Jack Kirby Collector #7 Preview by TwoMorrows Publishing

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CELEBRATING THE LIFE & CAREER OF THE KING!

LICATIO

A Special Do uble-Size Theme ISSUE Celebrating Jack’s kid gangs!

Issue #7, Oct. 1995

An Unpublished

1987 Interview With Jack! An overview of

Simon & Kirby’s Kid Gangs In Search Of the

Unpublished Boy Explorers Kirby’s best or worst?

The Newsboy Legion and The Guardian © DC Comics, Inc., Artwork © Jack Kirby

The Dingbats Of Danger Street Unsung kid gang

The Boy Heroes Boys’ Ranch Unused pencils

Newsboy Legion Old & New

Unpublished Art From X-Men, Jimmy O lsen and others, including Pencils Befo re They Were Inked, And Much Mo re!!

Enter The BIG KIRBY CONTEST & Win Prizes! (see p age 34 fo r details)

Kirby News Our Apologies To Joe Sinnott n page two of TJKC #6, we inaccurately printed that Joe Sinnott had once offered to ink one of the Fourth World books, but DC turned him down. In a letter we received from Joe, he stated, “I never sought work at DC – I had no reason to. In fact, over the years DC often contacted me about leaving Marvel to work for them, but I turned them down.” Our published comments were based on a rumor we’d heard, and we carelessly neglected to contact Joe to confirm it. Joe, being the kind gentleman that he is, graciously accepted our apology, but it bears repeating in print. We humbly ask his forgiveness for our carelessness, and promise that we’ll be more diligent in the future in checking our facts. Joe, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this caused you, both professionally and personally.

O Jack at the 1971 San Diego Comic Con (photo by James Henry Klein)

The Golden Boys hroughout the Golden Age of Comics, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby gave “birth” to a score of young characters through their “kid gang” comics. They pioneered a hugely popular genre, and their adventures were read by thousands of readers over the years. They were the Golden Boys of comic’s first era, and their kid gang comics helped catapult them to the forefront as one of the premier teams in comics history. Though kid gang comics aren’t as prevalent today, we felt a closer examination of them was important. If you’re unfamiliar with the Simon & Kirby kid gang strips, you’re in for a treat. If you think you already know everything about them, I think you may find a few surprises waiting for you in this issue! And though we’re finally giving some much-deserved space to Jack’s Golden Age work, fans of his later work shouldn’t be disappointed, thanks to our Jimmy Olsen and Dingbats Of Danger Street articles. Finally, we wrap it all up with a short piece on “Street Code,” Jack’s autobiographical story about growing up in the real-life kid gangs. And Ken Viola’s unpublished interview with Jack is a treasure. After weeks of promoting TJKC at comic conventions in Charlotte, San Diego, and Dallas, we’re happy to bring you this kid gang issue. Thanks for your patience in waiting an extra month for it; we hope you’ll feel it was worth the wait.

About DC’s Reprints... ecently, we had a very pleasant and informative phone conversation with DC Comics Reprint Editor Bob Kahan (not ‘Kahn’ as we erroneously spelled his name in an earlier issue - our apologies, Bob!). First of all, it seems a number of you have sent some rather nasty letters to Bob complaining about the possible cancellation of the proposed Kirby Sandman, Challengers of the Unknown, and Jimmy Olsen reprint projects. For the record, none of these volumes were ever definite, just in the early thinking stages. Bob is a big Kirby fan, and wants to see these volumes published as much as you do, so let’s show him a little support! He’s working hard to get at least one Kirby volume on the 1996 schedule, and he should be commended for his efforts. Positive, constructive letters can be sent to Bob at his new address: DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Secondly, the only way these volumes will happen is if retailers think they can sell them. Bob is well aware of your interest in them (he’s gotten many letters), but if the retailers don’t think they’ll sell, the distributors won’t order them, and DC won’t publish them. So

Long live the King! The Jack Kirby Co llecto r #7

Copyrights: Orion, Dr. Bedlam, Mr. Miracle, Kalibak, Darkseid, Oberon, Big Barda, Boy Commandos, Newsboy Legion, The Guardian, Batman, Robin, Jimmy Olsen, Superman, and Dingbats Of Danger Street are © DC Comics, Inc.

