Zoom Zoom Zooma Zoom

The Sorceress Of Zoom was one of comic books’ first “bad girls,” an out-and-out villain that was presumably granted an ongoing feature in Weird Comics because publisher Victor Fox liked as much T&A in his periodicals as possible.

Created by the great Don Rico, the Sorceress’ adventures certainly fit comfortably in the “weird” category. Zombie slaves, floating cities and bizarre transformations were the norm rather than the exception, as the villainess never hesitated to take any step deemed necessary toward achieving world domination.

(Of course, she never quite succeeded but you can’t fault a woman for trying … )

This particular adventure features an apparent Heel Face Turn by the Sorceress, but her sudden heroic acts are as ruthless as ever and are only based upon the character’s own selfish needs.

The dashing hero’s assertion that “she’s not so bad” is probably based more upon her provocative appearance than anything else. Nobody ever accused Fox comics of providing wholesome lessons, after all.

“Fantastic Valley” originally appeared in Weird Comics #12 (Fox, March 1941). The Grand Comics Database guesses that the story and art are provided by Rico.

The Headlight Heroine

Long before Hawkeye became an Internet sensation, the Victor Fox incarnation of The Phantom Lady set the standard for striking seductive poses and kicking serious @ss.

(Yes … I know Hawkeye Initiative devotees would probably dislike Phantom Lady comics but it was the snappiest intro I could think up on short notice. Besides, the character does kick serious @ss.)

“The Subway Slayer” originally appeared in All Top Comics #12 (Fox Feature Syndicate, July 1948). According to the Grand Comics Database, the story was pieced together by the nameless denizens of the Iger Studio. Others suspect it was written by Iger editor Ruth Roche and drawn by Matt Baker.

Golden Age justice!

The Marching Dead

Day 6 of Super-Heroes vs. Super-Horrors Week stacks the deck against everyone’s favorite “Good Girl,” Matt Baker’s Phantom Lady, as the sexy sleuth takes on “An Army Of Walking Dead.”

The story originally appeared in Phantom Lady # 15 (Fox Feature Syndicate, December 1947) and was drawn, naturally enough, by Matt Baker. The Grand Comics Database believes the plot is courtesy of the Iger Studio’s prolific staff writer, Ruth Roche.

Don’t underestimate the Phantom Lady just because she’s drawn like Jessica Rabbit! Coming tomorrow: Spy Smasher gets in a fist-fight with Death! (Spoiler: It doesn’t go too well for the hero…)

Eternal Flame

After DC sued Wonder Man – Fox Publication’s faux Man Of Steel – out of existence, the publisher went back to the drawing board and rebooted the disgraced super-hero’s showcase title, Wonder Comics, as WonderWORLD Comics. 

Fox’s second step was to commission a new character that couldn’t be confused with Superman. Turning once again to Eisner-Iger shop, a hero with very un-Kryptonian fire-based powers soon emerged.

(And before you get any ideas, smart guy, said character also debuted a few months before the similarly themed Human Torch.)

The Flame, created by Will Eisner and Lou Fine, was the lost son of a missionary who was raised by Tibetan monks and granted mastery over the element of fire. Armed with his trusty “Flame Gun,” the hero debuted in the third issue of Wonderworld Comics (July 1939) and enjoyed a fairly healthy career as one of Fox’s top characters until 1942, when the publisher abandoned most of its super-heroes.

The Flame’s best stories, however, were the earliest by Eisner and Fine. Boasting a true pulp feel and art that was far and away superior to just about anything else issued by Victor Fox, The Flame was one of his few characters that could truly stand side-by-side in terms of quality with other publishers’ super-heroes.

See for yourself. From Wonderworld Comics #6 (Fox, October 1939), here’s “The Arson Ring Of Mr. Crass” by Eisner and Fine.

Golden Age justice!

Seductress Of The Innocent

Meet Corliss Archer, began life as a radio program devoted to the misadventures of a typical, All-American teenage girl not unlike Betty Cooper or Patsy Walker. Unlike the other two, however, Corliss has the unique distinction of being labeled a menace by none other than Dr. Frederic Wertham himself.

Corliss’ inclusion in the good doctor’s infamous Seduction Of The Innocent didn’t stem from the character’s involvement in radio, movies and televison, but rather a short-lived comic-book published in 1948 by Fox Feature Syndicate that Wertham cited as an example of a “headlight comic.”

Based upon the covers that adorned the book’s second and third issues, I can’t imagine where in the world Wertham got that idea …

Like many of the comics published by Victor Fox in the late 1940s, the seemingly wholesome adventures of Corliss Archer snuck in as many swimsuit or bra-and-panty shots as the story would allow. Despite the characters’ popularity in other media – a fact trumpeted on the comic’s very cover, by the way – Fox knew what his audience wanted.

