From the January 1953 issue of Mister Mystery #9.
Friday, October 17, 2014
What's in a Name?
Mister Mystery was a wildly uneven comic series featuring both excellent examples of top notch pre code stories, as well as hilariously clunky, barrel bottom gems like today's tale concerning a hapless fool trying to pull a fast one, (fast = 5 years?!) Charles Stern's art here is about as stiff 'n flimsy as the script, though there is a minor moment where he's suddenly channeling (aka swiping) either Jack Davis or Howard Nostrand with a teensy bit of suckcess, see the panel at the bottom of page 3 (mad head) for an example-- har! Also, those of you out there who are model airplane enthusiasts might find that yes, life really does imitate art!
From the January 1953 issue of Mister Mystery #9.
From the January 1953 issue of Mister Mystery #9.
Outside of the story, I've always wondered about Mister Mystery. Did he pre-date this comic? I don't remember him hosting or being in another comic (maybe super hero or crime story.) He seems completely out of place in your regular collection of ghouls, mummies, and skeletons.
ReplyDeleteA old guy in a domino mask and top hat screams "don't go in the van" not "scary tales ahead" or "the perils of model airplane buying."
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ReplyDeleteSince when does a model plane cost the same as a dinner date? Unless maybe it's a vintage model plane, and there's no suggestion of that.
ReplyDeleteEither way, that scene looks ahead to the "nerd who can't hold on to a girlfriend" joke - all right, maybe it was already around then, but it got a lot bigger along the way. Either way, I'm kind of glad this was written before Star Wars or Star Trek, because making him a model plane collector is a bit more original!
I have a few note Mister Mystery tales on the way, so stay tombed... thanks for the comments
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