The Curse of Skeleton Munroe

Category: Vigilante

  • MEDIA IN COMICS 013

    Today in Media in Comics, we’re all about the Movies:

    Movie star Dawn O’Dare returns to her home town of Holtville to premiere her new picture Love Me Forever! but the whole affair is almost undone when her understudy attempts to impersonate her and make off with the theatrical take, only to in turn be foiled by local copy boy Hap Hazard. (Lightning Comics v2 004, 1941)

    Angry Waves, a sea epic, features a found footage action scene as one of the Strange Twins rescues the other from drowning. (Hit Comics 016, 1941)

    It’s time for our first movie titled Crime Doesn’t Pay, starring police officer Sally O’Neil and featuring a real on-screen murder. (National Comics 010, 1941)

    I fear that we will only be able to evaluate all of the Gone with the Wind parody titles once we have enough of then together to compare. That said, Flown with the Breeze, here about to be attended by Allan “the Hunchback” Lanier and date, has to be one of the more goofy of the bunch. (Wow Comics 002, 1941)

    This adaptation of Ivanhoe had a troubled production thanks to an on-set protection racket. It is also distinguished by the fact that its arms and armour consultant was Justin Arthur, aka the Shining Knight. (Adventure Comics 068, 1941)

    Jungle Justice, another troubled production due to on-set criminals, boasts its own heroic consultant in the person of Congo Bill. (Action Comics v1 042, 1941)

    Though Red River Days managed to get made without any notable hiccups, its premiere in the actual town of Red River is marred by organized crime. (Adventure Comics 060, 1941)

    Thrills of Africa, is a jungle movie that gives one crook the opportunity to dress up in a gorilla suit and rob the theatre it’s playing in after posing as a statue in the lobby for who knows how long. Also, his two pals are there in blackface.

    While chasing these problematic miscreants, Hourman passes a poster for The Count of… something. Perhaps Monte Cristo? Whatever it is, it must be printed real small, given the size of that poster. (All-Star Comics 006, 1941)

    During the Dummy’s tenure ans one of the Five Fingers of the Hand, he heads off to Hollywood to run a kidnapping scheme, and of course this ends up involving a whole plethora of movies. To begin, we have Aircraft Carrier, the premiere of which is ruined when star Rex Mason is seemingly turned to stone but actually spirited away.

    Six-Gun Serenade, a Western, features occasional Vigigilante sidekick Billy Gunn as an extra.

    While Vigilante is visiting Billy on-set, he gets involved in the latest kidnap attempt on the nearby set of sports film Touchdown Blues.

    The crooks’ getaway then takes then through the set of Bars and Stripes, which may or may not be a patriotic prison movie.

    Finally, the Dummy’s men are run to ground on the set of jungle picture Tropic Doom. (Leading Comics 001, 1941)

  • NOTES – OCTOBER 2025

    Cops Shooting Fleeing Suspects in the Back: 

    I’ll grant these cops this: Steel Sterling did just steal one of their motorcycles. I still don’t think that that warrants a  “SHOOT TO KILL!” and three bullets in the back. (Zip Comics 001, 1940)

    Even less of a reason to shoot someone in the back: because you heard a different person shooting at them and assumed that they were a thief. Both because you are wrong and the person you are shooting at is actually super-hero Mr Satan and because theft is not punishable by death. (Zip Comics 007, 1940) 

    Not only do the cops try to blow the Scarlet Avenger away here, but they also allow real culprit Mr Nimbus to make a getaway. (Zip Comics 009, 1940) 

    Honours: 

    Rambunctious pilots Tim and Tom Shane, aka the Devils Twins, are decorated for valour. (Zip Comics 001, 1940)

    Super-Heroes Going to Costume Parties as Themselves: 

    Dudley Bradshaw, aka Mr Satan, attends a very costume-heavy Mardi Gras parade in costume as himself. (Zip Comics 005, 1940)

    Both Mr Scarlet and his enemy Bluebeard attend the same costume party in character. (Wow Comics 004, 1941)

    (Pinky is there too, of course) 

    Vigilante also attended a costume party as himself in 1941 and I completely neglected to note it before now. (Action Comics v1 042, 1941) 

  • NOTES – OCTOBER 2025

    Cops Shooting Fleeing Suspects in the Back: 

    I’ll grant these cops this: Steel Sterling did just steal one of their motorcycles. I still don’t think that that warrants a  “SHOOT TO KILL!” and three bullets in the back. (Zip Comics 001, 1940)

    Even less of a reason to shoot someone in the back: because you heard a different person shooting at them and assumed that they were a thief. Both because you are wrong and the person you are shooting at is actually super-hero Mr Satan and because theft is not punishable by death. (Zip Comics 007, 1940) 

    Not only do the cops try to blow the Scarlet Avenger away here, but they also allow real culprit Mr Nimbus to make a getaway. (Zip Comics 009, 1940) 

    Honours: 

    Rambunctious pilots Tim and Tom Shane, aka the Devils Twins, are decorated for valour. (Zip Comics 001, 1940)

    Super-Heroes Going to Costume Parties as Themselves: 

    Dudley Bradshaw, aka Mr Satan, attends a very costume-heavy Mardi Gras parade in costume as himself. (Zip Comics 005, 1940)

    Both Mr Scarlet and his enemy Bluebeard attend the same costume party in character. (Wow Comics 004, 1941)

    (Pinky is there too, of course) 

    Vigilante also attended a costume party as himself in 1941 and I completely neglected to note it before now. (Action Comics v1 042, 1941) 

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 137: THE SHADE

     (Action v1 043, 1941)


    Vigilante’s first super-foe has the misfortune to share his name with a certain Flash villain beloved of James Robinson, so it’s just as well that he’s nothing more than a gang boss who uses stage illusions to conceal his real identity because he is never seeing the light of day again.

    He did manage to make a second appearance in the Golden Age, so at least there’s that.