The Curse of Skeleton Munroe

Category: real folk

  • REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 029

    Time for a heaping dose of real folk from Golden Age Marvel comics.

    Adolf Hitler:

    Kalph Belgri, dictator of Torpis, takes his own life when his invasion of neighbouring Molivia is thwarted by Electro. (Marvel Mystery Comics v1 005, 1940)

    The Human Torch encounters Adolphe Hiccup, dictator of Slaveland, while foiling a plot to fool his sidekick Toro into aiding their war effort. He is seen colluding with his ally Benny Musclein, who is such a clear Mussolini stand-in that I feel a bit foolish even mentioning it.

    Hiccup’s aide Herr Medals, on the other hand, is quite vexing to me, as despite his physical appearance and love of regalia being clearly based on Hermann Goering, his name makes me think of Goebbels, which caused me to poison my search history a little more by looking up the Nazi high command yet again to make sure I had the right guy. (Human Torch v1 003, 1940)

    Al Capone:

    Mob boss Vince Garrone is the latest in a long line of crooks with Capone-like names. (Marvel Mystery Comics v1 017, 1941)

    Fiorello La Guardia:

    Marvel Comics was a very NYC-heavy operation even back when it was Timely Comics, and as a consequence of that we get far more Mayoral Action from them than other publishers. Here we see Mayor La Guardia showing a lot of moxie while dealing with a hostile Sub-Mariner, for example. (Marvel Mystery Comics v1 007, 1940)

    Not even a year later, here’s the Human Torch helping out a mysterious and unnamed non-La Guardia Mayor of NYC. Just who the heck is this guy? (Marvel Mystery Comics v1 016, 1941)

    La Guardia is back by Marvel Mystery Comics v1 020, just in time to deal with an epidemic of arson and extortion aimed at the city.

    Finally, a chunky little La Guardia thanks the Patriot for fending off the attempted takeover of the city by the fascist Yellowshirts. (Human Torch v1 004, 1941)

    Orson Welles:

    The Human Torch must deal with a Martian invasion, and that means referencing Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast, here attributed to a “Lawson Bell.” (Marvel Mystery Comics v1 003, 1940)

  • REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 028

    Mostly a case of the Usual Suspects today here in the Real Person Round-Up, I’m afraid.

    Adolf Hitler:

    The bulk of the comic this panel comes from is MIA as far as people without hundreds of dollars of Buy Golden Age Comics money are concerned, and this is the only real look we get of this slightly off-brand Hitler and Goering. I might not have bothered to include them here devoid of other context except for…

    … the splash page for the story, featuring our Hitler-alike in a beast-man form and commanding a horde of Hitlerian minions that are probably both allegorical but which are very representative of the “mad-dog” framing that he was being given in a lot of the comics of the time. Presumably air ace Bill Barnes really scuttles his plans. (Bill Barnes America’s Air Ace Comics 002, 1941)

    This husky Hitler look-alike is the head of a fascist force that almost manages to destroy the US military presence in Alaska but is himself destroyed by the Liberty Guards. (Man of War Comics 001, 1941)

    Here time/space traveller Whiz Wilson encounters a particularly low-rent Hitler-alike named Raggo. (Lightning Comics v1 006, 1941)

    Cordell Hull:

    When Bill Barnes needs two hundred jeeps to defend the Panama Canal, who does he call? Secretary of State Cordell Hull, that’s who! (Bill Barnes, America’s Air Ace Comics 005, 1941)

    Franklin Roosevelt:

    A more on-model  (and more face-forward) version of Roosevelt than we usually see in comics learns of the existence of the Liberty Scouts from their sponsor, retired patriotic millionaire Patrick Henry (who named himself such after immigrating to the US as a young man). (Liberty Scouts Comics 002, 1941)

    FDR returns in the second Liberty Scouts comic to tour the very on-the-nose Fort America (Liberty Scouts Comics 003, 1941)

    Hermann Goering:

    Orders the destruction of Bill Barnes. (Bill Barnes America’s Air Ace Comics 004, 1941)

    Hollywood Shuffle:

    It’s another classic case of mixing up first and last names of movie stars to make all-new ones, in this case Tyrone Taylor (Tyrone Power/ Robert Taylor, probably), and Myrna Rogers (Myrna Loy/ Ginger Rogers, almost certainly). (Detective Comics v1 046, 1940)

    Leopard Men:

    Since I recently realized that I had failed to be curious enough and that the Leopard Men were not just a fanciful idea that people kept coming up with but in fact a vilified version of real African secret societies, they now get a place in the Real Person Round-Up. These particular Leopard Men are just as bloodthirsty and savage as the rest of their fictional ilk, but are distinguished by being some of the few to not wear some sort of leopard-head cowl. Possibly because the Red Panther already has that bit of fashion sewn up. (Jungle Comics 020, 1941)

  • REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 028

    Mostly a case of the Usual Suspects today here in the Real Person Round-Up, I’m afraid.

