Number 2480: The Flying Fool

In the postwar years Joe Simon and Jack Kirby were represented at Harvey Comics (Stuntman, Boy Explorers), but the Harvey titles by S and K were quickly gone because of a glut on the comic book market. Before going to Prize Comics and starting Young Romance, a big success, Kirby and Simon worked for a short while at Hillman, appearing in the well-established Airboy Comics with an aviation strip, “Link Thorne — The Flying Fool.” Seven episodes were printed in Airboy Comics before the pair left and other artists came in to take over.

Aviation strips had their heyday, especially after World War II. Some pilots trained to fly in the war continued flying as a civilian business. Among other strips I remember, Milton Caniff had a huge success with Steve Canyon, a popular aviation strip. There was also Johnny Hazard by Frank Robbins, which appeared in newspapers from 1944 until 1977.

You can tell that Kirby and Simon put some thought into the Flying Fool, including some action-packed fight panels. But they didn’t stick around for long. I hope it was not a bitter break-up, because love was in the air! GI’s were home from the war. Love conquers all, it is said. In the late ’40s if they weren’t drawing crime comics, Kirby and Simon put their hearts into  love.