Flash Comics Journal 3 3

[tabcom]

Entry #6

Other DC Comics with a January 1940 cover date:

Action Comics #20Adventure Comics #46All-American Comics #10Detective Comics #35Double Action Comics #2More Fun Comics #51Superman #3Flash Comics #1FIRST STORY(Origin of the Flash)(15 pages)Synopsis:Jay Garrick, student at Midwestern University, is involved in a lab accident and inhales the fumes of hard water gas. The fumes cause Jay to develop tremendous speed, enabling him to move and think at super-human rates. Jay graduates from college and moves to New York to become an assistant professor at Coleman University. There, he begins a career as the Flash, a super-hero who battles gangsters. Jay’s college sweetheart, Joan Williams, visits Jay and enlists his help in locating her missing father. Joan’s father, Major Williams, has been kidnapped by the Faultless Four, a group of scientists working for a foreign power. Jay rescues Williams from the villains who want the secret of the Atomic Bombarder. In the process, the Four are all killed, leaving Williams safe.THIRD STORY(The Origin of Hawkman)(12 pages)Synopsis:Weapons collector Carter Hall receives an Egyptian dagger from his friend, Jim Rock. Touching the dagger causes Hall to relive his former life as Prince Khufu in ancient Egypt. Khufu and his love, Shiera, are both killed with the dagger by Khufu’s longtime enemy, Hath-Set. At the moment of his death, Khufu promises to be reincarnated in order to avenge his own murder. Carter awakens from the experience with knowledge of his previous unknown life. Soon after he meets Shiera for the first time fleeing a subway accident. Shiera has been plagued by dreams of her previous life as well. Carter then fashions wings and a belt of ninth metal, an anti-gravity material with special properties. He also dons a hawk-shaped headpiece to appear as the Hawk-God Anubis. As Hawkman, he sets out to find the source of the subway disturbance. Hawkman soon locates the laboratory of Doctor Hastor, electrician extraordinary. Hall realizes that Hastor is the reincarnation of his ancient foe, Hath-Set. After a short battle, Hastor summons Shiera using a strange hypnosis to use against Hawkman. The winged hero throws a protective sheet of ninth metal over Shiera to protect her, then shoots Hastor with a crossbow. Hastor appears to die and the laboratory is destroyed. Finally, Hawkman returns Shiera to her home.

Edited December 29, 2012 by tabcom

[tabcom]

Before I proceed with the review of the issues, a note about the grading system.

The 5 star system is broken down into the following triads:

 

Flash Story - 2 star maximum.

Hawkman Story - 2 star maximum.

Backup Stories - 1 star maximum.

 

Hence, if the Flash\Hawkman stories are well written and the art is good, they will receive a 2 star rating respectively. If the backup stories are entertaining enough that I actually read them and didn't find myself fidgeting to get past them, they collectively get a 1 star rating.

 

Most issues I found entertaining through out and received 5 stars.

[tabcom]

Entry #7

Issue #1

Rating: 5

 

 

Artie Shaw’s Shadows from November 1939

(from youtube channel MusicProf78)

 

I can’t imagine what it would have been like to read the headlines in the newspapers of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland and the declaration of war in Europe in the Fall of 1939. It had to be terrifying to imagine the possibilities that war could come to the US. The news in November 1940 included FDR’s 3rd re-election, Nazi Germany and Soviet Union are allies, and Germany bombing English cities. And then, without warning, there is Flash Comics #1! If the world was going insane, here was the cure. You got superheroes that draw their powers from science, mythology, mystical, and legendary sources. Along with a crime story with a twisted sense of humor and a FBI agent saving Alaska from mysterious foreign saboteurs, this comic book had it all!

 

What really stands out for me with the origin of the Flash story is that the motivating purpose of Jay’s desire to be a superhero is to be near Joan Williams. It’s right there in the very first panel.

 

 

She is not very interested in him, until his superhero qualities are revealed. Then it is a shared secret between them.

 

 

Unlike Lois Lane, who in Superman #3 wouldn’t mind seeing Clark Kent die in order to advance her career, Joan Williams becomes as valuable to Jay as does to Bruce. I never understood why the Silver Age Flash Barry Allen would be interested in Iris West. To me, she was a high maintenance Ice Princes that wasn’t worth the time. Joan is self-confident, but needs Jay to protect her. Jay, at times lacks self-confidence but has that special ability to provide for Joan when she needs him the most. The perfect ying-yang of comic book folklore.

