[FraBig]

Hi everyone!

Panther has asked me to be the host of this fortnight's reading group, and I'm really glad to do it.

I have chosen two issues, both published by Nedor in 1949. They all prominently feature art by Mort Meskin and Jerry Robinson.
As the Lambiek Encyclopedia says, on Robinson's page:
"He worked on 'Green Hornet' for Harvey from 1942 to 1943, 'Atoman' for Spark in 1944, 'Fighting Yank' and 'Black Terror' (together with Mort Meskin) for Nedor from 1946 to 1949. Robinson also worked with Meskin for National/DC, drawing 'The Vigilante' and 'Johnny Quick' from 1946 to 1949."

This penciling/inking duo would collaborate in many publications during this period, and considering Mort Meskin is one of my absolute favourites, I tried to choose some issues that I think would be fun and that feature almost entirely Meskin & Robinson's conjoined efforts.

For my first choice, I chose a Black Terror issue, featuring mostly their art but with a first story by George Tuska, another great artist.

For my second choice, I chose a Fighting Yank issue, the last of his series, that features mostly Mort Meskin art, but Robinson appears in the second feature. This issue was also chosen because the 4th of July was just a few days ago and the first story deals with this american holiday. The second story is also interesting because it showcases an adventure of Bruce Carter's ancestor at the times of the Revolutionary War.

Without further ado, here's the issues:

- The Black Terror #26:
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=17855

- The Fighting Yank #29:
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=27291

Hope you'll enjoy these choices! Have fun!

[The Australian Panther]

Nice Choices,  Frabig!

[paw broon]

What great choices Fra, particularly The Terror.  Imo, one of the all time great superhero costumes  although by this time the domino masks are absolutely tiny. In the 2nd story The Terror and Tim don't appear(in costume) till well into the tale.
I need to read these issues in detail as I've only flicked through them as yet. It's been a couple of years since I dug my copies out.

[SuperScrounge]

What great choices Fra, particularly The Terror.  Imo, one of the all time great superhero costumes  although by this time the domino masks are absolutely tiny.

Took a quick look at the book, and yikes, those aren't masks, they're individual eye pieces. Probably held on by spirit gum, or whatever that stickum is that actresses use to hold on tiny pieces of cloth to protect their modesty. 

Although considering that the Black Terror wears glasses in his secret identity would those little rings of black really disguise him that much? 

[Quirky Quokka]

Took a quick look at the book, and yikes, those aren't masks, they're individual eye pieces. Probably held on by spirit gum, or whatever that stickum is that actresses use to hold on tiny pieces of cloth to protect their modesty. 

SuperScrounge, the term you're looking for is Hollywood Tape or fashion tape. Never be seen on the red carpet without it 

Cheers

QQ

[Robb_K]

Weird to see adverts for BOTH "Billy West" AND "Spunky(Junior Cowboy)" in the same Fighting Yank issue, given that although both series can be loosely linked as Spunky can, very loosely, be included in the "Western" genre of comics, while "Billy West" is solidly in the heroic action-based genre shared by "Fighting Yank".  The "Western" setting of "Spunky" is far, far less important than that series' comedy emphasis.

[SuperScrounge]

The Black Terror #26

Cover
And here we see the Black Terror supplementing his income by working as a cruise ship bouncer. 

The Wrong Murder!
The ending was odd. Years of watching and reading murder mysteries have built up an expectation that the hero(s) will figure out the right answer, whereas this story seems to take the attitude of "eh, close enough."  Sure Tiny & Corpse are responsible for Hugo's murder, but if Hugo's gun was still on him they could test the bullets and match them against the bullets used against the three victims. But, eh, too much work. 

Handicap To Murder!
Flush refers to Bob as Benton, but at their brief meeting he was only called Bob. Flush shouldn't know his last name.

If it wasn't for the blank eyes effect the 'mask' on the Terror Twins looks like a thick mascara. 

The Haunted House
The previous story referred to Tim's alter ego as Kid Terror, but this story calls him Young Black Terror. Was there ever a consensus on his alter ego?

The Brute of the Bayou!
That quicksand on the splash panel looks more like ordinary water.

And in this story he's called the Terror Kid. Didn't anyone think to write down a good name to use for Tim's alter ego consistently?

Funny how this swampland didn't seem to have any venomous snakes the bad guys could use.

Phineas the Parrot
Cute.

[Morgus]

Frabig, those are fine selections of Meskin and Robinson and Tuske at the start was icing on the cake. All three were really ahead of the curve from the Golden age, in my opinion. Motion could be rendered pretty static in a lot of super hero comics from the era and these guys were closer to a more kinetic, energetic look.
Now, me? I thought the eye wear on The Black Terrors was make up like KISS had...but no wild hair or platform boots. Then ‘Super points out the blank eye effects. Back to the drawing board.
Wow. DID NOT think I would be the FIRST to comment on the Australians and their blow guns. Seriously. I laughed out loud. At least they didn’t have him wear one of those hats with the brim up that show up all the time. Odsr have a kangaroo on a leash.
The Fighting Yank always made me snicker like the 60’s BATMAN tv show did. I mean, good material as far as it went, but super heroes trooping around dressed up like that was over the top to me. I think lesser artists would have sunk from the weight of that alone.
Very nice reads for the backyard during a hot July Frabig.

