THE CANARY IS A PRETTY BIRD by Dave Goode

In my mind the original Black Canary had the sexiest costume of any comic book heroine. Perfect for an Artists & Models Ball. Or for a night out at the local fetish bar. Okay so the buccaneer boots with the 4 inch heels may not have been practical for guerilla warfare against crime in the streets. But most super-heroines wore heels in the fight for truth , justice and the American way. Especially at the time when Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino created her. And like the other heroines of the period who didn't posses powers and abilities beyond those of mere mortals she was a " judo expert ".

 

 

 

 

Making her first appearance in Flash Comics No. 86 ( August 1947 ) the Black Canary was a supporting player in the Johnny Thunder back - up feature. A female Robin Hood who took a page from the Green Hornet's  playbook. She would infiltrate criminal gangs to smash them from within. Soon she was the most popular character in the feature. The Johnny Thunder strip was cancelled. And the Black Canary was awarded her own strip in Flash Comics No. 92 ( Feb. 1948 ) where she was given the secret identity of flower shop owner Dinah Drake. She would also take Johnny Thunder's place in the Justice Society of America. When I first found these Golden Age Black Canary stories with her and her Phillip Marlowe - like detective boy friend Larry Lance I thought they may have made a good series of B - Movies from Monogram.

I first learned about the Black Canary during the Silver Age in Justice League of America No. 29 ( August 1964 ). She had made her first Silver Age appearance in a flashback scene in The Flash No. 129 ( June 1962 ). That was followed  by appearances in Justice League of America No.21 (August 1963 ) and Justice League of America No. 22 ( Sept. 1963 ) . Later she would team with her Justice Society teammate Starman in The Brave and The Bold No. 61 ( August 1965 ) and The Brave and The Bold No. 62 ( Sept. 1965 ) with stories by Gardner Fox and art by Murphy Anderson. By this time she and Larry Lance were a married couple.

 

 

 

 

I would imagine Anne Francis who portrayed " private eyeful " Honey West on television in 1965 starring in a Black Canary movie. As I imagined Veronica Lake as the Canary in a 1940s movie. It's been said that Veronica Lake was actually the model for the character. Of course since Dinah Drake's blonde hair was a wig ( part of her disguise ) it really wasn't necessary to have a natural blonde play the role.

I enjoyed the Black Canary's appearances in the Justice League up until she became a member of that team and given an unnecessary super - power. But what I got a real kick out of was Marvel's Silver Age Black Widow. Changing her from a Russian spy to a full fledged super - villainess she was given a second - hand Black Canary costume.

GRIND HOUSE COMIC BOOKS by Dave Goode

 

Matt Baker with publisher Archer St. John

 

 

I'm old enough to remember when comics covered every genre. And not just superheroes. There were detective comics, westerns, jungle adventures, horror, humor, romance, and space opera. Among others. The ones that I wasn't able to catch first hand were the "grind house" comic books from publisher Archer St. John and St.Johns Publications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These were romance comics. But with a little extra kick to them. The stories were straight out of a grind house movie theater. They were about wild parties, ruined reputations, good girls led astray, and bad girls on the loose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My own favorites were the ones that showed the darker side of show business. The stories were as old as Hollywood itself. Some small town girl with stars in her eyes is taken in by a smooth talking sharp-shooter.

 

 

 

 

The best of these tales were illustrated by Clarence Matthew Baker (1921- 1959). Matt Baker was one of the few African-American artists working in the industry during the Golden Age of Comics. And was an undisputed master of Good Girl Art.

The term Good Girl Art is generally defined as artwork featuring attractive women in comic books, comic strips, and pulp magazines. The term has nothing to do with the morality of the women themselves. Some of the "good girls" were quite bad. Femme Fatales, gun molls, teen delinquents, or whip wielding dragon ladies. And of course damsels in distress. One of Baker's most famous illustrations was of the Phantom Lady and used as an example of "headlight comics" in Dr. Wertham's book Seduction Of The Innocent.

ANOTHER EAST SIDE KIDS DOUBLE FEATURE by Dave Goode

One of the great entertainment pleasures of my youth was watching East Side Kids movies on the local television stations. Growing up I didn't know anyone who didn't like these flicks. Though there were those who preferred the Bowery Boys to the East Siders.














For years I've dreamed of an East Side Kids comic book from the Golden Age of Comic Books by Simon & Kirby who created the Newsboy Legion and Boy Commandos for DC. Two of the movies from the East Side series that I could see being adapted to the comic book page were BOWERY BLITZKRIEG (1941) and LET'S GET TOUGH (1942).

