Number 2428: Looey, Looey, he gotta go

Didn’t I just show a hillbilly story a couple a few weeks ago? Sure did, from Babe #2 by Boody Rogers. A hillbilly, according to Merriam-Webster’s Learning Dictionary is “a person who lives in the country far away from cities and who is often regarded as someone who lacks education, who is stupid, etc.” It is a crude depiction, and is long past a need to be retired. So forgive me, folks, because I don’t want to insult anyone, but I also want to show how popular the spillover from the comic strip Li'l Abner was. Creator Al Capp was a satirist, and his comic strip about the residents of Dogpatch was very popular. There were imitations, including Looey Lazybones. The last few Looey stories (the feature ended in Thrilling Comics #73), were drawn by Frank Frazetta.

This episode was published toward the end of the series, from Thrilling Comics #70 (1949).

Number 2427: Shot through the heart

The Arrow was a very early entry into the comic book costumed heroes club. His exploits began in Funny Pages Vol. 2 No. 10 (1938) as an anonymous archer in disguise. Like many of his ilk, the Arrow doesn’t mind going around the law, bringing some old-fashioned vigilante justice. In one panel of today’s story he shoots a crook in the heart with his “glittering arrow.” Beyond a good aim, he has no super powers.

The Arrow was created by Paul Gustavson. I am showing you the fifth story from the series, in the form of a reprint published in The Arrow #1 (1940). Like most good costumed heroes, the Arrow knows where the evil doings are done, and as if by magic he appears on the scene to wreak justice. Also like magic, his cloak changes to yellow in the splash panel and all of page 5.

Early come, early go...Arrow lasted until 1942, when the publisher, Centaur, went out of business.

Number 2426: The bubblegum monsters

Calling All Boys was a comic book published by Parents’ Magazine Press, in an attempt to publish wholesome comic books, yet cash in among the piles of questionable comics that were bought by millions. It lasted, under that title, through issue #17, 1948, and then the comic was re-titled Tex Granger, starring a Western sheriff. Today’s story features “Bigbrain Billy” in an adolescent fantasy of space travel and monster conquering. It was Bigbrain Billy’s last appearance, so the promise at the end of more to come is unfulfilled, but there is enough to entertain us, anyway.

It is an adolescent fantasy because it is what I would have dreamed up for myself when I was 9 or 10 years old. A couple of young boys (accompanied by an older man, whom I would not have included in my fantasy) are allowed to take an expensive rocketship, without any apparent training, to Saturn, where they find creatures who blow bubbles at them.

The bubble-blowing creatures remind me of the old Dubble Bubble ads that were in many comic books of the early fifties, starring Pud and his gang of gum-chewing, teeth-rotting children, having adventures not unlike Bigbrain Billy and his pal have on Saturn. You can check out more of the Dubble Bubble kids by clicking the link below.

Ernie Schroeder is credited with both story and art by the Grand Comics Database, based on indexer Jerry Bails’s research. Schroeder went on to draw Airboy.

To see those promised Dubble Bubble ads, click on the thumbnail.

Number 2425: Red-Hot Blaze, hot on the chase

Red-Hot Blaze was a special investigator for Headline Comics, telling tales of criminals to the artist (presumably Jack Kirby, who penciled it...or is it Joe Simon, who inked it?), ready and waiting to draw the story when Red-Hot walks in and starts to talk. I knew Simon and Kirby were fast, but could either draw as fast as Blaze could speak? Even though Red-Hot Blaze is introduced to us, he also introduces himself in the sheriff’s office as an investigator for Headline Comics. I think that would get a smile if not a laugh from the cops. But they don’t seem amused, and they invite him along for the investigation of a murder.

The story does not appear in Headline Comics, but Treasure Comics #10 (1947). What it is, ultimately, is a 6-page advertisement for Headline Comics. No crime in that!