    Adolf Hitler:

    The bulk of the comic this panel comes from is MIA as far as people without hundreds of dollars of Buy Golden Age Comics money are concerned, and this is the only real look we get of this slightly off-brand Hitler and Goering. I might not have bothered to include them here devoid of other context except for…

    … the splash page for the story, featuring our Hitler-alike in a beast-man form and commanding a horde of Hitlerian minions that are probably both allegorical but which are very representative of the “mad-dog” framing that he was being given in a lot of the comics of the time. Presumably air ace Bill Barnes really scuttles his plans. (Bill Barnes America’s Air Ace Comics 002, 1941)

    This husky Hitler look-alike is the head of a fascist force that almost manages to destroy the US military presence in Alaska but is himself destroyed by the Liberty Guards. (Man of War Comics 001, 1941)

    Here time/space traveller Whiz Wilson encounters a particularly low-rent Hitler-alike named Raggo. (Lightning Comics v1 006, 1941)

    Cordell Hull:

    When Bill Barnes needs two hundred jeeps to defend the Panama Canal, who does he call? Secretary of State Cordell Hull, that’s who! (Bill Barnes, America’s Air Ace Comics 005, 1941)

    Franklin Roosevelt:

    A more on-model  (and more face-forward) version of Roosevelt than we usually see in comics learns of the existence of the Liberty Scouts from their sponsor, retired patriotic millionaire Patrick Henry (who named himself such after immigrating to the US as a young man). (Liberty Scouts Comics 002, 1941)

    FDR returns in the second Liberty Scouts comic to tour the very on-the-nose Fort America (Liberty Scouts Comics 003, 1941)

    Hermann Goering:

    Orders the destruction of Bill Barnes. (Bill Barnes America’s Air Ace Comics 004, 1941)

    Hollywood Shuffle:

    It’s another classic case of mixing up first and last names of movie stars to make all-new ones, in this case Tyrone Taylor (Tyrone Power/ Robert Taylor, probably), and Myrna Rogers (Myrna Loy/ Ginger Rogers, almost certainly). (Detective Comics v1 046, 1940)

    Leopard Men:

    Since I recently realized that I had failed to be curious enough and that the Leopard Men were not just a fanciful idea that people kept coming up with but in fact a vilified version of real African secret societies, they now get a place in the Real Person Round-Up. These particular Leopard Men are just as bloodthirsty and savage as the rest of their fictional ilk, but are distinguished by being some of the few to not wear some sort of leopard-head cowl. Possibly because the Red Panther already has that bit of fashion sewn up. (Jungle Comics 020, 1941)

  • REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 027

    Real people? In comic books? Now I’ve seen everything.

    Abu Khan:

    I sincerely cannot tell if this Black Knight foe is supposed to be Abu Sa’id Bahadur Khan, last ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate, or if they just pulled a couple of syllables out of the air and added “Khan” to the end and called it a day. On the one hand, the real Abu Khan never tried to invade Egypt, as the Black Knight is trying to prevent him from doing, but on the other he is from about the right time to be a Black Knight character, i.e., within about two hundred years of all the other elements of the comic. (The Funnies 059, 1941)

    Adolf Hitler:

    Pays for the services of super-villain the Artist to facilitate the invasion of Tomania with his soul-stealing powers. (Jackpot Comics 004, 1941)

    Al Capone:

    “Scar Lapone,” used as a generic gangster name. (Green Mask v1 005, 1941)

    Jean Lafitte:

    A false vision of Lafitte is summoned by a fake medium. (Green Mask v1 007, 1941)

    Napoleon Bonaparte:

    Viewed through a time machine’s viewscreen by the Black Hood. (Jackpot Comics 003, 1941)

    Nero:

    Kim Hale and the Purple Zombie, blasted back in time, are condemned to death by Emperor Nero for telling him about things that he hadn’t heard of before. (Reg’lar Fellers Heroic Comics 008, 1941)