 

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Love the thread, keep it up! A series I would love to collect one day.

[tabcom]

Thanks, for the feedback! (thumbs u

The Flash Comics Journal is two years in the making. Going back and reading every issue of the title of the forties is great to see how the genre of superhero comics evolved. Flash Comics, like the rest of the titles of that era, mutates from pulpy circus strongmen in tights crushing mobsters to nazi\nip hunters. Followed by post war three stooges setup comedies and finally stylistic prototype silver age superheros; before the industry fragmenting into a multiplex of genres.

Edited January 5, 2013 by tabcom

[tabcom]

Entry #8

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” -- Joseph Campbell. The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

 

Although Gardner Fox created the Hawkman ten years before Joseph Campbell’s book was released, the Hawkman represents Joseph Campbell’s hero.

 

Flash Comics #1:

 

 

I can’t help but think that the character of Carter Hall must have been self-reflective of the times. With war in Europe started in the autumn of 1939, he must have wrestled with a sense of helplessness in a world that is on a destructive course. A collector of exotic curios of the ancient world, frequent guest at socialite galas, he is ready to embark on a hero’s journey that will change his life forever.

 

 

I particularly like how Gardner Fox handles the mythological aspects of the story of the Hawkman origin. Making an Egyptian god blonde is right. The blending of different gods and goddesses further creates an American folk hero.

 

 

The ninth metal!

 

 

 

Quarterstaff, wings, hood, crossbow; we are introduced to one of the Hawkman’s mythos, the use of weapons of war.

 

 

Death Count = 1

 

[Marty Mann]

Excellent thread! Have been a fan of the FLASH for a long time!

 

mm

[innocuous]

Just got caught up here. Very nice. I appreciate the panel images as part of the summary. Keep it up!

[plady69]

Keep it up!

 

Always enjoyed the mythology of the Golden Age heroes. Plenty of original material to pull from.

 

Thanks!

[tabcom]

Entry #8Issue #2Rating: 4Recorded in December 1939, Will Osborne’s ‘The Man Who Comes Around’.(link courtesy of MusicProf78)

Incredibly the Flash story is not one of the stronger strips in this issue. The Hawkman story, “The Globe Conquerors”, is excellent. I also liked the Whip. Cliff Cornwell, Rod Rian, and the Johnny Thunder stories were ok. The “The Demon Dummy, Pt. 2” Flash Picture Novelette by Ed Wheelan was very bizarre and sets the tone for the run of the strip. Much more will be discussed and panels posted on these back up stories in later entries. The ad for All-American Comics #11 verifies that this issue was on the newsstands in December 1939.

The Flash hurls a rarely used lightning bolt . . .

“The Globe Conquerors” may have taken its inspiration from the Bombing of London.

New Weapons: Net and Trident

Death Count = 2

[tabcom]

Entry #9

Issue #3

Rating: 4

 

It took me countless times of looking to finally recognize Cliff Cornwell on the cover. The action is a recap of from the previous story in issue #2. The editors must have thought he was recognizable enough that they need not print his name on the cover.

 

 

Issue #3 features “The Romance of Cliff Cornwall” by Fox and Sheldon Moldoff. This strip starts to take the look and feel of the Hawkman stories that Fox\Moldoff will team up on in starting in the next issue and running up to issue #61.

 

Flash stars in “The Trial of Major Williams,” written by Gardner Fox, art by Everett E. Hibbard.

 

Hawkman in “The Secret of Blendon” by Fox and Dennis Neville (more to follow).

 

“Johnny vs. Gunpowder Glantz” by John B. Wentworth and Stan Aschmeier;

 

King in “The Terror of the Underworld” by Fox and William A. Smith. Although the King starts off as a Clock clone, he will develop into one of my favorite characters when Harry Lampert begins drawing the strip.

“The Scarlet Scarab” Flash picture novelette by Ed Wheelan.

 

An ad for All-American Comics #12 pegs the newstand date to mid-January 1940

Edited January 19, 2013 by tabcom

[tabcom]

The following are panels from the Hawkman story in issue #3.

 

It is important to note the violent horror elements of 1940 comics. Along with the pre-Robin Batman, also occasionally written by Gardner Fox, the vigilantly sub-culture personas were much darker than that which evolved later in the decade with the advent of a editorial board of psychologist, educators, and military dignitaries overseeing the content of comics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tabcom]

Entry #10

Issue #4

Rating: 5

 

The Flash in“The Gambling Ship” and Hawkman in “Thought Terror” (Moldoff’s 1st Hawkman feature) are what makes this issue a 5 rating. The Flash terrorizes the bad guys into turning themselves in. Although playful in his appearance in dealing with crooked gambling ship proprietors, the Flash uses terrifying tactics to get them to submit to his will.

