We skipped our monthly Sunday Supplement feature last month. I was busy hosting out-of-town guests (my grandchildren) all month. I barely got my regular postings done.
Today we have a very early Spirit Section from the Will Eisner studio. It is from June 30, 1940, which makes it the fifth Spirit story to appear. In it we look back at health care in America, 1940-style. It begins with a dose of pathos, a doctor’s pronouncement, “Your wife has a week to live,” and the prescription is to take her to Arizona. The husband is broke, so he gambles to get the money to take her. That turns out bad, so the Spirit steps in. In this early story we see the Spirit clean out the gambling joints with his gambling skills. He apparently has a skill-set we weren’t aware of. He also pulls a gun. We are used to a Spirit who uses his fists.
Chuck Mazoujian, using the name “Ford Davis,” drew the 4-page Lady Luck story. Mazoujian went into the Army, and I found a page of his drawings of soldiers in training in the February 9, 1942 issue of Life. When his time in the Army was done he went into advertising.
Another top artist, Bob Powell, who spent his whole career in comics, did the Mister Mystic story. I confess, I looked at it but didn’t read it.
Another early Spirit Section, #7, from 1940. Just click on the thumbnail.
2 comments:
The Spirit does Manhattan. I don't know quite when, but it eventually becomes the fictional Central City.
Right-o, Kirk. And he also had a flying car, which is (thankfully) not included in this story.
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