Friday, February 21, 2014

Number 1529: “Twisting” Dickens...Green Mask and the boy pickpockets

Not long ago I showed a science fiction story that was inspired by Robinson Crusoe, and here is a superhero/crime-fighter story of the Green Mask and a Fagin-like criminal (Spelled “Fakin” or “Faken” depending on the panel) right out of Dickens’ Oliver Twist. I always say if you’re going to swipe, swipe from the best.

Green Mask was a short-lived superhero (1939 to 1942) from Fox Features. According to Don Markstein’s Toonopedia.com, the character was drawn by Walter Frehm (spelled phonetically as “Frame” in the splash panel.) Also according to Toonopedia, Frehm went on to draw Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. His cartooning style on Green Mask was pleasing, but reminiscent of a style of an earlier era. He died in 1995 at age 89.

From Mystery Men Comics #3 (1939):










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6 comments:

  1. Daniel [oeconomist.com]5:18 AM

    A perfectly selected sample panel! It speaks a thousand words!

    As you say, the style is strongly reminiscent of earlier work. And someone who'd bought the comic-book based upon the cover, which was by Lou Fine, might perhaps have been disappointed. Still, for me, stuff in the early styles has a special charm.

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  2. Alicia American9:56 AM

    SMACKO!

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  3. Alicia American9:56 AM

    (That's all I've got 2 say 2day-- "SMACKO!") XOXOXOXO We luv u Pappy! XOXOXOXO

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  4. Pappy3:38 PM

    Alicia, sounds like something else, doesn't it? Putting aside the obvious drug reference, it sounds like cold cereal: "Hey kids, get your delicious sugar-coated Smackos today!"

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  5. Pappy3:42 PM

    Daniel, I refer you to the answer I gave Alicia.

    Walter Frehm being an old timer it probably came from Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo, and their long lost brother, Smacko.

    And it is nice to see a costumed crime fighter without the impossible musculature they are drawn with nowadays.

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  6. Wm Byron3:15 PM

    I was fascinated to read that the second Green Mask (from 1944, still from FOX), was a teenager who transformed into the adult Green Mask whenever his anger started, transforming back whenever he calmed down. This obviously predates The Hulk by a couple decades so I wonder if Ditko read this as a child and had it in his subconscious?

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