What were the titles that made DC Comics? Most people with even half an interest in comic books would know that DC Comics is named after Detective Comics, their first title launched in 1937. But there were other titles that defined this growing visual medium – Action Comics, Adventure Comics, More Fun Comics, World’s Finest, and All-Star Comics spring quickly to mind. Through great creators, colourful costumes, and original ideas, comics were launched not as an alarm to wake up and shake up fiction, but as a cheap device to entertain youngsters. They’ve certainly done that – and much more. The creative world of today is one made richer and deeper thanks to comic books, but back in the Golden Age of comic books – lasting from 1937 to 1956 – there was another title whose strips defined the medium for years to come. Many may not have heard of All-American Comics. After all, it lasted a few months less than a decade from 1939 to 1948. But it was in this title where the likes of Green Lantern, the Atom, and Doctor Mid-Night debuted, along with the crème of comic creators such as Sheldon Moldoff, Martin Nodell, and Bill Finger. Due to its relatively brief run, All-American isn’t as known or regarded as contemporaries Detective Comics and Action Comics, but with such a wide array of features and characters starring in its pages issue-after-issue, it highlights the creativity of the medium in this era. It must have been regarded this highly by the gods of DC at the time, for in 1944, All-American Comics were to produce the giant-size issue of giant-size issues, one which would present the famous – and the obscure – of DC’s forties output…
The Big All-American Comic Book certainly enjoys a weighty name with presence, and it is a strange beast for a cluster of reasons. Firstly, no matter how hard readers
searched, they would not be able to locate any mention of ‘DC’ or ‘National’ symbols on the issue. In fact, this special is a collaboration between National and All-American publications – before long the two companies would merge to create the DC Comics we know of today. Secondly, it stood at a whopping 128 pages, double-the-length of most of DC titles and priced at 25 cents! Thirdly, these are all original stories – and there are 23 of them! I’ll list all the writers and artists later in the review as there is a huge number of them (and that’s not including the stories where no credited writer or artist is detectable. Printed in November 1944, it’s astonishing to think, but DC did actually reprint this story in the DC Comics Rarities hardcover, an Archive edition itself now a rarity! It would be silly to examine all of the 23 tales here in such detail – there would simply be too much repetition. And instead of reviewing the stories in order, I’ll be going through the kind genres of stories shown here. Think of this special as a stall at a morning car boot sale. There’s a broad blanket, big enough to spend quite some time strolling around. And upon the blanket lies a range of items, ranging in detail and purpose. Some of the item’s work; some of them don’t. Or if you prefer a dull metaphor, it’s a variety show.
THE SUPERHEROES
In the early-1940s, mystery men and superheroes were still a novel idea. But DC – or National as it was called then – exploded with concepts and character ideas which remain famous to this day. Throughout The Big All-American Comic Book, readers will witness the best of the best – the bread and butter of DC Comics. Unsurprisingly, it’s the heroes who languish in the spotlight for the majority of this titanic special, but there are other kinds of characters and stories which I will come to later. But where best to start but the first tale of this giant-size extravaganza – a tale featuring DC’s most famed of heroines.