In a weird coincidence, the issues that so offended Wertham were mostly written and drawn by Al Feldstein, who would later cause even greater consternation among “right-thinking people” as an editor, writer and artist for William M. Gaines’ legendary EC Comics line.

The Golden Age of Comics truly existed in a small, and very strange, world.

“The Homework Hoax” originally appeared in Meet Corliss Archer #2 (Fox Feature Syndicate, May 1948). The story is signed by “EKR,” but the Grand Comics Database guesses that Feldstein provided the script.

Although the Corliss Archer comic only lasted three issues, the radio show ran from 1943 to 1953 and inspired a syndicated television show that existed for a single season in 1954.

Demonstrating a bit of quirkiness one wouldn’t expect from such a show, the program often featured comic-book styled art to illustrate the sit-com’s predicament of the week. Since the series has fallen into the public domain, here’s a link to an episode of Meet Corliss Archer that features a quick appearance from pro wrestler Tor Johnson of Plan 9 From Outer Space fame!

Enjoy!

The Lion King

Epitomizing the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality of the Greatest Generation, the denizens of Golden Age comic-books had little or no trouble embarking on super-heroic careers. Sure, there may be a slain loved one or two along the way but for the most part civic-minded citizens usually decided to don colorful uniforms and smash criminals in the puss because it was the right thing to do.

The Black Lion, one of Fox Feature Syndicate’s many answers to Batman (an illustrious list that includes Black Fury, The Moth and The Lynx), has a well-defined reason for seeking justice but no “on-panel” training or even rationale for his code-name. He presumably designed a costume, picked up a teen side-kick and got to work.

The following story – Black Lion’s first appearance, by the by – appeared in Wonderworld Comics #21 (Fox Feature Syndicate, January 1941). The art is by Charles A. Winter, a creator with several Golden Age credits who apparently left little biographical material behind.

Blue Beetle Mania

The Blue Beetle’s history extends as far back as Batman’s, a fact that has been obscured by a convoluted publishing history – accompanied by an ever-changing plethora of reboots and other gimmicks – that in all probability inspired the equally checkered past of Michael Chabon’s metafictional Escapist.

Created by Charles Nicholas, Rookie policeman Dan Garret debuted as The Blue Beetle in a crudely written and drawn four-page story that appeared near the back of Mystery Men Comics #1 (Fox Feature Syndicate, August 1939). The character at that point was a straight rip-off of the Green Hornet … which is a good a explanation as you’ll get for Garret’s alliterative codename.

He adopted a variation of the more familiar chain-mail gear in his second appearance and -after a few more visual tweaks –  soon gained enough popularity to earn his own title, a radio show and a syndicated newspaper strip ghosted by Jack Kirby.

To keep up with the ever increasing number of super-powered heroes clogging up the newstands by 1941, the Blue Beetle gained extraordinary abilities thanks to the miracle drug “Vitamin 2x.” Those powers would wax and wane throughout the Golden Age depending upon the needs of the story.

Everything remained status quo until the 12th issue of the Beetle’s own comic, when the Fox imprint seemingly dissolved and the character’s title continued under the auspices of Holyoke. Two issues later, Garret received a teen sidekick.

After 19 issues, Victor Fox regained the rights to the character and erratically published Blue Beetle comics until the ‘50s. During that time, the opportunistic Fox ensured the title reflected the trends of the day.

When “headlight comics” proved to be sure moneymakers, the Beetle found himself shoved off-stage by a succession of femme fatales. (Sparky had long since disappeared, poor kid.)

He also narrated “true crime” stories once Charles Biro’s Crime Does Not Pay started dominating the field.

And frankly, many stories were just plain bizarre.

After the Fox imprint finally gave up the ghost in the mid-‘50s, Charlton acquired the rights to Blue Beetle and printed a few stories that did little to alter the character … aside from changing his name to Dan Garrett.

When the success of Marvel and DC’s Silver Age titles brought super-heroes back into vogue, Charlton called upon writer Joe Gill and artist Tony Tallarico to revamp the Blue Beetle.

To their credit, Gill and Tallarico tried to provide a rationale for the Beetle motif by reintroducing Garret as an archaeologist who finds a mystic scarab. Otherwise, this all-new origin story was essentially Fawcett’s Captain Marvel with Egyptian trappings.

That particular incarnation wasn’t successful, so Garrett was killed off and replaced by this guy …

Sadly, Steve Ditko’s Blue Beetle was no more successful than the previous attempt and faded into comic-book limbo. Eventually, however, DC picked up the rights to the Beetle and other Charlton characters and incorporated them into their universe following the cataclysmic events of the company’s wildly successful Crisis On Infinite Earths mini-series.

The Ted Kord Blue Beetle evolved from that point into the Bwa-ha-ha hero so many modern fans loved … at least until DC decided to make headlines several years later by blowing the poor sod’s head off.

Leading, of course, to yet another new incarnation of the Blue Beetle.

