DCRO 33- Popular Comics (1936) #9 [N Story]

Story title: "So Near But Yet So Far" 

Cover Date: October 1936

By: Sheldon Mayer

DCRO Entry

So, Scribbly's still here, as he will be for a while, so let's get to it.

Right off the bat, we get some continuity, as Scribbly is feeling down in the dumps and doesn't even want to play baseball anymore, since it reminds him of a certain incident involving Ving Parker.

His friends are somewhat concerned with his newfound negative outlook, but eventually chalk it up to "the ineffable mysteries of the artist's mind" (they don't actually say that phrase), and move on.

Meanwhile, Ving Parker is so impressed with the boy's art that he's back in the neighborhood to look for him! And his butler, Perkins, is tagging along.

So they follow the trail of scribbles for four hours, without results. Look, Scribbly's drawings are amusing and all, but having two adults trying to find a kid that's not their relative for four hours is a bit creepy.

Just as they're exiting a coal cellar (whatever that is), they decide it's been quite enough so they head back to their car. This is what they find:

Enough to make anyone mad, but seeing how big of a fan of Scrribbly's Ving is, I bet he'll be delighted.

We'll have to find out next time though.

Next time: Scribbly buys a ventilator!

Quick reminder that you can read every Dell-era Scribbly strip here and this particular one on its DCRO page.

Now, let's get to the ratings.

Quality/Enjoyment: 3/5

Not much to say here. The joke still wasn't very funny (better than the last two though), but I'm still enjoying the continuity (I don't think we get any multi-parters for this "series" but the overall continuity is the biggest so far) and the slice-of-life aspect. I know the strip is very loosely autobiographical, and my guess is that there's a bit of wish fulfillment as well, with the famous cartoonist pursuing the kid for his talent. 

Historical/Cultural/Narrative Significance: 1/5

Alright, that's it. Starting on the next entry, Scribbly will be featured in a different magazine, where he'll get two pages! Thanks for reading and have a nice rest of your day!

DRCO 32- Popular Comics (1936) #8 [T Story]

Story title: "Scribbly Makes an Impression!!!" 

Cover Date: September 1936

By: Sheldon Mayer

DCRO Entry

I hope you like Scribbly because we'll be stuck with him for a while! 17 entries to be precise! If you don't like him though, don't worry too much. None of these entries are longer than a page, and some are even shorter (you'll see). Just get to it.

So, we get a bit of exposition as everyone and their mother is talking about one Ving Parker.

Or, well, maybe just three people. Anyway, if you remember the previous Scribbly strip, Ving Parker was already mentioned as Scribbly's inspiration for cartooning.

Also, Ving Parker's cartoons are published in the least expected place:

Look at that, it's a DC and Marvel crossover! On a story that wasn't exactly published by DC... And before Spider-Man and the Daily Bugle even existed... Whatever, it's an amusing coincidence!

Later, the boy cartoonist is doing his boy cartoonist thing (on a fence!), and one of his friends asks if he can draw him, which he does, right before going to play baseball with some other friends.

And do you know who's in the neighborhood to see all of this? Ving Parker of course! He sees Scribbly's scribble and likes it, so the other boy tells him where to find the artist.

By the way, I think this is a fantasy we all had at some point growing up. You know, that the person you admire will be casually strolling by your neighborhood and notice something you did. Maybe it was just me, but it sounds like it should be fairly common lol.

Anyway, Ving Paker then steps right in the middle of the ball game and...

To be fair, it was probably Ving's fault for walking into an ongoing game, but for Scribbly ti will be hard to get over the fact that it was he who "socked" the artist.

Then the boys scramble (which is likely another fond childhood memory of many), and later Scribbly's latest model finds him and breaks the news to him: the man he hit was Ving Parker. You know, telling him that is just cruelty at this point... Not that I wouldn't though.

He walks away, sulking. But apparently, there's a surprise waiting for him.

We'll have to find out next time though.