John Morrow, Editor 502 Saint Mary’s St. • Raleigh, NC 27605 (919)833-8092 • FAX (919)833-8023 Email: twomorrow@aol.com (This issue’s cover is a drawing of The Newsboy Legion and The Guardian inked by Dave Stevens. The original pencil drawing is in the Kirby Unleashed portfolio.)

Edited by: John Morrow Design & Pro duction: John & Pamela Morrow Pro o freading: Richard howell

Captain America, Agent 13, Galactus, Hulk, Young Allies, X-Men, Angel, and Sentinels are © Marvel Entertainment Group.

Special thanks to : D. Hambone, Mark Evanier, Chris Harper, Richard Howell, Steve Sherman, Greg Theakston, Mike Thibodeaux, Jon Warren, & of course, Roz Kirby.

Boy Heroes, Boy Explorers, & Boys’ Ranch are © Joe Simon & Jack Kirby.

Argosy is a trademark of Richard Kyle. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted.

This Issue’s Contributo rs: Jeff Clem, Paul Doolittle, David Hamilton, Chris Harper, Richard Howell, Frank Johnson, Estate of Carol Kalish, James Henry Klein, Peter Koch, Richard Kyle, Andrew Mackler, Rich Morrissey, Leo Pando, Francis St. Martin, Daniel Serafin, Greg Theakston, Ken Viola, R.J. Vitone, and Curtis Wong. (Each Receives one free issue fo r their effo rts!)

The Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 2, No. 7, Oct. 1995. Published bi-monthly by TwoMorrows Advertising, 502 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. John Morrow, Editor. Pamela Morrow, Asst. Editor. Single issues and back issues: $2.50 each U.S., $2.70 Canada, $3.70 outside N. America. 6-issue subscriptions: $12.00 US, $13.20 Canada, and $19.20 outside North America. First printing (dated 9/25/95). The initial printing of this issue was mailed the week of Oct. 2, 1995. All characters are © their respective companies. All artwork is © Jack Kirby unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter is © the respective authors.

instead of continuing to bombard Bob with letters, it’s time to let all our local retailers know that we want to see these books. Only with a groundswell of support on the retail level will these books ever get published. Lastly, just what Kirby work is likely to be reprinted soon? Probably a hardcover New Gods collection. The reason for this is economics. For anything DC published before 1950, no negatives exist at all. So DC has to pay to have the original comics scanned, the color bleached out on a computer, and the entire book recolored for good reproduction. This costs almost as much as creating new art today, which means they have to sell lots of copies to just break even. And only the black negatives exist for books published between 19501980, so those must still be recolored. Since all the negatives exist from the 1984 New Gods baxter reprints, expenses are lower and the book can make a profit with fewer copies sold.

Mob #2 Story Published! n unpublished Kirby story from In The Days Of The Mob #2 was printed in the June 1995 (Vol. 6, No. 6) issue of Robin Snyder’s fantastic publication The Comics. Order a copy for $2, or subscribe for 12 issues for $22. Send to: Robin Snyder, The Comics, 255 N. Forest #405, Bellingham, WA 98225-5833. Highly recommended!

New Tribute Book Upcoming! im Steranko is currently working on a Kirby tribute book in conjunction with Mike Thibodeaux of Genesis West. It promises to contain a large assortment of previously unseen Kirby artwork, including many pieces from the Kirby family’s private collection. But to fill the book out, Jim needs more unpublished Kirby art. If you have any obscure Kirby art in your collection, including rejected covers and pages or nice convention pin-ups, please send photocopies of it to Jim at Supergraphics, Box 4489, Reading, PA 19606. (And while you’re at it, make an extra copy and send it to us at TJKC!)

Jack Kirby: A Celebration ark Evanier reports that most of the legal hurdles are over on Jack Kirby: A Celebration, the tribute book he and Frank Miller are co-producing. The format may have to change a bit to accommodate the staggering list of artists and writers who wish to participate. Stay tuned for more details next issue. Also, Mark’s new mailing address is: 133 S. Fairfax Ave., #303, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Kirby Portfolio Preview

Golden Age Kirby Comics Online reg Theakston reports that he is supplying scans of public domain Kirby comics to the CompuServe online computer service, which will make them available for downloading in their Comics and Animation Forum. All you need is a modem, a computer, and access to CompuServe (call 800-848-8990 for information on CompuServe membership). This service should be available by the end of the year, and will feature such Golden Age classics as Jack’s Solar Legion story from Crash Comics #1, his last issue of Blue Bolt (#10), the Black Owl, and more. As for Greg’s Complete Kirby reprint series, he still needs Blue Bolt #4 & #9, Daring Mystery #7, Famous Funnies #80, and Justice Traps The Guilty #2. If you know where Greg can acquire these in any condition, call him at (404) 424-5151.

heck out Dark Horse Presents #103 (November issue) for a twopage preview of an upcoming Kirby portfolio from Dark Horse, featuring Jack’s Biblical imagery. It’s $2.95, and on sale soon.

