses a man's disfigurement for his own evil ends."

 

Ok, I get the skull connection to the title "Game of Death," but shouldn't that be reversed? Why isn't the villain inside of the skull altar, trying to terrorize Plastic Man, instead of the other way around?

 

The one where he dies or the one where he becomes Captain America but with a gun?

 

67. Detective Comics #76

[image=http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/detective-comics/76-1.jpg]

Writer: Horace L. Gold, Jack Kirby

Artist: Jerry Robinson, Joe Simon

DC(June 1943@ 1943 Detective Comics, Inc.)

"Batman's clash with The Joker is by science fiction write and editor Horace L. Gold. Even more notable: the Boy Commandoes foil a Nazi invasion of America with the help of The Sandman, Sandy, The Guardian, and The Newsboy Legion."

 

68. Supersnipe #9

[image=http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/281/supersnipe9.gif]

Writer: George Marcoux

Artist: George Marcoux

Street and Smith (June 1943@ Street & Smith Publications, Inc.)

"Koppy McFad is the boy with the most comic books in America. He wants to be a super-hero, patrolling his neighbourhood in mask, cape, and red flannel long johns. In this issue, he even sort of teams up with Doc Savage."

 

Fixed. And who can blame him?

 

Not I.

 

69. Jingle Jangle Comics #4

[image=http://furycomics.com/Jingle_Jangle_Comics/004/i/Comic_Book_Cover_For_Jingle_Jangle_Comics_Issue_4.jpg]

Writer: George Carlson

Artist: George Carlson

Eastern Color(August 1943@ Famous Funnies Publications, Inc.)

"Comic of the absurd." That's how noted author Harlan Ellison described Carlson's "Jingle Jangle Tales" and "The Pie-Faced Prince of Pretzelburg." Carlson's young readers delighted in the dazzling details and the wonderful wordplay they found in the cartoonist's work."

 

One things for sure, the Golden Age of comics sure must have been an...eh, interesting time...