What comics did you buy today?

[philcom55]

Darn! I wish I was rich ...or train fares were cheaper ...or London was nearer!

However I did manage to pick this up for a quid in Stafford:

Quite pleased with it actually, even if the centre pages are missing (not Superman ones thankfully! Does anyone know what they actually contained?). Dated October 28th 1939 it's one of only four issues that were published with an original British cover depicting the newly-created Superman, and it also features Fred Guardineer's Zatara inside. Surprisingly for story papers of the period there appear to be more pages occupied by comic strips than text - possibly because Rupert Hall, the regular writer of 'Mad Carew', had suddenly been taken ill. Another interesting element is the story where Bert Kennedy ("Hitler's Enemy No.1") infiltrates a Concentration Camp: "...Passing between two wired compounds, he saw shadowy figures behind the wires, and guessed that the men were probably more like animals than human beings." All this when the War was only two months old!

- Phil Rushton

[Lew Stringer]

But the writers of Captain Hurricane were only portraying the army as they thought they should be perceived. When you fight someone the first thing you do is allude to their physical characteristics eg You Fat B....d, you four eyed git, you bald headed @#$@! etc.
.

Captain Hurricane was never meant to be realistic though was it? It merely used grossly exaggerated racist insult for comic effect. The strip was hugely popular and I'm sure it amused many a kid who then grew up to admire Roy Chubby Brown but even in the context of the day it was outdated unpleasant bigotry. Thankfully the writers of the numerous other strips of the time never followed suit to my knowledge, so we never had D-Day-Dawson or Paddy Payne call anyone a "piano toothed weevil" or "moon faced scum".

Lew

[STARBOY]

Phil: £1 for that 1939 book is a great purchase - I think I'll head to Stafford. Is that a UK comic that reprinted US strips or a US book?

Lew I have to agree with you re Captain Hurricane (although I really hope that liking Cap Hurricane didn't mean you automatically became a Chubby Brown fan - but I know what you mean.) Personally I never liked the strip either, moslty as it just never appealed to me, it was neither a superhero, a "proper" war comic or that funny to me. Like you I generally skipped the pages every week (I read it now and then as I liked the artwork). I would like to say I was aware of the "racist" comments/undertones of the strip at the time but sadly I wasn't and was really shocked when I did re read them several years later (when I got back into UK comics again and I bought a few old Valliants in 1990).

[Lew Stringer]

Lew I have to agree with you re Captain Hurricane (although I really hope that liking Cap Hurricane didn't mean you automatically became a Chubby Brown fan - but I know what you mean.) Personally I never liked the strip either, moslty as it just never appealed to me, it was neither a superhero, a "proper" war comic or that funny to me. Like you I generally skipped the pages every week (I read it now and then as I liked the artwork). I would like to say I was aware of the "racist" comments/undertones of the strip at the time but sadly I wasn't and was really shocked when I did re read them several years later (when I got back into UK comics again and I bought a few old Valliants in 1990).

I quite liked the idea of Captain Hurricane and his Ragin' Furies but it was the racism I didn't like. When I was at school I befriended the (then few) Indian kids in the class and saw first hand what abuse they had to go through on a daily basis, from kids and teachers alike. A strip like Captain Hurricane only seemed to condone such abuse. The fact that Hurricane's enemies were sadistic soldiers and not innocent kids made no difference. It was a strip about a hero using racist language, thus condoning it for impressionable readers.

Anyway, we're going way off topic so I'll get off my soapbox now.

Lew

[philcom55]

I used to really dislike Captain Hurricane simply because it seemed old-fashioned and the 'hero' was a bully; at the time I wasn't even aware of the racism issue. The same thing applied to the Sparky character too who looked to me as if he belonged in an outdated Victorian picture book about the British Empire.

Although we like to think of ourselves as more enlightened I sometimes wonder whether it isn't all just a matter of fashion instead, with new figures of derision constantly arising to replace the old ones. The problem is that each age tends to be peculiarly unaware of its own special prejudices: at the risk of indulging in moral relativism I've no doubt there are things in today's Beano that will seem equally un-PC in forty years' time.

On the subject of Triumph, Starboy, it was indeed a British publication, and the first foreign appearance of Superman as far as I'm aware. Unfortunately the seller didn't have any other issues left (I bought the three other 1934 copies he had as well as three near-mint 1960s Topper Annuals - also for a pound each!).

- Phil R.

[Lew Stringer]

Although we like to think of ourselves as more enlightened I sometimes wonder whether it isn't all just a matter of fashion instead, with new figures of derision constantly arising to replace the old ones. The problem is that each age tends to be peculiarly unaware of its own special prejudices: at the risk of indulging in moral relativism I've no doubt there are things in today's Beano that will seem equally un-PC in forty years' time.

I'm sure you're right, but the danger of racism is that it leads to cultural clashes instead of cultural integration. It's a far more serious issue than, say, poking fun at alcoholics (8 Ace in Viz) or soft kids (Walter in The Beano).