    Though the duo make it out of the gladiatorial arena okay, they almost get caught up in the Great Fire of Rome before being shunted to another time zone by their allies. Unusually, Nero is not shown fiddling at all. (Reg’lar Fellers Heroic Comics 009, 1941)

    Nero, or at least his ghost, appears in a very different form after being summoned by the would-be necromancer Ford. Is this barbaric Nero a reflection of how the Emperor saw himself, or did the artist just kind of wing it? (Jackpot Comics 003, 1941)

    Paul Revere:

    Minor comic book protagonist Paul Revere Jr is awfully smug for someone who just has the name of a famous patriot, and that goes double for his friends Betsy Ross and Patrick Henry.

    His father Paul Revere Sr is at least out there writing a column called “America, Awake!” and putting himself in the crosshairs of local fascists. (Banner Comics 003, 1941)

    Sherlock Holmes:

    Yet another comedy Holmes analog with a terrible if intriguing name. Foreclose is just close enough to a play on Sherlock to be particularly maddening. Featuring: a Watson analog named Batsin Belfry. (Great Comics 001, 1941)

    Walter Winchell:

    He only appears as a corpse, but gossip columnist Walt Willard is a clear play on Walt Winchell. (Jackpot Comics 004, 1941)

  • REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 027

    Real people? In comic books? Now I’ve seen everything.

    Abu Khan:

    I sincerely cannot tell if this Black Knight foe is supposed to be Abu Sa’id Bahadur Khan, last ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate, or if they just pulled a couple of syllables out of the air and added “Khan” to the end and called it a day. On the one hand, the real Abu Khan never tried to invade Egypt, as the Black Knight is trying to prevent him from doing, but on the other he is from about the right time to be a Black Knight character, i.e., within about two hundred years of all the other elements of the comic. (The Funnies 059, 1941)

    Adolf Hitler:

    Pays for the services of super-villain the Artist to facilitate the invasion of Tomania with his soul-stealing powers. (Jackpot Comics 004, 1941)

    Al Capone:

    “Scar Lapone,” used as a generic gangster name. (Green Mask v1 005, 1941)

    Jean Lafitte:

    A false vision of Lafitte is summoned by a fake medium. (Green Mask v1 007, 1941)

    Napoleon Bonaparte:

    Viewed through a time machine’s viewscreen by the Black Hood. (Jackpot Comics 003, 1941)

    Nero:

    Kim Hale and the Purple Zombie, blasted back in time, are condemned to death by Emperor Nero for telling him about things that he hadn’t heard of before. (Reg’lar Fellers Heroic Comics 008, 1941)

    Though the duo make it out of the gladiatorial arena okay, they almost get caught up in the Great Fire of Rome before being shunted to another time zone by their allies. Unusually, Nero is not shown fiddling at all. (Reg’lar Fellers Heroic Comics 009, 1941)

    Nero, or at least his ghost, appears in a very different form after being summoned by the would-be necromancer Ford. Is this barbaric Nero a reflection of how the Emperor saw himself, or did the artist just kind of wing it? (Jackpot Comics 003, 1941)

    Paul Revere:

    Minor comic book protagonist Paul Revere Jr is awfully smug for someone who just has the name of a famous patriot, and that goes double for his friends Betsy Ross and Patrick Henry.

    His father Paul Revere Sr is at least out there writing a column called “America, Awake!” and putting himself in the crosshairs of local fascists. (Banner Comics 003, 1941)

    Sherlock Holmes:

    Yet another comedy Holmes analog with a terrible if intriguing name. Foreclose is just close enough to a play on Sherlock to be particularly maddening. Featuring: a Watson analog named Batsin Belfry. (Great Comics 001, 1941)

    Walter Winchell:

    He only appears as a corpse, but gossip columnist Walt Willard is a clear play on Walt Winchell. (Jackpot Comics 004, 1941)

  • MEDIA IN COMICS 007

    We’ve got some real early media for you today, so get ready for the crustiest scans of microfiche you ever saw.

