MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS "Jimmy Jupiter and His Halloween Adventure..."

If it wasn't for the unfortunate racial stereotypes common to the era on the first two pages...
...we could run this never-reprinted tale from Timely's Marvel Mystery Comics #37 (1947) in almost any of our other RetroBlogs!
(Well, maybe not Heroines!...)

Illustrated (and possibly written) by Eddie Robbins, this is actually a rather clever tale which won't be reprinted any time soon.

Please Support Not Safe for Work Comics

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Desegregating Comics: Debating Blackness in the Golden Age of American Comics
Paid Link

TARGET COMICS "SpaceHawk and the Concealed Bomber"

In the previous issue of Target Comics, SpaceHawk had been assigned by Uncle Sam himself to...
...but this danger wasn't extraterrestrial, though it looked like it was!
Note: this was published in 1941...before Pearl Harbor...so we weren't at war...yet!
Though their nationality is never specified, these characters are caricatures of Asians...obviously the Japanese, who were invading and occupying neighboring countries in the Pacific!





Written and illustrated by series creator Basil Wolverton, this tale from Novelty Publications's Target Comics V2N2 [#14] (1941) followed a change in concept for the book as all the various series' characters, no matter where or when they took place, became protectors of America from threats from other countries...which were thinly-disguised versions of Germany, Japan, and Italy!

STAR COMICS Ad-Ventures "Black Advertising Characters"

This was a weird ongoing strip showing characters used for advertising various products (food/soap/cigars/etc)...

...as performers and the audience in a circus!

In this never-reprinted short from Ultem-Centaur's Star Comics V1N03 (1937), we see Aunt Jemima...

..and the Gold Dust Twins, Goldie and Dusty, advertising mascots for a line of soap products!

Due to the rise of the Civil Rights movement and protests and boycotts involving such stereotypical characters, the product line was discontinued 

I'm not sure about the Black chef.

The only ones I'm familiar with are Uncle Ben (who promoted Converted Rice's rice-based products) and Rastus (who was used in Cream of Wheat ads and packaging)!

Interestingly, Aunt Jemima was sexy enough to warrant a Tijuana Bible strip about her...

...but I don't know if any other Black advertising characters had their own appearances in the infamous format!

Please Support Not Safe for Work Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and Rastus

Blacks in Advertising, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Trump Reading Room HELP! "Buster, Have You Ever Stomped a N---a?"

With Don da Con's administration using racist "dog whistles" to revive open racism in America...

...we're looking back at the last time such blatant stupidity went public, as Terry (Monty Python's Flying Circus) Gilliam and Dave Crossley present a never-reprinted satirical propaganda booklet which proves deeply-held con beliefs and comedy often read exactly the same, from Warren's HELP! #26 (1965), right after the Civil Rights Act was passed!

BTW, this was the final issue of the magazine, so the creatives felt they had nothing to lose and cut loose with everything they had!

The cover models are Elke Hellman and Gill Champion, with Terry Gilliam himself and Nicky Quest in the robes.

Gilliam is best-known as a writer-performer (and animator) in the Monty Python's Flying Circus ensemble, but also has numerous movie writing and directing credits including Brazil, Time Bandits, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas!

He was a writer/illustrator/designer/assistant editor for the last few issues of HELP!

It's frightening to see people currently-posting similar material on the internet...and believing it!

Please Support Not Safe for Work Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Gilliamesque

A Pre-Posthumous Memoir

CoronaVirus Comics IRON ACE "Leper"

You'd think if an aircraft pilot is called "Iron Ace", it would be meant metaphorically!

Not in this guy's case!

And the villain of this tale is called "The Leper"!

Guess why?

Illustrated by Bill Fraccio, this never-reprinted (and extremely-racist) tale from Hillman's Air Fighters Comics #12 (1943) features the only appearance of that publisher's "Leper" character.

Trivia: the CrimeBuster strip in Lev Gleason's Boy Comics had featured a different Axis character  (a German) the year before, also called "The Leper"!
However, he wasn't diseased and his name was merely symbolic.

Both were one-shot baddies.

Please Support Not Safe For Work Comics

Visit Amazon and Order...

Air Fighters Classics #1

Reprinting the Iron Ace's Origin!

CoronaVirus Comics YARKO THE GREAT "Curse of Hegate"

An unusual tale combining mysticism and medicine...

...featuring one of the most obscure magic heroes of all!

Written and illustrated by the book's editor Joe Simon, this never-reprinted story from Fox's WonderWorld Comics #14 (1940) features the casual racism against blacks prevalent in America until the 1960s.

Please Support Not Safe For Work Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Take That, Adolf!

Fighting Comic Books of the Second World War

CoronaVirus Comics DR NEMESIS "Blood-Bank Massacres!"

During World War II, superheroes entered the fray against biological warfare...

...as shown in this story about a doctor turned costumed hero that, due to both graphic gruesomeness and extreme racism, almost redefines "Not Safe For Work"!

Written by longtime pulp (and later paperback) scribe Robert Turner and illustrated by Earl Da Voren, this never-reprinted tale from Ace's Super-Mystery Comics V1N01 (1944) displays the classic propaganda tropes that, unfortunately, endured in the impressionable minds of those who read them long after the war ended!

Trivia: This was Doctor Nemesis' final appearance.

Since the name's trademark had elapsed decades earlier and his original appearances had become Public Domain, Marvel Comics revived and revised the character in the early 1990s.

(Marvel has a tendency to take Golden Age names from defunct companies' characters and reuse them...including Captain Marvel, Daredevil, and Ghost Rider!)

Doctor Nemesis was one of the few superheroes named "Doctor" who was an actual practicing MD!

Others included Dr Mid-Nite (even though he was legally-blind) and Doc Savage!

Please Support Not Safe For Work Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Take That, Adolf!

Fighting Comic Books of the Second World War