I just read that issue today, and noticed the heavy pro - union and anti-racist stories. They both stood out for as very strong themes. I laughed to myself slightly wondering if pro-union themes would appear in comics these days. You certainly see things like workers going on strike in comics, but not blatant pro-union stories - I am reading through the “Triangle Era Superman stories” and the Daily Planet workers go on strike, but not to get any raises, rather to prevent further layoffs and salary cuts.
I thought the Boy Commando stories stood out a relic of their times. In the same vein that you don’t see lots of young sidekicks anymore - I think seeing a whole troop full of young kids in a real life war situation is a bit different than the older teenage / early 20’s comic characters fighting supervillains (thinking of Young Justice, New Warriors, Miles Morales, etc). They are different scenarios - real life equivalent vs scifi and I’m not sure it holds up in my mind.
But I can see the appeal to young kids at the time. The same way “cowboys and indians” were a popular thing for kids decades ago, this war was popularized and serialized as well. I think that these comics really demonstrate how pervasive the war was, even before the US entered, as part of every day life. I’m not sure if there is a modern equivalent as most things are so polarized these days.
Yep, don’t think you could pull off the “child soldiers” story today. It is weird that I can accept children superheroes, but kids in military uniforms fighting wars as certainly lost its shine. Though, I think Boy Commandos is the most entertaining of the combat character stories DC published at the time. They can be funny, have some nice action, and are generally well plotted. Hop Harrigan to me is just too much like the adventure series it grew out of, one danger overcome after another, string enough together and you have a story. The one Hop story I recommended is a standout in that it’s better written than most I read.
On the pro-union/anti-racist story. Here you can tell that the writers had joined the government board designed to push certain themes. But to me, these real world stories as much as they are propaganda and romanticized are the most gripping reads. Stories of real sacrifice in the comic pages had to have an impact at the time.
First off, fantastic thread. Thank you for gathering all this info.
I didn’t really get into comics until I was in the military. I had a few growing up but really started collecting in the mid 2000’s. My first exposure to military comics even being a thing was the 6 issue Sgt. Rock series that came out around that time.
I think military comics will always have a place even if it isn’t pure military comics but military mixed with superheroes.
Some of my favorite issues are the ones that involve Superman or some other hero acknowledging the sacrifice the military men are making.
I really enjoy a lot of the older JSA titles for this reason as they talked quite often about how they were protecting America while our soldiers were off fighting the war because they deserved a good home to come back to.
I’m still working through my own long list, but going to put issue one at the top. I think it’s probably along the lines of what @The_Legion_of_Superheroes was describing as not a purely combat comic like Enemy Ace, but something that straddles the line between superhero and military.
@The_Legion_of_Superheroes had dropped out of comics, but started reading again in the Army, but that was way way before you. I think there’s some good examples coming up in the next couple of weeks that keep the heart of the military comics but puts those characters in the broader DCU.
Read #1 of New Frontier this afternoon. That issue to me is a straight out combat comic, particularly the Losers, Jordan and Lois is a combat reporter. More about this in week three, but I really like this issue while have huge problems with it at the same time.
Combat Facts, Hop Harrigan Hop Harrigan debuted in All-American Comics #1 in 1939 as an aviation adventure strip following similar characters popular in the daily newspapers. Hop would go on to appear regularly in All-American and Comic Cavalcade. Like Superman, Hop made it onto the radio airwaves, appearing on the Mutual Network from 1942 until 1948. He also made the leap to the silver screen in 1946 with a Columbia Pictures 15 part serial. During World War II, Hop and his mechanic sidekick Tank joined the Army Air Force and were depicted fighting on every front of the war.
Very interesting, had no idea there was a hop serial. If anyone is interested in reading them they are easy enough to find via google. I really enjoy the old 40’s serials and plan on watching the first chapter tonight. I’ll check back in with a quick review tomrorow.