As always, let me remind you you can read every Dell-era Scribbly story here. And this particular one has a scan on its DCRO page. Now, let's see the ratings.

Quality/Enjoyment: 3/5

Once again, the joke wasn't very funny, but for me, Scribbly isn't really about the jokes. There is some continuity now, with Ving Parker being mentioned last time and appearing in this one. And I bet Scribbly will actually meet him next time! If the "series" turns out to be an easygoing walk through the boy's career as a cartoonist, then count me in.

Historical/Cultural/Narrative Significance: 1/5

And that's the end of this entry. You know what comes next so I'll just say thanks for reading and have a nice rest of your day!

DCRO 31- New Comics (1935) #11 [Y Story]

Story title: "Nate Devlin Crashes the Movies" 

Cover Date: December 1936

By: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

DCRO Entry

So, back to New Comics and Federal Men, let's see how Steve Carson does in a one-part story after the insanity of the last time.

This story starts after the action: a bank has been robbed and the perpetrators are fleeing, leaving a trail of blood behind. Of course, the FBI is after them, and after some pursuit, the criminals hide in an abandoned farm.

After a few days, they are forced to come out, but after a gunfight, they manage to escape.

And this is where Steve Carson springs into action: he and Ralph have found a clue on the whereabouts of this gang. Apparently, there was a robbery at a gas station and the tire prints match the records from the previous bank robbery... I didn't know tire print records were a thing... So cars didn't have number plates yet or something?

Also, it's nice to see Ralph again. Not because I particularly like him, but because it shows that Siegel and Shuster care at least a little about the continuity of the title. I just hope the cast keeps being built over time.

We get the obligatory transition panel, which would be confusing (because they're shooting a car) if I hadn't realized yet that these aren't actually transition panels, but more like, banner: part 2 thingies.

So, after "almost establishing a new aerial record for speed", which might be a slight exaggeration, they get to the place and find the gang's car completely wrecked. Upon closer examination of the vehicle, they find some hair strands and a mask (with fingerprints), which they send to a chemist. I don't think these tests are as simple as "sending them to a chemist", especially the part with the hair, and especially back in 1937. But anyway, they get a name: "Nate Devlin".

Meanwhile, Nate is telling his partners in crime about his latest bright idea: They'll become actors. Because no one would think about looking for wanted criminals in showbiz! Never mind how hard becoming a successful actor is in the first place, I'm sure there are better ways to hide than becoming famous!

But alas, since this is 1930s comics, they do manage to get some good parts on a gangster flick. 

So, there's an electrocution scene and the wanted murderer says "It just comes natural to me"? Was that a death penalty joke? Nice one! Dark humor is not exactly what I expected to find when I got into the order.

Anyway, they're doing a bank robbery scene inside the movie and the gang wants to turn it into a real one (which is also funny, but a bit dumb because props exist). However, Nate has other plans: he likes this new gig, so he wants to stay.

This got me thinking. Wouldn't this whole thing be a lot more interesting as a redemption story? Like, Nate found his true passion so he's leaving crime behind. Maybe we could also have Steve Carson questioning his morality ("Should I still turn him in if he's not going to do any more harm?"). Of course, though, I realize a redemption arc might be too much for a four-page story, and a moral dichotomy might also be too much for a 1930s comic book hero.

My hope is lost immediately because the next thing that happens is that Steve and Ralph discover Nate by pure chance because they happened to just be visiting the studio. So Steve explains the situation to the director and sets a plan in motion:

During the aforementioned electrocution scene, Steve tells Nate that he's turned the fake electric chair into a real one. Man, I hope he's bluffing, because otherwise this whole thing is pretty messed up.

Nate doesn't believe him at first, so (get this) Steve prickles him with a needle, and Nate mistakes this for a jolt of electricity... Sure.

This plan is really dumb and probably illegal, but it works out and Nate reveals the whereabouts of the rest of the gang. They are just finishing up their "fake" bank robbery, but the police, warned by Steve, catch up to them.

