Issuu

Roy Thomas’ Water-Logged Comics Fanzine

THREE CHEERS FOR

RAMONA FRADON, 6.95 PAUL NORRIS, & AQUAMAN ! No. 69 $

In the USA

June 2007

PLUS:

06 1

82658 27763

Vol. 3, No. 69 / June 2007

™

Editor Roy Thomas

Associate Editors Bill Schelly Jim Amash

Design & Layout Christopher Day

Consulting Editor John Morrow

FCA Editor P.C. Hamerlinck

Comic Crypt Editor Michael T. Gilbert

Editorial Honor Roll Jerry G. Bails (founder) Ronn Foss, Biljo White

Editor Emeritus Mike Friedrich

Production Assistant

Contents

Chris Irving

Circulation Director Bob Brodsky, Cookiesoup Periodical Distribution, LLC

Cover Artist

A pocket history of Aquaman, DC’s Sovereign of the Seven Seas, by John Wells.

John Watson (from a drawing by Ramona Fradon)

With Special Thanks to: Jack Adams Heidi Amash Ger Apeldoorn Paul Bach, Jr. Rodrigo Baeza Bob Bailey Jean Bails Marty Baumann Jack Bender Murray Bishoff Jerry K. Boyd Tom Bradley Gary Brown Len Brown Adam J. Brooks Zack Buchanan Mike Burkey John Cochran Teresa R. Davidson Craig Delich Shel Dorf Michael Dunne Chris Fama Michael Feldman Ed Fields Stuart Fischer Dana Fradon Ramona Fradon Todd Franklin Keif A. Fromm Bill Fugate Carl Gafford Russ Garwood Jeff Gelb Janet Gilbert Laura Gjovaag Lew Glanzman Mark Glidden Scott Goodell Arnie Grieves Jennifer Hamerlinck Matthew Hawes Allan Holtz Richard Howell Bob Hughes Richard Kyle Stan Landman Bill Leach

Writer/Editorial: Seeking Sea Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Maritime Passages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Alan Light Bill Lignante Jeffrey Lindenblatt Matt Lorentz Mike Machlan Joe & Nadia Mannarino Sam Maronie Bruce Mason Harry Mendryk Brian K. Morris Mark Muller Jim Murtaugh The New Yorker Paul Norris Rick Norwood Jerry Ordway Jake Oster Ken Quattro John Powell Kyle Powell Rob Powell Seth Powell Nancy Ready Hart Rieckhof Dominic von Riedemann Charlie Roberts Ethan Roberts Herb Rogoff Alex Saviuk John Schwirian Craig Shutt David Siegel Keif Simon Anthony Snyder Bhob Stewart Scott Stewart Joe Staton Marc Swayze Dann Thomas Anthony Tollin Michael Uslan Trevor Von Eeden John Watson John Wells Christopher Wheeler Robert Wiener Joseph Wise

“Take Your Foot In Hand And Come To New York!” . . . . . . 15 Artist Paul Norris took Milt Caniff’s advice! Interview by Shel Dorf.

“It Was A Daily Identity Crisis” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Ramona Fradon talks to Jim Amash about being a comic artist and a housewife & mother.

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt: The Powell Family Album, Part III. 55 Michael T. Gilbert and Bob Powell’s sons revisit the life of the great Golden Age artist.

JSA: Sunset At Dawn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Roy Thomas’ letter/proposal for a Justice Society/Infinity, Inc. series that never was!

Come BECK, Little Comicon! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 The Calvin Beck Con of 1967 really did happen! Bill Schelly’s got proof!

Tributes to Joe Edwards, Jack Burnley, & Joseph R. Barbera . 71 re: [comments, correspondence, & corrections) . . . . . . . . . 75 FCA (Fawcett Collectors Of America) #128 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 P.C. Hamerlinck presents Marc Swayze, Bill Fugate, & Captain Marvel’s cities tour, Part II. On Our Cover: A couple of years ago, when she was being interviewed for A/E, Ramona Fradon sent us photocopies of a number of commission drawings she had done. One humongous pencil illo in particular immediately caught our eye as the perfect design for the cover of this issue about Aquaman and two of his greatest artists—so, through his then-agent Keif A. Fromm, we were lucky to persuade John Watson to turn that sketch into a full-color painting. Gorgeous, no? Also, for a look at Ramona’s pencil version, see p. 37. [Aquaman TM & ©2007 DC Comics.] Above: Just one of the many great pencil sketches Ramona Fradon has done in recent years. Looks to us like she’s better than ever! [Aquaman TM & ©2007 DC Comics.]

