In the comments of our last post of 2024 (HERE!), it sounded to me like Brian was maybe revealing to us his love for devil villains in underpants. So, enter The Deacon and Mickey, an action packed horror crime back-up tale from the December 1943 issue of Cat-Man Comics #22. Yes, I do believe these "Demons of Death" will surely satisfy Brian's fever for the flavor of more rockin' red, hot-pants fashion. For those unaware, Dean Denton, aka "The Deacon" was a former bad guy turned faux holy man crime fighter, making up for his pitiful past by dressing the part, as well as teaming up with sidekick Mickey to battle the denizens of the underworld. There are 32 appearances in all, occasionally dealing with spookier subject matter, thus qualifying The Deac for inclusion here at THOIA. Also, if that pulp perfect splash page doesn't immediately make it worthy, then nothing will. And again-- Happy 2025 to everyone who helps keep this blog chuggin' along with comments and suggestions-- you guys are the best!
4 comments:
My favorite panel is the “I don’t like your ugly face!” one. I like how “Satan” immediately complies when asked to spill the beans on him and his fellow “devils”. I chuckled at how casually the next story is set up with Rasputin Jr.
That splash page is a Jack Chick fever dream.
I guess this was the inspiration for Bibleman, though The Deacon doesn't preach the good word, just preach might over right.
I am surprised The Deacon wasn't turned into a spoof or parody by an underground comix back in the 60's, now that would have been something else.
Now The Deacon can join Werewolf Hunter and Zero in a league of their own, as superheroes against supernatural scoundrels.
One of the fun things about these early 40s stories is how a lot of people will still kind of figuring out how this whole comic business works. This is like a script for a radio serial; stuff just happens (sometimes really conveniently) and there's almost always a moment where the hero is captured and then fights his way out it.
Alright Mickey, you are brave, we get it. Yeesh.
The paneling is too tight but they avoid too many captions and there's some good figure work and action in this.
And yes, I love the super villain devils. Where they might as well be a bad guy in a Green Lantern comic, they monologue, they were costumes, I guess it reminds me of all the great Marvel horror stuff I read as a kid!
This story is a hoot. A bunch of bankers form a street gang to embezzle money! This was the forties, at the dawn of delinquency, just before the greasers. I kind of wish they'd dressed these guys up in the work boots and denim jackets real delinquent youth gangs were wearing. Sort of a class appropriation to further hide their bankster bona-fides. Also, tough-guy jackets with motorcycle club devil logos and those red underwears would be really rasslin'!
Initially, I was charmed that the Demons (or Fiends) of Death were gonna rob a bank at the stroke of high moon. What an amazing touch! Too bad it was a simple typo. I was also charmed that the Deacon seemed to wear a domino mask when he was just lying low in the crowd--only to then take it off once he was acting the hero. What a neat, if somewhat mystifying, switch from the norm! But that was also a mistake, probably. Somebody wasn't sure just how to draw a fedora's shadow. Okay then, well how about those clever red ears? It was pretty canny to make Pierre's ears a part of his horned swimming cap, what with them being far pointier than the usual savings and loan president. If that was also a mistake I don't want to know about it.
I like the sixth panel on page two, but it should be a lot bigger. I love the third panel of page three and will probably appropriate it.
Post a Comment