Electricmastro

What may be the first comic book based on a TV show (Howdy Doody #1, January 1950).

I really do think that L. B. Cole’s usual approach of having the color black be as prominent as primary colors made for the most effective covers. They just tend to be so colorfully dark, that they can give off multiple emotions.

Planet Comics, which I feel has consistently interesting art and creative material in general if nothing else because I fell that the sci-fi genre lends itself a lot to encouraging creativity.

Alright, changed.

Earliest appearance I’ve seen with a specific month is from Amazing Mystery Funnies v2 #9 (September, 1939).

It was probably Captain America Comics #16 (July, 1942):

Mystery Comics #4:

Yeah, Prize also had Black Owl and Yank & Doodle, though I don’t think they got a self-titled series like how Fighting American did.

1953, Year of the Heroic Mouse:

Ah right, must have mixed it up with his 60s appearances. Thanks.

Yeah, I wasn’t necessarily saying that it happened solely because of it either, but merely put a spotlight on it even if all the people behind those words weren’t fully committed. A mixed bag indeed, but could still count as a step on the big ladder. It’s interesting, because there had been comics before that CCA incident which had portrayed black people in a positive light, like the highlight of Joe Louis’ achievements in Fight Comics #2 (February, 1940).

Hey, I said they emphasized on it. I didn’t say they always followed it buddy, among other occasions to the point of being considerably irresponsible. I suppose it goes to show that progress doesn’t come in one big step, but with many little steps, likely sometimes tumbling onto the ground after misstepping in the process. “Ridicule or attack on any religious or racial group is never permissible.” - http://cbldf.org/the-comics-code-of-1954/ So indeed Cat-Man, while ridiculing/attacking racial groups was being put into question, suffice to say, there were others behind the scenes that evidently still needed to sort out their own issues, including certain fools working at the Comics Code office itself.

Elmer Wexler (Zip Comics #2):

Action Comics in an Archie comic (Zip Comics #6, July 1940):

Charles Biro (Pep Comics #2): Lin Streeter (Pep Comics #3): Irv Novick (Pep Comics #6):

Artist highlights from Top Notch Comics (1939-1940): DickRyan (Top Notch Comics #1): Jack Binder (Top Notch Comics #2): Mort Meskin (Top Notch Comics #3): William Wills (Top Notch Comics #5): Bernard Klein (Top Notch Comics #9):

Art of Hydroman by Bill Everett from Reg'lar Fellers Heroic Comics #1 (August, 1940):

Basil Wolverton’s art from Amazing Mystery Funnies:

Jane Martin from Wings Comics #2, one of the most frequently appearing characters in the title.

Alex Blum (Fight Comics #10):

I think that before the Comics Code of Authority came out and emphasized on the ridiculing jokes on racial minorities, I suspect it wasn’t really something that comic staffs really thought about in general unless it was personally pointed out to them, not necessarily out of malice, but more so out of blissful ignorance in just grabbing inspiration for jokes anywhere they thought they could get away with it. I want to emphasize is that people, whatever background they come from, shouldn’t judge someone they’ve never met based on what they see in comics, movies, TV, etc. because I feel that human beings have an obligation to do proper research when it comes to learning about groups of other human beings. That said, that doesn’t mean immigrant/race-related jokes shouldn’t be put into question. Even Jack Kirby did bad by drawing Whitewash Jones based on the unfortunately popular Sambo and minstrel blackface stereotypes, despite him later helping create the more respectable a Black Panther. With how racism can affect art today, I suppose a possible course of action to take is that only white people can be drawn with exaggerated caricatures, but I’m also not sure how that would hold up.

Art by Charles Mazoujian from Jumbo Comics #16 (June, 1940):

Might as well list what I think was the most successful superhero for each Golden Age publisher: DC - Superman Marvel - Captain America Fawcett - Captain Marvel Archie - The Shield Quality - Plastic Man Nedor - The Black Terror Charlton - Atomic Mouse Harvey - Black Cat Fox - Blue Beetle St. John - Mighty Mouse Lev Gleason - Daredevil Centaur - Amazing-Man Ace - Magno David McKay - Mandrake the Magician Street and Smith - The Shadow Tem - Cat-Man Columbia - Skyman Novelty - The Target Eastern Color - Hydroman United Feature - Spark Man Prize - Fighting American Dynamic - Dynamic Man EC - Moon Girl Magazine Enterprises - Funnyman

Worth noting is that Charlton’s most successful superhero would debut not in the 1940s, but in the 1950s in the form of Atomic Mouse, whose 52 issue series lasted from 1953-1963.

Lou Fine’s art on the Black Condor from Crack Comics (1940-1941):