Another thought: it's quite possible that the writers of Captain Hurricane were being so over the top with their racism that it was deliberate self-parody. Those insults were quite creative at times, not reflecting actual racist insults. However if that was the case it'd be a bit too "post-modern-irony" for the young readers of Valiant I think, and more likely taught them new words to use, just as tv's Love Thy Neighbour introduced new racist phrases to the masses.

Lew

[Peter Gray]

Gutted just missed out winning a Reg Parlett original page of Creepy Car..in the last minute...



artemis--fowl won it...

Oh well I do the same in the last minutes on ebay..



Phil I wished it was a buy it now...

oh well..

[Steve Henderson]

All this Captain Hurricane talk makes me want to go and bosh some hun, ahhhh racism in comics will the argument ever end? On the plus side at least people are actually aware of it rather than embracing the darker side of the message. If you are aware of it then there is no harm done I suppose

[stevezodiac]

At the Comic Mart in London on Sunday I picked up quite a lot of stuff, mostly American. Some 60s Charlton Horror comics all with Ditko art as well as some Mad magazines, some ACG comics (Adventures into the Unknown and Forbidden Worlds), a couple of Charlton Spotlights and a few Alter Ego fanzines. Also I picked up a few sixties Sgt Fury comics, they were only a quid each so why not. But what fascinated me was Sgt fury issue 56 which was written by Gary Friedrich and with art by Ayers/Severin. It covered the subject of racism. I'm no expert on these things so have no idea if it was handled well or not and haven't seen the reaction in a later letters page, but here are the last two pages so see what you think. My own impression is that some of these things were handled rather clumsily.

[Raven]

Well, Stan Lee was vocally anti-racist and sometimes preached about the 'Marvel philosophy' of the equality of all mankind in his Stan's Soapbox columns. The Fury story's also obviously trying to express anti-bigotry sentiments, but, yes, it's not the most subtle of writing or expressed very well.

The woman's dialogue is rather cringe-inducing, and the writer doesn't seem to be as aware as he probably thought he was. She's saying 'Now I can stop being a negro. I can start being an American!' which could be read as implying that being American is much better than being African.

So it's a bit crass and clumsy - but I suppose its heart was in the right place. It's a long way from Captain Hurricane's patter, at least.

In general, though, I think the writing - especially dialogue - in the UK weeklies was generally of a much higher standard than the purple prose of the Marvels of this period and after. I get the feeling that the Marvel writers from around the late-60s on had mainly read superhero comics, and were basically comic fanboys, whereas the British writers had probably mainly read books.

I'm familiar with those ACG comics stories (Adventures into the Unknown and Forbidden Worlds) you mention from the old UK Alan Class reprint titles. Never quite liked them quite as much as the brasher, more outre Lee/Kirby/Ditko reprints within the same covers, though!

[stevezodiac]

Not an ACG fan either, no real cutting edge artists, but as they were only £1 or £2 apiece I had to have them, same with the Sgt Furys and 60s Charltons. I like a bargain. Nice condition too.

[felneymike]

I the only one who likes Captain Hurricane then?

I'm sure the readers knew that it was stupidly over-the-top, and that people didn't really win the war by charging at the armed enemy with nothing more than thier fists and some poetic allusions to Bratwurst (having never seen one that involves the Japanese anyway, only Germans. Somehow it's "more okay" to mock them...)

[Lew Stringer]

I the only one who likes Captain Hurricane then?

I'm sure the readers knew that it was stupidly over-the-top, and that people didn't really win the war by charging at the armed enemy with nothing more than thier fists and some poetic allusions to Bratwurst (having never seen one that involves the Japanese anyway, only Germans. Somehow it's "more okay" to mock them...)

Yes, we knew it wasn't realistic but that's part of the problem. It treated racial insults as a big laugh with no repercussions.

The Japanese featured in many CH strips, mostly in the 1970s if I remember correctly. No, it's not ok to mock anyone for their country of origin IMHO. Not even the French. There's plenty of comedy potential in life without making cheap shots at nationality. Poking fun at the trappings of Nazism (jackboots, Hitler, goose-stepping, etc) was fine. That's mocking the politics of it, not the people in general. But Hurricane's dialogue was often about stereotypical physical characteristics.

If Captain Hurricane had been created in 1940 I could understand it being part of that wave of patriotism, spurring on Brits for the war effort. But in the 1960s? The strip was outdated as soon as it appeared. Good riddance to it.

Lew

[Peter Gray]

I bought this
All the usual stars appear in comic strip in this annual which is now 57 years old :- Arthur Askey, ' Cardew ' Robinson, Jimmy Jewel & Ben Warris, Dick Bentley and many more.
£8.50

Hopefully some good Reg Parlett and Roy Wilson comic work to enjoy..

Never bought a Radio Fun before...the comic art books on Reg P and Roy W...have really inspired me to try something new..

The Diana comics on ebay have been snapped up by someone else..they are bidding too high for me..

[Peter Gray]

Just recieved my Buster annual 1962...which has some Busters drawn by Hugh McN..

Maxwell Hawke is inside in a good story the Black Monk..just read that.

Found a Odd Job Bob by Reg Parlett in the book..
Elmer how stupid can he get?isn't drawn by Roy...must be Juan Rafart

Anyway glad I got the book..