Clock creator George Brenner went to work for Everett “Busy” Arnold. Brenner created other characters, including my favorite, Bozo the Robot. Arnold made Brenner editor of the Quality Comics line, but he was fired in 1949. (Some say it was because of drinking, although some dispute that. So, another mystery from the Golden Age.)
In this story we have an element I call a dumb idea that for some reason works. The Clock sends the villain a business card that says he will strike at midnight, and he does. Despite being warned, the bad guy gets the Clock in his house. Only in the comics.
I like a couple of things. One, when a henchman says about the District Attorney, “He has a ‘way’ with gals...ha-ha...if ya get what I mean.” Maybe the kids reading this comic in 1940 didn’t know what he means, but I get it. And in the very last panel the Clock, as Brian O'Brien, tells his friend and helper, Pug, that because he knows the Clock’s secret identity he can tell no one, even if it should mean death. Pug agrees. In my opinion, asking someone to die for you is really asking a lot, if ya get what I mean.
From Crack Comics #1 (1940):
Huh. I always just assumed that you had a sidekick pledged to protect your identity with his life. I guess that I figured wrong.
ReplyDeletePolitical types — male and female! — seem to be statistically more likely than ordinary folk to have a way with members of the desired sex, if you know what I mean. So no shock that the villain was the mayor. On the other hand, the villain could have been nearly anyone; his identity and the clues to that identity were all ex machina at the same time.
Still, I hugely appreciate seeing this fairly well drawn example of an early golden-age story.