Kip Burland’s vocation is police officer. His avocation is dressing up in yellow tights and a black hood, which gives him the name Black Hood. I wondered why he would dress up to do much the same job in his off hours as he was when punching a time clock. I went to Toonopedia, which told me why: “Patrolman Kip Burland assumed the Black Hood role in MLJ's Top-Notch Comics #9 (October, 1940), when he was framed for burglary by a villain called The Skull, and needed a cover to use while proving himself innocent. After clearing his name (which took several issues), he continued to use it because it enabled him to avoid all those entangling legal restrictions imposed on policemen in the pursuit of justice.”
“Avoid all of those entangling legal restrictions” seems to be the reason for the costume in stories of costumed heroes, even if they also are seen (in costume) with their fellow policemen. In those days some police in movies and comics were portrayed as clownish, as in this story.
The Skull framing Kip was the reason for him becoming the Black Hood, then the son of the Skull showed up, and that is what I am posting today.
Art is by Warren King, a name I was not familiar with. He did an excellent job. I did a bit of research and found he went from comics to newspapers. He was the editorial cartoonist for the New York Daily News from 1955-1977.
From MLJ’s Jackpot Comics #6 (1942).
