Number 886
Giants of the Unknown
Whoever wrote this tale for Adventures Into the Unknown #4, 1948, had a great imagination for fantasy, but not much of an ear for dialogue. Characters exposed to extraordinary things are given to expressions like "Golly!" "Jeepers!" "Good gosh!" But notwithstanding that, I like this story with its ancient giant and time travel. It races along from one improbable and impossible situation to another, like I expect from ACG, but the artwork is definitely above average.
The artist, Jon L. Blummer, is one of those I've written of who entered the comic book field in the earliest days, but of an even earlier era with his art style. I don't know much about Blummer at all, except that he created Hap Harrigan and Ultra-Man for DC and kept busy in comics for the rest of his career. The only date I have in relation to Blummer is that he died in 1955.
Karswell, of The Horrors Of It All, ran a great Blummer story in March, 2008. "The Dead Remember" is a story of vengeance on Nazis who killed Jews. I posted a moody zombie/crime story by Blummer in Pappy's #551.
I find it easy to imagine that the whoever scripted this story decided that it were silly, and wrote the dialogue accordingly.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna have to have one of my characters say “Jeepers!”
Or, Daniel, it could be the scripter wrote "Jesus Christ!" for "Jeepers" or "Goddamn!" for "Golly!" That's what an editor is for, by golly.
ReplyDeleteWell, regardless of how this one is worded, it's just weird enough to be lots of fun. I liked it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chuck.
ReplyDeletePappy, I think you meant Hop Harrigan (which also inspired a radio show).
ReplyDeleteOther euphemisms for Jesus' name included "Jeez!" "Cripes!" "Criminy!" "Jiminy Christmas!" and "Judas Priest!" (whence came the name of that rock band).
(Word verification: malloth - good name for a Lovecraft critter)
As soon as I laid eyes on this, I could almost feel the shaggy behemothic presence of Alan Moore crouched over it, at the very moment he started dreaming up Horus, Lord of Light.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he's never seen it in his life - but for a moment it just felt as if he had.
Then I started reading it and it instantly reminded me of two of Agatha Christie's lesser known detectives, Tommy and Tuppence, a flighty but resourceful young 1920s' couple who were always going 'round confronting sinister empire building powers threatening to take over the world ahead of us British with, "Ooh, I say, old chap!" and "Tickety boo!"
And apart from maybe Billy Batson, has any American character - EVER! - said "Golly!"?
Ooh! Suddenly I'm hearing Burt Ward's Robin seemingly saying in my mind's ear, "Golly gee, Batman!" so maybe you Americans do say golly afterall!
tat-ta!