Number 2424: Lance Lewis and the overgrown amoebas

I think I mentioned once that in the early '70s upon first acquiring some Nedor comics for their Alex Schomburg covers, I was somewhat appalled by the contents, with what I thought were dopey characters and dopey stories. I've read so many comic books since then that I am practically immune to that sort of thing, which means, I suppose, that I am becoming de-sensitized to dopeyness. In those long ago days Lance Lewis was one of the characters I thought to be below my dignity as a “mature” comic book connoisseur to be reading. How things have changed.

Lance didn’t last for long in comic books. He was in two issues of Mystery Comics, and nine issues of Startling Comics.

In its listing for Lance Lewis, Space Detective, Public Domain Super Heroes includes this:

“The Nedor comics were renewed by Popular Library, which was eventually bought out by Fawcett Books. When Fawcett went out of business, Popular Library was sold to Warner Bros. A number of different publishers, however, are currently/have been using these characters without any lawsuits from Warner Bros., so any action over them is (probably) unlikely. They are still, however, ‘use at your own risk’ characters.”

I admire those comic book fans who take the time to look up information like the above. I understand why someone would modernize a public domain hero for their own character, but much of the charm for me in the original is that it comes across as naïve and silly, and of its time.

From Mystery Comics #4 (last issue, 1944). Grand Comics Database doesn’t list an artist, but art spotter extraordinaire Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr says it is Bob Oksner, and I agree.

Number 2423: “Ain’t had so much fun since we massacred everybody on the Lordsburg stage!”

Rattlesnake Jake and Longhair Owens are killer cowboys who go for gold. They don’t want the hard work of taking gold from the ground; killing someone else for gold is much easier for the two.

The tale, from Ace’s Western Adventures #1 (1948) is full of shooting and killing. Where the two bad men meet their match is in Lewiston, Montana, where the townsfolk don’t cotton to two rotters shooting up their Fourth of July festivities. Shame on those saddle-tramps for disturbing a town’s patriotic celebration.

“The Slaughter on the Fourth of July” is a supposedly true crime story from the late 19th century American West. It is drawn by Ed Moline, as identified by art spotter Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr. Moline, trained as an architectural draftsman, drew pulp illustrations during the Depression years of the 1930s, then comics. In the 1950s he went back to his original trade as a draftsman.

Number 2422: The Spider Widow meets the Spider Man

The Spider Widow “has the ability to control black widow spiders,” (Public Domain Super Heroes) a power I would pass up if offered. I have nothing against spiders; they have their place in the ecosystem, but as long as they aren’t climbing my walls I am fine. Despite an aversion to real life spiders, I chose this particular story because of the giant “spider” in the splash panel. The story is drawn by Frank Borth, an unsung artist of the Golden Age and beyond.

The Spider Widow, who wears a green witch mask, works with a costumed character called the Raven. There was also a Raven in Ace Periodicals comics, including Lightning Comics, around the same time. Neither Raven lasted very long in the comics. In this story the Spider Widow goes up against creepy Spider Man, who is obviously not today’s Spider-Man.

After returning from the war artist/creator Borth worked on a comic strip, then was a mainstay for years in Treasure Chest, a comic book for Catholic school kids. Like other artists who worked in Quality Comics before and during the war, Borth was inspired to do his best work by working with hot-shots like Reed Crandall, Lou Fine, Will Eisner, et al. An interview with Frank Borth from 2006 is included at the Catholic University website.

From Feature Comics #66 (1943):

TO READERS OF PAPPY’S GOLDEN AGE COMICS BLOGZINE:
It is December, and I have all of the stories and postings for this month in the Blogger queue. I want everything to work like it is supposed to, because after my final posting of this month, December 30, I will retire from Pappy’s. After 13 1/2 years it is time to go out while I still have the energy to do something else.

I don’t want to retire without thanking all of you for visiting this site. Many of you visit every time there is a new posting, three times a week. I deeply appreciate all who have been with Pappy’s since the blog — and you and I — were young. I think you understood what I have been trying to do, and when you have commented, especially in the last couple of years, you have been kind to an old man who spent his days squinting at his computer screen.

With any luck Pappy’s blog archives will be online for a long time. Although I will not be contributing, you and future readers will be able to go through a couple of thousand postings.

Best wishes to you all. Your friend, Pappy