Number 2455: Ibis calls on god

My headline is correct. Ibis and his girlfriend, Princess Taia, call on their god, whose name is Osiris, “The God of Egypt.” It is when things get tough; the bad guy sends a storm their way, and when Taia asks if Ibis’ magic wand, the Ibistick, can help, he says he has a better idea. He’ll call on their deity.

All I can say to that is Osiris must not have much else to do if he can answer a prayer that quickly.

Ibis was the magic man of Whiz Comics, and later, his own title. He came from thousands of years ago and if not wearing his turban, would fit right in with the modern world. Unlike the usual comic strip and comic book magicians, Ibis uses his Ibistick to do the magical stuff. Magic wands have been staples of magic stories for how long? Millenia, perhaps; anyway, a long, long time. You fans of Harry Potter will know all you need to know about a magic wand.

The Grand Comics Database lists the artist as Alex Blum with a question mark. I believe it is Blum. He was an old time artist who went to work in the comics. He did a lot of Classics Illustrated book adaptations. He was born in 1889, so he was in his early fifties when he took this assignment. Alex Blum died in 1969.

From Whiz Comics #16 (1941):

Number 2356: The last sorcerer

This story from Ibis #3 (1945) is drawn by comic book journeyman Gaspano “Gus” Ricca, and written by veteran scripter Bill Woolfolk.

A boy comes home from school, tells his mom he’s hungry, yet she sends him to clean the attic while he waits for dinner. He does it willingly. (That would not have happened in my house when I was that youngster's age.) The boy finds a book from his grandfather’s collection on how to conjure up Karlan, the sorcerer. (It seems a thick book considering the spell for conjuring Karlan is printed on one page.) The title of the story is “The Last Sorcerer,” and as you who have followed this blog for a long time already know, there are more sorcerers in comic books than anywhere else in the universe.“Last” sorcerer, indeed!

Said sorcerer has not been conjured in 3000 years, and is holding a grudge against Ibis for being part of a council of Egypt that “decreed his death” — yet Karlan summons a demon from Purgatory, which is apparently where Karlan has been for 3000 years. As you probably know, Purgatory is a Catholic belief, which just shows...what? That writer Woolfolk was raised Catholic? I have no idea, except he was not ancient Egyptian.

Number 1974: Gotta have gimmicks: the Ibistick and the Magic Snoot

Magicians in the comics had to have a gimmick. For Prince Ibis, who came back to life with his girlfriend after 4000 years as Egyptian mummies, it is the Ibistick, a magic wand that vibrates when evil is near. In the case of Basil Wolverton’s funny character, Mystic Moot, it is his nose that is the source of his magic powers: “I’ll simply point my snoot at your loot!” he tells the bad guy.

These stories are both from Ibis #3 (1945). According to Comic Vine, Mystic Moot was a parody of Ibis. This story is his introduction, the first of 13 stories Wolverton did of the character. It is full of his usual funny drawings and Basil’s word play: alliteration and internal rhyming.

The Ibis story, credited to Bill Woolfolk for the script and Gus Ricca for the artwork, looks like it was inspired by the 1942 Val Lewton movie, The Cat People. But then, stories of humans shape shifting into animals probably go back as early as the time our distant ancestors first sat around campfires telling stories. This story also has that comic book property of mixing religion into the plot. In this case using Purgatory (Catholic) and Belial (Hebrew).

Number 1855: “The dust of centuries chokes my throat!”

Morgana Le Fay, half-sister of King Arthur, hatches a plot to steal the throne. She uses a disgruntled knight, Sir Hector, a plug-ugly with a Prince Valiant hairdo, as her henchman. While Sir Hector fails in his primary responsibility (kill the king, steal his sword, Excalibur). Morgana, however, trusting Sir Hector won’t fail her twice, gives him immortality in his shield, and expects him to bring her back to life sometime in the future.

It more or less mirrors Ibis, who was brought back to life 4,000 years after his death in ancient Egypt, and who in turn brought back his sweetie, Taia. But of course Ibis and Taia are the good guys and Morgana and Hector the bad guys. We can all figure who wins in this, the lead story from Fawcett’s Ibis #4 (1946), well drawn by artist Gus Ricca.

Number 1831: I dream of Genii

If you can suspend disbelief long enough to accept Ibis, an Egyptian prince, brought back to life after 4000 years with his lover, Taia, you can accept a tale that begins in Fairyland, presided over by King Oberon, and disrupted by a mischievous “genii,” Zurty. Zurty is banned, and crosses paths with Taia and Ibis. Oh yeah, I forgot. You have to suspend more disbelief that Ibis has a magic “Ibistick” that he can wag and perform miracles, like turning a car into rubber, or give a safe arms to defend itself.

This story is from Fawcett’s Ibis #5 (1946), the next to last issue of that title.

Artwork is credited to Gus Ricca by the Grand Comics Database, who also credit Bill Woolfolk with the script.