When Comics Go to War 3 3

[adamstrange]

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........

 

It was the logical place for the Japanese to attack as was home to the only naval force capable of interfering with their plans. As far as why the Japanese achieved surprise, that's been debated by historians in numerous books and why there are many who believed that Roosevelt wanted it to occur to get the US into WWII.

 

Even if Roosevelt wanted the attack, there was no way it would have been as successful as it was without near perfect execution on the part of the Japanese and without errors on the part of US Army and Navy. In the end, the American aircraft carriers were not in port and would be around to forestall the invasion of Australia at the battle of Coral Sea and would decimate the Japanese Naval Air fleet at the Battle of Midway just six months after Pearl Harbor.

 

I'd provide more details, but I figure this one is pretty easy to look up on the web for those that would like to know more.

[RareHighGrade]

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

 

It's always touchy with a high grade key book. But since apparently no one else had a low grade raw copy available, I decided to do it because it is such an interesting coincidence.

[Forbush-Man]

[Shield]

Good bump Fuelman, I missed this the first time around! Get ready for some replies!

[Shield]

Amazing Man # 9, 1st Nazi war cover "Centaur" ties with Marvel Mystery # 4!!!

Amazing Man # 8 , may also be one of the earliest war covers also , can someone verify that??

 

Capt America 1, March 1941

Amazing Man 22 May 1941

 

 

O-ou.... waiting for Shield....he wil be mad

 

Not mad! To those interested, read this thread from 2003:

 

Why does Top-Notch Comics #2 get NO respect from Overstreet?

[Shield]

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.

 

Right on! Here's the complete issue of Top-Notch Comics #1 for all to read:

 

(Scanned by yours truly!)

 

[Shield]

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........

 

Here's another reference to Pearl Harbor, from Pep Comics #4, April 1940:

 

[Shield]

Does anyone know who the writer was?

 

Harry Shorten did the writing. He was MLJ's Editor.

[tth2]

Right on! Here's the complete issue of Top-Notch Comics #1 for all to read:

 

(Scanned by yours truly!)

Wow! Thanks Shield, that was a fun read!

[Larryw7]

Very cool, thanks, Shield!

[esquirecomics]

Those were great Shield, thanks!

 

Given the location of Pearl Harbor, it was obviously a prime target for the Japanese as it was our home Pacific base. Really makes you wonder about how government works when several comic book writers can accurately predict an attack on Pearl Harbor one or more years in advance of the real thing, yet it still comes as a surprise to our fighting forces and leaders in DC.

 

In light of the legal work I do with the US Intelligence Community and what I have seen first-hand, even 65 years later sad to say I am really not surprised to still see this level of incompetence or, as the 9/11 Commission characterized it, a "lack of imagination" dominating governmental decision-maker. You would think we would have learned....

[Harvey Dude]

Comic books were the barometer of the times and many of the golden-age subject matter reflected this. Shortly after WWII, it became evident that ideological differences and the competition for power required the formulation of policies that would limit the expansion of Communism. The Truman Doctrine manifested itself in 1947 to avert the domino effect of communist influence. The Truman administration feared If Turkey and/or Greece were to collapse, other countries would have followed. In March 1947, Truman stated “It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." Is This Tomorrow was published by the Catechetical Guild Educational Society in 1947. It was the first dramatization of the Russians conquering and enslaving the United States. The riveting cover and solid story line of communists taking over the U.S. made this one of the most successful propaganda comic book issues. I believe this book would be considered the first “Cold War” comic.

 

Edited May 8, 2005 by Harvey Dude

[Silver Surfer]

Just a facinating thread guys, keep theh examples coming.

[Harvey Dude]

Just a facinating thread guys, keep theh examples coming.

 

With the knowledge of this board, there should be enough substantive postings to write a book. Any takers?

[Scrooge]

Just a facinating thread guys, keep theh examples coming.

 

With the knowledge of this board, there should be enough substantive postings to write a book. Any takers?

 

And here I thought it had already been written:

 

Commies, Cowboys, and Jungle Queens: Comic Books and America, 1945-1954

by William W. Savage, Jr.

 

Review from The Washington Post Book World, Dennis Drabelle

In Commies, Cowboys, and Jungle Queens, William Savage ... argues that, in the decade between the end of World War II and the comic book industry's adoption of a prissy code at the height of the McCarthy era, the comics presented a distorted but recognizable image of American mores. As a thesis, this may be a non-startler, but Savage fleshes it out in interesting detail and accessible prose, embellished with well-chosen (if dingy and cramped) reproductions of period strips.

 

Just joking of course, this thread covers more than Savage does. However, this felt like the perfect moment to point out this book that I rarely hear mentioned within the community or the boards for that matter. Am I the only one who has read it (a while ago mind you and it is due to be read over) ?

[esquirecomics]

Comic books were the barometer of the times and many of the golden-age subject matter reflected this. Shortly after WWII, it became evident that ideological differences and the competition for power required the formulation of policies that would limit the expansion of Communism. The Truman Doctrine manifested itself in 1947 to avert the domino effect of communist influence. The Truman administration feared If Turkey and/or Greece were to collapse, other countries would have followed. In March 1947, Truman stated “It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." Is This Tomorrow was published by the Catechetical Guild Educational Society in 1947. It was the first dramatization of the Russians conquering and enslaving the United States. The riveting cover and solid story line of communists taking over the U.S. made this one of the most successful propaganda comic book issues. I believe this book would be considered the first “Cold War” comic.

 

 

A great Anti-Communist book which I happen to still need, and you are probably right that this is the first official Cold War book (unless anyone can identify one earlier). The CGES was at its prime by 1950, when the Cold War was really in bloom and we were at war (or just about) with North Korea (oh yeah, it was a UN police action), and this book was published:

 

[jewishlibrarian-migration]

re : Cold War Comics

 

Take a look at this online exhibition called "Nuke Pop" - http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/nukepop/ (Keep hitting the "Next" link to move forward).

 

It's not exclusively comics that are depicted and discussed, but there are plenty of comic covers and panels reproduced there from the 1940's onward. Not the best reproductions, but at least they type out the captions, so that you can understand what's going on.

 

I didn't know that Kamandi was a Planet of the Apes rip-off. I'd thought it was the other way around. Kirby did come out with his Fourth World stories before Lucas' Star Wars franchise was launched.

[jewishlibrarian-migration]

Check out this column, too :

 

http://stlcomics.com/columns/tftlof/1/

 

Follow the link at the bottom of the article for a cover gallery.

[jewishlibrarian-migration]

Possibly this Captain America #46

 

See http://www.cgccomics.com/gallery/details.asp?IDComic=759

[Harvey Dude]

Thanks for the information. There were some interesting covers that I have never seen before.