    Movies:

    Steve Rogers and Bucky almost get to the movies to see a flick called Million Dollar Robbery before being interrupted by a real, if smaller-scale, robbery. BONUS: a classic case of real movies stars barely obfuscated by having their first names swapped, in Humphrey Raft and George Bogart, aka George Raft and Humphrey Bogart. (Captain America Comics 004, 1941)

    Hired to look into dirty dealings on the Stupendous Films lot, Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan go undercover as stunt doubles. The comedy film that Shorty works on is never named, but Slam briefly works on a film called Jungle Man. (Detective Comics v1 004, 1937)

    Larry Steele’s own investigations into a series of high-profile kidnappings take him to the set of Too Much Money, a movie we never learn anything about. (Detective Comics v1 005, 1937)

    It’s just barely possible to make out that this movie that the Radio Squad boys watch is called The Fighting Cop. A bit on the nose, boys! (More Fun Comics 038, 1938)

    Music:

    Detective Bruce Nelson investigates a series of murders committed on stage while each victim was singing the same song. That song was originally called “The Night is Blue,” but is now known as “The Song of Death.” (Detective Comics 020, 1938)

    In Action Comics 006, a grifter named Nick Williams falsifies some contracts and begins licensing Superman’s name all over town, and one of the results of this is a song! Specifically, a big band tune called “You’re a Superman!”

    I wouldn’t call it the greatest song ever written (no song should include the word “resistless,” for example), but it’s not entirely terrible. (Action Comics v1 006, 1938)

    Newspaper Columns:

    Written by Paul Revere Sr, ultra-patriot and father to comic book adventure kid Paul Revere Jr, “America Awake!” is one of those exciting titles that works for an anti-Nazi column in 1941 and also potentially for a pro-Nazi one in the present. (Banner Comics 003, 1941)

    Jay Garson Jr, aka the Ragman, wrote his “Crime Does Not Pay” column right up until someone tried to kill him for it and he was forced to fake his own death. And then kept on writing it for a while afterward, seemingly mostly in order to give his old editor a hard time. (Cat-Man Comics 001, 1941)

    Radio Shows:

    In addition to “You’re a Superman!” Nick Wilson’s Superman-licensing deals included a Superman radio show, meaning that the DC Universe had one a full two years before we did.

    Wilson also mentions having sold movie and comic book rights, but as he is beaten up and forced to stop his scheme by the real Superman not long after this conversation it’s likely that those never saw the light of day. (Action Comics v1 006, 1938)

    Theatre:

    Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan investigate the crimes of the Broadway Bandit by getting jobs on Broadway, specifically as tap dancers in a production called Love on Ice that despite its name seems to be a variety show rather than anything with a discernible plot. (Detective Comics v1 016, 1938)

    Renick’s Frolics, the show in which “The Song of Death” appears, is another of these variety productions. (Detective Comics v1 020, 1938)

     

    We learn nothing about Darkest Dawn other than the fact that someone is trying to kill the lead actress and Nadir, Master of Magic, is on the case. (New Adventure Comics 028, 1938)

  • MEDIA IN COMICS 007

    We’ve got some real early media for you today, so get ready for the crustiest scans of microfiche you ever saw.

    Movies:

    Steve Rogers and Bucky almost get to the movies to see a flick called Million Dollar Robbery before being interrupted by a real, if smaller-scale, robbery. BONUS: a classic case of real movies stars barely obfuscated by having their first names swapped, in Humphrey Raft and George Bogart, aka George Raft and Humphrey Bogart. (Captain America Comics 004, 1941)

    Hired to look into dirty dealings on the Stupendous Films lot, Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan go undercover as stunt doubles. The comedy film that Shorty works on is never named, but Slam briefly works on a film called Jungle Man. (Detective Comics v1 004, 1937)

    Larry Steele’s own investigations into a series of high-profile kidnappings take him to the set of Too Much Money, a movie we never learn anything about. (Detective Comics v1 005, 1937)

    It’s just barely possible to make out that this movie that the Radio Squad boys watch is called The Fighting Cop. A bit on the nose, boys! (More Fun Comics 038, 1938)

    Music:

    Detective Bruce Nelson investigates a series of murders committed on stage while each victim was singing the same song. That song was originally called “The Night is Blue,” but is now known as “The Song of Death.” (Detective Comics 020, 1938)

    In Action Comics 006, a grifter named Nick Williams falsifies some contracts and begins licensing Superman’s name all over town, and one of the results of this is a song! Specifically, a big band tune called “You’re a Superman!”

