tabcom Posted July 7, 2013 Author Share Posted July 7, 2013 (edited) Entry #31Issue #22October 1941Rating: 5The Cover story of the Flash battling Chinese Tong is a bit confusing and an excellent vehicle at the same time. Flash stories work best when he is helping Joan Williams get out of trouble – this story has that. However, the bad guy is confusing. Why would a successful white doctor want to change his appearance to resemble a Chinese Tong and rule the Chinatown underworld? The pencils and inks are credited to Hal Sharp. Which may explain why Joan looks less glamorous and a little to homely. Having read these first 22 Flash stories, a central theme emerges. A bad conscious that leads one to do wrong will be reprimanded by the greater good. This simple formula helps explain why I’m interested in collecting this series. As the referee of two small boys under the age of five, they submit to my rulings without putting up much of a challenge. I imagine that was the intent of the DC Editorial Board. It acted as a minder for the youth of the '40s.Here is how these early stories can be broken down into genres: Social realism – clearly define bounds of right vs. wrong (Flash and Les Sparks)Whimsical flirtations outside the social norms with hazardous consequences (Thunder)Ambiguous which side of the law is the good guy on (King)2nd rate Lois and Clark adventure stories (Whip)Detective stories (Flash Novelettes)Violent world of supernatural phenomena (Hawkman)I feel the first epoch of Flash Comics ends with #22. In the next issue, the stories start to reflect the political realities of war. In addition the character of the Flash and the Hawkman start to evolve into their next phase of myth building. Edited July 8, 2013 by tabcom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nocutename Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 I don't venture into the Gold forum too often. Lucky for me, it is on a day that you posted in your journal. What a great thread. I shows your love for the material and I appreciated the historical clips posted as well. Thanks for taking the time to put it together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted July 8, 2013 Author Share Posted July 8, 2013 Thanks for the kind words. (thumbs u I've got 84 issues completed. At one issue per week, sometime in 2015 I'll have all 104 issues reviewed. It is my hope that someone starts a similar journal with another title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 Entry #32 Issue #22 October 1941 Rating: 5 With the anticipated of the coming war, the Editorial Advisory Board is publicly announced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted July 24, 2013 Author Share Posted July 24, 2013 Entry #33Issue #23November 1941Rating: 5 I feel the new era of the Flash begins here. The circumstances of his origin are accidental. Perhaps even carelessness leads him to obtain his super speed. Early on, he seemed more interested in getting Joan’s attention rather then contemplate the responsibility that he now must bear. He also finds himself helping old college buddies. Revealing his real name out of pride; ‘See it’s me – I’ve became someone important!’ His adventures are more aloof and preformed out of indifference to any greater social good. The Flash’s early adventures are full of rescues, but we don’t get a sense that he really is conscious of his actions . . . until now. Up until this issue, the stories seem to be straight entertainment for children. Now, in the late summer of 1941, the editorial staff starts to give their characters throughout the title a sense of a unity that is needed to preserve the DC Universe. This issue also is the first to use the term ‘nazi’. Although not united in the common cause yet, the Hawkman learns of his new ability to communicate with birds. This new self-awareness will serve him as his role in the changing world becomes more invaluable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted August 2, 2013 Author Share Posted August 2, 2013 Entry #34Issue #24December 1941Rating: 5 Fox’s proto-zeta beam. The Flash still is not universally recognized.Les Watts takes a trip into the hearts of darkness.‘Keep’em Flying’ is a catch phrase used not only on the cover, but in every story in the comic for months to come as a rally cry against the axis. We are introduced to the Hawk-Girl.The Hawkman’s relationship with the birds is expanded upon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 Newsreel: October 22, 1941 Youtube courtesy of HumanHistoryArchive 1) Hitler flying over Minsk - Hitler in a plane and the city of Minsk flying in - Four shots - Minsk - Hitler sitting in the plane on an airfield, welcomed by many soldiers who acclaim - Two Plans - Hitler shaking hands with Marshal Keitel - Hitler oversees operations map, listening to the explanations given to him by General Jodl - Two levels - Different maps showing successively: - The boundary line of 1914 - The front when Armistice 1917 - Frontier 1940 - The current frontline with new attacks on Moscow and the surrounding of Odessa. 