Number 1799: Black Angel...Black Widow...?

Nazis get the tables turned on them in Yugoslavia. They think they are spreading cholera germs, but they are actually spreading ipecac powder* which makes a person vomit. When the Nazis get sick they think that cholera has turned against them. My first of two favorite lines from this story, “Ohh...do something! Der Fuehrer vill have a tantrum!”

My second favorite line comes from our slinky heroine, Black Angel. While friendlies are pouring ipecac into food bins she says: “How I’d love to drop enough ground glass in with it to make a first-class stomach-ache!” Vengeful, isn’t she? I would not have ever bet against Black Angel. And I wonder what happened to her after the war. Did she get married? I'd worry if she was still thinking about ground glass. Used against a husband, she'd be renamed the Black Widow.

Drawn by John Cassone, from Air Fighters Comics #12 (1943):

*Ipecac syrup was once commonly kept in medicine chests. Purging was one way to fix a tummyache. I don’t remember my mother using it on me, but maybe I have mercifully forgotten.

Number 1689: Black Angel and Baroness Blood

The beauteous Black Angel is back, and so is her adversary, Baroness Blood. These deadly enemies, one British, one German, vie for who can wear the kinkiest costume. I have shown another Black Angel story, also featuring the Baroness. The link below this entry in the sexy saga will take you there.

This story is from Air Fighters Comics #9 (1943). The art is credited to John Cassone.

Dry your sweaty hands, guys, and click on the thumbnail:

Number 1603: Heap big origin

“It walked in the woods. It was never born. It existed. Under the pine needles the fires burn, deep and smokeless in the mould. In heat and in darkness and decay there is growth. There is life and there is growth. It grew, but it is life and there is growth. It grew, but it was not alive. It walked unbreathing through the woods, and thought and saw and was hideous and strong, and it was not born and it did not live. It grew and lived about without living.”  Theodore Sturgeon, “It”

The classic story by Sturgeon, published in 1940 in John Campbell’s Unknown, has had an influence far past its initial publication.The novelette was hailed by readers as a classic. As far as I can tell the first “It” copycat was the Heap, who was a German flier of World War I. He died and then was resurrected during the next war as the shambling creature called Heap.

This is the origin of the Heap, told in Air Fighters Comics #3 (1942). The Heap was created by Harry Stein and artist Mort Leav, and probably wasn’t conceived as a permanent addition to the title. After appearing a few times, in 1946 the Heap found his way as a permanent back-up feature (sometimes featured on the cover) until Hillman closed out its comic book line in 1953.

The swamp creatures have come and gone in comics. They are always popular. Heap was, also, I believe, or he wouldn’t have been wandering about in different areas of the world for those years. But to the best of my knowledge all of those swamp creatures go back to Theodore Sturgeon’s incredible original story.

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 ...AND AS A BONUS FEATURE TODAY, HOME BUYING TIPS FROM PANIC AND JACK DAVIS

Today my son and his wife take possession and move into their new home in Western Pennsylvania. Mrs Pappy and I have their children staying with us, which is how we help the process. After all,we live 1600 miles apart (and it is a good excuse for me not to do any furniture moving and heavy lifting).

The last issue of EC Comics’ Panic (1955) featured this funny and well-drawn satire, “House Hunting.” The thing about the best satire is that it never gets too far from reality, just basically pointing out absurdities in any situation, such as looking for a house.

Number 1376: Kinky Angel

Black Angel (“really Sylvia Manners, American niece of Lady Lawton,” as an early caption explains) looks to have stepped out of a fetish artist's dream. John Cassone is credited as artist, and he was very skilled at Black Angel’s anatomy, as well as action poses and haughty expressions.

Black Angel is paired up with an enemy, Baroness Blood, a Nazi agent, who may have gone to the same costumer as Sylvia.

From Air Fighters Comics Vol. 1 No. 3, 1942: