Centaur Comics 19 19

[adamstrange]

There's a mysterious 30's suave pulpy feel that cover. Killer book.

[jbcomicbox]

okay....when i first got in the hobby, books before March 1938 were mislabeled as Centaurs by the Guide. It was not until this date that books fell under this publishing umbrella....It joined the Chesler titles of Star Comics and Star Ranger Comics with the Comic Magazine titles of Mahon/Cook-----I was determined to trace back to the origins of comics (treaded paths forgotten to us guys in the '80s...)

 

Comic Magazine/Funny Pages May 1936

 

 

This book is so important historically, it makes (what little remains) my hair hurt. As explained below these guys use to be at DC. They probably took as "pay" stories that were to run in More Fun. One of these stories is "Dr. Mystic the Occult Detective" by Siegel and Shuster. This story line continued, not in Funny Pages, but in More Fun 14 as "Dr. Occult". It was in the More Fun installment that the dear doctor dons a cape and gets this thing on his chest....Yes the prototype for Superman....But the story line starts here in Comic Magazine!!!

 

Detective Picture Stories December 1936

 

 

Again back in the 80's Detective Comics 1 March 1937 was trumpeted as the first comicbook dedicated to a "single theme". This was eventually corrected since this title with its obvious pulp influence beat DC by a good four months....Great stuff? You bet! Will Eisner contributed interior material (following the folding of Wow What a Magazine) and we will show later a cover he did......

 

Western Picture Stories 1 February 1937

 

 

Tying Chesler Star Ranger Funnies, Mahon/Cook produced the first western comic.

 

Funny Picture Stories November 1936

 

 

A bit out of order this book featured the first cover appearance of "The Clock"- the first original masked hero in comicbooks. Whadda mean "cover appearance"....we all know this is where he first appeared. If you be a "we"...you be wrong.....But read the following post to chart the first story in Funny Pages 6 and following the long history of this character......

[jbcomicbox]

For me this is the ugliest, worst comic cover of the early GA. Too bad it is so historic because this issue of Funny Pages 6 has the first appearance of the Clock....

 

Funny Pages 6 (Larson copy)

 

 

The following is one of the first articles I did for CBM

 

THE CLOCK

 

The Clock was the first masked hero introduced in the fledgling comic book industry. He was a “super detective” who fought the underworld. The Clock first struck in Funny Pages 6 (November 1936) in a story that ran in two page installments through Funny Pages 9 (March 1937). At the time of his debut in November 1936 The Clock shared the newsstands with reprint titles such as Famous Funnies 28, Popular Comics 10, King Comics 8, Tip-Top Comics 7, The Funnies 2 and original titles such as More Fun 15, New Comics 10 and Wow 4.

The Clock appeared briefly in books produced by the short-lived Comic Magazine Co. before running in the Quality titles of Feature Funnies and Crack Comics. Things were fairly lonely in the Comic Magazine Co. titles in that The Clock was surrounded primarily by mediocre two page humor, gag and adventure strips. The neighborhood improved considerably when he moved over to the Quality titles. In Feature Funnies, which initially featured many newspaper reprints, he was one of the only original characters. Eventually he was joined in that title by William Eisner’s “Black X” (starting with issue 13), the Eisner/Fine character, “The Dollman” (starting with issue 27), as well as “Charlie Chan” (starting with issue 23). When he shifted over to the sister title of Crack Comics his neighbors included Lou Fine’s “Black Condor” (with whom he alternated cover feature appearances through issue 19), Paul Gustavson’s “Alias the Spider” (a knock-off of Gustavson’s Centaur creation, “The Arrow”), “Madam Fatal”, “The Red Torpedo” and, in issue 27, “Captain Triumph”.

The first complete story of The Clock ran in Funny Picture Stories 1 (also November 1936) on which he was the cover feature, again another first for a masked character. (Despite its name F.P.S. 1 was the first comic dedicated soley to the adventure/detective theme. This title is incredibly significant, yet underrated.) It is clear that the story in Funny Pages was to be his debut. Firstly, the house ad for Funny Pages 6 that appears in Funny Picture Stories 1 has “Oct.-Nov.” on the cover unlike the published version.

 

(I scanned this just 'cause i like you guys so much....great minutia!)

 

 

Secondly, in the Funny Pages story the police have no idea who The Clock is- “Perhaps I am the Big Bad Wolf. Then again maybe I am Little Red Riding Hood”- as opposed to the knowledge of the police in F.P.S. 1.

The Clock was Brian O’Brien as revealed in Feature Funnies 8 (May 1938). He was a “society dude” as called by any crook who had the misfortune of unmasking him. He wore a black silk mask and derby and, for the first few stories, carried a cane. He was a suave, brash and reckless crimefighter whose boxing skills honed in college had to serve him well as he took on all impossible odds. He was a “Robin Hood”-like figure who, after rescuing a kidnapped victim or recovering stolen goods belonging to a miser, would distribute these monies to the poor rather than returning them. This type of behavior did not ingratiate him to the local police and Capt. Kane. Most stories in the first years followed the same formula- crime committed, The Clock follows an underling to the hide-out as himself or in his disguise as “Snowy Winters”, engages in a vicious fight (“Slam Bradley”-like before Bradley’s debut four months later), almost loses, wraps up the crooks and sends a note to Capt. Kane.