    I wouldn’t call it the greatest song ever written (no song should include the word “resistless,” for example), but it’s not entirely terrible. (Action Comics v1 006, 1938)

    Newspaper Columns:

    Written by Paul Revere Sr, ultra-patriot and father to comic book adventure kid Paul Revere Jr, “America Awake!” is one of those exciting titles that works for an anti-Nazi column in 1941 and also potentially for a pro-Nazi one in the present. (Banner Comics 003, 1941)

    Jay Garson Jr, aka the Ragman, wrote his “Crime Does Not Pay” column right up until someone tried to kill him for it and he was forced to fake his own death. And then kept on writing it for a while afterward, seemingly mostly in order to give his old editor a hard time. (Cat-Man Comics 001, 1941)

    Radio Shows:

    In addition to “You’re a Superman!” Nick Wilson’s Superman-licensing deals included a Superman radio show, meaning that the DC Universe had one a full two years before we did.

    Wilson also mentions having sold movie and comic book rights, but as he is beaten up and forced to stop his scheme by the real Superman not long after this conversation it’s likely that those never saw the light of day. (Action Comics v1 006, 1938)

    Theatre:

    Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan investigate the crimes of the Broadway Bandit by getting jobs on Broadway, specifically as tap dancers in a production called Love on Ice that despite its name seems to be a variety show rather than anything with a discernible plot. (Detective Comics v1 016, 1938)

    Renick’s Frolics, the show in which “The Song of Death” appears, is another of these variety productions. (Detective Comics v1 020, 1938)

     

    We learn nothing about Darkest Dawn other than the fact that someone is trying to kill the lead actress and Nadir, Master of Magic, is on the case. (New Adventure Comics 028, 1938)

  • REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 026

    Once again we point and go “Hey. It’s that guy.”

    Adolf Hitler:

    Captain Courageous has to deal with a few pseudo-Nazis working for Hitler-alike Hinkler. (Banner Comics 003, 1941) 

    Real Hitler takes a scheme-foiling by Vulcan pretty hard. (Four Favorites 001, 1941)

    Devil’s Island:

    Captain America and Bucky infiltrate Devil’s Island to free a prisoner who is not only a victim of carceral justice taken to unjust extremes but also as an arm of the Nazi government in France. (Captain America Comics 005, 1941)

    the Duke and Duchess of Windsor:

    The Duke of Windsor, aka the former King Edward VIII of England and his wife Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, welcome Speed Martin to the Bahamas in the Duke’s wartime role as the Governor General of that territory. (The Funnies 051, 1941)

    FDR:

    Super-American rescues the most obscured-by-shadow (and completely silent!) FDR we have yet seen from the evil Tyrannus. The usual shadowed-features treatment that he usually gets is so over the top in that it looks like the President is going to be dramatically revealed to be some sort of frog monster in the next panel. (Fight Comics 015, 1941)

    By contrast, here’s a very recognizable FDR congratulating newsreel cameraman Speed Martin on returning from Europe with some vital intel on the Axis war machine. (The Funnies 051, 1941)

    And by contrast with that, here’s “Mr Jones,” the mysterious government official who recruits Captain Midnight into his country’s service and who is heavily implied to be a disguised FDR, even though he lacks the President’s famously large head. (The Funnies 057, 1941)

    (don’t worry: someone thought about the big head issue and inflated it by The Funnies 058)

    the German-American Bund:

    Very rare appearance of the German-American Bund under it’s own name, even if the actual group was already in severe decline at the point this book was published. (Captain America Comics 005, 1941)

    Harold R. Stark:

    He’s not named, but the Chief of Naval Operations seen here sure looks like the man who held the position at the time, Harold R. Stark. Did they do a photo reference this one time? (The Funnies 055, 1941)

    Joe Dimaggio:

    “Joey Diraggio,” star player for the Brooklyn Badgers and victim of the Black Toad. (Captain America Comics 007, 1941)

    the Venus de Milo:

    The Venus de Milo is stolen by Zeus and brought back to Ancient Greece so that he can turn it into a human woman to be his wife. Zanzibar the Magician rescues the statue woman and brings her back to the present with him, but the question is never resolved: does he chop off her arms and turn her into a statue again? Is the Fox Features Universe minus one statue and plus one blonde lady? (Mystery Men Comics 002, 1939)

    Winston Churchill:

    Personally thanks Vulcan for escorting a convoy to England. (Four Favourites 001, 1941) 

  • REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 024

    You just can’t keep ’em out of comics, those real people.

