Number 554


Flying Saucer from Mars!



Sixty-two years ago today, July 8, 1947, is the day the Roswell Daily Record of Roswell, New Mexico, announced a flying saucer had been found. The story was later rescinded, but the headline from that day remains famous.

So what better day, 62 years later, to show you a flying saucer story? This is "Menace from Mars," from Adventures Into the Unknown #13, 1949. According to the Grand Comics Database it's drawn by Charles Sultan.

Watch the skies!

Number 553


Where Lorna goes trouble follows...


Man, Lorna the Jungle Girl's bf, Greg, is really a jerk! He's always putting her down and the problem is she lets him. You'd think with her skills, i.e., killing animals, reptiles, dangerous-type critters, he'd be grateful. But no, he just walks through the jungle like he's taking a walk to the corner 7-Eleven. No danger of being attacked by crocodiles or lions because he's got Überbabe to take care of his sorry male chauvinist ass. What I'd like to see sometime is for Lorna to jump into the hammock, put her shapely legs up and say, "Greg, I'm gonna take a nap. Why don't you go out and do the jungle thing today." I'll bet he'd be crawling on all fours to get her back taking care of him. I mean, he doesn't appreciate what he's got. If I had a long-legged, bazoomy blond Amazon like Lorna looking out for me I'd be happy. Very, very happy.

From Lorna the Jungle Girl #7, 1954. Story by Don Rico, art by Werner Roth.

Number 552


Dress me in a flag and salute me!


Yesterday was the 4th of July, so I thought I'd show a patriotic comic strip today. It's courtesy of my MLJ buddy, Nix, who is generous with his scans.

The Shield first appeared in Pep Comics #1, January 1940, but this later appearance, in Shield-Wizard Comics #1, is a more detailed story of his origin. References are made to the Black Tom explosion, which killed the Shield's dad. Ninety-three years after it happened it's an event nearly forgotten. In 1916 German agents blew up a munitions dump on Black Tom Island outside New York. Although not then at war with the U.S., the Germans blew it up to prevent it being the ammo supply to American allies. Officially sabotage, not a terrorist attack, it was the biggest explosion in the U.S. until the attacks on 9/11.

The Shield story also has the distinction of featuring none other than the Queen of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover.

The Shield was written by Harry Shorten, who later on became a publisher. It was drawn by Irv Novick, who went on to a long career in comics, working into the 1970s. The Shield preceded Captain America's first appearance by a couple of months.

Number 551


Zombie killer!


Skeleton Hand was a very successful pre-Code title for ACG. According to the excellent article on ACG by Michael Vance in Alter Ego #61 (highly recommended!) all of the "supernaturals" sold well for that company. They used a lot of artists, some of them old-timers from the beginnings of comic books, which included artist Jon L. Blummer, who drew the eerie zombie-crime story, "Death For Hire."

Blummer drew for several companies, including very early DC. He had a style that reminds me a bit of Rudy Palais. According to biographical information I've read, Blummer had only a couple of years left to live when he drew this story, which appeared in Skeleton Hand #1 in 1952. He died in 1955.

Number 550


Li'l Abner meets the monster and the suicide bomber!


Li'l Abner was such a part of my life for so long it's hard to believe the strip officially shut down in 1977. I read it every day from the time I learned to read until it ended. It ran for more than enough time to establish it as a major cultural phenomenon. Among other things it introduced the Sadie Hawkins Day storylines, which played out year after year. Daisy Mae chased Abner futilely until she finally caught him in the early 1950s.

Like most great comic strips, creator Al Capp introduced themes that were re-done at intervals, and kept his readers coming back. Sadie Hawkins Day was also played out in real life on some college campuses.This particular Sadie Hawkins Day epic is scanned from Toby Press' Li'l Abner #74, from 1950. Toby Press was owned at least in part by Capp.

In light of events of the past few years, the part about a guy with dynamite strapped to him seems more creepy than funny.

Number 549


Bank Robber Blues


Here's another hilarious story from ACG's funny animal Ha Ha Comics. "Those Bank Robber Blues" appeared in #59 from 1948.

I don't know the artist. GCD guesses Ken Hultgren. You laser beam-eyed art spotters out there tell me who did it.

Number 548


Lee Elias' Green Lantern


Longtime comic artist Lee Elias drew every kind of comic book, including super heroes. I'm a fan of his Milton Caniff-styled artwork. Elias worked as Caniff's assistant for a time. The first time I saw his work was in the early '60s on Tommy Tomorrow for DC's Showcase. I searched out his earlier work, which included Black Cat for Harvey, a cute chick, Linda Turner, movie star by trade. Linda wore a mask and sexy costume for her alter-ego as a crime fighter.

This particular and un-sexy Green Lantern story, "Situation Wanted," is written by Robert Kanigher, penciled by Elias and inked by Bob Oksner.

I got this story circa 2003 from a DC fan web site; it's scanned from Comic Cavalcade #29, 1948. Comic Cavalcade was originally a DC anthology featuring stars like Wonder Woman, Flash and GL. If the original poster comes forward I'll give him credit.

Does anyone else find characters like Doiby Dickles completely obnoxious? Did kids of the era like this kind of comic relief? Ugh.