[Marconero]

What are the most bizarre characters you've found here at Golden Age comics?

I just found one of the strangest and hilarious characters in Shocking Mystery Cases #52 (Star Pub, OtherEric-author):

character: Bruno Gillers
In: The Swami's Last Seance

"Crooked salesman by day, Hindu mystic by night. After Gillers, the salesman, commited a brutal murder, he sought refuge in his table-rattling career to fleece innocent people in their misery! But his occult powers deserted him when the police became his subjects! No spirits could help Bruno Gillers at "The Swami's Last Seance"... An actual crime case!"

- (actual description from the title page of the comic)

Thanks OtherEric, what a great book.

[narfstar]

I really like Zippo. I thought he was one of the better characters.
The worst was The Buzzard followed by The Key both only had only one real appearance although The Key was in the second issue without his "key"

[boox909]

I really like Zippo. I thought he was one of the better characters.
The worst was The Buzzard followed by The Key both only had only one real appearance although The Key was in the second issue without his "key"

Zippo is indeed one of the most "huh? wha!" characters folks will come across. 

[narfstar]

Zippo was cool. I never found him strange. I though him one of the more plausable

[KnightRandom]

Hillman had a lot of odd characters.  Another one was Rackman, who was a dwarf who turned against family of evil dwarves who ran the world (this is dwarf as in little person, not mythical dwarf... I think) who had an extendable rack that he stood on to expand to normal height.  He appeared in Clue Comics and a couple issues of Airboy.

[narfstar]

I have got to look Rackman up sound intriging

[Poztron]

I always found Avon's Robotmen of the Lost Planet to be exceedingly weird. Seemed to be characters based on a rubber squeeze toy of the era. (I had one of those squeeze toys until the rubber broke down. They were also featured in a "Nard 'n Pat" strip by Jay Lynch in an issue of the underground Bijou Funnies, IIRC.)

[JVJ]

Not actually found here (yet), but here is just ONE PAGE from perhaps the most bizarre Golden Age story (mid-1946) that I've ever encountered. I especially call your attention to the center panel. Can anybody tell me the source?



Peace, Jim (|:{>

[Poztron]

That's certainly one weird page! I don't know of the source for the Elephant central panel, but it looks like a miniature sculpture that my parents used to have in their living room. Go figure.

[swatpup32]

Personally i think ill go with Herbie The Fat Fury from Forbidden Worlds

[Astaldo711]

"Giant Pigmy?" Like "Jumbo Shrimp"?
"Wow! That sure is one giant tiny albino black panther!"
Herbie had his magic lollipops. Maybe a metaphor for LSD?

[narfstar]

Gotta admit Herbie was bizarre but one of the best written comics in history. No one has been able to capture Richard Hughes magic on that book

[Astaldo711]

I think the most bizarre comic character found on this site is Skybandit.

[narfstar]

I'll bet we can get unanimous agreement on that Astaldo

[boox909]

Skybandit -- I agree! 

[BobS]

Hillman had a lot of odd characters.  Another one was Rackman, who was a dwarf who turned against family of evil dwarves who ran the world (this is dwarf as in little person, not mythical dwarf... I think) who had an extendable rack that he stood on to expand to normal height.  He appeared in Clue Comics and a couple issues of Airboy.

Infantino and Sachs (inker of Sekowski on early JLA) did at least some of the Rackman stories in Airboy.

Bob

[Astaldo711]

It is..disturbing. I think I had a nightmare with that image after too many loaded nachos.
I think nachos are a superstitious cowardly lot.

[Astaldo711]

Oh. Here I thought it was something creepy. Nothing unusual about an exposed brain.

[narfstar]

I am still working on getting one. Are they actually good for anything

[Astaldo711]

Makes it less messy when a bird poops on your head. The guys at the dry cleaners look at me funny when I bring my brain in for cleaning more than once a week.

[narfstar]

Since I admit to not having a brain I should run for President. It seems to be the requirement for the last two.

Having absolutely  no brain or common sense is the prime requirement for state school board.

[skybandit]

  Nowhere is the Peter Principle so clearly shown in action than in the bureaucracy responsible for the education of our youth.

[Marconero]

Awesome replies, thanks so much for all the info (I now have about 10 titles to research here, looking forward to it).
I just checked out Zippo. You all weren't kidding, that is some strange and cool stuff.

I have some great old GA titles to upload, but I'm going to do my homework first and figure out what I legally can share online here (the guide here is my start).
-Marco

p.s.- Thanks for sharing the scan of the Giant Pygmy Elephant, I have no idea where that came from, but what a find!

[JVJ]

I have to apologize to everyone. I KNOW where the Giant Pygmy Elephant story came from - CatMan #31. I was asking about it just to see if anyone else had stumbled across it. Rereading my post, it certainly sounds as if I was searching for the answer myself. Blame the confusion on me trying to distract myself from doing my taxes and not following up or reviewing what I said. Sorry.

By the way, the artist (and almost certainly the writer) is the bizarre Fred Morgan.

(|:{>

[narfstar]

Those are my digital photos of Catman 31 onsite I refrained from replying. I need to update those with real scans if I get the chance. Was Fred Morgan smoking/drinking the same stuff as Fletcher Hanks?

BTW we just got a Sparky Watts 3 (thanks Jon) who is one of my favorite GA characters and would have to be considered bizzare