    Adolf Hitler:

    Dispatches super-spy Miss X to America. (Daredevil Comics 005, 1941)

    Raymond Stokes, the actor playing Hitler in a British propaganda film about London (the super-hero, not the city) inexplicably also turns out to be a Nazi agent who attempts to murder the Prime Minister when he makes a cameo appearance in the movie. (Daredevil Comics 005, 1941)

    Al Capone:  

    No-first-name Perrone here is another classic example of a crook lent a bit of legitimacy via a Capone-alike name. (Daring Mystery Comics 001, 1940)

    Charles Biro:

    Carnival stunt-eater Ydlab Orib is a transparent Biro name-drop, though the “Baldy” part of his backward name doesn’t really jibe with the pictorial record of the man himself. Whether he was a prodigious eater or not is unrecorded as far as I can find. I would venture that we are witness to a series of in-jokes here. (Daredevil Comics 005, 1941)

    Comics Folk:

    Give a Golden Age comic creator like Edd Ashe a chance to write a list and you’ll get a bunch of references to other Golden Age comics guys. For example, this collection of football stats features a (Harry “A”) Chesler College, a (Gil) Fox University and a (Mort) Meskin Mining & Mech. And a double-barrelled reference to Bob Wood, with Wood Military College and also Woodro College, referencing a Bob Wood/Charles Biro combination pen name. (Daredevil Comics 006, 1941)

    The list of schools also includes one called Lamont and I was ready to discount it, but then remembered that there was a reference to a Lamont in the previous issue, as a circus freak called the “Man of Wood,” which made me think that this might be a third Bob Wood reference and wouldn’t you know it some places list his middle name as Lamont or Lemont. What’s with all the Bob Wood references, Edd Ashe? 

    Franklin Roosevelt: 

    Once again, President Roosevelt is placed in the unenviable position of being in charge of a country plagued by the Claw’s particular brand of bullshit. He’s also placed in shadow and a 3/4 reverse view, because comic artists didn’t like to draw his face, presumably out of respect. (Daredevil Comics 002, 1941)

    Fritz Julius Kuhn: 

    I’ll be honest: I had no idea who Fritz Kuhn was and certainly didn’t twig to “Herr Kahn” here being a version of him until I took a look to see if “Nordic infested […] Yorkville” was a real place and spotted his name associated with our favourite band of overhyped losers the German-American Bund on its Wikipedia page. Like the Bund itself, the spectre of Kuhn seems to have haunted comics long after he himself was relevant – he had already been slung in jail for tax evasion by the time this comic was published. (Daredevil Comics 005, 1941)

    I was curious, so I looked back at the various Bunds we have thusfar encountered to see if any of them had their own version of Kuhn, and the only real candidates to jump out at me were Fritz Kessel, leader of the Termania Bund (Wonderworld Comics 018, 1940) and Fritz Hewn – presumably rhymes with Kuhn – leader of the Young Bundists (Blue Ribbon Comics 014, 1941)

    George Roussos: 

    Given the uncommon nature of the surname “Roussos” I have to assume that the crooked newspaper editor in this 13 story is yet another example of Lev Gleason reference-your-coworkers style yuck-em-ups. (Daredevil Comics 003, 1941)

    Three issues later sees a murder be committed above the Roussos Pool Room. (Daredevil Comics 006, 1941)

    And in the same issue, an index of insane asylum inmates yields a Roussos, a (Jerry) Robinson and a (Bob) Wood. And possibly others, but I can’t place them.

    Heinrich Himmler:

    One of several Nazi officials vexed by the hero London and his “L” campaign (Daredevil Comics 006, 1941)

    Rudolph Hess:

    Rudolph Hess (or Hesst) and his flight to England are framed as a straightforward espionage mission, with Hesst landing along with fifty picked men via black parachutes. He is immediately captured by London. (Daredevil Comics 003, 1941)

    Winston Churchill: 

    Initially, I was all set to point out that this “London” adventure featured a completely made-up niece of Winston Churchill making a daring escape from Nazi-occupied Holland, but imagine my surprise when her uncle showed up and was a store-brand imitation Churchill with a mustache. I was particularly caught off guard by this as while US-based comics had a weird reluctance to portray or name FDR they usually had no such qualms about doing so with the PM. (Daredevil Comics 002, 1941)

    The False-Churchill returns in the “London” feature in Daredevil Comics 004, and this time his inexplicable presence is highlighted by the unaltered name of Lloyd’s of London in the upper left.

