• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Short-Lived Titles of the Golden Age
3 3

131 posts in this topic

I used to do a column for CBM on short-lived titles of the GA---your basic 3-5 issues...Here for your view is, in my opinion, the rarest of these short lived titles....Wow, What a Magazine from 1936 featuring the first work of Eisner, Bailey, Briefer........a short piece I did (as my first CBM article) is at the end of the illustrations....Remember, in part, it is all about the history...jon

 

#1 ( Briefer cover)

 

704450-1scanwow1.jpg

 

 

 

#2 (Will Eisner cover)

 

704450-1scanwow2.jpg

 

 

#3 (Will Eisner cover)

 

704450-1scanwow3.jpg

 

 

#4 ( Briefer cover)

 

704450-1scanwow4.jpg

 

 

WOW...WHAT A MAGAZINE!

 

One of the rarest of all comic titles is Wow What a Magazine! This rarity, perhaps, explains a lack of appreciation of this short-lived title. In 1936 Wow joined the ranks of New Comics, More Fun and Funny Pages, as a publisher of original material. Published by John Henle (actually a shirt manufacturer who tried to make it in the comic biz) and edited by Samuel Maxwell Iger, this “comic magazine” only lasted four issues (July, August, September and November). Except for the inclusion of some reprint strips, the format of this 52 page, 8” by 11” “magazine” was similar to that seen in New Fun. It included the usual array of single, double or triple page “comic” and adventure stories, as will as celebrity pieces, hobby tips and extended text stories (Want to learn about the shot-lived Texan Navy? Check out issue #1). And like New Fun, Wow, whether because of its size, mix of features, lack of color, or only 52 pages for the dime, never was able to generate enough interest to survive. Such brevity would normally not be worth of commanding any attention. However, despite the shortcomings of the form and content, this title contains the first works of some of the giants of the comic art form.

Most notable in the series are the several features drawn by William Eisner under his real name or several pseudonyms such as “Erwin or “William Rensie”. These features included the adventurer “Captain Scott Dalton” (issues 1-4), “ The Flame” (issues 1-4), a “bold colorful figure who dashed through the 16th century” (a character to continue as “The Hawk” in the Iger-Eisner issues of Jumbo Comics in 1938), and the comedy-adventure strip, “Harry Karry”, “the famous international detective (issues 2-4).

While the covers to issues 1, 3 and 4 are considered by some to be at best sub-par, issue 2 sported a spectacular Eisner painted cover of Scott Dalton holding a recently fired revolver held over his head with a trail of smoke coming from the tip of the gun. Certainly the cover is more akin to the pulp covers of the day than the hum-drum cartoony comic covers of the day. Eisner certainly gave notice of the greatness that was in store for him in the comic arena.

Bob Kane, before he created “The Batman”, premiered his comic talents in two humor strips, “The Adventures of Hiram Hick in New York” (issues 2-4) and “Life in the Roar” (issues 3 and 4).

Additional features include a gag strip, “Biff and His Pals” by George Brenner (issues 1-4). Brenner would go onto greater “fame” with the creation of the first masked hero in comics, “The Clock”, who would grace the pages of Funny Pages and Funny Picture Stories later in 1936.

Louis Ferstadt, who would go on to draw “The Flash”, “Starman” and “Green Lantern” and eventually be the art director for Fox Comics in the late 1940s, contributed humor strips of “Larry and Tessie” (issues 1-4) and “Sir Hocus Pocus”. (issues 3 and 4).

So too appeared the earliest work of Briefer who would go onto receive notoriety for his rendition of “Frankenstein” in Prize Comics. Briefer contributed the covers for issues 1 and 4 as well as the dramatic rendition of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (issues 3 and 4) which probably was the first evidence of his desire to draw “monstrous” characters. He also contributed a brief humor strip called “Barberania” (issue 4).

Wow also presented a humor strip in it first issue “Smoothie” by Bernard Bailey who was to be the artist for “The Spectre”. He also contributed celebrity portraits for a text article in the first issue.

Several individuals contributed a variety of humor and “forgettable adventure strips (“adventure cartoons” as they were listed in the table of contents by issue 3). The latter included “Tom Sherrill” by Donald Deconn apioneer feature drawn with “stick and building block” figures (issues 1-3), “Space Limited” by Serene Summerfield (issues 1-4) who had the only two page feature in issue 1. (This feature bore a resemblance to the “Space Police” feature that had appeared in New Fun). “Buddy Wilbert” by Joe Henschel (issues 1,3 and 4), a feature which set its hero on the pathe to search for the “Dead Men” which undoubtedly explains the sub-title of this feature- “Beginning his adventures in search of honor, fame and glory among the heroes of all thime,” and “Hidden Gold” by Chuck Thorndike (issues 1-3).