This issue is dedicated to the memory of Joe Edwards, Jack Burnley, & Joseph R. Barbera Alter EgoTM is published monthly by TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Roy Thomas, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Alter Ego Editorial Offices: 32 Bluebird Trail, St. Matthews, SC 29135, USA. Fax: (803) 826-6501; e-mail: roydann@ntinet.com. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Single issues: $9 ($11.00 outside the US). Twelve-issue subscriptions: $72 US, $132 Canada, $144 elsewhere. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © Roy Thomas. Alter Ego is a TM of Roy & Dann Thomas. FCA is a TM of P.C. Hamerlinck. Printed in Canada. ISSN: 1932-6890 FIRST PRINTING.

writer/editorial

Seeking Sea Kings I

’ve never made any bones about the fact that, both as kid and adult, I always preferred Timely/Marvel’s Sub-Mariner to DC’s Aquaman. So why an issue of Alter Ego that is virtually dedicated to the latter—or at least, to a couple of artists noted for drawing him?

2. Aquaman has arguably been, up to the present, at least as successful a character as Sub-Mariner, with a part of that good fortune owing to his palling around with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, et al., in Justice League of America since 1960 and in TV cartoons beginning in the 1970s. 3. Alter Ego is, after all, more a vehicle for comics history than for pure nostalgia… and a hero like Aquaman who’s been around since 1941 and is still going strong has a lot of history.

Several reasons. 1. From a personal viewpoint: whatever my quirks and preferences, I like both characters. Aquaman always had a lot going for him—a cool costume (till recently) and his meaningful relationship with creatures of the sea. And I had/have a special fondness for the artwork of Ramona Fradon. (I came of age way too late to read Paul Norris’ early work, though I find it quite vital.)

So put on your waterwings and get set to dogpaddle up Comic Book Creek! Bestest,

COMING IN JULY

You Asked For It—So It Serves You Right!

ROY THOMAS ON THE 1970s AT MARVEL COMICS! • All-new Invaders cover by GENE COLAN—colored directly from his pulsating pencils! • RASCALLY ROY talks to JIM AMASH about the sensational ’70s at Marvel—in a humongous interview studded with rare art by ADAMS, ADKINS, ANDRU, both BUSCEMAS, BRUNNER, CHAYKIN, COCKRUM, COLAN, EVERETT, KANE, KIRBY, PÉREZ, PLOOG, ROBBINS, ROMITA, the SEVERIN siblings, SMITH, THORNE, TRIMPE, WRIGHTSON, & many others—not to mention some writers named CONWAY, ENGLEHART, GERBER, GOODWIN, MOENCH, SHOOTER, WEIN, WOLFMAN, and a guy called LEE! • A special (if way too brief) celebration of Golden Age artist LILY RENÉE (The Lost World, Señorita Rio, Werewolf Hunter, etc.) by TRINA ROBBINS! • MICHAEL T. GILBERT concludes his look at BOB POWELL—FCA with C.C. BECK, MARC SWAYZE, & ROY THOMAS’ 1981 Shazam! debut—& MORE! Edited by ROY THOMAS rica, Sub-Mariner, & The Red [Human Torch, Captain Ame Marvel Characters, Inc.]

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Maritime Passages A Pocket History Of The Sovereign Of The Seven DC Seas by John Wells [Abridged and edited, with emphasis on the years 1941-75, from his fanzine Destination Cool! in CAPA-alpha #500 (June 2006); ©2007 John Wells. Sorry that, because of our twin interviews, we didn’t have room to print his indexes of villains and full slate of the hero’s appearances—or even more “Aquaman” artwork!]

