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| This is the first appearance of Airboy! |
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| Having recently read a history of War Comics, I was pleased to see a reference to Hillman's Air Fighters for the first time. The history book described "The Heap," a protagonist I haven't discovered in the first two issues of the title, but I expect to get to in a later issue. Meanwhile, some of the matters described in the history book have proven interesting. The depiction of Axis characters is not merely stereotypical, but deliberately dehumanizing. Animal-like Japanese and cowardly, at times effeminate Nazis seem like typical fare. The Chinese comedy hero just wouldn't, pardon the expression, "fly" today in any fashion.
My favorite story in this issue was the Iron Ace. I thought it was going to veer off directly into Weird War II, but it was just entertaining pulp fiction in comic book format. The same was true with the dead Japanese paratroopers in another story. I thought they were going one way and they went another.
Air Fighters is a valuable historical reference. Even the advertisment signed by Secretary of War Henry Morganthau made me feel like I was experiencing living history.
Those looking for lovingly rendered historical airplanes will be disappointed in Air Fighters, but I think it is worthwhile for everyone to read. |
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| Additional Information |
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| Publication | November 1942 | Price: 0.10 USD | Pages: 1 | Frequency: monthly |
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| Cover | Greatest Comic Book Yet!! |
| Content | Genre: Adventure; Aviation; War |
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| Comic Story | The Origin of Airboy (13 pages) |
| Content | Genre: Adventure; Aviation; War | Characters: Brother Francis Martier (introduction, death); monk of Capistrano [Cartwell] (introduction); Amelia Earhart; Billy Mitchell; Wiley Post; Wilbur Wright; Orville Wright; Colin P. Kelly; Lt. Black (death); Kress Sessler (introduction, death); Mr. Johnson (introduction); Hirote [Hirota] (villain, introduction) |
| Notes | Storyline is continued in the next issue. |
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| Comic Story | The Coming of Sky Wolf (13 pages) |
| Content | Genre: Adventure; Aviation; War | Characters: Cocky Roche (introduction); Turtle (introduction); Judge (introduction); Goro (introduction); Frisco (seeming villain, introduction); Baron Von Tundra (villain, introduction) |
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| Comic Story | The Origin of the Iron Ace (9 pages) |
| Content | Genre: Adventure; Aviation; War | Characters: un-named French resistance members; Doctor Lafarge (introduction, death); The Nazis (villains) |
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| Text Story | Fire Over Benghazi (2 pages) |
| Credits | Letters: typeset |
| Content | Genre: Adventure; Aviation; War |
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| Comic Story | The Baroness Blood (9 pages) |
| Synopsis | After saving the Wembley Airplane Factory from Nazi attack, the Black Angel overhears some Nazi agents aboard a train tell about a raid on an Allied Convoy #607 by a secret Nazi submarine base. Unknown to the Angel, Baroness von Blood is behind the plan of attack. |
| Content | Genre: Adventure; Aviation; War | Characters: Lady Lawton (introduction, Sylvia's Aunt); French freedom fighter (death); Baroness Blood (villain, introduction); The Nazis (villains, some die) |
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| Featuring | Wun Wing Spin |
| Content | Genre: Humor; Aviation |
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| Comic Story | The Lifeless Invaders! (7 pages) |
| Content | Genre: Adventure; Aviation; War | Characters: Japanese Army [General Kari (death)] |
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| Synopsis | The publishers donated this space, on behalf of the U.S. Savings Bonds and War Stamps campaign, to published a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., encouraging the boys and girls of America to buy at least one 10 cent Savings Stamp each week to help the war effort. |
| Credits | Pencils:? (illustration) | Inks:? (illustration) | Letters:?; typeset |
| Content | Genre: Advocacy |
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| Comic Story | The Coming of the Dutchman (8 pages) |
| Content | Genre: Adventure; Aviation; War | Characters: Nazis [Colonel Voss (introduction)]; Dutch patriots [Helga Maanen (introduction)] |
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| The data in the additional content section is courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under a
Creative Commons Attribution License.
More details about this comic may be available in their page here |