The entire gang is caught, Nate Devlin is only posing for prison photos now, and that's the end of the story.

Federal Men of Tomorrow huh? It'd be really cool if Steve Carson went to the future! I wouldn't mind a generic story like this one once in a while if they are interspersed with crazier stuff like The Invisible Empire!

So, let's see the ratings:

Quality/Enjoyment: 2/5

You know, there's nothing especially wrong with this story. In fact, it's better and more enjoyable than most generic gangster stories of the time. The thing is, I've already said that I mostly rate stories on how I feel about them, and less on how "objectively" good they are ("objectively good" or "objectively bad" are oxymorons anyway, but let's not get into that lol).  And the truth is, after reading how three giant robots fought an epic battle for the fate of Washington (or whatever city it was) and possibly the world, going back to this kind of stuff is a bit disappointing. I'll try to be fairer with future stories of its kind though.

Historical/Cultural/Narrative Significance: 1/5

Alright, that's it for now. Next time, Scribbly comes back, and he'll be with us for a while!. Until then, thanks for reading, and have a nice rest of your day!

DCRO 30- Funny Picture Stories (1936) #2 [A Story]

Story title: "Hare and Hound" 

Cover Date: December 1936

By: George Brenner

DCRO Entry

So, our boy The Clock is back on Funny Picture Stories for another auto-conclusive story. Let's see how it goes.

Oh cool! There's another blurb in the index! I should start checking for that sort of stuff on the other series...

So, two faces huh? I hope he doesn't run into the Bat-Man then.

The story starts off with a bunch of policemen (including the one that was tricked in the first story) discussing the whole "Clock" situation. The bottom line is: they have to bring him in.

Even though a minute ago they didn't have any clues, now they know The Clock is gonna pay a visit to one J. Perry Getmore (must be the son of J. Perry Getsome lol), so the chief sends four detectives after him. 

Then there's a whole page of the chief character sitting next to a phone and fruitlessly talking to different people. I assume he's hoping for some more leads, but he doesn't get much, until...

We don't know what he heard, but after that, he calls some of his men and... Ohhhh! I know what's going on! The page order is wrong! Page three should be page two and vice-versa. Know it makes more sense. Anyway, that should clear up some confusion if you decide to read the story I guess. So, I don't know if the scan or the original publisher made the mistake, but I'd be willing to bet it's the latter...

Then the chief and some detectives go to the man in question's home, where he explains that he knows a "feind" by the name of The Clock is after him, which he knows because he found his calling card (inside a sandwich, no less). 

Well, it's almost 11:30, but this one's easy for The Clock! All he has to do is strike at a different time, maybe even wait a few days. So that's exactly what he's going to do right? Right?

*Sigh* They both hear a noise somewhere inside the house, so the captains request the lights are turned off (that sounds like an extremely bad idea). They go straight for the safe, just to find a prowler:

It's The Clock! Who else could wear the worst mask in the world?

They call the detectives in for the great reveal: They are going to unmask The Clock! If the others don't hurry up, a light breeze might do the unmasking for them. Anyway, the identity of The Clock is...

 

Who again? Also, taking off his mask apparently changed his suit's color...

This guy apparently is the son of the captain's best friend... I don't know if he had appeared before this, maybe I need to pay more attention...

Anyway, he calls his lawyer and he's bailed immediately, so at this point, I guess it's pretty obvious that he's not actually THE Clock.

Sure enough, the next page explains it all: There's a long-ass letter from The Clock to the chief/captain guy, but it's really hard to read. I don't think it's the scan's fault either (don't get me wrong, the resolution could be better, but it's good enough), it's just the combination of weird cursive handwriting and small letters. If you don't believe me, see for yourself.

It's not impossible, just really awkward. Thankfully though, a DCRO user named Katryn wrote a transcription, so they saved us the effort.

