Infinite Bronze War Thread 11 11

[seank]

I'm fairly new to DC war, but loving them. Sometimes you think you just can't read another superhero story... ever.

 

I was wondering if someone could fill me in on a retcon question:

 

In Easy and in the Haunted Tank, the bronze and early copper stories have the squads with an African American member. How did DC justify these guys being in the groups when it's historically impossible?

Edited July 16, 2007 by seank

[bigfiver69]

Interesting question. Kanigher was waaaay ahead of the curve when it came to the integration issue. He created one of the first (if not THE first) ongoing black characters, Jackie Johnson, in Our Army at War #113 (early 1960s). He then used Jackie as a way to plumb some racial issues in various stories throughhout the 1960s.

 

And even before Gus Gray became a member of the Haunted Tank Crew, Kanigher wrote a story about the way that segregation really worked in the US Military. This was the issue (a recent grail pickup of mine) and it features one Kanigher's most poignant, powerful tales. In this issue, Kanigher describes the lot of most black soldiers (ie they were truck drivers, cooks, etc.... and their frustration with this) with truth:

 

 

 

As for Gus Gray, there were instances during WW2 where African American troops fought alongside white troops, though this was largely ad hoc (as is the case with Gus Gray).

 

And Kanigher also dealt with the phenomenon of the Tuskegee Airmen in Sgt. Rock #464 and #465 (if memory serves) in a generally historical way.

 

So... did Kanigher and DC represent the lot of the African American Soldier with total historical accuracy? Maybe not 100%... but overall I think efforts were made to demonstrate their important role, and also underline the main theme of DC war comics from the late silver age onwards - no soldier wants to be at war; but they fight regardless because the job must be done. And all of these men are heroes.

 

Shep

 

On another note, this is another nice OAAW I just picked up, and also deals with a racial theme. See? These guys were all over it.

 

 

[thirdgreenham]

Nice post Shep!

 

 

Andy

[seank]

So last Monday I had the pleasure of visiting Marc's House of Comics and spending an hour or two talking war comics and flipping through a few boxes of DC war. Marc, happy to talk war comics, not only educated me on many aspects of DC war about which I was ignorant, but pulled books from the boxes to show off great panels and stories even though he knew I wasn't going to be buying that particular book. I'll never forget sitting in the office drooling over Russ Heath's artwork for Our Army at War 244. I knew Heath was great, but I didn't know that in the early 1970s he was GREAT.

 

Anyway, I did manage to purchase a few high grade Bronze books that Marc was kind enough to set aside. Sorry for the crappy images, but I used my camera instead of the scanner.

 

 

 

 

[bigfiver69]

Nice books! For me, Heath was in his absolute prime between 1970 and 1974. The BEST!

Shep

 

 

[Karma23]

Very nice books Seank! Heath's artwork in OAAW 244 is incredible, there is an amazing splash page in that issue with three Tiger Tanks that has always blown me away.

Welcome to the ranks of the War Book Junkies!

[kidcolt]

Anyone tracking this GI Combat 87

 

http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/45279-G-I-Combat-87-DC-1961-CGC-VF-8-0-Off-white_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ28266QQihZ007QQitemZ170132719866QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[Karma23]

Here is the splash page I mentioned earlier, unfortunately I could only find a small pic online, but you get the idea

[bigfiver69]

Here is the splash page I mentioned earlier, unfortunately I could only find a small pic online, but you get the idea

 

And.. the piece of reference that Mr. Heath used in the creation of that masterpiece spread!

 

 

 

[Karma23]

Here is the splash page I mentioned earlier, unfortunately I could only find a small pic online, but you get the idea

 

And.. the piece of reference that Mr. Heath used in the creation of that masterpiece spread!

 

 

 

Shep! How cool is that?! What cool tidbit of info! Now I gotta build me Karma's First Tiger!

[seank]

Here is the splash page I mentioned earlier, unfortunately I could only find a small pic online, but you get the idea

 

And.. the piece of reference that Mr. Heath used in the creation of that masterpiece spread!

 

 

 

Shep! How cool is that?! What cool tidbit of info! Now I gotta build me Karma's First Tiger!

 

Ha! When I was a kid, I loved building plastic models. I've contemplated lately getting an M3 Stuart model so I could build a Haunted Tank.

[Karma23]

Here is the splash page I mentioned earlier, unfortunately I could only find a small pic online, but you get the idea

 

And.. the piece of reference that Mr. Heath used in the creation of that masterpiece spread!

 

 

 

Shep! How cool is that?! What cool tidbit of info! Now I gotta build me Karma's First Tiger!

 

Ha! When I was a kid, I loved building plastic models. I've contemplated lately getting an M3 Stuart model so I could build a Haunted Tank.

 

I'm actually building a Tamiya M4 Sherman right now BECAUSE I couldn't find an M3 Stuart, and I AM going to paint 'Haunted Tank' on the hull (thumbs u

[bigfiver69]

I've built the Tamiya Tiger a couple of times... even the old one (and this is the Oooooold one from 1973 - the very first tooling) is a really nice kit. You can pick 'em up on ebay pretty cheap.

 

I didn't know we had model builders here too! I used to be really seriously into it, like 20 hours a week, before I had kids. I loved it! I was more into airplanes, but I built my fair share of armour.

 

Mmmmmm. Tamiya kits. So much fun.

 

Shep

 

 

[kidcolt]

Shep, you still repainting hot wheel redlines?

[bigfiver69]

Hey man,

 

Not much lately.... I've got about 25 really nice restoration-ready cars from the coveted 1968-1971 era (mostly spoilers) that are ready to go. There's just so little time, and ever since we moved I haven't had time to set up a comic room.

 

Completely off-topic, but here was the last one I resto'd..... a cola-brown King 'Kuda.

 

 

And while I'm at, why not go WILDLY off topic, and show a kit that I built.... 1./72 Macchi Folore.

 

 

Sorry about all the OT... hey here's a bronze age war comic to make up for it!

 

 

 

[kidcolt]

Great looking stuff. You should show off some of the HW's....everyone loves them haha.

[bigfiver69]

I'll probably get banned for being so off-topic.

 

I'm hoping I'll have some more new bronze age war books to post later in the month.

 

Anybody get anything new and exciting lately?

 

 

 

[Park]

I did get this recently and I gotta say I love this book. It does have a non story page clipped in half but I could care less. Actually I think the majority of my War books would grade out about F on the average but in a weird way I think it kind of adds to the appeal to me. Thanks Shep for a great book. (thumbs u

 

[bigfiver69]

OAAW #223 is a great book. I bought that particular copy a few years back and it was pricey.... then I found the 1/2 page missing. I got my dough back and the seller let me keep the book. Took me a few years to find a comparable copy. Finally got this one from Goldust Comics late last year.... smoking nice copy too...

 

[greggy]

Bunch of crummy Mass copy GI Combats