Wonder Woman easily stands tall as the most prolific heroes in this book. Still a relatively new character by the dying months of 1944, Wonder Woman’s tale here is penned by Charles Moulton, the psychologist and self-help writer who is more famous – as William Moulton Marston – for creating Wonder Woman. Although Marston is credited as the writer for this tale, no artist is given in the original 1944 version. Thanks to both excellent research and DC’s more transparent attitude towards crediting creators, we know the artist is H.G. Peters. It begins with a murder – the killing of the respected General Courtney. The killer flees, planting everyone’s favourite maverick soldier – Colonel Steve Trevor – as real perpetrator. Naturally, Wonder Woman doesn’t accept this, and she discovers the real murder, named Danny the Demon (how could he be a villain with such a name) at a nearby circus. This story has got a bit of everything – Wonder Woman is solving crimes; her love is put behind bars only to escape as he attempts to convince everyone of his innocence; while the heroine’s ‘sidekick’ Etta Candy falls in love with a disguised Danny the Demon. With its twists and turns, Danny the Demon’s original motive to kill the General for his inheritance money is swept aside by Trevor pleading for a chance to prove his innocence. Of course, it’s all solved in the end, and it makes for a nice story, but the world of Wonder Woman is still in creative flux due to its young age. Wonder Woman is an ideal star; Etta Candy is not an ideal sidekick, nor are the group of half-dressed athletic girls who future writers have – thankfully – forgotten about. Why would an invincible goddess need these sidekicks? It must be remembered for all of these stories that, especially in these earlier years of the medium, comics were not written to revolutionise fiction similar to how later tales like Watchmen did. It was simply to provide cheap entertainment. Does Wonder Woman’s tale do that. It does, albeit with some dated language.
The Atom of the golden age is very different from the hero of the silver age. No scientist with the ability to shrink in size, the original Atom is a dwarf, but a feisty one at that. His tale here – written by Joseph Greene and drawn by Joe Gallagher – is a comedic one. After watching a dog-show and believing without fault how perfectly trained canines are obviously the future of organised crime, three gangsters steal the trained pup and use it to commit crimes and robberies. The Atom quickly catches onto this and aims to defeat these evildoers. But readers can breathe a sigh of relief when it becomes clear the dog has a heart of gold. Upon realising the crimes the gangsters are forcing upon him, the pups turn on the villains and works with the Atom to put them behind bars. With its furry humour and clueless criminals, the story is a laugh with or without the Atom. The art may be unsurprisingly wooden for its time, but the dialogue more than makes up for it.
Alan Scott’s Green Lantern is a famous face of the golden age. His story here – written by forgotten hand but drawn by Paul Reinman – is one of the lengthier tales of the special. In old Baxton Town, a relic of a town famous for a bell that never tolls, Medusa comes to life to create chaos and havoc. Green Lantern is aided by Doiby Dickles in a genuine detective tale worthy of Bill Finger himself.
It has some terrific twists and turns, with the identity of Medusa being passed from person-to-person like a deranged game of pass-the-parcel. Sadly, there is only one major flaw – the writer reveals most of the plot in the introduction on the first page! We learn instantly that Medusa isn’t real and that it is part of a blackmail scheme. Were that ploy disguised for longer until its true reveal, it would have been a moment of great shock. Plus, the true identity of Medusa is simply ridiculous. The bell that never tolls will only ring when an act of heroism is committed in Baxton – the bell keeper is very insistent of that. When it’s revealed that he is in fact Medusa and this hair-brained scheme was simply a method to attract the attention of Green Lantern to the town, save the day, and thereby cause the bell to bong, it’s a conclusion so bad I can’t even laugh. Still, Reinman’s art, with its deep blacks and inks, is pretty appealing.
The next hero to bathe in the spotlight is Mr Terrific – the fighter with ‘fair play’ etched onto his chest. Another JSA legend, Mr Terrfic’s adventure pits himself against some thieving gangsters who transform small models of boats into lethal weapons to advance their robberies. It is a nifty golden age premise, especially as the writer (who isn’t known) takes a moral standpoint, standing firmly on the side of the manufacturer of the models who shows disgust as his life’s work is used for evil. It’s a fairly run-of-the-mill story, with Stan Aschmeier providing the standard art of the time. That said, the ending is a bit too neat, with Mr Terrific telling the model manufacturer not to worry as Terry Sloan – the true identity of the ‘fair play’ loving vigilante – will donate all the money he needs for his business. It might not be realistic, but at least it’s a charming piece of golden age plotting.