*Phew.* I suppose the one constant throughout the decades of Blue Beetle’s existence has been change, which means we’ll probably see a few more versions of the character before everything is said and done.

In the meantime, however, let’s go back to a simpler time and enjoy the original, Golden Age hero who briefly found enough success to become a multi-media sensation a la Superman and Batman.

From Blue Beetle #1 (Fox Publications, Winter ’39-’40), here’s the “Origin Of The Blue Beetle” as drawn by Will Eisner (!) and the character’s creator, Charles Nicholas.

Hmmm … Dan Garret’s working-class background – replete with snobs and bullies – and desire to avenge his father’s death is somewhat similar to Marvel’s Daredevil. I guess there are only so many ideas under the sun.

Sex And The Single Super-Girl

The comics that offended “right-thinking” people in the 1940s and 1950s are tame by today’s standards, especially when compared to what major publishers offer on the stands these days.

Fox’s Phantom Lady may have been Public Enemy No. 1 to Frederic Wertham, but to be quite honest I’ll take the relatively respectful (and realistic) “headlight” art of Matt Baker and Phantom Lady’s wit, intelligence and competence over the one-dimensional, anatomically exaggerated bad girls currently offered by the “House That Siegel & Shuster Built.”

From Phantom Lady #19 (Fox Features Syndicate, August 1948), here’s “Wine, Women and Sudden Death” by Iger Studio writer and editor Ruth Roche (one of the most successful and prolific – if anonymous – female creators of the Golden Age) and Matt Baker.

Jo-Jo, Exploitation King

Like many of the characters published by the infamous Victor Fox, Jo-Jo the Congo King was a quick and cheap imitation of a better known and more successful effort – namely, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan.

Although – to the best of my knowledge – Jo-Jo never quite hit the level of media saturation achieved by Burroughs’ Ape Man, the Congo King did have Tarzan beat in one category: cheesecake.

While Tarzan did spend a lot of time cavorting with Jane Porter, the more spry Jo-Jo usually found himself battling jungle tribes populated by voluptuous women or rescuing his scantily clad mate Tanee from leering white hunters and voracious gorillas.

(It’s no accident that many of Jo-Jo’s adventures were illustrated by the likes of Matt Baker, Jack Kamen and Al Feldstein. Judging by the covers of the Fox comic, Tanee was a bigger draw for readers than the Congo King himself.)

All this naughtiness did not pass unnoticed, however. Fredric Wertham, the infamous anti-comics crusader, condemned Jo-Jo, Congo King # 15 (Fox Publications, 1948) and other funny books as “marijuana of the nursery” in an article published in the Saturday Review of Literature.

Courtesy of SeductionOfTheInnocent.org

Reading the issue in question, it’s easy to see why Wertham was so riled.

Although I doubt that Jo-Jo was read by children young enough to sleep in nurseries, it’s not necessarily an easy task to defend the content of a bottom-feeder publisher like Victor Fox. Still, despite my better judgment, I have to admit the following story is undeniably entertaining – if utterly trashy.

(Plus, believe it or not, there were publishers who were a lot worse. I’m looking at you, pre-Ditko Charlton.)

But why not judge for yourself? From the notorious 15th issue of Jo-Jo, Congo King, here’s “The Flaming Fiend.”

The writer and artist are uncredited.

The Man Of Steal

If the Golden Age Wonder Man is remembered at all these days, it’s for the hail of lawsuits the Superman rip-off drew from DC the moment Wonder Comics #1 hit the stands in early 1939.

According to comic book legend, the entire imbroglio began when Victor Fox – a DC Comics accountant who came across Superman’s early sales figures and, to quote Joe Simon, “liked what he saw” – hired the legendary Will Eisner- Jerry Iger shop to create a character that hewed as close to the Man Of Steel as possible. Will Eisner complied, and 11 months after Superman revolutionized the American comic-book industry Wonder Man leapt into the fray.

DC, as you might expect, was none too pleased and filed an immediate injunction against the use of the character. Victor Fox lost his case after Will Eisner reputedly refused to lie about the character’s creation in court, although some sterling detective work by an enterprising blogger recently shed some new light on Eisner’s role in the whole shebang. At any rate, Fox Publications’ Wonder Man disappeared from sight and DC went on to sue such Superman acolytes as Master Man, Steel Sterling and  - most famously or infamously depending on your viewpoint – the original Captain Marvel.

Even without the legal brouhaha, however, it’s doubtful that Wonder Man would have lasted long against the long underwear competition. Although Eisner was already technically superior to Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1939, the Wonder Man story lacks even an iota of the imagination and excitement of those early Action Comics tales. I guess that just illustrates the difference between a work-for-hire hack job and two hungry talents pursuing the dream of a lifetime.

From Wonder Comics #1 (Fox Publications), here’s Will Eisner’s Wonder Man.