Humor strips were many. Iger contributed his “Pee-wee” in issues 1, 3 and 4. Betty Marion wrote “Jocko” (issues 1-3). The protagonist monkey and elephant bear a striking resemblance to the monkey and elephant that Ryan popularized in his work for National, Comic Magazine and Centaur. Bob Smart contributed “Little Augie” (issues 1-4). While a Louise Maxwell drew “Bargain Bill” for issue 1 (renamed “Brother Bill” in issue 4).

A number of strip reprints appeared. While this type of content was widespread in this time period in Famous Funnies, King Comics and Tip-Top Comics, Wow despite its obvious meager budget, did have some classic strips such as “Fu Manchu”, by Sax Rohmer (issues 1-4), “Popeye” by Segar (issues 2-4); including text articles on the origin of Popeye by Segar in issue 2 and boxer Joe Dempsey writing about “Popeye’s punch” in issue 3), “Tillie the Toiler” by Russ Westover (issue 4), “Mandrake the Magician” by Lee Falk and Phil Davis (issue 4), and, “flash Gordon” by Alex Raymond. (issue 4)

Of some interest is the fact that several of the original features of Wow were reprinted or reworked for the next “big” Iger publication- Jumbo Comics. While it is not of any earth-shattering importance that the “Tom Sherill” feature of issues 1-3 is reprinted in its entirety in Jumbo 1 and that Ed Webster continued his Wow feature of “Fonie Films” (from issues 1-3) in Jumbo, it is far more significant that the first two pages of Briefer’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame” which appear in Jumbo 1 first appeared in Wow 3 and 4 except for a couple of panels. Additionally, Eisner’s feature in Jumbo, “The Hawk” is simply a carry over of the spirit, if not the character of “The Flame” from the pages of Wow. So too did Iger continue his feature of “Pee-Wee” in this later publication. Nor should it be over looked that Bob Kane continued to fuel his interest in comics by continuing to work for Iger in Jumbo by producing “Peter Pupp” and other features.

The run of Wow was extremely brief. But its importance lies in the fact that, in it brief existence, it was the starting point for so many individuals who would go on to be comic greats. Wow. What a magazine!

 

 

copyright 2005 Jon Berk

704450-1scanwow4.jpg.fd33ffa6036d5f5ae9d87f460e668c51.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite, and one I have three issues of, is the short-lived "Seven Seas Comics." It ran for all of six issues near the end of World War II. Issues one and two had boring and awful pirate coveres, but issues three through six had wonderful Matt Baker South Seas Girl covers. cloud9.gif Every issue had Matt Baker art. I won't post covers because I've posted my copies of #3 and #6 all over this place. A full run of Seven Seas is one of my collecting goals. You'd think with only three more to go, it would be easy, but those suckers can get pricey!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite short-lived title? That's easy....Whirlwind Comics. Everything about the GA...unbridled vitality, action and goofiness. Copies purchased 1982, 1991 and 1995. (Beat those bushes)

At the end, I share, again, an article originally done for CBM. Jon

 

 

#1 (Larson copy...got it before the marketplace even cared or knew about "Larsons")

 

705109-1scanwhirl1.jpg

 

Why "fun". Something you plastic fiends will never see now stands revealed: "comic pages"!

Note this is probably, notwithstanding Overstreet, the first full panel interior page in comics.

 

 

705109-1scanwhirl1apg.jpg

 

705109-1scanwhirl1b.jpg

 

#2 (Larson copy)

 

705109-1scanwhirl2.jpg

 

#3

 

705109-1scanwhirl3.jpg

 

 

FORGOTTEN FUNNIES : SHORT-LIVED TITLES OF THE GOLDENAGE

 

 

 

Lets start with a basic proposition: Comic collectors are basically completists at heart. However, goldenage collecting can be frustrating from an availability and monetary viewpoint for both the neophyte and experienced collector. Can’t find that last 163 issues of Detective Comics you need? Schomburg Marvel Mystery covers becoming a bit too pricey? Those wonderful Hit Comics by Lou Fine just impossible to find? Well, do I have the thing for you! The multitude of titles that could not even go the distance of ten issues before going kaput.