BOWERY BLITZKRIEG was a fun little boxing movie with Leo Gorcey as Muggs McGinnis representing the N.Y. Police Department in an amateur boxing tournament. There have been more movies made about boxing than any other sport. And this one features about all the usual cliches. Including an improbable come from behind victory in the squared circle. This is also introduces Huntz Hall into the series.

LET'S GET TOUGH is my personal favorite of the series.The story has the Kids tackling an Axis spy ring. Something that wouldn't have been out of place in a Golden Age comic book. Fun stuff. And pretty exciting exciting too.

WISH THEY HAD DONE THIS ONE by Dave Goode

Republic was known for there great serial adaptations of Golden Age comic book heroes. Both their SPY SMASHER and ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL are undisputed masterpieces of the genre. And their CAPTAIN AMERICA RETURNS is a great serial. Despite the fact that without the shield, sidekick Bucky, and secret identity of U.S. Army PFC. Steve Rogers you have to ask "was this really Captain America?". There is one comic book character that I wish the Republic studios had brought to life on the silver screen. And that would have been the Golden Age Black Cat.

The Golden Age Black Cat made her debut as a feature in the experimental
digest sized Pocket Comics No.1 (Aug. 1941) from Harvey Publications in a story illustrated by Al Gabrielle. Linda Turner, Hollywood movie star and America's sweetheart is bored with her ultra-sophisticated life of make believe. She becomes the Black Cat...her most adventurous role...and pledges to expose fifth columnists. After the cancellation of Pocket Comics after 4 issues, the Black Cat feature was moved to Speed Comics and ran in that title until it's cancellation in 1947. In 1944, her costume was changed to the one that she is best known for. The character was so popular that she would receive her own comic book in 1946 and would run until 1951 with art by Lee Elias.

I've been told that the Black Cat was modeled after screen goddess Rita Hayworth.

But I thought The Black Cat would have been the perfect vehicle for Republic's very own serial queen Linda Sterling who had played costumed heroines in the serials THE TIGER WOMAN and ZORRO'S BLACK WHIP both in 1944. 

She would look magnificent as the motorcycle riding judo expert. And imagine if you will a Black Cat serial with Republic movie stars playing themselves in the background scenes about film making in Hollywood.

 

Aside from being an absolute stunner Linda Sterling was a bit of real-life Wonder Woman. After leaving the motion picture business and with her children grown she enrolled at UCLA and received a BFA, MA, and a PhD in English Literature at 50. From 1967 to 1990 she would teach English and Drama at Glendale College.

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The Mystery of Death by Dave Goode

As a lifelong comic book reader I've developed a certain affinity for circus movies. Much in the same way I've developed a certain affinity for professional wrestling. And pretty much for the same reasons. In Phillip Wylie's novel Gladiator the hero , Hugo Danner , a Superman prototype spends a bit of time working as a carnival strongman. And remember when Superman made his first appearance in Action Comics No.1 (June 1938) his costume consisted of the colorful tights of a circus acrobat and Roman sandals of a strongman. As a little boy I would love going to the circus to watch the acrobats , dressed much like comic book heroes , perform. I'm also reminded that Fred Hembeck once wrote that the " Fantastic Four " sounded like the name of a circus act. Which leads me to my favorite Mil Mascaras movie...Enigma de Muerte.

Directed by Federico Curiel from a screenplay written by Ramon Obon Enigma de Muerte found pro wrestler and part-time superhero Mil Mascaras tracking down a group of Nazi war criminals. The Nazis are led by B-Movie icon John Carradine and are masquerading as carnival performers. And so Mascaras puts together an act to join the show and ferret them out. This flick features everything you would want in a carnival / circus mystery. Clowns hiding evil secrets behind their make-up. A sharp-shooter , a knife-thrower, a strongman (who matches his strength against Mil's) and a bevy of beautiful showgirls. Everything except for a man in a cheesy gorilla costume to fight the hero. More's the pity.

The bad guys in this flick always reminded me of Marvel Comics' Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime from the Silver Age of Comic Books. Carradine might have been a good Ringmaster. Though I might have cast Vincent Price in a movie.

By the way there was another Ringmaster who appeared during the Golden Age of Comics in Captain America No.5 ( August 1941 ) in a story from the team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

The Silver Age Circus of Crime first appeared in The  Incredible Hulk No.3 (Sept. 1962) in a story credited to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

 

 

But to me the best Silver Age Circus of Crime stories came from the team of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in Spider-Man No.16 ( Sept. 1964 ) and Spider-Man No. 22 ( March 1965 ). It's Steve Ditko who I imagine drawing a comic book adaptation of Enigma de Muerte with inks by Wally Wood.

 

Below is a Dr.Judo comic book cover drawn by Vance Capley to give you an idea how that might look.