Wading Into The Water

ith a few alterations in the pages of comics history, Aquaman might well have reached a crossroads in 1963. Published consecutively in a succession of magazines since 1941, he had survived as Golden Age heavyweights like The Flash, Green Lantern, Captain America, and others had fallen by the wayside (though most were now back in new incarnations). With his solo berth in World’s Finest Comics now gone, appearances with the Justice League of America were the most he could hope for.

That was, in fact, the fate of Green Arrow, who’d been the Sea King’s stablemate since both characters had debuted in More Fun Comics #73 (Nov. 1941). Aquaman, however, had been starring in his own comic book since 1961. The loss of the secondary feature, far from an ending, signaled the beginning of real momentum in his career. More Fun #73 had established the basics: Aquaman thrived underwater, had command of sea life, and was strong enough to put his fist

A Sea King, A Sea Prince, And A Sea Shell Ye Editor decided to indulge himself in choosing the illustration to lead off this issue’s triple-threat coverage of Aquaman and his artists—by showcasing an original pencil drawing by Ramona Fradon from his own collection. Ramona is interviewed in depth beginning on p. 31. [Aquaman & Aqualad TM & ©2007 DC Comics.]

through a submarine. Characteristic of a number of World War II-era heroes, he also had no compunctions about dispatching Nazis, drowning or blowing them up without a second thought.

Look Homeward, Atlantean Aquaman’s first origin, from More Fun Comics #73 (Nov. 1941)—at least as per DC’s Millennium Edition reprint. Script by Mort Weisinger, art by Paul Norris— whose interview by Shel Dorf begins on p. 15. Minor query: In the 2001 reprint, the hero has green gloves. Was that as per that first story, or was it an error made by a colorist who didn’t check the original story, since the gloves were nearly always yellow till the turn of the 1960s? [©2007 DC Comics.] At right is a circa-1940 photo of “Aquaman” original writer/co-creator Mort Weisinger, from James Gunn’s 1975 book Alternate Worlds: The Illustrated History of Science Fiction. [Photo ©the respective copyright holders.]

A minimalist three-panel origin attributed his amphibious abilities to Atlantean science, discovered by his explorer father in the ruins of the fabled city. Described as “internationally renowned,” the scientist kept himself and his son in virtual seclusion in their watertight home beneath the sea until his death. Bereft of companionship, Aquaman (so named by his dad!) ventured to the surface, altruistically vowing to seek out and punish the wrongdoers of the “upper world.” (Aquaman’s late father would be mentioned once more, in More Fun #80.) Clad in a scaled orange shirt and green tights, Aquaman would maintain the same basic uniform for most of his first five decades. The primary alteration was the coloring of his gloves, which were yellow until the end of the 1950s. The ankle fins on his tights, also initially

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“Take Your Foot In Hand And Come To New York!” That Was Ace Artist Milt Caniff’s Advice To Young Artist PAUL NORRIS—And He Took It! Interview Conducted by Shel Dorf

A/E

Transcribed by Brian K. Morris

EDITOR’S NOTE: Shel Dorf, one of the cofounders of the San Diego Comic-Con, had this little talk with artist Paul Norris on Sept. 1, 1992. Shel didn’t worry about where it might be published, or when. He simply held on to the tape. And, a few years ago, he and I were talking on the phone when he mentioned he had done unseen interviews with Norris, Sheldon Moldoff, and one or two other illuminiaries, and might Alter Ego be interested in transcribing the audio tapes and publishing them? We sure would!

However, one thing after another intervened—but now, 15 years after it was recorded, this cogent conversation sees the light of day at last. And you know what? That’s the great thing about doing a mag that deals with history: history’s just as valid one year, or one decade, as another! Oh, and special thanks to Paul Norris himself, for going over the transcript a year or so back and correcting a few of the unintelligible parts. If a few words or phrases remained undecipherable—well, you can fill in the blanks with your own guesses, right? —Roy.

Water And Brick Paul Norris (above right) and Shel Dorf, in January 2002—flanking art representative of both Paul’s comic book and comic strip work: the splash pages of the very first “Aquaman” story, from More Fun Comics #73 (Nov. 1941), as reprinted in the 2001 Millennium Edition—and of a “Brick Bradford” adventure from The Phantom #28 (Dec. 1967), published by King Comics. Love that Time Top! (For an example of Norris’ actual Brick Bradford comic strip work, see the following page.) Mort Weisinger scripted Aquaman’s origin— while Norris wrote, drew, and even lettered the “Bradford” 4-pager. Thanks to Shel for the photo, which was taken by Matt Lorentz, and to Hart Rieckhof for the King art. [Aquaman art ©2007 DC Comics; Brick Bradford art ©2007 King Features Syndicate.]

