The Curse of Skeleton Munroe

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  • KNOCKOFF KIRBY WATCH

    (All-New Comics 009, 1944)

    A series of facts:

    -one of the things that Kirby was the King of was kid gang comics.

    -Kirby often included in his work characters who were some degree of inspired by him: Brooklyn, Scrapper, the Thing, Terrible Turpin, etc. For the purposes of this bit we shall call them kirbies.

    -the Boy Heroes, pictured above, are easily spotted as a knockoff of a Kirby kid gang, down to a attempt to mimic his art style, and Punchy, driving the motorcycle, is unmistakably a knockoff kirby.

    Going forward, we shall keep watch for further knockoff kirbies. Stay tuned.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 090: THE SPIDER

    (Detective Comics 036, 1940)

    The Spider, a notorious jewel thief, is in reality nightclub owner Durand. But Durand is in reality (shocked gasp) suburbanite Roberta Roberts!

    While the original thought process behind the character was likely no more complex than “I bet it would be fun to draw a lady in a bra and false mustache,” a few different narrative jump to the modern mind, the first being that Durand/ the Spider is the true identity of a trans man, with Roberta Roberts being maintained as a convenient cover story. Or perhaps Roberta simply has to adopt these male identities (including, it is mildly implied, a fictional husband) in order to succeed in the worlds of business and crime. Either version of this story could be pretty great in the hands of the right writer. BRING BACK the Spider, I say.

    I also find myself shipping two characters for maybe the first time ever? Speed Saunders is a rare Golden Age lawman character with a presence in (somewhat) modern comics, having been made cousin to the original Hawkgirl and grandfather to the 2000s version of same. There’s a non-zero if very low chance of him showing up in flashbacks to the 40s and 50s and I keep picturing him introducing “my associate, Durand” to people and thinking that it’s adorable. Is this what all the people on Tumblr see in making fictional characters kiss in their minds?

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 089: SCRAG

    (Blue Beetle Comics 005, 1940)

    Scrag attempts to extort (New) York City using remote controlled bombers – not a terrifically unique plan but he’s just so gleeful about his evil that I love him. Blown up while battling the Blue Beetle.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 089: SCRAG

    (Blue Beetle Comics 005, 1940)

    Scrag attempts to extort (New) York City using remote controlled bombers – not a terrifically unique plan but he’s just so gleeful about his evil that I love him. Blown up while battling the Blue Beetle.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 088: THE BLACK-ROBED MAN

    (Blue Beetle Comics 004, 1940)

    It’s fairly unsupported right now as the only other example of a crossdressing villain so far is the Coin, but trust me when I say that an older woman adopting a younger male identity for crime is a comparative rarity as compared to the opposite. I may find myself compelled to note all of the times that non-super gangster types do it, just to lend weight to my claims.

    Anyway, the Black-Robed Man. Runs a gang out of a house that is technically owned by her niece, which is how the Blue Beetle gets involved, helping the damsel who is being run out of her home by dastards.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 088: THE BLACK-ROBED MAN

    (Blue Beetle Comics 004, 1940)

    It’s fairly unsupported right now as the only other example of a crossdressing villain so far is the Coin, but trust me when I say that an older woman adopting a younger male identity for crime is a comparative rarity as compared to the opposite. I may find myself compelled to note all of the times that non-super gangster types do it, just to lend weight to my claims.

    Anyway, the Black-Robed Man. Runs a gang out of a house that is technically owned by her niece, which is how the Blue Beetle gets involved, helping the damsel who is being run out of her home by dastards.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 087: BLITZ

    (Blue Beetle Comics 004, 1940)

    Blitz: by far the best thing about this probably-meant-to-be-German spy is his collection of henchmen, who include a maniacal dwarf and Ax, who is somewhat unsurprisingly obsessed with his signature weapon. Love a henchman who goes all-in on their bit.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 086: THE MASTERMIND OF CRIME

    (Blue Beetle Comics 003, 1940)

    A lot of these early Blue Beetle villains are real basic so I’m not even going to bother with the questions.

    Mastermind of Crime: very good hood, attempts to take over NYC York City, turns out to actually be the civic reformer who has been raising a stink over all this organized crime all over the place.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 085: BOSS X

    (Blue Beetle Comics 002, 1940)

    What makes them a super-villain? In thinking about this question I realized just how close comic book-style organized crime comes to supercrime to begin with and that Boss X represents the bare minimum of extra oomph required to make the leap to the super-villain designation: the name and the fact that he works out of a secret underground lair on an island.

  • MINOR SUPER-VILLAIN 084: BLACKBEARD

    (Batman Comics 004, 1940)

    What makes them a super-villain? I’ve already stated multiple times that pirates get a free pass. Old-timey cosplay pirates get double marks.

    What is interesting about them? Blackbeard is actually a frustrated former actor turned gang boss, and if you don’t think that I don’t want more of that in comics you don’t know me very well. Bring back Blackbeard and make him a method actor.