Hop tried leaping on the superhero bandwagon in 1941. In issues 25-28 of All-American Comics, Hop put on a costume, here as the Black Lamp and also as the Guardian Angel, before giving up and going back to being America’s Ace of the Airways.
Blackhawk:Fearless Champion of Freedom: Blackhawk: Fearless Champion of Freedom starts as an entertaining well-crafted movie serial. As many probably already know Kirk Alyn, Superman of the movie serial, stars as Blackhawk himself leading the Blackhawk Squadron defending freedom from a secret desert base. For fans of the comics, Alyn as Blackhawk and his team dressed in accurate costumes punching bad guys and flying into the face of danger feels authentic to the source material. This serial also stars the incomparable Carol Forman who made a big impact in serials in the late ‘40s playing the ever so attractive and formidable villain in The Black Widow, Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc., Blackhawk and as the Spider Lady in Superman.
The plot revolves around saboteurs from Stan’s home country targeting the Blackhawks so they can spread tyranny. The amusing part, is that clearly this is a Cold War story with the home country around a communist dictatorship, but they never mention the name of the country or communism. It’s all reference to “the leader” attempting to destroy freedom and spread his rule.
The entire series is available for free on Youtube.
Sgt Rock: The Prophecy. If you only read one thing from the History Club, read this story that demonstrates the raw action and emotional power that combat comics are capable of.
Do you have experience reading Sgt. Rock in the past? What stories do you remember and how do you generally feel about the character?
What do you think of Sgt Rock: Prophecy in general? Did your opinion of any characters, such as David, change during the course of the story? Do you think the story balanced action and emotional content?
Who’s your favorite member of Easy Company other than Sgt. Rock?
If you got the job of writing a Sgt Rock story what would you do with it? Is it still WWII, what Easy Co. members play a role, what would change or leave the same?
Combat Facts: Sgt. Rock Sgt Rock and Easy Company were created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert for Our Army at War in 1958, Kanigher and Kubert would also create Enemy Ace, the Unknown Soldier and more. Kanigher and Kubert both served in the military but not in combat; however, their personal experiences help make the comics fell more authentic than the Golden Age stories despite having to meet the comics code.
Our Army at War #81 Sgt. Rock debut
Just finished reading ‘Prophecy’! Great read! Gritty story. I kinda thought Easy was going to get out of there too? Did I miss something? They had to stay? Also in WWII I don’t believe helicopters were widely used especially in poor weather conditions but hey this was a unique mission i’m sure they would have sent anything they could to get the Prophet out. I’m happy to go along with the story, I wont let pesky historical details ruin it for me. Bravo Joe K.! Great story, great art! His style came through even working digital! But for my old school tastes personally I would have loved to see it done with ink on paper. He was a master! And I love the fact he was able to move into the new medium.
@flashlites So glad you read and enjoyed it. While it’s disappointing DC hasn’t digitized their classic combat comics, we still have Prophecy and it doesn’t get any better than that. You’re right on helicopters, and certainly not for a long-distance extraction. I did not realize Kubert was working digital on this book. It looks like his classic work, but now that you said that it does seem cleaner. But, anything that keeps the masters at work is good with me. Which prompts me to drop the following Combat Fact.
Combat Facts: From a New York Times article on Sgt. Rock: The Prophecy.
Based on a true story Rock and Easy rescue an Orthodox rabbi from Nazi-occupied Lithuania. Kubert 79 at the time said, drawing Rock was “real easy and very pleasurable…It’s like coming home.” The story is based on an incident in the life of Rabbi Joseph Schneerson. In 1940, the rabbi and his family were safely smuggled out of the Warsaw Ghetto and taken to the United States. “For better or worse, I’d like to express myself completely – in the artwork and the story,” Kurbert said. “There’s just something really gratifying, especially at this stage in the game, to invest myself at every stage of the process…When I’m writing myself, it’s like two different people doing the job. I write the script as if someone else was going to illustrate it…When I’m writing, I feel a certain emotion so I put all those details in there. I don’t trust myself to remember those emotions when I sit down to draw it.”