“It Was A Daily Identity Crisis” RAMONA FRADON Talks About Being A Comic Book Artist And A Suburban Housewife & Mother In The 1950s Interview Conducted by Jim Amash

Transcribed by Brian K. Morris

amona Fradon is one of the true cartoon talents in comics. From “Aquaman” to “Metamorpho” to Super Friends, mystery stories, a few Marvel tales, and more, her drawing style lent itself to a variety of genres. Ramona may not be impressed with her own work, but the rest of us certainly are! Her blend of cartooning with supposedly realistic super-hero theatrics lent a sense of fun for readers of all ages, creating its own authenticity. Ramona’s thoughts on her career and the business in which she was involved are candid and multi-dimensional. Her Hall of Fame induction in 2006 was long overdue, a fitting tribute to a great career. —Jim

“I Always Drew” JIM AMASH: Do you mind telling me when and where you were born? RAMONA FRADON: [laughs] Why, yes! I don’t mind at all. I was born in Chicago in 1926, a long, long time ago, October 2nd. JA: I see your father was a letterer for Elizabeth Arden. FRADON: He [Peter Dom] was a freelance lettering man. He designed, among other things, the Elizabeth Arden, Camel, and Lord and Taylor logos—ones you still see around. And what else did he do? He designed type faces: the Dom Casual font, among others. JA: You had a brother who was also a letterer, right? FRADON: Jay died about seven years ago. He was a couple of years older than me. My father’s side was Armenian, and Dom is a shortening of an Armenian name. My mother’s name was Irma. She was Swiss, so I’m Swiss-Armenian.

“I Contain Multitudes” Ramona Fradon may not have particularly enjoyed drawing super-heroes, but she’s done plenty of them in the past half-centuryplus—and she still gets many requests to draw them, as per this photo taken at the 2005 Gateway Con in St. Louis. Above is a fairly recent commission sketch done for collector Bill Leach showing some of the most noteworthy of them! The quotation, of course, comes from Walt Whitman’s poem Song of Myself. [Aquaman, Metamorpho, Batman, Robin, Plastic Man, Aqualad, Superman, & Wonder Woman TM & ©2007 DC Comics; photo ©2007 Sam Maronie.]

“It Was A Daily Identity Crisis”

Titian. He was definitely a Renaissance guy and was interested in tone rather than color.

“Meaningless statistics were up one-point-five per cent this month over last month.”

All In The Family Dana Fradon, Ramona’s then-husband, realized his dream of becoming a regular and prominent cartoonist for the prestigious magazine The New Yorker—as per one of his most famous cartoons, from the Jan. 31, 1977, issue. Reprinted by permission; check out The New Yorker cartoons at www.cartoonbank.com/pro. Special thanks to Zack Buchanan. [©The New Yorker Collection 1977 Dana Fradon from the cartoonbank.com. All rights reserved.]

JA: Since your father and brother were artists, is that what got you interested in drawing? FRADON: I always drew. We used to watch my father at the drawing board, so I was very familiar with the accouterments of drawing. I drew naturally, doodling figures all the time. I never thought of being an artist, I just drew, but my father wanted me to be one, so he steered me in that direction. I didn’t take high school seriously, and by the time I graduated, I doubt if I could have gotten into a college. I started at Parsons School of Design in New York City. I went there for a year, but I found it to be superficial in terms of learning how to draw. We had life drawing once or twice a week, and the rest was all about technique and an overview of the different commercial fields. I felt I wasn’t learning anything that I needed to learn, so I switched to the New York Art Students League. I could never have been an interior decorator or a fashion artist anyway. I was drawn to the League because it was totally unstructured. You had to provide your own motivation. There were no tests, no grades, no diploma, no nothing. You just went there, and if you wanted to learn, you could learn, and that appealed to me. And we drew from a model every single day. I also painted, but was really bad at it. Like, all the colors I mixed came out brown for some reason. Maybe it was Kenneth Miller’s influence, I’m not sure. [mutual laughter] But it just wasn’t for me. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Miller’s work. He didn’t acknowledge that there was an artist after Rubens, or maybe even