[paw broon]

A thoroughly enjoyable comic throughout.  Tuska's version of the Terror Twins is really good and people who slagged off his later work for Marvel should be made to read this and other earlier work.  But I love Robinson/Meskin on these superhero stories. They make The Terror look sleek, powerful and often almost graceful in his movements.
As I read occasional issues of the Spanish strip, Roberto Alcazar y Pedrin, it often seems to me that Tim reminds me of young Pedrin, as does Robin in the Spanish series, Robin y El Murcielago.
The bad guys in these stories are quite nasty with no saving graces and had these been Spider stories, the villains would have been dispatched with no mercy.
Yes there are some plot goofs but we get excellent superhero stunts. And, I'm not embarrased to say it again, one of the best superhero costumes.

[FraBig]

I'm really happy you all enjoyed the Black Terror issue! The Meskin issues of Black Terror are really some Golden Age gems, in my opinion. The Fighting Yank ones have some really good art too, especially when they depict Bruce Carter I's ghost.

Personally, I feel like Black Terror's tiny domino mask is an amazing design choice. I really dig it.

SuperScrounge wrote:

And in this story he's called the Terror Kid. Didn't anyone think to write down a good name to use for Tim's alter ego consistently?

Lol, the only alter ego that's ever been consistent for Tim is him being called "Tim"...

[paw broon]

Yes, Tim it's been.
I suppose writers could have called Tim, Tiny Terror, but that just sounds silly.
Actually, The Terror Twins is a bit odd considering just how different they are.  The name is great though.

[SuperScrounge]

The Fighting Yank #29

Fireworks On The Fourth!
Okay story.

I was amused at the hero using fireworks as an attack on the villains, then telling the reader not to play with fireworks. Basically 'Do as I say, not as I do.'

People make fun of Superman disguising himself with just a pair of glasses, but Bruce Carter's disguise is just old clothes and a wig.

Flight For Freedom!
Nice historical story.

Zippie
Okay. Didn't see that ending coming.

The Half-Horsepower Judge!
Cute.

While other superheroes have occasionally had these kinds of small, non-life & death stories, it is kind of weird that a superhero is going after a guy messing up a radio-control plane race rather than a super-villain. Maybe behind the scenes Bruce thought to himself, "Well, there's no more super-villains to fight, might as well retire the superhero identity." 

The Fighting Yank's Submarine Patrol
Okay.

Accidents For Sale!
Not bad.

Garry Davis World Citizen
Interesting.

[Quirky Quokka]

Wow. DID NOT think I would be the FIRST to comment on the Australians and their blow guns. Seriously. I laughed out loud. At least they didn’t have him wear one of those hats with the brim up that show up all the time. Or have a kangaroo on a leash.

I'm a bit slow off the mark this fortnight, Morgus, as I was at a conference last week. Have finally gotten around to reading the story you were talking about. As far as I know, Australian aborigines didn't use blow guns. In fact my quick search for Australian aborigines and poison threw up stories about white Australians poisoning aboriginal people. The comic book writer may have been thinking of New Guinea, where I believe some tribes did use blow guns. I was more worried that indigenous people were referred to as 'savages'. That seems strange even for something written in 1949. There have certainly been derogatory terms, but I've never heard that one used in relation to aboriginal people.

Though the writer did get right Australians' love of horse racing and gambling. They even have a public holiday in Melbourne on the first Tuesday in November every year for the running of the Melbourne Cup, Australia's richest horse race. And gambling is even more of a problem now with the ease of online betting. But I'd better not get on that hobby horse.

The hat you're thinking of is the slouch hat, usually associated with the army:

https://www.army.gov.au/about-us/history-and-research/traditions/slouch-hat

I suppose we should be grateful that Flush didn't come back with a cork hat 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_hat

Cheers

QQ

[Quirky Quokka]

Thanks for these selections, FraBig. Sorry I'm late with my responses. It's been a busy fortnight.

The Black Terror #26

I hadn't heard of this crime-fighting duo before. Interesting that they take the skull and crossbones as their insignia, as that's more often associated with bad guys like pirates.

As others have said, I really like the energy and movement in the art. The cover and the first splash page have so much action. You can really see the Black Terror flipping that bad guy.

The Wrong Murder

p. 4 - It was a bit of a shock that Hugo shot all three. At that moment, I thought we'd lost the whole supporting cast, but then we find out Helen and Jim are alive. You'd think Hugo would have checked.

p.5 - Name change from Hugo to Hugh?

p. 7 - In the second panel, we're told that Tony lashes out with a backhand blow, but the illustration doesn't show a backhander.

p.10 - Last panel - So it seems they didn't solve the exact murder (as SuperScrounge noted). They're all mixed up in it, but is it okay they didn't actually solve the right crime? And nothing says 'good news' like an execution. (Note Australian sarcasm) 

Handicap to Murder

p. 5 - I didn't realise how young the girl was until there was mention of her going into an orphanage. On the splash page, she looks more like a young woman.

p. 8 - Interesting method of poisoning. Though as I mentioned in an earlier post, Australian aborigines didn't use poison darts (at least to my knowledge).

