When Comics Go to War 3 3

[esquirecomics]

Pearl Harbor Attack Prediction: "National" #18, Dec 1941 (Quality)

 

That was it. Thanks!

 

And thanks for the list. Let's keep adding to it.

[RareHighGrade]

Take a look at the first story in Top Notch #1 (Dec. 1939). Although it uses a fictional name for the nationality of the enemy, it is a clear reference to the U.S. getting involved in WWII.

[adamstrange]

Take a look at the first story in Top Notch #1 (Dec. 1939). Although it uses a fictional name for the nationality of the enemy, it is a clear reference to the U.S. getting involved in WWII.

 

Thanks!

 

Can we come over and read yours?

 

We could add a category for oblique references to US involvement. Can you provide any more details? Is it just the super-hero fighting or is the US military involved? Where does the action take place? Are the attackers supposed to be Germans? Italians? Japanese?

[adamstrange]

Pearl Harbor Attack Prediction: "National" #18, Dec 1941 (Quality)

 

That was it. Thanks!

 

And thanks for the list. Let's keep adding to it.

 

This thread got my analytical juices flowing as I'm big history buff. Overstreet and others have identified some of these firsts and important historically related comics, but I've not seen any real compilation besides the list of anti-Hitler covers that West Stephans put together for CBM 23. This is a long overdue topic, and maybe with a little bit of assistance from the forum we can actually develop a comprehensive list.

[RareHighGrade]

Take a look at the first story in Top Notch #1 (Dec. 1939). Although it uses a fictional name for the nationality of the enemy, it is a clear reference to the U.S. getting involved in WWII.

 

Thanks!

 

Can we come over and read yours?

 

We could add a category for oblique references to US involvement. Can you provide any more details? Is it just the super-hero fighting or is the US military involved? Where does the action take place? Are the attackers supposed to be Germans? Italians? Japanese?

 

My copy is in a safe deposit box, so I'll have to get back to you on the details. Maybe Shield has an available copy and can share the details with us. I do recall that it struck me as being even more precient than National #18. In the meantime, here is the cover:

 

Edited April 10, 2005 by RareHighGrade

[jbcomicbox]

Interestingly, Feb 1940 appears to possibly bear some sort of significance. Three of the top comic book companies all clearly were at war against the Germans by Feb 1940. Why this month I have no idea.

 

Does anyone have any evidence of a date earlier than Feb 1940?

 

 

 

Figure lead times.....Cover dated Feb 1940....on stands end of Dec 1939......takes a bit of time to get story together...Sept. 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland.....works for me...jon

[jbcomicbox]

Interestingly, Feb 1940 appears to possibly bear some sort of significance. Three of the top comic book companies all clearly were at war against the Germans by Feb 1940. Why this month I have no idea.

 

Does anyone have any evidence of a date earlier than Feb 1940?

 

 

 

Figure lead times.....Cover dated Feb 1940....on stands end of Dec 1939......takes a bit of time to get story together...Sept. 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland.....works for me...jon

[ecfanman]

Top Notch #2 (Jan 1940) pictures an airplane with a swastika on the wing and fuselage. This is a scene from the Air Patrol story. However, Air Patrol is about an American pilot who is flying for the Royal Air Force.

 

[adamstrange]

Take a look at the first story in Top Notch #1 (Dec. 1939). Although it uses a fictional name for the nationality of the enemy, it is a clear reference to the U.S. getting involved in WWII.

 

Thanks!

 

Can we come over and read yours?

 

We could add a category for oblique references to US involvement. Can you provide any more details? Is it just the super-hero fighting or is the US military involved? Where does the action take place? Are the attackers supposed to be Germans? Italians? Japanese?

 

My copy is in a safe deposit box, so I'll have to get back to you on the details. Maybe Shield has an available copy and can share the details with us. I do recall that it struck me as being even more precient than National #18. In the meantime, here is the cover:

 

 

RHG: The peach background looks extraordinarily beautiful on that copy. I had no idea it could look that nice!

[RareHighGrade]

RHG: The peach background looks extraordinarily beautiful on that copy. I had no idea it could look that nice!

 

The colors of scanned books always look better when they are not slabbed.

[adamstrange]

I'll bet it looks even better in person than in a slab as well!

 

I don't mind taking my books out to scan as I don't take them out very often and it's the best way to appreciate them.

[esquirecomics]

I recently decided to collect all the old OS guides so that I can use the articles and price data for research purposes. Thanks to ComicBookGuy, who spends most of his time in the Silver section but is probably lurking around here somewhere , I picked up a few OS guides I was missing.