I studied Fine Art at the Art Students League and wasn’t very good at it. I had absolutely no ambition, but I found myself doing it anyway. [chuckles] And then I met Dana Fradon there, who was an aspiring cartoonist. His goal was to get into The New Yorker, and he encouraged me to try cartooning, which I thought was a total fall into degradation. [laughter] People are very snotty in art school, so it just seemed like the most degrading thing in the world. But I had a talent for it. We were broke when we got married, so Dana and a friend of ours encouraged me to make some comic book samples. I did and that’s how it started. JA: The friend who helped get you into comics was George Ward. What can you tell me about him?

FRADON: I believe he was lettering comics at the time we knew him, and then he became Walt Kelly’s assistant on Pogo. I think he inked for him, and maybe lettered, too. Kelly had a character called “the bug from Scranton,” and I think George inspired it, because Scranton was his hometown. He loved cartooning and thought he was doing me a big favor by encouraging me. We were practically starving, and George used to tell us how much money Joe Maneely was making. I guess he was making, I don’t know, maybe $20,000 a year at that time. It was phenomenal. JA: Stan Goldberg told me that Joe’s nickname was “Joe Money.” [mutual laughter] FRADON: I gather he was work, work, work, work, work all week, and on the weekends, he’d go out and get roaring drunk, and then go back and work some more. So I figured well, gee, if there’s money to be had, maybe I ought to try this. But I never met him.

“I Was Scared To Death That I Couldn’t Do It” JA: What comic samples did you do, and who did you do them for? FRADON: I bought a whole bunch of comic books, because I’d never read comics, and for about two weeks I immersed myself in all different kinds. I drew a page of Western vignettes and took it to Fox Features first. I didn’t know anything about any of the comic book companies, but I got the addresses out of the comic books. Fox

The Bear Necessities Though George Ward drew cartoons on his own, he’s best remembered for his work as Walt Kelly’s assistant on the newspaper comic strip Pogo. Ward was particularly known for drawing the bear depicted with Howland Owl and Albert the Alligator in these panels from the June 16, 1957, Sunday strip; indeed, it’s said Kelly let Ward totally handle many Sundays, which can supposedly be identified by the presence of the bear, whom Kelly apparently never drew. (Did the bear even have a name?) [ ©2007 Selby Kelly.]

Photos courtesy of Robert and Kyle Powell.

Above: Bob Powell outside his studio in the mid-’60s, in the 1909 Hupmobile he and his son John restored. Bob also restored a Model-T! Top right: Grandpa Bob with Robert Powell’s son, Sean. Bottom right: Relaxing with fellw auto-buff Austin Clark in Bob’s Laurel Hollow home.

Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt!

truly some of the most fun and exciting times of my life. Thanks for sending these shots along. Most of this stuff I’m seeing for the first time, but it stirs up memories I had long forgotten. Gosh, I’m loving it! Please keep in touch. Regards, Kyle

“Insouciance defined!” Racing enthusiast Bob Powell poses with his peppy Porsche!

On Feb. 14th, I received another e-mail from Kyle, commenting on the scans of the Henry Brewster story I’d sent him. Though he hadn’t seen it in forty years, he said it was “exactly as I remember it and truly a blast from the past!”

And on that happy note, we close the book on this chapter of the Powell Family Album. We hope you enjoyed browsing through it—and discovering how Bob Powell’s personal life often found its way into his comics! Our thanks to Kyle and the rest of the Powell family for helping us put this album together. We’re especially grateful to John Powell, who provided and restored many of the scans appearing throughout our three-part series, and to Seth Powell for starting it all. Thanks, too, to Joe and Nadia Mannarino for providing the scans of the Topps Batman cards this issue. Till next time…

Next issue: One of Bob Powell’s oddest comics –– Mike Mallet!

