[Andrew999]

I was wondering what jobs Golden Age heroes had? I mean, you have to do something to pay the bills right?

I guess a lot of them were detectives, police, or journalists - the lazy go-to background - and some would conveniently have been 'independently wealthy' - but did any have real jobs - you know, bus driver, sewage worker, shop assistant, construction worker, dentist........

[Robb_K]

I was wondering what jobs Golden Age heroes had? I mean, you have to do something to pay the bills right?

I guess a lot of them were detectives, police, or journalists - the lazy go-to background - and some would conveniently have been 'independently wealthy' - but did any have real jobs - you know, bus driver, sewage worker, shop assistant, construction worker, dentist........

Most of those relatively lowly jobs require those workers to be at the shop, warehouse, or job site for all the prescribed hours each day.  The workers leaving many, many times, sometimes for long periods, without asking permission beforehand, and most often, instantly, without a word to their supervisor, would be sure to have them being fired often.  After a few such firings, they'd have trouble getting hired again.  Those jobs wouldn't make good "covers" for superheroes.  Clark Kent's job as a reporter had him going out of the office most of the time, seeking out information on stories, and/or doing research (no Internet during Superman's classic years).  So, THAT type of job is a good cover, especially if one has a free-lance status, rather than that of an employee.  A free-lance salesman would be adequate, as long as the super crimefighter could also bring in enough sales revenue.  A free-lance insurance salesman would be okay.  An independent entrepeneur of any type would probably do, even a comic book artist who works from home, and, perhaps has a rented artist table at a Co-Op studio, where he comes in sporadically would work.  An independent plummer, any kind of independent consultant would work.  I could have been a superhero on the side (at least based on the freedom of my jobs (I was an independent economics and environmental consultant for my first 20 years working, and a freelance storywriter and storyboarder for the last 35).  But, I would have had to be a self-flying Superhero, because when I was working on projects in specific African and Asian countries, I would have to get back quickly after superheroing in lands far away, to finish jobs on time, or I'd get a bad reputation, and stop getting work.  If that would happen, I would have had to become a not-so-nice Superhero, asking for money before saving people, or before helping the police catch criminals, and/or grabbing some of the stolen money or valuables as "souveniers" during the execution of my heroic deeds! 

[ComicMike]

Well, a boy named Billy Batson was selling newspapers and, for lack of an apartment, slept in the subway station. With the help of a certain Shazam, however, he was first promoted to captain (Marvel) and got a little later a job as a radio reporter.

P.S.

I don't want to be treated by a superhero dentist . . . 

[The Australian Panther]

Plenty of them were scientists, detectives or policemen. There were a few reporters.
Green Hornet was a publisher. Bob Benton was a chemist. Steve Rogers was a soldier, Hawkman was an archaeologist. Green Arrow and Batman never had to work, they were born rich.

[paw broon]

British masked mystery men and boys had different occupations or none.  Flaming Avenger (Mat Selwood) was a radio shop owner.  TNT Tom was a schoolboy in short trousers who gained superpowers but kept his actions as secret as possible and people weren't very aware of him. Captain Crash was an astronomer.  Jack Flash was a schoolboy and an alien. Thunderbolt Jaxon - another based on the Big Red Cheese - was an orphan reform school boy. Mr. Apollo was a teacher.

Still trying to remember one of them who had a more menial job.  It'll come back to me - eventually.

[crashryan]

The superhero day-job that never rang true was being a cop. The Blue Beetle is a perfect example. Being a cop, he rushes to the scene of a crime. But then, being The Blue Beetle, he disappears instead of doing his police work! It's amazing he wasn't fired. And his partner can't be the sharpest tool in the shed if he never noticed that every time his work-dodging pal runs off The Blue Beetle appears shortly thereafter. Come to think of it, if I were Dan Garrett's partner I'd ask the Chief for a new partner, one who'd share the work load.

I think any public-facing job requiring  public action, like cops, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and on-air TV talent, is a bad fit for a superhero. Not just high-profile jobs like these, either. Garbage collectors, postal delivery workers, UPS drivers, and hamburger flippers all have rigid schedules and would lose their jobs if they bailed out too often to go fight crime.

That must be why there are so many idle millionaire crimefighters. They are the only ones who can afford it. As has already been suggested, a freelance home-based job would be good: writer, artist, envelope stuffer. Do they even have envelope stuffers anymore? Drama arises when the hero must choose between chasing a villain or blowing another deadline. Now there's an intriguing notion. Crime fighting illustrator misses too many deadlines, can't get work, becomes homeless. Perfect setup. No one checking on you, no schedule to meet. On the other hand no food, no shelter, no baths. You'd lose the element of surprise because criminals would smell you coming.

The Spirit (and his imitators) had the best arrangement. He was The Spirit 24/7. No secret-identity to protect. If a criminal did learn his true identity the information wouldn't give the crook any advantage since The Spirit never used that identity. Of course there's the matter of room and board. I always suspected he was subsidized by the Central City Police since he was so valuable to them.

[Robb_K]

Drama arises when the hero must choose between chasing a villain or blowing another deadline. Crime fighting illustrator misses too many deadlines, can't get work, becomes homeless. Perfect setup. No one checking on you, no schedule to meet. On the other hand no food, no shelter, no baths. You'd lose the element of surprise because criminals would smell you coming.