The late 1930s and early 1940s was full of companies attempting to carve a niche in the fast-growing comic industry. Some titles (and publishers for that matter) vanished before readers even knew they existed. This recurrent (hopefully) column will dust off the old comic box and resurrect some of these titles for your viewing and, perhaps, collecting pleasure.

Whirlwind Comics, which lasted only three issues, appears to have been the only book produced by Nita Publications. (However, this publication is, at least, editorially and artistically tied to Crash Comics. See below.) Covered dated June, July and September 1940 it contained the standard mix of costume hero, adventure and science fiction stories.

Adventure strips were typified by “Wing Bordon” (“dashing devil may-care ace of the airways”), “Lt. Jim Landis of the U.S. Coast Guard”, “Inspector Blake” (super sleuth of Scotland Yard), “Rex Royce” of the Canadian Mounted Police (“where the only law is the gun”), “Smash Dawson” (crack foreign correspondent and criminologist who fought the yellow menace of the Magic Mandarin), and “Scoop Hanlon” and “Snapper Smith” representing the inquiring newspaper reporters on the domestic front.

“Bruce Barlow Conqueror of Planets” was a science fiction strip set in the future (1980) wherein famed scientist Barlow would confront menaces to Earth whether in the center of the earth, on Venus or on Saturn (a journey he made in order to destroy the “ultra-dissolvo-ray” pointed toward Earth).

However, it is the costume hero, “The Cyclone” who was the lead feature with which this title lived and (apparently) died. (This character and title had no relationship to Cyclone Comics which also was produced in this time period.) As stated in issue one, “The Cyclone is a tornado in human form, who strikes at crime with the speed and force of a hurricane, He moves with the swiftness of the wind, always on the side of law and order.” The Cyclone was Peter Blake who was a great athelete, an expert in jiu-jitsu and circus acrobatics. In his short career, he fought crime (“whenever and wherever I find it”) and spies. Although his costume lacked a certain sophistication (As one young lady remarked in issue 2, “What funny clothes. But he’s handsome.”), the Cyclone was great fun encompassing all the qualities that make the goldenage a joy to read. He was quick with the one-liners and demonstrated reckless abandon in his adventures. The art was great action-packed, characterized by many pages with three, two and, on one occasion, full page art which was extremely rare at this time.

The covers and the Cyclone were drawn by Bert Whitman who had an early and distinguished goldenage career. He was there at the very beginning of comics. His first work, “Judge Perkins”, appeared in New Fun 1 and 2. For a short period of time in the early 1940s he produced a number of features through Whitman Associates, one of the many art shops that sprang up to meet the insatiable demand for original material from the ever-increasing number of comic publishers. His credits include “Strongman” in Crash Comics (Tem Publishing), “Dr. Mortal” in Weird Comics, “Green Hornet” covers and art and several features for Fawcett including “Masterman”. (Is it possible that “Nita” and “Tem” Publications [“Tem” is probably Frank Temerson as from “Ultem” Ullman and Temerson] are an anagram of “Bert Whitman”?)

Although short-lived the three issues of Whirlwind Comics typify the flavor, content and energy of these early comicbook titles.

 

Copyright Jon Berk 2005

705109-1scanwhirl3.jpg.f9e7a1654bb25af54211697fe39f9fe6.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the mad hatter!

 

somewhere around here i have a beat up copy of #2 that i fished out of a dollar bin.

 

we can deal with that....jon

 

707277-1scanmadhat1.jpg

 

 

 

707277-1scanmadhat2.jpg

 

 

 

MAD HATTER

Claiming to be “a new kind of comic book”, the Mad Hatter fought crime while often composing rhymes. Frankly, there was a bit of spark in

this hero who was happy as a lark. (Sorry) Armed with superb athletic ability and his omni-present hat signal for announcing his prescence, the Mad Hatter took on crime bosses, a criminal who has his brain transferred to a gorilla after he is sent to the electric chair (this story is in issue 2 although it appears on the cover of the first issue), and hoodlums such as Humpty Dumpty.

The Mad Hatter is Grant Richmond who works as an attorney for the law office of Fuddy and Bustle, who are two absent-minded senior partners. They do not even notice when Richmond dashes off to do his Mad Hatter thing. To add to his mystic of “madness”, The Mad Hatter would leave nonsensical notes for the police after capturing a bad guy. (“Though I dream of sweets and stuff, kings and cabbages aren’t enough. I must have danger too.”)