The Powell-penciled, Dick Ayers-inked splash for the “Torch/Thing” tale in Strange Tales #131 (April 1965), in which Kyle recalled his dad’s Corvette being featured. Not a Fantastic Four issue per se, but the story does feature half of that fabulous foursome, which is why Kyle remembered it as FF. [©2007 Marvel Characters, Inc.]

Kyle Powell today! Photo by Nancy Ready.

JSA: Sunset At Dawn A Letter/Proposal For A Justice Society/Infinity, Inc. Series That Never Was by Roy Thomas

hat follows is a concept for a limited comic book series— originally written more or less in the form of a letter— starring the Justice Society of America.

In fall of 2005, I was contacted by a major DC editor—not the regular editor of the JSA books, I should make it clear up front—and informed that, inasmuch as the company had had good luck re-teaming Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers on a Batman series (for the current All Stars series of mini-series, I take it—I never saw those comics), he thought it might be a good idea for Roy Thomas and Jerry

Ordway to re-team on a 6-issue series about the Justice Society, perhaps with Infinity, Inc. (which Jerry and I had co-created, with Mike Machlan) thrown in. Jerry was enthusiastic about the notion, as was I. Jerry soon e-mailed me that he had mentioned to that editor that a good approach might be to show how the JSA returned from that Ragnarok/Götterdämmerung Mobius strip on which artist Dave Ross and I had left them at the end of the Last Days of the Justice Society Special #1 in 1986. As I recounted in The All-Star Companion, Vol. 2, DC’s powers-that-be had intended, for a very short time, that that would be the last JSA appearance anywhere… though of course the 10issue Justice Society of America series of 1992-93 brought them back from Valhalla only a few years later.

Justice On The Run Pencil roughs for a commission drawing Jerry Ordway did of the JSA plus Johnny Quick for collector Michael Dunne, which became a cover for Alter Ego #50. In this earlier version, Hawkgirl is at far right, rather than at far left as in the finished artwork. Several of the other figures are likewise slightly different from the final version. Thanks to Jerry O. [JSA TM & ©2007 DC Comics.]

How’re You Gonna Keep Cap Down On The Farm…?–Part II More Of Captain Marvel’s American Cities Tours—1944-78 Article by John Cochran

Edited by P.C. Hamerlinck

ast issue, John related how Fawcett writer Rod Reed inaugurated the notion of having the Big Red Cheese travel to a different US city in each issue of his own title, beginning with Captain Marvel Adventures #24 (June 1943), encountering landmarks and meeting with dignitaries (and magazine distributors!). Part I covered the first 16 stories in that series. Without further ado, let’s pick up from there, shall we…and follow it with a note about the revival of that concept in DC’s 1970s Shazam! comic….

Boston (CMA #40, Oct. 1944) – In “Captain Marvel and the Mayor For a Day” Captain Marvel Is Full Of Beans (also without a full opening splash panel), Cap This truncated splash panel led off the Boston story in Captain Marvel Adventures #40 (Oct. 1944). sees a lot of sights during his sojourn in Boston: Presumably, all art in this section is by the C.C. Beck/Pete Costanza Studio. [©2007 DC Comics.] North Station, City Hall, Bunker Hill Monument, Faneuil Hall, and Franklin Park … and he meets a though it’s sidetracked a bit by crooks who talk like the Three Stooges’ host of notable locals, including the owner of the university distribCurly (“Soitinly!”). uting company, the mayor, and two radio station broadcasters from WNAC and WEEI. (WEEI is still around, but WNAC eventually Dayton (CMA #41, Nov. 1944) – “The Adventure of the Two suffered the same fate as Fawcett’s comic book line!) Billy specifically Heroes in Dayton, Ohio”—one of the three cities visited in Ohio—was visited Boston to attend the “Boy-Mayor-for-a-Day” celebration—even one of the few city stories involving the Japanese, all of whom were portrayed as sneaky and sinister buck-tooth types who didn’t use any articles when they spoke and sometimes bypassed subjects. (“Americans escaped! But at rally, perhaps will not be so fortunate!”) When Cap discovers that they’re out to sabotage a war bond rally, he becomes a one-man Homeland Security Department. (“A crowbar! Someone is out to kill these soldiers! I’ll have to be more vigilant! But I must be careful not to send the crowd into a panic!”) While catching such sights as Main Street and the University of Dayton, the Big Red Cheese also catches a saboteur who has inadvertently set fire to himself and wants to take a war plant with him (“For the glory of the Mikado!”). In gunning down one Japanese saboteur, a soldier gloats, “This is just like shooting Japs out of Saipan cocoanut trees!” Editors of two newspapers (The Dayton Daily News and the Journal-Herald, the latter of which merged with the News in 1987) make cameos, as does the mayor (who is identified but unseen).