I didn't read the short story, but again, great action in the art.

Brute of the Bayou

p. 1 - Nice detail in the background of the Mardi Gras panels.

p. 6 - You'd have to be pretty brave to let an alligator cut the ropes that were binding your hands. Not even Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter) would have tried that one.

Phineas the Parrot

Okay sight gag.

Overall - I thought the art was great and I did like the stories, except for a few glitches. I'd be happy to read more of these.

Thanks FraBig.

Cheers

QQ

[The Australian Panther]

The Black Terror #26:
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=17855

Back around 1957 when I was in Primary school - (yes, I am that old!) We had a maths teacher who bribed us with comics if we got our sums right. That was my real introductiion to US comics, mostly DC books. I have always remembered the art, even though I didn't know the name of the artists. Mort Meskin and Jerry Robinson, I have since found out were working for DC than. Meskin was not at the peak of his creativity at that point - read biographical data to find out why, but his work was still memorable.
So thanks Frabig, for choosing these books from a period when they were at the top of their game.       
Cover> Probably not done by either of them, it's not very good.
The wrong murder
George Tuska
That 'splash' would have made a better cover. Is the Terror practicing Martial arts?
Unfortunately, until the Terror and Tim arrive on the boat, the art is just backdrop to the word balloons. No action or energy.
One messy page of action and then it's back to the word balloons. Very disappointing.
Handicap to murder
That splash is full of energy. Every character is in motion. I'm in.
curiously, that 4 on the wall is the same font that Kirby used for the Fantastic Four (on their costumes)   
Robinson could add a lot to the narrative with the expressions on faces.
In panel #4 (CB+ page 13) just one look at Flush and we know he's not to be trusted.
Interesting to see Bob Benton acting tough in his civilian identity.
A cliched story but the art takes it to the next level.
The Brute of the Bayou
What is more interesting about their masks, is 'No eyebrows!'
The facial colouring mistake on page 30 panel 3 makes the Terror look more like the Creeper.   
Robinson pencils, Meskin inks on both stories. (According to GCD) 

[The Australian Panther]

The Fighting Yank #29:
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=27291
Cover by  Alex Schombug
Spunky (AD) How language changes!
Fireworks on the forth!
This book is coverdated August 1949. But we have a July 4th story.
Were books coverdated one month ahead then?
Bad Guys always have a cigar in their mouths, through which they sneer.
This story is very dark, The scan? Some of the detail is lost. 
Art. All Meskin.
Flight for Freedom
Art Robinson Pencils, Meskin Inks.   
A story of Bruces Revolutionary ancestor.
Zippy! Al Hartley
The Half-Horsepower Judge.
Art - All Meskin.
Model Planes were hugely popular back then. They are still a valid hobby, but you don't hear much about them now.
The Fighting Yank's Submarine Patrol {Text]
If Bruce is Bruce Carter III, did BC II ever come into the stories?
Accidents for sale!
Meskin Pencils and inks.
Gary Davis One page.  Rafael Astarita

Thanks Frabig, good to have you. Keep doing your archives. A Black Terror archive?

I'm back tomorrow with a new post and a surprise.
Cheers! 


 

[FraBig]

I'm really gald you all enjoyed my choices. It's been a real pleasure to choose them, and all your comments really gave me some interesting insights on the issues.

Panther said:

Cover> Probably not done by either of them, it's not very good.

That's still Alex Schomburg! But I do agree that his Black Terror covers are a bit lacking. Especially if compared to his work on Marvel Mystery Comics' covers, drawing the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner.

Were books coverdated one month ahead then?

Yeah, that's very common for comics from this era. If you check actual publication dates with cover dates on GCD, you'll see this was the norm. Usually the cover date is the date of the month after the comic was actually put on sale. I don't really know the reason behind this but maybe somebody here knows.

Sometimes the comic was even sold two months before the actual cover date. In this case, for example, Fighting Yank #29 appeared on the market on the 21st of June, 1949 (according to GCD). Despite its August 1949 cover date.

A Black Terror archive?

I was thinking about that, then I saw the sheer number of appearances of the character and I was a bit taken aback. Maybe one day, who knows...

Thank you all again for partaking in this fortnight's reading group!

Here's the new episode, hosted by Panther: https://comicbookplus.com/forum/?topic=24907.0

[SuperScrounge]

Cover dates were to let the newsstands owners know when they could pull the issues and send them back for their refunds.

[The Australian Panther]

Cover dates were to let the newsstands owners know when they could pull the issues and send them back for their refunds.

Over here in OZ, comics arrived by ship and appeared on the stands 3 months or so late, but the coverdates often matched the dates they arrived on the Australian racks. ( if you follow me) so I always assumed that.