So, from what I could gather, this Getmore guy was another rich asshole who basically scammed poor people for a living. The Clock obviously had to fix this, so he stole a lot of his money and did his Robin Hood thing again. So far so good, but this is where it gets weird: He figured there would be a police presence in the house in question (no shit, fucking Einstein), so he used makeup to disguise himself as that "young Traymore" man (which was apparently a last minute thought) so he could also use the lawyer o the family to get bailed quickly (because abuse of power is wrong until it benefits you!). And the worst part is he didn't even get the money the first time, so he had to return to the mansion! WELL, I HOPE YOU DIDN'T SEND A WARNING THIS TIME!

Why?! Just why?! This whole plan is just so stupid! So needlessly convoluted! If The Clock was smart, it was as easy "striking" at a different time as it said in the warning (because the police aren't very smart either, so they believed the note wholeheartedly). Or just not sending a warning! It's not like it's his code of honor or some shit like that. In fact, this is the first one he sends.

Then he ends the letter like this:

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but as a native Spanish speaker, I don't think I have said the phrase "Adios Amigo" even once.

This is the captain's reaction to the letter.

 

Damn, he must feel like a real tool after being fooled by a plan like that one.

Anyway, that's the end of the story.

Before the ratings, remember you can read this issue here, and this story on its DCRO entry.

Quality/Enjoyment: 2/5

Well, well well. Just when I thought The Clock was starting to get stuck on a very repetitive formula after only two stories, he managed to surprise me. I liked this story being focused more on the police chasing him, rather than him chasing some criminal. I applaud that in fact, and hope more stories of this character and others follow suit. Of course, all of that goes to hell when we take a look at the actual story. It's not just that it's kind of hard to follow. It's not that two pages are reversed. It's not even the letter at the end, which is not only hard to read but also a pretty annoying form of exposition (We've seen a lot worse though. At least this time there was actually an in-universe letter, unlike Doctor Occuly, who outright explained the plot to the reader). It's just that idiotic (and improvised!!) plan that gets me so much. I would've given this a 1/5 if it weren't for the semi-original format.

Historical/Cultural/Narrative Significance: 1/5

Ok, that's finally it. See you next time for another one-parter starring Steve Carson! For now, thanks for reading and have a nice rest of your day!

DCRO 29- More Fun Comics (1936) #17 [E Story]

Story title: "Koth and the Seven, Part 5" 

Cover Date: January 1937

By: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

DCRO Entry

So, this is the last part of the story. In the previous issue, Koth was about to destroy the world, so let's go and see if the Doc can stop him... I'll go out on a limb here and say he will.

Through unknown means (this is starting to be a common phrase in this series), news of Koth's invasion reaches The Seven, so they, together with Occult and Zator, depart to the battlefield.

The battle begins after a very short-lived (and poor) attempt at negotiation. It's "a few thousands" against nine... This will go well.

And to think this could've been avoided so easily... If only the Doctor would've gotten rid of Koth last time when he was already inside his pyramid. I know I've already mentioned this like three times, but it's arguably the worst Golden Age convenience we've seen so far. There isn't even a poor excuse or any sort of reasoning as to why the Doctor and Zator had to report to The Seven then and there. They just did it without even thinking about explaining why...

Anyway, the Doctor starts pressing random buttons on his newly acquired magic belt. I can't blame him for that. Given the other powers that thing has, there must be something useful right now in there!

Sure enough. A phantom army comes out of nowhere, so now the fight is a bit more balanced. Wow, we might also be getting the biggest Deus Ex Machina yet!

So, if you thought the belt was overpowered before, wait till you hear this: This "phantom army" is not only one, free, and two, inexhaustible, but also self-replenishing! Apparently, when one of the phantoms "dies" another one simply takes its place.

Koth, knowing he doesn't have much of a chance against this army, goes straight to the Doctor to get the belt.