Wildcat stands out in the crowd of JSA heroes. At first glance, does he have any superpowers? Although in later stories he is renowned as a boxer and fighter-to-the-death, some forget that he does have a super-power – he has nine lives. This doesn’t play much role in his early golden age stories – he is closer to a Batman than a Green Lantern. Here is Wildcat fighting – you guessed it – the mob again. The lead mobster here is a prankster who, through knock-out gas, gets one-up over the hero, only for Wildcat to make a comeback and save the day. Wildcat is an entertaining protagonist, with his gutsy attitude and dialogue adding some humour to a tale that could easily be quite dry. The identity of the writer is unknown, but artist Joe Gallagher cultivates an exaggerated style which works astonishingly well for a Wildcat story.
And now it’s time to sleep for a bit, for we have a Hawkman story to get through. I’ve never been a great fan of Hawkman stories, but perhaps this one deserves more recognition than the others, but that not because of the story. Hawkman battles against an arsonist attempting to burn down everything in sight. The villain’s name is Hot Shot, and he’s as close as we can get in the entirety of these 128 pages to a supervillain! Thank goodness, Hawkman isn’t fighting the mob. I shouldn’t be too critical of the tale, for it is written by the great Gardner Fox, a writer who did more than anyone else to create the DC Universe. He does – as ever – cram a fair bit of pseudo-science in there, and the death of Hot Shot, whereby Hawkman leaves him in a freezing room and allows him to be crushed in his own asbestos suit, is certainly a dark moment. The trouble is that the story goes on for too long and becomes too repetitious and verbose for the action to remain interesting. The sole reason this story should be remembered is because it’s the first Hawkman tale drawn by Joe Kubert. Then only 16 or 17 years old, Kubert was to rise and become a legend of comic books. His art may not be as refined as his later work, but the magic is there from early on.
Who should be the final superhero of the special, but the Flash. Whenever I think of a golden age hero, Jay Garrick flashes to mind in his red and yellow, accompanied with the famous tin hat. With a tale here written by Fox – the character's creator – we get another story with the mob. But this time, there are two elements to the story. While the Flash fights a mobster who is on a quest for an emerald, many of the panels focus on three simpletons who work at the theatre owned by the lead gangster. Fox captures the trio with great humour, and in the end, they nearly fall into the employment of the gangster, but the Flash saves the day. As for the emerald, it’s revealed to be inside an apple which members of the theatre audience throw at the three simpletons when they try their hand at acting. Overall, it’s paced better than the Hawkman tale, and Fox creates a more entertaining and humorous mood, with the action conveyed with some energy by E.E. Hibbard.
THE FIGHTERS
As a time of great conflict and war, The Big All-American Comic Books is laced with ‘BUY WAR BONDS AND STAMPS’ to help the war effort. But there are also a few tales which are perhaps closer to war stories than superheroes.
An obvious example of such a move is the tale of Hop Harrigan, a pilot, adventurer, and solider during World War Two. His brief tale here is written and drawn by his creator, John L. Blummer. At first sight, it’s a typical war tale whereby Hop and a few of his allies go undercover as they battle the Japanese. The story has its fair share of conflict, and Blummer’s rough artistic style suits a grim picture of conflict. However, it certainly isn’t a tale which has aged well. Why? It may be because Hop Harrigan and his accomplice, Tank Tinker, decide it would be best to paint their skin brown and act as bewildered locals as a way of going undercover.
That doesn’t look good by modern standards, nor does some of the dialogue. What’s more, the ending – which features the tragic death of Tinker as he battles for his country – is ruined by Tinker’s survival, thereby cheapening war. All that said, Hop Harrigan adds some variety to this mammoth special, reflecting the war of the time and, sadly, the stereotypes of the era too.