 

 

The full page house ad for Issue #4 puts the Flash amongst the ‘BIG SIX’ Headline Features. Superman, Batman, Sandman, the Spectre, and the Ultra-Man

 

The Hawkman draws inspiration from “Perseus and the Gorgan Medusa” to conquer the hypnotist – without having to use deadly force. . Moldoff’s use of panels in his layouts is what makes these early ‘40s stories golden. It is easy to see why he was a natural to have a long run with the strip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading these early Hawkman stories reminds me of the Poverty Row movies of the period – The Devil Bat, and The Corpse Vanishes comes to mind.

 

 

George Zucco is another character actor from this period that transfers easily into comic book mad scientist roles:

 

 

These movies starring Bela Lugosi and George Zucco in some macabre role makes good uses of secret entrances, ghoulish assistance, and never misses an opportunity to seduce a young attractive woman to fall into their sway.

 

 

Cliff Cornwall in “The Stolen Message” by Fox\Moldoff serializes the counter espionage activity of Agent Cornwall. In this installment, a Panamanian industrialist tries to make an arms deal with Sofia (some mysterious fascist country) and then attempts to create an international incident to get Sofia to declare war against the USA.

 

 

[tabcom]

Newsreel 03/40It would take about a year before DC Comics saw the value of U-Boats in scripts.

From March 6, 1940, German U-Boat 48 captain and crew receiving a heros welcomes around the time Flash Comics #4 was on the newsstands.

 

Herbert Schultze was a German U-boat commander of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded U-48 for eight patrols during the early part of the war, sinking 169,709 tons and earning him eighth place on the Aces of the Deep list. Due to several incidents of openly broadcasting his sinkings to alert the Allies of the plight of the crews, he became quite a celebrity even on the allied side.

Youtube provided by 'A Newsreel History of the Second World War'.Music Entry 03/40

My! My! by Tommy Dorsey & his Orchestra, vocal by The Pied Pipers, recorded March 4, 1940.

Youtube provided by MusicProf78

[tabcom]

Entry #11Issue #5Rating: 5Flash stars in “Menace of the Vandal”King in “Get the King” Hawkman in “The Kidnapping of Ione Craig” Johnny Thunder in “G-Man Johnny”Rod RianCliff Cornwall in “The Snow King”“You Can’t Get Away With It” Flash picture novelette The Whip in “Judge Frawd’s Court” Gardner Fox must have been experimenting with omitting Joan and Shiera from the main features. Although the stories in this issue are top notch, without the regular inclusion of the female support; the solo superhero stories would not have survived the decade long run. The Flash story continues to develop the character as a whimsical superhero that has fun in frightening criminals into confessoins.

Shelly effectively creates the right mood for the adventure that the Hawkman is led on in helping the mysterious Ione Craig.

The back-up stories really do not hold up through the test of time. It is unknown how they rated with the readers of the day. Since Johnny Thunder was a member of the All-Star Society, he must be considered a headliner for the series. Perhaps it’s the artwork that is not of noteworthy quality, along with retread story lines. As difficult as it is to read sometimes, the stories are just not interesting. In particular in these early issues -- the Whip, Rod Rian, and Johnny Thunder. Maybe they are just holdovers from the previous decade. I like the King. He is paired with his beautiful arch-enemy in the works, the Witch.

As the character develops, she is the proto-Black Canary.

Edited February 3, 2013 by tabcom

[tabcom]

Entry #12Issue #6Rating: 5

Joan Williams' character is established here. Technically, she couldn't be called a forties feminist. She still leans on the support of a man too much for that label.

Jay doesn’t feel it necessary to keep his identity a secret.The 1940 Olympics trials is a good story line for the Flash to catch crooked organizers. Due to the outbreak of WWII, the Olympics were cancelled. They were scheduled to be held in Finland from July 20th – August 4th. An ad at the back of this issue places the street date of this issue at mid-April.

 

Here is an unrelated youtube tribute to Jesse Owens.The Hawkman story completes the 2 part try-out of the rescue of Ione Craig. Craig, a government agent, transforms into a helpless waif in need of a hero.

