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1937. Before Action Comics, before Superman there was...

Started by Hibou,

21 posts in this topic

Hibou

Hibou

Posted
Posted

The Phantom Magician!

 

How was that for a dramatic buildup?!

 

I've been looking for a reader copy of this for a while and in Chuck Gower's recent sales thread I FINALLY got one...

 

Famous Funnies #32 from March of 1937 featured a two page strip called Adventures of Patsy and in that, a character named The Phantom Magician appeared.

 

In 1934 there was Mandrake the Magician and he was... a Magician.

 

In 1935 there was Dr. Occult who had 'powers' albeit supernatural but was simply a detective.

 

In 1936 there was The Phantom (who I believe was the first 'hero') but he had no 'powers' ... he simply wore a costume.

 

And then came The Phantom Magician in 1937... he had a costume (although rather flamboyant) AND 'powers'.

 

hm

 

So the debate begins here (IMHO) that this was the first 'costumed hero'...

 

As Chuck Gower said in his sales thread... "It's a stretch..."

 

In 1938, of course, Superman was created and if it weren't for that we wouldn't be wasting time and money here today! lol

 

Anyways, here are the two pages from FF32 (1937).

 

Enjoy...

 

(Oh, and if I missed anything or F'ed up any historical information PLEASE correct me!)

 

:)

 

Patsy1.jpg

 

Patsy2.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

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Hibou

Hibou

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Just think, if this character had taken off, then half the heroes of the Golden Age would have had flamboyant hats as part of their costumes.

 

 

lol ... very true!

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Brian48

Brian48

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Just think, if this character had taken off, then half the heroes of the Golden Age would have had flamboyant hats as part of their costumes.

 

 

lol ... very true!

 

Yes, instead of wearing their underwear on the outside.

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vaillant

vaillant

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A "superhero" is quite a debatable definition. For what I can see, we no longer have superheroes, mere supermen. :eyeroll:

 

A superhero, as the word implies, is basically a hero. The fact that he’s super is more an additional quality than anything, so I think the term has become, as it happens more than often, just a commodity for criticism to classify comics in "genres" and "eras". A truly artistic work does not fall under these classifications, or better, it trascends them. After the more straightforword and direct quality of the "Golden Age" heroes (often pretty weird and varied), the "Marvel Age" has truly been a phenomenon which presented a convincing narrative about people which acted upon high inspirations and at the same time struggled with everyday problems.

After the 1970s, a general lack of the religious vision of life impoverished the authors' backgrounds and today is very difficult for most writers to write a proper superhero story, or – more appropriately – to portray a convincing superhero character.

I recall writer Tony Isabella gave an interesting suggestion on heroism in his site years ago, by underlining the value and weight his parents had in his upbringing, but I don’t recall where…

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rjpb

rjpb

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After the 1970s, a general lack of the religious vision of life impoverished the authors' backgrounds and today is very difficult for most writers to write a proper superhero story, or – more appropriately – to portray a convincing superhero character.

 

Are we to infer that you believe a secular worldview is incompatible with heroic behavior, that some degree of religious conviction is required before one is compelled to act selflessly in the aid of one's fellow man and that writers lacking strong religious convictions of their own are virtually incapable of understanding what heroism is?

 

This is similar to the argument made by some that morality can only be understood in the context of a code of conduct handed down by an infallible supreme power with a promise of reward or reprisal for adhering or failing to adhere to said code, and that therefore moral behavior is impossible outside this context. This has always struck me as a cynical view of humanity, that we are all just sociopaths, incapable of true empathy and responsibility towards others without a rule book to guide us.

 

 

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dupont2005

dupont2005

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Posted

After the 1970s, a general lack of the religious vision of life impoverished the authors' backgrounds and today is very difficult for most writers to write a proper superhero story, or – more appropriately – to portray a convincing superhero character.

 

Are we to infer that you believe a secular worldview is incompatible with heroic behavior, that some degree of religious conviction is required before one is compelled to act selflessly in the aid of one's fellow man and that writers lacking strong religious convictions of their own are virtually incapable of understanding what heroism is?

 

This is similar to the argument made by some that morality can only be understood in the context of a code of conduct handed down by an infallible supreme power with a promise of reward or reprisal for adhering or failing to adhere to said code, and that therefore moral behavior is impossible outside this context. This has always struck me as a cynical view of humanity, that we are all just sociopaths, incapable of true empathy and responsibility towards others without a rule book to guide us.

 

It's also statistically incorrect, even the opposite of what is correct according to some sources.
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Doohickamabob

Doohickamabob

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After the 1970s, a general lack of the religious vision of life impoverished the authors' backgrounds and today is very difficult for most writers to write a proper superhero story, or – more appropriately – to portray a convincing superhero character.

What is a "proper" superhero story?

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conditionfreak

conditionfreak

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The first superheroes or supermen, are recorded in the Bible. Everything from amazing super human strength, to "magic". With many things in between. Jesus is probably the most powerful "superhero" or "superman" ever written about.

 

But I don't want to get into the "belief" that Jesus and God are one and the same. Two complicated.

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RedFury

RedFury

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Long before them all there was POPEYE...the original Superhero.

 

mm

 

In his first adventure back in 1929, Popeye brings only his fists to a gunfight, gets shot 16 times, and wins.

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