The Clock was the creation of George Brenner who penned his adventures for eight years- a more than respectable run for a golden-age character. Brenner was in the Eisner-Iger shop and had contributed some strips to Wow (Henle). In addition to The Clock, Brenner became an editor at Quality and created, among other features, “Bozo the Robot”.

The Clock appeared in Funny Pages 6 - 11 (the story begun in issues 10 and 11 being unfinished when the title was picked up by Ultem Publishers in September 1937), Funny Picture Stories 1 and 2, and Detective Picture Stories 2 and 5 (not in issue 1 although advertised on the cover). All these books were published by Comic Magazine Co. in the period of November 1936 to June 1937. This company was owned by DC defectors William Cook (former managing editor) and John Mahon (former business manager). After selling out to I.W. Ullman and Frank Temerson (who published these books for a short time- September 1937 to January 1938- as Ultem Publishers before the line was taken over by Joe Hardie and Centaur Publications in March 1938), Mahon and Cook continued their association with Everett Arnold, who would be the driving force behind Quality Publications, by putting Arnold in touch with individuals associated with their former publications. (Note The Clock stories that appeared in the Centaur publication of Keen Detective Funnies 8 and 9 (July and August 1938) are reprints of the stories from Funny Picture Stories 1 and 2. Also note that the first four pages of the Clock story in Feature Funnies 7 are exactly the same as the story in Funny Picture Stories 2 with the text and plot partially reworked.)

Accordingly, after a short hiatus, the adventures of the Clock continued in the third issue (December 1937) of the first Quality publication, Feature Funnies (an underrated title which featured a mix of reprint and original material, including early work by Bill Eisner). The Clock appeared through Feature Comics 31 (April 1940) when he switched over as the cover and lead feature in Crack Comics 1 (May 1940).

The Clock’s initial episodes displayed a certain ruthlessness. For instance, in his inagurual story that ran in Funny Pages he captured bank robbers who, during their escape, had killed a bystander. After subduing the gang with his fists, he leaves them all for the police except the crook who had performed the killing. The Clock delivers this individual to the victim’s brother’s house so not to take the chance that “some shyster” would help him escape his just desserts. Or if a crook was reluctant to give him the information that he wished, The Clock would take that individual to his hide-out which was outfitted with all sorts of torture equipment. In one story (Feature Comics 26 November 1939) he convinces one crook to “cooperate” after the following exchange: “See the rat in that cage. Well he hasn’t eaten in over a week-- If I were to tie you down on your back, and place a metal bowl over the rat on your abdomen- then apply heat to the bowl- do you know what would happen? It would be so uncomfortable under there for the rat, that he’d gnaw his way out- and it wouldn’t be through the metal bowl...”.

The Clock was not modest. When a crime kingpin asks why The Clock has fallen into his trap so easily, he replies that he did so in order to “have the opportunity of slapping” the thug around before he turns him over to the police. Although incredibly reckless, The Clock always managed to extricate himself from impossible situations. On more than one occassion he used the spring-loaded knob from his cane to his advantage. The Clock had several other handy talents. In one episode (Feature Comics 24 September 1939) a thug belts him over the head from behind. Luckily for the Clock he was wearing his sponge rubber derby. Manipulating a few vertebrae he paralyzes the man. Turning the man over to the police, The Clock suggests they obtain a chiropracter for him. In another (Feature Comics 26 November 1939) The Clock hypnotizes a crook to confess to the crimes he has committed.

In Crack 1 the Clock recruits down-and-out Pug Brady to journey into the “shadows where danger stalks the two enemies of evil”. These two would fight their way through a variety of tough crooks such as “The Jay Bird”, “The Crab” and Scrag Scadone. Crack 17 proudly featured The Clock on the cover with two revolvers smoking with the caption, “Starring The Clock- oldest and best comic book character”.

But as the series wound to a close in the fall of 1944, The Clock lost his hard edge and took on a girl sidekick named “Butch”. In Crack 21 (February 1942) The Clock finally pushed his luck too far and was shot trying to corral some crooks. He is able to escape. He stumbles into an apartment and falls under the care of Butch who is an orphan. She nurses him back to health and joins him in the series. Butch spoke with the mandatory Brooklyn accent and one-line wisecracks. Her comic relief escapades began to predominate so that the series lost its hard edge and The Clock became secondary in his own strip. Time finally ran out for The Clock in Crack Comics 35. (Be heartened Clock fans. In the revival of the Centaur characters in The Protectors by Malibu, Brian O’Brien appears as President of the United States!)

 

 

Jon Berk c. 2005

[Larryw7]

This is great stuff, Jon, thanks for posting it!