Feedback for this story line must have convince the editorial staff that they need to move in the direction of creating the Hawkgirl. The artwork is so great that Moldoff used it as inspiration for the cover on issue #19.

The King once again squares off with his nemesis the Witch. It works, I like it.Cliff Cornwall features another team up of Fox\Mordoff for a spy thriller. The story is loose and not as tight as the Hawkman stories that these two are best known for.

Ed Whellan’s A Flash “Picture Novelette” is able to translate his audience’s juvenile anxiety of atomic energy into a satirical space-comedy. This story foreshadows the anxiety I felt as late as the 1980s with Ronald Reagan’s tough talk on first strike nuclear weapons. It’s easy to laugh about it now, but Ed Whellan was going deep into the mass psychosis play book with this story.

[tabcom]

Newsreel 05/40

 

 

President Franklin Roosevelt's address to the nation, delivered May 26, 1940.

 

Responding to Hitler's invasion of Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, Roosevelt attempts to prepare Americans for increased support for Great Britain. The President also seeks to reassure the public of America's readiness to deal with any threats to the nation, and he notes particularly the nation's expanded military production.

[tabcom]

Entry #13Issue #7Rating: 5Flash Comics #7 is one of the earliest examples of the cover art hinting of the actual story within the issue. The ‘Hawk’, as he is referred to in these earlier stories, battles a Frankenstein like creature, the czar. It’s creator, Boris Nickaloff, injects adrenalin into his statue of plasm-clay sculpture. The czar goes on a rampage robbing banks and killing anyone that stands in his way. Shiera’s part in this story is nothing more than the girl that gets abducted and awaits the Hawkman’s arrival to rescue her.

The Flash story is a variation of the previous one. Instead of the Olympic try-outs, the setting shifts to a 500 mile race. The Flash needs the help of a former college friend – identity revealed again. The bad guy extorts the help of an inventor that has made a gun that makes metal evaporate. It wasn’t really clear why the bad guy decided to use the weapon on fixing the race rather than selling the tech to a foreign country. Without Joan in this one, the story was not that interesting. Inside cover has a full page ad for the introduction of the Green Lantern in All-American Comics.King Standish is the master of disguise, who’s real face has never been seen by the underworld. 'The beautiful witch has tried to trap him but has always failed.’. Competing gangs race to a lawyers home to steal $100000 in securities. The King also hears of the set-up and is waiting. I like the King because he has the same contacts as the gangsters but can move in and out of the underworld without detection. The beautiful Witch is cleaver enough to learn the Kings existence. You can almost sense the pheromonal exchange between these two. Why does the King let her go? Why does she secretly wish to find the King? There is just enough mystery to make me want to buy the next issue.I really can’t read Rod Rian. The vignettes are uneven with no coherent tie-in. Apparently this strip was a ‘John Carter of Mars’ quickie. Like the Atom strip years later, I struggle to read these stories. For the sake of perseverance, I’m reading them – very quickly.A full page house ad alerts readers to look for a new issue of Flash Comics about the 15th of every month.For those lucky readers of DC comics back in the summer of 1940, here is the line up:

1st of the month More Fun Comcis – the Spectre 5st of the month Detective Comics – the Batman 7st of the month Adventure Comics – the Sandman 15st of the month Flash Comics – the Flash20st of the month All American Comics – the Green Lantern23st of the month Action Comics – SupermanAlso advertised on the last page is the ‘coming soon’ issue of All-Star Comics.Johnny Thunder gets fired as a G-man and tries being a superhero – ‘The Thunderbolt’. His SAY YOU hour of power helps him catch a beautiful secret agent.

[rjpb]

Great stuff. It's hard to believe the Shelly Moldoff of this era is the same guy who made Batman look so awkward 20 years later. Though his later work adds a certain compliment to the goofy stories of the early SA Batman, the character probably would have been better serviced by the moody Moldoff of the early Golden Age.

 

 

I know it's going to be a wait, but I'm looking forward to the late 40s Flash entries.

 

The Black Canary, Kubert, Elias, Infantino, and even a stray contribution by Kinstler and Krigstein. Now THAT was a golden age.

[adamstrange]

Thanks for putting such hard work into these posts, tabcom

 

Regarding Moldoff, he worked directly for Bob Kane and he needed to blend in and not outshine his employer...

 

Moldoff/s GA/AA work is quite beautiful but he did a decent amount of swipage in order to produce enough material. He was a big fan of Alex Raymond but you'll also see Foster swipes mixed in as well.