 

I was particularly drawn to OS #21 (1991-92) as it addresses our very topic.

 

 

Although it does not go into the amount of detail we are looking for on this thread, there is a wonderful article by Harry Thomas and Gary Carter. It is 19 pages in length and features many of the covers and books we have been discussing. I tried to scan in the entire article but was having trouble with the resolution to ensure each page could be read. Nevertheless, here is the introductory page.

[Scrooge]

From Adam's compiled list

 

Here's a list based on the posts in the thread plus some additions that I thought of.

 

Concentration Camp (cover and interior): "Real Life" #3 Jan 1942 (Nedor)

 

I've just found another site to help us in this inventory. This is only one piece of the puzzle but the site does provide an "index to some comic book stories offering political and social commentary." I didn't have time to look too deep into it but at least there appears to be an earlier mention of concentration camp (to be confirmed that it is what we are looking for) as seen in:

 

Star Spangled Comics

 

1 (October 1941) The Bund Saboteurs - anti-Nazi Bunds in US

2 (November 1941) Vortex of Doom - anti-slum lord

3 (December 1941) Mission to Germany - anti-Nazi, concentration camp (my emphasis)

 

I don't have a Star Spangled Comics 3 (nor 2 nor 1) so if someone on the boards could look this up in their copy that's be great. Hope this helps you Mark. Oh and you can always crack open that Rockford copy of # 1 listed on your site to read all about saboteurs

[esquirecomics]

I've just found another site to help us in this inventory. This is only one piece of the puzzle but the site does provide an "index to some comic book stories offering political and social commentary." I didn't have time to look too deep into it but at least there appears to be an earlier mention of concentration camp (to be confirmed that it is what we are looking for) as seen in:

 

Star Spangled Comics

 

1 (October 1941) The Bund Saboteurs - anti-Nazi Bunds in US

2 (November 1941) Vortex of Doom - anti-slum lord

3 (December 1941) Mission to Germany - anti-Nazi, concentration camp (my emphasis)

 

Very interesting site. Nice find. I'll have to make time to really review it.

 

It would be interesting to even know when the first mention of Nazi Germany can be found in a comic book. Given that Hitler took power in 1933 and was making major waves on the international scene within a short period of time (the Nuremberg laws were passed in 1935 and the Olympics were in Berlin in 1936, to just state two major examples), one would think that once the comics got past newspaper reprints and funny animal stories, somehow Nazi Germany would find its way into a story.

 

I don't have a Star Spangled Comics 3 (nor 2 nor 1) so if someone on the boards could look this up in their copy that's be great. Hope this helps you Mark. Oh and you can always crack open that Rockford copy of # 1 listed on your site to read all about saboteurs

 

It's tempting, but .... nah.

 

Are these early Star Spangled books reprinted anywhere?

[RareHighGrade]

Take a look at the first story in Top Notch #1 (Dec. 1939). Although it uses a fictional name for the nationality of the enemy, it is a clear reference to the U.S. getting involved in WWII.

 

Thanks!

 

Can we come over and read yours?

 

We could add a category for oblique references to US involvement. Can you provide any more details? Is it just the super-hero fighting or is the US military involved? Where does the action take place? Are the attackers supposed to be Germans? Italians? Japanese?

 

My copy is in a safe deposit box, so I'll have to get back to you on the details. Maybe Shield has an available copy and can share the details with us. I do recall that it struck me as being even more precient than National #18. In the meantime, here is the cover:

 

 

I've retrieved my copy and will provide the details in my next two posts.

[RareHighGrade]

The Wizard learns of a "Jatsonian plot" to attack Pearl Harbor:

 

Edited April 17, 2005 by RareHighGrade

[RareHighGrade]

The Wizard foils the plot and defeats the "Jatsonians", who happen to look and dress exactly like Japanese sailors:

 

 

The fact that this book was published in the Fall of 1939, and referred to an attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese lookalikes is intriguing, to say the least.

Edited April 17, 2005 by RareHighGrade

[goldust40]

The fact that this book was published in the Fall of 1939, and referred to an attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese lookalikes is intriguing, to say the least.

 

Fascinating. There must've been widespread rumors of a possible Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor at that time, yet when it happened over 2 years later, U.S. intelligence was caught completely off - guard.

 

Either that or the writer of that comic was a clairvoyant........

[esquirecomics]

Does anyone know who the writer was?

[adamstrange]

Thanks for posting -- epecially since you risked scanning interior pages for us!!!!