However, instead of instantly killing him, he had to give his final speech, and that's how he loses. The Seven then do some "Hip hip hooray" bullshit and that's the end of Koth.

After that, a member of The Seven congratulates Occult for his assistance. Bitch, what assistance? He literally just pressed buttons on the belt. It's not like it is the sort of magic item that requires some effort or some sacrifice on the wielder's part... Furthermore, they didn't even need him to retrieve it! Any of them and even maybe Zator alone could've taken care of that... As I'd said before, the main character doesn't need to be the center of the universe, but I hope the Doctor starts actually having an important part in his own stories sometime soon.

Also, I gotta say, some of these characters are looking almost like actual superheroes...

Zator specifically looks like he's dressed with only the outer layer of Superman's outfit. You know, just the cape and the Speedo.

Anyway, that's the end of this story.

Seems like we'll be getting another multi-parter the next time the Doctor shows up on the order. If you want to find out early, you can read every Golden Age story of the Doctor here, and this particular one on its DCRO entry. Now, let's see the ratings:

Quality/Enjoyment: 3/5

Once again, I was close to giving this part a 2, especially with how ridiculous the Deus Ex Machina was, but you know what? That kind of thing was extremely common back then, and I enjoyed seeing the large-scale battle, which was portrayed very decently (most of the panels were pretty big). So a 3 it is.

Historical/Cultural/Narrative Significance: 1/5

Very well, the streak of multi-parters finally ends with this one, so next time we'll read an auto-conclusive story starring The Clock. Until then, thanks for reading, and have a nice rest of your day!

DCRO 28- More Fun Comics (1936) #16 [D Story]

Story title: "Koth and the Seven, Part 4" 

Cover Date: December 1936

By: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

DCRO Entry

One more day, one more part of this story, let's get to it:

So, apparently, this particular part isn't written by Leger and Reuths, but by a single entity known only as "Legar Reuths", the embodiment of publisher-enforced pseudonyms, or something like that.

The story starts with a summary, and from the way it's drawn, I can only imagine Koth (or whoever that is) reciting it with the most serious tone while staring directly at the reader.

Then, with the press of a button, the belt puts Occult airborne. So the "magic belt" just had a grappling hook attached to it? Nah, he's probably flying...

So, even with his new flying abilities, the Doctor isn't going fast enough to save Zator (if you remember, the last part ended with him surrounded and the Doctor distracted with some box), but then he presses another button and the bad guy just turns to stone! 

I figured the belt would be overpowered but flying and turning people to stone? That may be too much. Even Koth's "monsters" know that, because then they run away.

So, Occult wants to go take care of Koth right now, but Zator is quick to ruin the fun: apparently, first, they have to report to The Seven for... For what again? Oh right! The script says so! Seriously though, they have the villain right there in his home, they have the magic item and all. But no, first we've gotta learn about Koth's backstory!

Putting that aside, the backstory itself is pretty cool for what it is. The concept of a backstory is something I quite like, and it being such an integral part of comic books, I'm happy we're getting our first one.

So, this is how it goes:

A long time ago, a spaceship crashed on our planet.

The crew survived the impact, but then a group of cavemen attacked, fearing the unknown (as cavemen do), and only one member survived: Koth.

Ok, so, how come these space travelers with super advanced technology weren't able to fend off a few cavemen wielding sticks and stones? Did they think it a good idea to visit an unknown planet unarmed? Didn't they have magic back then? Or is that just Koth's thing? Also, how old is this dude? Besides, we've been told Koth is an "inhuman being" which I guess it's technically true, but they made it sound like he was some kind of demon or eldritch demigod, when it turns out he's just an alien.

Anyway, since then, Koth has been wiping out entire civilizations one after the other, and now, he has finished preparing an army to destroy the whole world!

Ah yes, the old villain trick of not seeking revenge against the people who actually hurt you, but on everyone and everything even remotely related to them. It was pretty obvious this guy has some issues though, he did after all kill one of his own subordinates after receiving bad news.

