Black GA Superhero? 0

[sfcityduck]

Black GA Superhero?

I have a vague recollection of someone on this board claiming the first black superhero was an early GA character that started black but became white in later appearances.  Ring any bells?

[Bookery]

Best Comics (1939)

 

[Straw-Man]

whitewash jones of the young allies was pretty badassed.

[Straw-Man]

he was drawn handsomely, as well.

 

Edited May 24, 2017 by Straw-Man

[Straw-Man]

[sfcityduck]

Appreciate the replies, but I'm not looking for black caricatures or sidekicks. 

Serious question:  Someone on this site, could have been Jon Berk, once said that an early GA superhero was originally drawn as black, but later changed to white.  My recollection is the character was relatively obscure (at least to me), not DC or Timely. 

I swear the character name has some relationship to the color black (not necessarily "Black ________", but more like a word often associated with the color black or darkness) so the story made sense.

Anyone recall who the character was or even remember this being stated here?

 

[rjpb]

You're probably thinking of the Red Mask, who appeared in Best Comics, as noted by Bookery. Here is an article about him. It's debatable that he was ever intended to be black, but it's a cool artifact.

 

http://kb-outofthisworld.blogspot.com/2015/05/early-black-comic-book-heroes-red-mask.html

[sfcityduck]

I think you're right, thanks.

[Straw-Man]

whitewash would wipe the floor with him.

[telerites]

I thought it might be the Mirror Universe Samuel L. Jackson. 

[Sqeggs]

My beater copy of Best Comics 1.

[Sqeggs]

And Best Comics 2, where he appears to have become white.

[telerites]

1 hour ago, Sqeggs said:

And Best Comics 2, where he appears to have become white.

Great books. Sir Sqeggs   This one has brilliant cover colors   

 

[rjpb]

Red Mask's indecisive coloring in the first issue reminds me of the Fox Jungle books, where the native tribes were always made up of brown men and white women. I've always been a little curious as to why that didn't cause difficulties with distribution in the South.

[Ameri]

Probably not one of the earliest, but Waku fit the superhero mold in this 1954 series.

 

  

[Ameri]

Bucky reunion with Whitewash and Knuckles in 2009

  

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by Ameri

[Sqeggs]

7 hours ago, Ameri said:

Probably not one of the earliest, but Waku fit the superhero mold in this 1954 series.

 

  

Come to think of it, the black half (whose name I've forgotten) of Brothers of the Spear, might also qualify.  I think that series began in Tarzan comics sometime in the early 1950s.

[bluechip]

23 hours ago, rjpb said:

You're probably thinking of the Red Mask, who appeared in Best Comics, as noted by Bookery. Here is an article about him. It's debatable that he was ever intended to be black, but it's a cool artifact.

 

http://kb-outofthisworld.blogspot.com/2015/05/early-black-comic-book-heroes-red-mask.html

If you read the story the guy is clearly referred to as a black man and a "half breed."   Bookery seems think he could be a white guy in blackface who, he supposes, might reveal his whiteness in some future planned story, which of course is not available.  But aside from the straight hair which Bookery points out (and which any "half-breed" might have) there is nothing to support that weird conclusion, so to put that idea out there seems a bit... well, I'll just stick with weird.  

While on the topic somebody should give a shout to Berk's collection of 1-4 listed in the upcoming comicconnect auction.   I would guess there's probably not much more than a couple dozen certified copies of all four issues together.  

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by bluechip

[Bookery]

19 hours ago, bluechip said:

If you read the story the guy is clearly referred to as a black man and a "half breed."   Bookery seems think he could be a white guy in blackface who, he supposes, might reveal his whiteness in some future planned story, which of course is not available.  But aside from the straight hair which Bookery points out (and which any "half-breed" might have) there is nothing to support that weird conclusion, so to put that idea out there seems a bit... well, I'll just stick with weird.  

While on the topic somebody should give a shout to Berk's collection of 1-4 listed in the upcoming comicconnect auction.   I would guess there's probably not much more than a couple dozen certified copies of all four issues together.  

 

Wasn't me.  My only post pointed out the title of the comic.

[bluechip]

2 hours ago, Bookery said:

Wasn't me.  My only post pointed out the title of the comic.

I didn't realize there was a boardie with a similar name.    I don't know who the person is who wrote the piece on the web but I read some other pieces that bookery posted and whomever it is they seem well-intended.    Fans love to come up with theories and sometimes they can get a little weird.   And in this case the publishers created a weird situation by purchasing a black hero and then quickly trying to hide it by changing his skin color on the covers after the first issue.