There is another tale of conflict, too. But it isn’t of warfare in the 1940s. Taking place during the nineteenth century in New Mexico, Rodney Gaynor is a wealthy playboy who sees money as no problem. But the problem he does notice is social injustice – injustice against the Native Americans. When the leader of a Native American tribe banishes his son, Rodney transforms himself into the Whip, only to discover that the tribe’s crops have been poisoned by evildoers who trample all-over the natives. This brief story by John B. Wentworth – alongside some fairly rudimentary artwork by Homer Fleming – stands out in the crowd. It is a story of conflict, although not one which paints American history at its finest or most imperialistic. It’s proof that DC, even in these early days, were willing to explore many different territories, some of them often uncomfortable. Overall, it’s a positive tale of unity with a happy ending.
THE ECCENTRICITIES
Not every feature within these 128 pages is well known. Throughout, there are a few oddments, tales of forgotten characters and teams which never flew away to great success. Back in a climate like the 1940s, it was never a certainty that an idea would succeed.
When you ask any reader of DC Comics what their favourite team is, how many of them will say The Blue Boys? Buried far beneath the Justice League in terms of status, the Blue Boys debuted in Sensation Comics 1 in 1942 – alongside Wonder Woman, Mr Terrific, and the Gay Ghost to name a few – with a simple enough concept. They were kids who fought crime wearing colourful blue costumes. Fighting in Big City, Tommy, Tubby, and Toughy unite to fight evil one day, only to find that they have to babysit Clarence. A real little prankster, Clarence doesn’t believe the T-trio are the Blue Boys, but he helps the little heroes defeat a group of villains causing trouble in the city. As with the Atom story, this would be a dry tale were it not for humour. Prankster Clarence may be an irritant, but his quirks and gimmicks brighten up many of the pages. Sadly, it’s difficult to praise the creative team of this issue – their identities have faded with time. Everything about the Blue Boys, from their identities to the name of the city they fought in, has been forgotten. Will that ever change? I suspect not.
Usually, Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt team up together and tag along with the Justice Society on their colossal quests against crime. No such luck here I’m afraid, nor is there a Thunderbolt present with some superheroics. With John B. Wentworth and Stan Aschmeier (a fantastically cartoony artist), we get a tale of Johnny Thunder reading a bed-time story to a naughty little girl – she dreams about being Little Red Riding Hood and experiences that oh-so famous fairy tale, but with a few bizarre twists. How best to describe it? It’s what I imagine an outer-body experience is like – just read it, you’ll see what I mean…
For another of the eccentrics who fill the pages, we have the Ghost Patrol. A group of World War Two soldiers, these characters were aviators in the French Foreign Legion when the war broke out. So, why didn’t I talk about these soldiers alongside Hop Harrigan? There are a few differences. For starters, the Ghost Patrol are all dead – they were killed early in the war and now they are ghosts. And their story here – again by Wentworth, but drawn by Frank Harry – focuses less on war, and more on a corrupt local politician who is abusing public funds. As ghosts, these soldiers can reach places few others can, and they succeed in overthrowing the tainted official. Unfortunately, this story is simply unreadable. The plotting and pacing are all over the shop, while the attempt at French dialogue with cringe-worthy accents is both offensive and a chore to read. This, alongside the substandard art, doesn’t enrich my view of the Ghost Patrol.
THE FUNNIES
Comedy has always been a staple through comic books and newspaper strips. Even today, DC still print humour comics with titles like MAD Magazine, and during the golden age, comedy was probably one of the most common genres of the medium, third only to superheroes and war stories. Here, we get a surprisingly wide selection of material.
We begin with Who’s Who in Zooville. These stories, written and drawn by Ronald Santi – described by Dr Jerry Bails in the gloriously helpful biographical pages accompanying the Archive edition as ‘a specialist in funny-animal features – feature talking animals getting into rather devilish trouble, such as falling into the hands of cannibals. While the humour, colour, and entertaining dialogue and jokes may dim the depression of such a concept, it is proof of how dark the tales of the golden age could be, even with its charm and laughs.
