August 1937: More Fun Comics #24, New Adventure Comics #19

Cover by Vin Sullivan

 

The absurdity levels skyrocket in 'Marty McCann' (by Ed Cronin).  In the last issue he beat the number one contender for the world heavyweight title.  In this issue, through yet another series of ridiculous events, he beats up the actual champion.  There's something quite charming in the brazen stupidity of it all.

'Radio Squad' (by Siegel and Shuster) features a strange story about a guy named Harry Owens, who wanted to be a radio announcer but has ended up as a policeman.  He practises his announcing skills over the police radios, and gets simultaneously fired by the police and hired by a radio station.  It's an adequate story so far as these things go, but it's almost presented like Harry Owens is a real person.  He could be this guy, but there's no mention of a radio career on that page.  The time-frame matches up, at least.

'Doctor Occult' this month is another pretty good one from Siegel and Shuster.  A bunch of guys have been turning up dead in mysterious circumstances, with the letters H.D. on their forehead.  The culprit is a painter, who is killing them by painting them into lethal situations.  It's a well-used story element, but I just love the touch that he is signing all of his victims.

Speaking of which, the H.D. in question is Henri Duval, who the more attentive among you may remember as the star of one of Siegel and Shuster's earliest strips.  That version of Henri Duval was a swashbuckling musketeer-type character, and has no overt connection to this painting murderer, but it's still odd that they would recycle the name.

Cover by Creig Flessel

 

I'm struggling to find something to say about this comic, to be honest.  There are no new strips, no strips ending, and nothing really noteworthy going on.  Everything is just chugging along as before.  Normally I'd chime to say what's going on in 'Federal Men', but I'm tired of writing about how that strip has become a pale shadow of its former glory.  The only other thing going on is that 'Don Coyote' and 'Cal 'n' Alec' are back after a bit of a hiatus, and they're now being done by a guy named Ray Burley, who is not the originator of either strip.  Both were originated by Robert Leffingwell and continued by Bill Patrick, and among the better humour strips, but now they've lost a lot of their distinctiveness and flavour.  I'd probably be happier if they had just disappeared for good.