2 °) Italian Troops amount online - Italian troops, in a convoy of trucks, on a road in the southern sector - Italian soldiers with their helmets plumes - German soldiers saluting the passing of an Italian towed gun - Passage of an Italian truck carrying an anti-aircraft gun. 3°) General Antonescu visits the Romanian troops - Two shots of General Antonescu visiting Romanian troops - Romanian soldiers, camouflaged helmet, embarking on gunboats going down the Danube River - two shots - Departure of gunboats completely covered foliage, camouflaged - Three plans. 4°) with the Hungarian and Slovak troops - with the Hungarian and Slovak troops - the vehicles are registered WL: - Progression of a half-track vehicle with a light quick-firing gun - the gun shoots - Russian vehicles destroyed in flames - With German troops south of Smolenks: - German Light Artillery shelling a village - Five shots - some farms burn in the village - anti-tank guns in action - distant fire - two German soldiers crossing the embankment of a railroad and approaching intact fuel tanks - Two planes - fuel jets escaping through the bullet holes at the base of one of the tanks - Towed artillery progressing - Howitzer firing - Soldiers firing mortars - Howitzer firing - Soldiers lying flat casting machine gun - Crossing Lake Peipus by the Germans in motor boats - VG burned a Russian patrol on the lake - German soldiers by the excavation of a series of Russian equipment destroyed on a slope - Attack on a farm run by the Russian - Six shots - Russian soldiers leaving the farm and going - Progression of German vehicles on tracks transformed into swamps - Progression of infantry and tanks to Nikolaev - Columns of Russian prisoners - Four prisoners. a woman soldat 5°) Poverty in Ukraine slums and skeletal children in hospital - Ukrainian Population in slums - Two planes - PANO on some lined up in a children's hospital beds - Sick , skeletal babies are lying on filthy mattresses - children on filthy beds - skeletal child on a bed - a bare skeletal child lying across her bed - It is "eaten" by flies.Emission: Les Actualités Mondiales Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted August 22, 2013 Author Share Posted August 22, 2013 Entry #35Issue #25January 1942Rating: 5 Joan goes to work for the the war effort. ‘Keep’em Flying’ issue. Buried in this ad for All Star #8 is 'THE NINE PAGE INTRODUCTORY EPISODE OF WONDER WOMAN! Hawkman is called to duty as well. Hawks work best in a flock of 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted September 2, 2013 Author Share Posted September 2, 2013 (edited) Entry #36Issue #26February 1942Rating: 5 These stories, excluding ‘the Hawkman’, remind me of ‘60s comedies and detective tv shows. Tight scripts with just enough gags and action to carry you to the end. I’ve started to read ‘The King’ stories and imagine what the Flash would look like if Harry Lampert never left the strip. Plenty of out of the panel blow-ups, very kinetic in layout. It would have been great to be a kid at this time and walk into your newsstand and find Action Comics #14, Batman #9, Sensation Comics #2, World’s Finest #4, All-Star Comics #9, and Flash Comics #26 lined up in a row in NM+ condition!! ‘Keep’em Flying’ issue. Edited September 2, 2013 by tabcom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Entry #37Issue #27March 1942Rating: 5 Having a bit of fun with this issue. Pictures where taken before I shipped the comic to CGC The quality of material is continued from the last issue to this one. Flash – cautionary moral tale of the perils of getting involved with crime. Thunder – amazon comedy\adventure Sparks – secret U-boat base King – breaking up a racketeer operation Whip – action packed fights Minute Movie –‘Crime Cave’ Hawkman – more Hawk Valley telepathic bird crimebusting. ‘Keep’em Flying’ issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 Entry #38Issue #28April 1942Rating: 5 The Flash turns down a Hollywood movie contract. Peachy Pet becomes a regular in the Thunder family Witchie is still popular after these many issues. ‘Keep’em Flying’ issue. With a date stamp of 2-14, I was curious what happened on that day back in 1942. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaillant Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 Even if I am not commenting, I am still here… (thumbs u Maybe it would have been better to have a thumbnail link to the nawspaper page? It’s half cut off on my monitor… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted September 28, 2013 Author Share Posted September 28, 2013 Entry #39Issue #29May 1942Rating: 5The Flash faces a foe that has tech that can harness solar energy and use as destructive lightning bolts. However, the mad scientist poorly executed plan is easily foiled by the Flash.Peachy Pet becomes the main energy being the Johnny Thunder stories.The Ghost Patrol debuts in this issue. Being a French Foreign Legion bomber squad, their mission is to bomb an innocent village in French North Africa. Ordered by a commander that is really a nazi officer. The Ghost Patrol’s mechanic knows the truth and plants a bomb on the Ghost Patrol’s bomber, intending to blow up the plane before it reaches its target. KA-BOOM-EE! The Ghost Patrol becomes a variation of the Spectre and tracks down the nazi. Turning him over to the Gestapo for failure to compete his mission of creating a public condemnation for the French Foreign Legion. The King and Witchie team-up. Any doubt that the King is a crusader for justice is gone after he battles the police to save the Witchie. Reading this story, I feel a kernel of inspiration led some future writer at D. C. to dream up the future thief turn heroine, Black Canary. An editorial goof can be found in the Hawkman story. The 1942 rally cry of ‘Keep’em Flying’ is not mentioned in this story. ‘Keep’em Flying’ issue – excluding Hawkman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 (edited) Entry #40 Issue #30 June 1942 Rating: 5 The Flash story is a variation on the mad-scientist invention theme with better development from the previous issue. The Flash is exposed to a ray that has a similar effect to being possessed by wikipedia. The Ghost Patrol meets Hitler for the first time as they do their duty in preventing the Nazis from invading England. The ‘Minute Movie’ strip is one of the best of the series. This issue features the first time a character mixes nursery rhyme characters into the story. The Hawkman and Hawkgirl enter a world of mind altered characters that drive the idle rich late night partiers crazy. ‘Keep’em Flying’ issue – The editing of this phrase into each story is starting to become sparser. – No King, Minute Movie. Edited October 8, 2013 by tabcom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 Entry #41 Issue #31 July 1942 Rating: 5 Shelly Moldoff is the first to create a Hawkman vs. Dragon cover – in this case a Sea Orm. A theme that inspired Joe Kubert for the Silver Age revival. The Hawkman story is the feature story of this issue. Gardner Fox takes 3D realism to the limit when he created the mysteries Sea Orm. 22 years later, he wouldn’t have any difficulty forgoing the realism in favor of the pure fantastic. Keep’em Flying Issue – except for the Whip and Minute Movies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted October 26, 2013 Author Share Posted October 26, 2013 Entry #42August 1942Issue #32Rating: 5Not an easy issue to find.If the cover had a WWII theme, this would be a classic issue through out. Gardner Fox gets self-reflective in this issue as he creates a writer that dreams up a -script where the bad guys come to life and do his bidding. The surreal moment comes when the creation, the Flash, meets his creator on equal terms before battling the writer’s imaginary bad guys. Fox sense for balancing comedy with action is at its finest in this issue. This issue also goes to war in a big way. Johnny Thunder joins the Navy. The Ghost Patrol battle Hitler. Even the Whip and the King have encounters with subversive Nazis. The Hawkman story features the first time he and the Hawkgirl are captured and put in a gilded cage by a villain named, the Coin.Once again, I am drawn to the ‘King’ story. I can not think of another golden age anti-hero character that is as ambivalent about the Law as the King.‘Keep’em Flying’ issue – The Flash story asks kids to buy U. S. Savings Bonds rather than saying the ‘Keep’em Flying’ slogan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpepx78 Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Entry #42 August 1942 Issue #32 Rating: 5 Not an easy issue to find. If the cover had a WWII theme, this would be a classic issue through out. This issue also goes to war in a big way. Johnny Thunder joins the Navy. The Ghost Patrol battle Hitler. Even the Whip and the King have encounters with subversive Nazis. This is an interesting story. Was the Nisei Japanese patriot fighting for or against America? Could I see more of this story? When this comic came out about May or June 1942, all Japanese that lived on the west coast of North America were in internment camps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciorac Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 Entry #42 August 1942 Issue #32 The Hawkman story features the first time he and the Hawkgirl are captured and put in a gilded cage by a villain named, the Coin. Love me some Shelly Moldoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted October 28, 2013 Author Share Posted October 28, 2013 (edited) Here is the complete Whip story from issue #32: Edited October 28, 2013 by tabcom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabcom Posted October 28, 2013 Author Share Posted October 28, 2013 (edited) Edited October 28, 2013 by tabcom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
