Number 2277: Christmas Eve Panic!

Tomorrow is Christmas Day, so here is a Christmas Eve treat, Will Elder’s version of Clement Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas,” from EC Comics’ Panic #1 (1954).

As editor Al Feldstein explained, “We were banned in Boston for lampooning the poem, ‘The Night Before Christmas.’ Panic, in the words of Massachusetts Attorney General George Fingold, ‘. . . depicts the night before Christmas in a pagan manner . . .’ A.G. George Fingold threatened criminal proceedings against [publisher] Gaines unless the comic book Panic containing the satire of the poem was withdrawn voluntarily.’”

That didn’t happen, and as the old saying goes, “You can’t buy that kind of publicity.” Even if you live in Boston, Massachusetts, you are safe reading this story.

Here is a hearty “Merry Christmas!” to you from Pappy.

Number 2276: Chained to a torpedo

It has been noted before (many times) that original Wonder Woman stories featured bondage. This tale, from Wonder Woman #24 (1947) is no exception. In this one WW and a modern Aztec queen, Azta, are chained to a torpedo. Wonder Woman thinks she can break the bonds and free herself and Azta, but then realizes she will break Azta’s wrist in the process. Ouch! One wonders if breaking a wrist is preferable to a horrible death by explosion.

Some people see tying someone up as erotic. I am not one of them. But we live in a different world than that of 1947. This sort of activity is more out in the open now. William Moulton Marston (alias Charles Moulton), creator of Wonder Woman, would have had ulterior motives for showing a tied-up Wonder Woman and any other female in the plot. It would go over the heads of most young readers of 71 years ago.. Those readers who were in the know would have known that Marston was kinky, and they might’ve been kinky, also.

“The Curse of Montezuma” begins with something of a history lesson about the conquistadors conquering Montezuma and stealing gold to ship back to Spain. In this version Wonder Woman’s mother, Queen Hippolyte, intercedes. You probably don’t need me to tell you that part of the lesson is fictional, but being me I must say it anyway. Something I find interesting is Diana Prince’s “mental radio,” which is a means of communication with her mother. It is not fiction, but prophecy. Today we would call it Facetime or Skype.

Grand Comics Database gives credit for writing to Marston, and pencils and inks to H.G. Peter, assisted by “Arlene.” Arlene (no last name) is listed in Jerry Bails’s Who’s Who.

Number 2275: Mix-ing reality with fantasy

Tom Mix was a Western star of silent movies. He made dozens of movies, but only nine after the silent era was over and sound came in. He made a lot of money and spent it. He died in a car wreck in 1940, age 60. Interestingly, he lived on after death in radio programs, performed by other actors, and in comic books. One comic book was a premium from the cereal company Ralston-Purina, and then a 10¢ series from Fawcett Publications which lasted until 1953.

He looked great in a cowboy hat. Not every man can wear a hat like Tom Mix.

I mention it because in the 9-page story Mix is shown in his trademark 10-gallon hat in only two panels.

Fawcett had a bunch of B-movie Western stars under contract for their line of B-movie Western comic books. William “Hopalong Cassidy” Boyd got two comics, one as Hopalong, the other as Bill Boyd. Unlike Tom Mix, I don’t believe any of the other comic book cowboys from Fawcett comics at that time were deceased. I probably need not say they are now.

“The Deal of Death” is from Tom Mix Western #17 (1949). The cover was painted by illustrator Norm Saunders. Artwork for the story is by Carl Pfeufer.

Number 2274: “As one Blue Beetle to another...have some fist!”

Don Markstein’s Toonopedia has three listings for Blue Beetle: the original 1939 character from Fox, plus the two incarnations from Charlton in the sixties. The story today is the 1939 B.B., from a story published in 1948 by Fox, and drawn by the Iger Shop, which means various artists were involved.

Dan Garret, who is a cop, is involved in a puzzling case where people are burning down their own houses. It was published at a time when there was a postwar housing shortage in the United States, and the characters make mention of that. I assume someone thought the housing shortage would make a good springboard for the plot. Dan is also the Blue Beetle, although as Don Markstein mentions, his best friends don’t realize the Blue Beetle is actually Dan Garret. To double the trouble, a fake Blue Beetle shows up to make the original Blue Beetle look bad. In “The Lady Firebug” Blue Beetle looks into the eyes of a beautiful woman and is hypnotized. Because it’s done by the Iger gang, and because it is published by Fox, this Blue Beetle adventure contains sex appeal for eye candy.

From Blue Beetle #57:

Number 2273: Go-go Jo-Jo

Jo-Jo Congo King first appeared in Jo-Jo #7 (1947). The comic book had originally been a funny animal anthology title, and was continued using the same name, Jo-Jo, to fool the Post Office into thinking it was the same book. Every time a new comic book came out the publisher had to pay for a new postal permit, so many of them tried to fool the P.O. by continuing publication under another name until they got caught.

Jo-Jo’s first story, shown here, doesn’t bother itself with an origin. Who the hell cared? The only things that mattered for Fox Features Syndicate were jungle thrills and female skin, both in abundance in all their jungle comics. Artwork was done by the Iger Studios.

Besides appropriating the name of a funny animal comic book for a jungle incarnation, someone at Fox screwed up and numbered two issues as #7. This issue is known as #7a, and the second is, surprise! #7b. As Don Markstein commented about Jo-Jo, they made up for two #7’s by missing issue #13 entirely. Jo-Jo appeared in his own title for two years, which then became My Desire. Switching genres was not enough to save Fox’s comic book line, which went into bankruptcy in 1950. Other publishers picked up characters like Jo-Jo and artwork after the bankruptcy, sometimes changing Jo-Jo’s name. Jo-Jo had a second life in comic books through reprints.