Toreador From Texas-Alex Toth-1950

We had a request for a non-King Faraday story from 1950's DANGER TRAIL. While that title is justly admired for it's Carmine Infantino art, it did, in fact, feature other excellent artists, all of whom seemed at something of a peak in that period. Giacoia, Elias, Oksner, Giella...and Alex Toth. We actually ran a Toth tale from DANGER TRAIL previously about two years back. It's one of our most popular posts still! You can catch it here after you read this one!

Dan Hastings-Dynamic Comics-1944

Not quite to the level of wackiness of some of our recent offerings here, this DAN HASTINGS episode--from it's off title logo to its throwaway ending--is nevertheless a good example of early comic book silliness. How early? Unsure, as GCD doesn't even list this story as being in the book where I found it at DCM!

Lady Luck-Klaus Nordling-1944

One of my very favorite unsung artists of the Golden Age is Klaus Nordling, known basically for two strips, Quality's THE BARKER and LADY LUCK, which appeared regularly each week in Will Eisner's early SPIRIT SECTIONs. His style was reminiscent of both Eisner and another quality artist, Jack Cole.

Dynamic Man-Charles Sultan-1941

He was revived in recent years in PROJECT: SUPERPOWERS as the narcissistic head of the "Dynamic Family," a sort of parody of Superman by way of Rob Liefeld's (or rather Alan Moore's) homage/parody, Supreme. Odd, though, that this issue--a reprint of his first appearance--has so many bats. You'd think he'd be a Batman type, rather than a Superman type! 

What's Happening Baby?-Tippy Teen-1968

Here's "America's Swingiest Teener"(Don't Google that phrase if you know what's good for you), Tippy Teen. Written and drawn by moonlighting Archie artists, writers and a few expatriates, this long-lasting but under the radar series was from the same folks that brought you T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS! Somehow the rights ended up with Martin Goodman's Atlas a few years afterwards where many of the stories were reprinted with Tippy renamed as VICKI!

Ace Hart, The Atom Man-Super Thriller-1950

Time for another "no color shadow." Here we have Ace Hart, the Atom Man, visually a UK Superman clone but with traces of Flash Gordon. Ace and his really cool logo (now THAT would make a great tattoo!) ran for at least a decade in the UK press beginning in the mid-forties.

The Yellow Claw-Jack Kirby/John Severin-1957

Clearly a Fu Manchu type, it's possible that the Yellow Claw was also somewhat inspired by The Claw, Lev Gleason's mega villain of the forties who fought Daredevil and the Silver Streak but also maintained his own series within their title. In later years, he was adapted as a S.H.I.E.L.D. villain. The art here is by two who would also go on to be associated with S.H.I.E.L.D.--Kirby and Severin.