Mad Hatter appeared in an issue dated January-February and September-October 1946. (This later issue in a “no-space” book as it does not appear in the Gerber Photo-Journal.) It was published by O.W. Comic Corp. which was comprised of William Woolfolk and John Oxton. Woolfolk worked on many golden age characters such as Steel Sterling and other MLJ characters, Captain Marvel and other Fawcett characters, and even on Captain America and the Human Torch for Timely, as well as Superman and Batman for DC.

 

Jon Berk 2005 from part of an article on "One-Shot Wonders"

707277-1scanmadhat2.jpg.62e6ed710f8adb5c49510e01de5ac15a.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

>> short-lived titles of the GA

 

There's a few nice short runs in the science fiction books also ...

 

Lars of Mars -- only 2 issues

Space Action -- only 3 issues

Space Busters -- only 2 issues

Space Patrol -- only 2 issues

Space Western -- only 6 issues

 

 

And how about all the Avon one shots:

 

- An Earthman on Venus

- Robotmen from the Lost Planet

- Out of this World

 

Do they count as a run of 1?

 

gozer

----------------------------------

Thirty-five years in television and already nobody remembers me.

Just like what's-his-face.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love the short run Golden Age titles myself. I've got the Hyper #1 which I probably posted a cover scan of sometime in the past. Maybe mine is the Larson copy. Anyway, I wanted to mention that the earliest full page panel in comics interests me. Prior to Whirlwind Comics, full page panels appeared in Speed #1 (which I also posted in the past). It's from Oct or Nov 1939! I'd like to track down the REAL first full page panel in comics. Great stuff! smile.gif

Edited by ghoulaid
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love the short run Golden Age titles myself. I've got the Hyper #1 which I probably posted a cover scan of sometime in the past. Maybe mine is the Larson copy. Anyway, I wanted to mention that the earliest full page panel in comics interests me. Prior to Whirlwind Comics, full page panels appeared in Speed #1 (which I also posted in the past). It's from Oct or Nov 1939! I'd like to track down the REAL first panel in comics. Great stuff! smile.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyway, I wanted to mention that the earliest full page panel in comics interests me. Prior to Whirlwind Comics, full page panels appeared in Speed #1 (which I also posted in the past). It's from Oct or Nov 1939! I'd like to track down the REAL first full page panel in comics. Great stuff! smile.gif

 

Jon can correct me if I'm wrong, since I don't have my copy with me here at work (duh), but I think there was a full page panel in Detective Comics #1. If I remember right, it's in the Slam Bradley story, and involves Slam saving his little cartoon sidekick buddy as he's about to go over a waterfall.

 

Maybe it's not a full page panel, maybe it's only like 80% of the page. But I was very surprised to see it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

>> short-lived titles of the GA

 

"There's a few nice short runs in the science fiction books also ...

 

Lars of Mars -- only 2 issues

Space Action -- only 3 issues

Space Busters -- only 2 issues

Space Patrol -- only 2 issues

Space Western -- only 6 issues"

 

....ah Space Western Comics......perhaps not hardcore GA, but a niche nontheless.....war comics, western comics, science fiction.....why not roll it all up in as one as Spurs and his fellow cowboys fight Nazis who has escaped to Mars..

 

 

712229-1scanspwes.jpg

 

A bit more info on these Charlton books

 

SPACE WESTERN COMICS

 

The wonderful thing about comics is that their content and substance is unlimited. Occasionally, the “willing suspension of disbelief” gets pushed to its limit. Certainly that is the case with

Space Western Comics, a short-lived comic published by Charlton Comics from 1952 to 1953.

The late 1940s saw the demise of superheroes as the mainstay of comics. Crime, horror, war, western and science fiction were genres that were in vogue as the 1940s ended and the 1950s began. Charlton Comics took the popularity of two of these different genres and combined them in a uniquely bizarre comic whose lead feature was Spurs Jackson and his Space Vigilantes. This title combined six-shooters with spaceships to create what has to be one of the all-time esoteric comics.