And that's the end of this part. No "to be continued" this time.

Before the ratings, remember you can read this and every other old Doctor Occult story here, and you can also read this particular one on its DCRO entry.

Quality/Enjoyment: 3/5

I was going to give this a 2 because the fact that they could've gotten rid of Koth right then and there but they decided to flee for no reason whatsoever was a bit much, but I dig the backstory (and more so, the fact that it's there) quite a bit, so there's that.

Historical/Cultural/Narrative Significance: 2/5

Extra point for having the first backstory in the entire order!

And that's it. Next time, the conclusion to this storyline, so stay tuned for that. For now, thanks for reading and have a nice rest of your day!

DCRO 27- More Fun Comics (1936) #15 [Q Story]

Story title: "Koth and the Seven, Part 3" 

Cover Date: November 1936

By: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

DCRO Entry

So, we're still on More Fun Comics, and I'm pretty sure this will be the permanent home of Doctor Occult, at least until he revives in the 80s. Anyway, let's see how Occult and Zator's invasion of Koth's home goes.

Oh! We begin the story with an attack by a racial stereotype...

I don't even know what it's trying to portray, (it doesn't really look like an Egyptian stereotype) but it seems offensive alright!

It's also interesting to note that it's not "The black giant's path" but "The giant's black path"... That's all I had to say, it just sounds a bit weird lol.

So, anyway, racial stereotype over there is about to kill Zator, but the Doctor intervenes! During their fight, Occult notices his weapon "counters attack of its own volition", and so he "understands why it was presented to him by The Seven". So they were like: "Yeah, this guy doesn't know squat about fencing, how's he gonna stop Koth?" "Idk man, give him the automatic sword or something, he's Zator friend, just go easy on him". Also, this is kind of the epitome of the theme of Doctor Occult not really doing much. Think about it! Most of the problems in his stories usually get resolved by other people, with the Doctor just kind of being there. I guess it's alright to have a series where the main character isn't the center of the universe and the other characters also do stuff, but it'd be nice if he actually did something once in a while...

Well, no, I bet he didn't actually expect you to have a magical weapon that wins automatically...

Meanwhile, Koth is hearing all about the invasion, but even though he could kill the invaders immediately, he holds back because "that would be too easy"... Sure, buddy, whatever makes you feel good about yourself.

Next, the heroes are attacked by some green creatures, and apparently, the Doctor's a bit too thirsty for blood, after sampling the power of the auto-blade.

But before they can taste the steel, the green creatures vanish, and in their stead, the heroes find a case with the magic belt they were looking for. What the hell? Is that a trick from Koth? If it is, it's a bit too obvious, but we all know they're going to fall for it anyway...

But it wasn't a trick though... Apparently, Koth is just now hearing about this belt, which just so happens to be the only real threat to him... 

Also, someone hasn't heard about not killing the messenger... Especially when he's your own lackey...

So, after hearing the news, Koth forgets about trying to have fun and orders that Occult and Zathor are killed immediately. Guess someone just poop their pants... Or whatever he's wearing. To be fair though, an auto-blade AND a magic belt do sound like too big an advantage for the heroes...

Meanwhile, the green creatures have un-vanished and Zator is fencing them off while the Doctor opens the box with the belt at a leisurely pace.

And that's it for this issue.

As always, you can read the early Doctor Occult works here. And you can find this particular story in its DCRO entry, which is already linked above. I think the ComicBoook+ scan is a bit better though, but don't quote me on that.

So, let's see the ratings:

Quality/Enjoyment: 3/5

Decent enough for what it is, a nice infiltration into an enemy lair. There's some action, there's a villain being villainous, and there's some magical bullshit... Pretty much what you'd expect for this kind of comic book from this specific era.

Historical/Cultural/Narrative Significance: 1/5

Alright, that's it for today, we still have two more parts of this to go, so I'll see you then. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and have a nice rest of your day!