Scribbly and the Hunkel Family grace four pages of the special, with spikey dialogue and art by Sheldon Mayer. Ma Hunkel is perhaps known today – at least by those who have actually heard of her – as the original Red Tornado, but she was also a shopkeeper with an attitude. Mayer’s story takes her and her shop assistants to the horse races, where an old man convinces her to put a bet on a horse. In short, it all goes wrong, and it’s revealed the elderly man who convinced her to place a bet was insane. Whether Mayer wants to convey a kind of moral message about the dangers of gambling or being very cautious about old gentlemen who just so happen to be a few sandwiches short of a picnic, it’s impossible to say. I suppose it’s humorous, but the trouble is too much of the humour is too similar in these strips – the humour may be spontaneous and unpredictable, but it doesn’t take long for a pattern to quickly appear.
Talking animals appear to be another consistent theme of the comedies. Bulldog Drumhead certainly has some nice Looney Tunes-style art once again by Santi – with some animals effectively taking part in gang warfare and Bulldog, acting as a wild sheriff of the wild west, must come to the rescue and save the day. It is an entertaining eight pages to be sure, but is it so different from the other funnies thus far?
Dotted throughout, there are also eight stories of Mutt and Jeff. A popular comedic newspaper strip created long ago in 1907, DC attained the rights to this comedic duo. Mutt – the taller in the duo – is the more intellectually challenged of the two characters, but that isn’t saying a great deal about Jeff, the joke-cracker full of insane ideas. Each story takes up literally half-a-page – there isn’t so much a plot, but simply a comedic interaction. Bud Fisher’s simple art suits the world of a newspaper comic strip tale like Mutt and Jeff. Although some of the humour may date or falls flat, it’s aim is never to be a Shakespearean comedy.
But then, saving the best feature of the entire 128-bonanaza for last, we have Pint-Size Pete. This poor little guy – and by guy, I mean a cat with the ability to talk – is followed both by his lovable pet Pooch, and chronic bad luck. From his accidental releasing of dozens of dogs from a shop or destroying the city’s electrical system in a matter of seconds, it all goes wrong for poor Pete. Even when things look up, they quickly fall down flat. Although there is some amusement in the situations here, the overall emotion that writer/artist A.W. Nugent creates is one of sadness and sympathy. It’s because of this feeling – a feeling absent in any other tale here – that Pint-Size Pete stands out uniquely.
VERDICT
Overall, how best to judge The Big All-American Comic Book? With all its differing themes and characters, it really is a variety show – to describe it as a car boot would be unfair and inaccurate. The superhero tales may enjoy very similar plots – with gangsters plus bizarre twists – but these are genuinely some of the best DC characters of the time, and their fame has been preserved thanks to the great creators here. There are fewer war fighters than heroes, but looking back, the stories of Hop Harrigan and the like stand as a great piece of history about how comics helped with the war effort. The eccentricities and the funnies certainly add some humour and comedy – it shouldn’t be forgotten that the golden age was often darker than the silver age that followed.
But there are two things to note. Firstly, comics are still clearly in a state of flux – it’s still a new medium and the variety is a testament to the creators not yet certain of what will and won’t work. Secondly, it’s impossible to read some these issues and find them morally acceptable. From wrapping yourself in asbestos to defeat enemies, to painting your skin brown and talking in a bad taste accent, a few of these tales aren’t exactly politically correct. The debate of ‘cancel culture’ has probably been overstated by many reactionaries in recent years, but in my own view, it’s good thing for society that such stories like this are available – we can only change and improve the future if we are aware of the mistakes of the past. With these points in mind, there is more positive than negative to come out of the Big All-American Comic Book of 1944. According to Roy Thomas, the special probably wasn’t a storming financial success – after all, there was never a sequel. But as a colourful variety show displaying such a wide breadth of the golden age, The Big All-American Comic Book is certainly a good place for readers to pioneer the innovative golden age…
Next Week: Starman: Infernal Devices (Starman (vol 2) 30-35). Written by James Robinson, with art by Tony Harris, Wade Von Grawbadger, Ray Synder, Mark Buckingham, Steve Yeowell, and Wayne Faucher.
Comments