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Dayton (Get It?) Okay, so “Dayton” and “datin’” as a pair of homonyms is a cheap joke. What do you want at these prices—Oscar Wilde? This splash is from CMA #41 (Nov. 1944). [©2007 DC Comics.]

St. Paul (CMA #42, Jan. 1945) - Billy finally made it back to Fawcett’s home state in “Captain Marvel in St. Paul, Minnesota.” While the story involves garden-variety crooks with such monikers as “Leadpipe Malone” and a corrupt newspaper photographer, it ends with a house ad caricature of a sweating Hirohito and the rhyming message “Hirohito’s looking mighty glum ‘cause the bonds that you are buying will soon make him a bum and send him home a-crying!” While shuttering the shutterbug, Billy/Cap meets the mayor, the head of the St. Paul news agency, and an announcer for KSTP … and sees the Union Station (“Holy Moley! This station is big enough to be a city in itself!”), the state capitol, and the state fair super speedway.

How’re You Gonna Keep Cap Down On The Farm...? — Part II

The Whole Rhythm Section Was A Black Spot Gang! The “Black Spot Gang” was probably a takeoff on Illinois’ infamous “Purple Gang”—last immortalized, perhaps, in the Lieber & Stoller/Elvis Presley song “Jailhouse Rock” in 1957, as paraphrased in our heading. From CMA #43 (Feb. 1945). [©2007 DC Comics.]

Chicago (CMA #43, Feb. 1945) - The World’s Mightiest Mortal screws up a lot in “Captain Marvel Battles the Black Spot Gang of Chicago,” including letting two different criminal suspects slip through his fingers, one of whom gets away by slapping a bag on his noggin. A chagrined Marvel exclaims, “Gone! These modern gangsters are much trickier than the old ones!” Billy and his alter ego get to see a lot of “the queen city of the Midwest,” including its Union Station (where he’s greeted by the city’s periodical distributor), Michigan Boulevard, State Street, the stockyards (where Cap loses the other suspect), and the Stevens Hotel (which is now the Chicago Hilton). Billy also makes the acquaintance of a columnist for the since-defunct Herald-American. A panel of newspaper front pages shows other dearly-departed papers: The Chicago Sun (now the Sun-Times) and the Chicago Daily News. Washington D.C. (CMA #44, March, 1945) - Hirohito’s acolytes return in “Captain Marvel and Washington’s Haunted Embassy!” While in the nation’s capital ferreting out a secret Japanese agent (who is only pretending to be a lowly gardener so he can climb in the windows of government offices) and Admiral Yamomoto—a prime architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor—Billy and Cap get to see yet another Union Station, the Trans-Lux Building, “home of radio stations WMAL ands WRC,” “the famous Washington’s cherry trees,” President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s digs on Pennsylvania Avenue, and the Department of Justice. Cap also makes the acquaintance of FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover, the mayor, and the periodical distributor. Cap goofs up a bit during his efforts to find the bad guys when “the gardener” waltzes off dressed as a tree in front of a flummoxed Big Red Cheese. Clever, those Japanese.

Kansas City (CMA #54, Feb. 1946) – The city stories resume with “Captain Marvel Visits Kansas City, Missouri,” where Cap faces down some bad and low-level kids, the same kind of mix he faced previously in Omaha. Naturally, he dispatches them easily and gets the bullies to straighten up and fly right. Along the way, Billy/Cap meets the owner of the local news agency, a sportscaster for KMBC, a judge, and an “executive of the Boy Scouts and American War Dads.” Landmarks include the Jackson County Court House, the Municipal Auditorium, Swope Park, the Pickwick Hotel, the General Post Office, and the Municipal Air Terminal. What—no Union Station!?

Alter Ego #69