[CentaurMan]

Phenomenal stuff Jon!! I can't get enough of these pre-Centaurs. And since we've now shown copies of the first and last issues of Detective Picture Stories, I might as well show the scans of the middle 3 issues. Feel free to show your own, of course, as their condition is likely superior to mine, except for maybe my #4, which is sharp (trimmed?).

 

 

 

[adamstrange]

This is great stuff, Jon, thanks for posting it!

 

I second that motion. These just posts, this is comics history illustrated. Thanks for sharing and keep posting whenever you find the time.

Edited February 22, 2005 by adamstrange

[reddog4063]

Seriously guys, really cool stuff you have been posting. There are alot more people reading the GA forums now and alot more interest being generated in our (slightly) forgotten art form.

[jbcomicbox]

Before continuing as a Centaur Publication, Funny Picture Stories was published by Cook/Mahon and then Ultem....check out the June issue...in actuality this title should have been named "Adventure Picture Stories"....

 

#4 Church copy

 

#5 Chuch copy

 

#7....check out this cover......

 

coming next...early Funny Pages....

[lou_fine]

Jon;

 

I noticed your copy of issues #4 and #5 are the Church copies. Would your copy of issue #7 also be from the Edgar Church collection since they all look quite nice for early pre-Centaurs?

[jbcomicbox]

Jon;

 

I noticed your copy of issues #4 and #5 are the Church copies. Would your copy of issue #7 also be from the Edgar Church collection since they all look quite nice for early pre-Centaurs?

 

it is quite nice....but not as far as i know....the 4 i got from Wilson from Chuck and the 5 from ernie gerber...

[Forbush-Man]

You're back!!!

 

 

Don't you EVER leave us like that agian!

 

 

Good to see you posting again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Forbush-Man]

You're back!!!

 

 

Don't you EVER leave us like that agian!

 

 

Good to see you posting again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry,.....didn't mean to yell at you,.....

 

 

[Norrin_Radd]

You're back!!!

 

 

Don't you EVER leave us like that agian!

 

 

Good to see you posting again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry,.....didn't mean to yell at you,.....

 

 

 

 

You big meanie!

 

Leave 'em alone.

[Forbush-Man]

You're back!!!

 

 

Don't you EVER leave us like that agian!

 

 

Good to see you posting again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry,.....didn't mean to yell at you,.....

 

 

 

 

You big meanie!

 

Leave 'em alone.

 

I'll deal with YOU later, Fish-Stick!!!

[lou_fine]

Jon;

 

I noticed your copy of issues #4 and #5 are the Church copies. Would your copy of issue #7 also be from the Edgar Church collection since they all look quite nice for early pre-Centaurs?

 

it is quite nice....but not as far as i know....the 4 i got from Wilson from Chuck and the 5 from ernie gerber...

 

Jon;

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

I just checked my copy of the Edgar Church catalogue. Chuck had the #4 graded as a Fine and both the #5 and #7 graded as NM. It appears that these two were the best in the early part of the run with the first three issues grading out at only a VG. Volume 3 #1 was the only issue in the entire run that came out with a NM+ grade.

 

Does Chuck's grading appear accurate for your copies of #4 and #5 or should they be a bit closer in grade?

 

Thanks again;

 

Lou

[jbcomicbox]

Jon;

 

I noticed your copy of issues #4 and #5 are the Church copies. Would your copy of issue #7 also be from the Edgar Church collection since they all look quite nice for early pre-Centaurs?

 

it is quite nice....but not as far as i know....the 4 i got from Wilson from Chuck and the 5 from ernie gerber...

 

Jon;

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

I just checked my copy of the Edgar Church catalogue. Chuck had the #4 graded as a Fine and both the #5 and #7 graded as NM. It appears that these two were the best in the early part of the run with the first three issues grading out at only a VG. Volume 3 #1 was the only issue in the entire run that came out with a NM+ grade.

 

Does Chuck's grading appear accurate for your copies of #4 and #5 or should they be a bit closer in grade?

 

Thanks again;

 

Lou

 

His grading is dead-on....the 4 is a nice fine but a fine nontheless and the 5....stunning....

[jbcomicbox]

I have posted the 1 above..here are 2-5....these books are paper covers and are

EXACTLY like New Comics.....down to some of the features and artists.....

 

#2 July 1936....absolutely great Sheldon Mayer cover

 

#3 Note that "Dip and Duck" drawn by MEB (ME Brady) also appeared in the newspaper, "Brooklyn Eagle"

 

#4

 

 

#5----after this issue it switches to slick covers and has the first appearance of the Clock- see scan posted on page 1

 

 

Here is the 11.....note the clever cover....also note "P.N. 71" which means it is the.......copy. See what you have learned!

 

 

Ihave the rest of these if any particlar numbers are desired to be seen. I will be getting back to Centaurs when i get some time....

 

[Larryw7]

Those are some sweet books, John!

[adamstrange]

 

Keep posting away. I think you'll get tired of posting long before we get tired of looking!

[Forbush-Man]

Comic book history,....keep it alive!