I posted this Sergeant Spook tale waaaay back in 2008 HERE in its strangely less exciting, recolored / 1963 reprint version-- so here it is again in all of its original superdupernatural, fists a'flyin' fun (aka a much better encore presentation) from the far superior, October 1942 issue of Blue Bolt Vol. 3 #5. Plus, we finally get to see that amazing John Jordan cover art! For an extra good laugh, read the whiny comments on the original post, it's truly amazing that I'm even still maintaining this blog. I mean, the script was written by Mickey Spillane!
I like it, I'm beginning to really appreciate the two-fisted heroes -- or two-fisted kid -- stories. This kid throws himself RIGHT into danger, and frankly, think of your mom a bit, sending home a guy that looks like you in your clothes with an explanation about ghosts is probably not good for her heart!
ReplyDelete"Let me at him!" and then outright shoots the goons (you can't blame him) but with absolutely NO pause or thought just point and click! Did we even need Sergeant Spook? I'm pretty sure that kid could have punched his way to the treasure!
The art is a bit amateur but it's an early story so not a big deal, but it has really good movement to it. A lot of early comics feel very static and this one looks flashy. It's a good job.
And man the kid has the most mean faced expressions half the time! He scares me more than the ghost (Sergeant Spook is a great concept, BTW.)
That spook show flyer of a splash is freaking delightful, and so I got to wish more of this story had taken place down in the basement with all the spider webs and dead bodies. If I was a poor orphan, the fact that corpses were stashed here and there around the orphanage would delight and freak me out in equal measure. Crooks in sheets are just icing on the cake.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a old dark house movie version of this starring Carl Switzer and Red Skelton. Course, then one of the crooks would have to dress up like an ape, too.
Not to be contrarian, but I think the art is dynamite. Polished and breezy, full of brisk energy. I love all the work poured into panels like the middle of page five, heavy and moody and still not the lest bit leaden. Twenty years later, all the best manga would look a lot like this.
Yeah, I don't see anything amateur about the art here either, it's just done more in a style for kids. Oh well...
ReplyDeleteI have a Hy Fleishman tale up next which further proves that the cancelled book I was working on about him would've been super freakin' great. Oh well #2...
Oh man, I can't believe you had to abort a Hy Fleishman collection. My shelf wants that so bad.
ReplyDeleteMaintain this site until I die!
ReplyDeleteThat is all. :)