    Finally, the Churchill-alike in Daredevil Comics 005 looks different enough from both the real deal and Mustache Churchill that we must assume that there has been some sort of regime change between issues. 

  • REAL PERSON ROUND-UP 023

    It’s an Axis-heavy Round-Up this time, for reasons which will soon become clear.

    Adolf Hitler:

    Daredevil Comics 001 might not have been the first comic book to feature its title character physically attacking Adolf Hitler on the front cover, but it makes up for this in sheer volume of different characters who are getting in on the act. And the comic itself is also 100% concerned with super-heroes beating up and otherwise inconveniencing Hitler.

    Hitler’s first appearance in the comic proper also includes a rogue’s gallery of Third Reich figures, including Josef Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, Hermann Goering, Admiral von Roeder* and General Walther von Brauchitsch. Also present: the fortune teller who supposedly advised Hitler on a day-to-day basis.

    *more on him later 

    Though Daredevil is present to merely spy on the well-attended meeting above, he is found out and has to punch out not just Hitler but Goering and Goebbels as well in order to make his escape.

    Hitler’s second major humiliation in the issue comes at the hands claws of the Claw. He makes a deal with the giant villain on behalf of his Japanese allies, but the Daredevil gets involved in and ruins the whole operation.

    Hitler has to pay a hefty bribe just to get out with his skin intact. This is a fine illustration of why most villains don’t negotiate this sort of thing in person.

     

    Finally, the suprisingly hands-on Hitler is coordinating a Nazi invasion of Africa when the Daredevil and jungle hero Lance Hale get involved, giving the Daredevil the opportunity to land two more punches and a boomerang-assisted trip on the dictator.

    Lance Hale, meanwhile, pranks Hitler by giving him a shave with an incredibly accurate arrow, then almost body slams him to death before he is interrupted by Nazis. (Daredevil Comics 001, 1941) 

    Benito Mussolini: 

    A sad cameo from Il Duce after a portion of his fleet is sunk by the British. (Daredevil Comics 001, 1941) 

    Heinrich Himmler:

    Is Blackout’s Nazi foe Heinrich Himmel meant to be a version of Himmler or is it just a very Nazi collection of syllables? Hard to say. (Captain Battle Comics 001, 1941) 

    Hermann Goering: 

    Like Hitler, Goering is surprisingly willing to lead from the front in this issue. He loses a dogfight with Cloud Curtis and almost kills himself over it. (Daredevil Comics 001, 1941)

    Josef Goebbels:

    Goebbels, meanwhile, steals a codebreaking machine devised by by boy inventor Dickie Dean.

    He doesn’t manage to hang onto it for long before he gets beaten up and mummified by Dean and the Daredevil (and Zip Todd, of course). (Daredevil Comics 001, 1941)

    the Koh-i-noor Diamond: 

    Once more a big ol’ gem is given a name that sounds like “Koh-i-noor,” in this case the (baseball-sized!) Kohnoor Diamond. (Captain Battle Comics 002, 1941)

    Lord Haw-Haw: 

    Lord Garnett here is a bit of a rarity as he starts out as a masked spy who will be appearing in the next Generic Costumed Villain Round-Up and then, after shooting Whiz, King of Falcons (see the next Catalogue of Wounds) flees to Germany and takes up a career in propaganda broadcasting, where his distinctive and annoying laugh earns him the epithet “Lord Hee-Haw.”

    His new career doesn’t last very long, as he is shot down by the Silver Streak while doing some aerial broadcasting. (Daredevil Comics 001, 1941)

    Admiral von Roeder:

    Who is von Roeder is a very good question, because I can find no evidence that he actually existed. There are four plausible explanations for this:

    1. He’s a fictional Nazi who somehow got conflated with real ones. 

    2. There was an Admiral von Roeder but he was only noteworthy for exactly the length of time it took for this comic to be written and he thereafter sank into such obscurity that he is no longer remembered.

    3. The state of internet search is so wretched that a moderately obscure Nazi is currently unsearchable.

    4. They couldn’t come up with a real Nazi Admiral and so just made one up. 

    Regardless of his actual historicity, this von Roeder is beaten up by both Daredevil and a time-travelling Pirate Prince. (Daredevil Comics 001, 1941) 

    Winston Churchill: 

    Churchill invites both Daredevil and Silver Streak (and the most obnoxious version of Whiz, King of Falcons) to No. 10 Downing St to solicit their help with the war effort. (Daredevil Comics 001, 1941)

    More of this kind of thing