Spurs Jackson was a cowboy living in Arizona who also happened to be an electronic engineer. His Arizona homeland, over the course of six issues, was invaded by all sorts of strange creatures, ranging from the Sun People and the Meteor Men to the Artopods from Neptune (affectionally dubbed “Bems”- standing for “Bug Eyed Monsters”, of course). Aided by his two companions, Hank Roper and Strong Bow, Spurs Jackson kept Earth safe from all sorts of devilish plans of space invaders. Their weapon of choice, beyond the six-shooter and bow and arrow to thwart these alien efforts, was the ever-available atomic bomb. Additionally, many adventures would have this cast of characters whisk off to the moon, Mars, Mercury or Venus to foil various nefarious plots.

The “plot” and “story” were at best thin, and were at some times so bad that they were good. Take, for instance, the story of “The Saucer Men” from Space Western Comics #40 (issue 1) which first introduced these characters. Spurs is minding his own business when his attention is drawn to a flying saucer landing in the Arizona desert. Sauntering over to the spaceship as figures emerge, Spurs says, “Well, well don’t tell me. You are from Mars”. To which the leader of the spaceship snappily replies,

“Naturally we are from Mars”. Informed by the Martian leader, Korok, that he wishes Spurs and his men to accompany him back to Mars to prove that they had visited Earth, Spurs is given one “zuba” to pack (which packing includes a plutonium gun capable of shooting minature atom bombs). Well, as it turns out, Korok is a bad guy whose return with the earthmen supports his claim that he has conquered earth, thus triggering the overthrow of Queen Thula. Spurs and the boys make short work of Kurok and his henchman and have Queen Thula returned to her throne in no time

(two pages to be exact). A grateful queen appoints Spurs the prime minister of Mars, to which Spurs remarks, “This could only happen on Mars.”

However, so this title could continue, by the second story Queen Thula releases Spurs from this position so he can be ready to meet all future threats to the earth. These include the threat of Vodor and “The Green Men of Venus” (issue #41) who disguise themselves as cactus (yes, cactus), “The Sun Masters” who attempt to drain the sun of its energy (Spurs, as he shoots an alien sentry who points a ray-gun at Spurs, remarks, “Skip it buster. I don’t wear these six-guns just to hold my belt down.”), various rematches with Korok and Vodor who join forces to defeat Spurs, including shooting missles which contain moon borers from the moon to the earth, “Menace of the Meteor Men”, “Battle of Spaceman’s Gulch” with the Artopods from Neptune (who are defeated by members of the local science fiction club with mosquito spray) and other equally heart-stopping conflicts. But it is, perhaps, with “Trip to Mercury” (issue #43), wherein Strong Bow flys to Mercury in a rocketship contained in an Aztec Temple, fights ancient Aztec warriors and rescues a princess thought dead for 400 years, that it is realized that this is no end to these multi-genre stories. The very next issue contains a story that has to be the best of the best, the worst of the worst. It is a story that could not be contained in just one issue. In issue #44 is the beginning of the two-part story, “Madman of Mars”. This is a story that has cowboys fighting Nazi soldiers on Mars-

A hydrogen bomb rocket destroys Paris, soon to be followed by other rockets that destroy Moscow, Honolulu and New York. It is up to Spurs Jackson and his Space Vigilantes to put an end to this nightmare. They track the source of the rockets to Mars, where they are attacked by Nazi soldiers. We learn that in the closing moments of World War II the “leader” and nine of his followers escaped in a rocket ship to Mars, where they have been planning their revenge to destroy their enemies. In a swift and deadly fight, Spurs and the boys are able to overcome these Nazi devils and to destory the rocket launch area. However, they are too late to capture the “leader” and the last two of his men.

Undaunted by the 900,000 mile lead the Nazis have, Spurs relentlessly pursues, in issue #45, “the greatest living menaces to decent mankind the world has ever known”. Yes, boys and girls, Spurs is hot on the heels of Adolph Hitler! Hitler crashes his rocketship on an inhabited asteroid. Blaming his companion Richter for the crash, Hitler shoots him and leaves him for dead. Hitler takes over the asteroid from its “simple people” when Spurs shows up. A deadly impasse ensues between Spurs and Hitler, which is broken when the severely wounded Richter appears and puts a final end to Hitler.

It is perhaps fitting that this story is contained in the sixth and final issue. Although short-lived, Space Western Comics will always be, in the grand history of comic books, one of the most bizarre titles ever to have been created.

 

 

Jon Berk c. 2005

712229-1scanspwes.jpg.1d6e9afc25f80bafb43fd61de9d479c0.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
3 3