We Need A Volunteer!

e’re working on compiling an up-to-date checklist of everything Jack ever had published (including reprints and interviews). Compiling and cross-checking all this information is a timeconsuming task, and we need a volunteer to take on the bulk of it. Qualifications should include a thorough knowledge of Jack’s work (although you’ll have interaction with many knowledgeable Kirby fans to help you out), access to a computer, good organizational skills, and a detail-oriented mind. We can’t pay for your services, but we can offer a LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION to TJKC in return! If you’re interested in volunteering, drop us a letter detailing why you feel you’re the one for the job. We look forward to hearing from you! As a starting point for the checklist, we’re using the existing one from Blue Rose Press’ The Art Of Jack Kirby. So keep sending those lists of errors and omissions from the AOJK checklist, or if you’ve got an accurate list of your own to contribute, write us!

Petitions Sent To Marvel hile attending the Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC, the San Diego Comic Con, and the Dallas Fantasy Fair this summer, we collected 773 signatures on a petition to get Marvel Comics to give Jack co-credit on his many creations. Our petition was done in conjunction with Mark Miller’s ongoing letter-writing campaign. If you didn’t get a chance to sign, send a letter to: Mr. Terry Stewart, Marvel Comics Co., 387 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10016.

Corrections From Previous Issues esides the error we made in #6 about Joe Sinnott (detailed above), there are a few other errors and omissions from past issues which need reporting: • We neglected to mention that Chic Stone inked the Esquire Magazine story about Jack Ruby from TJKC #2. • In #3, Joe Simon mistakenly mentioned that he created the Red Skull. He was actually created by Ed Herron. • In #6, we neglected to mention that Captain Victory is © Jack Kirby.

Help Get TJKC In Comics Stores e’ve got TJKC in a number of comics shops nationwide. This has increased our print run, which allows us to add extra pages from time to time, like in this issue. If your local shop doesn’t carry TJKC, show them a copy and ask them to contact us regarding quantity discounts. The more copies we print, the more we can expand TJKC - starting with color covers on each issue!

Happy Birthday, Rosalind Kirby!

Don’t forget that you can still make donations to the educational fund that was set up in Jack’s name shortly after his death. Send to: The Jack Kirby Educational Fund, Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 Janss Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. 3

Jack Kirby - The Master Of Comic Book Art Interviewed February 1987 by Ken Viola Introduction and interview © 1987, 1995 by Ken Viola. All rights reserved. This interview, excerpt or otherwise, cannot be reprinted nor quoted from without the express written consent of Ken Viola.

I thank God that in February 1987, before he passed through that portal to the Positive Zone and the cosmos beyond, I got to meet and interview Jack Kirby. Like a lot of you, I was fortunate enough to come of age and grow up with Jack Kirby. Over 25 years had passed since my seeking and fertile mind had first encountered and embraced Jack’s art as it leaped off the racks right into my hands. There were a lot of comic books to choose from in those days, or so it seemed, and not much money to buy with, even at 10¢ each... but Jack’s work never let you down. I can still, if I close my eyes and let myself fall back, feel that thrill of excitement and anticipation that came from the discovery of a new Kirby book. I firmly believe that the best part of us all, the finality that gives meaning, purpose and satisfaction to our lives, is the ability to communicate and share with each other what is special about being human; to feel down to the very fiber of our being that tingle, that spark deep in our soul; The Essence Of Life. When I first began the journey to make my 1987 film The Masters Of Comic Book Art, I had no idea it would end up being about The Storyteller—artists who both drew and wrote. It is the supreme challenge of the artist and their ability to tell the story —to break it down visually, in terms of content, time, space, action, emotion, reflection... et al. The accomplishment of that goal is to take the personal and private experience of the artist and give it to the reader. To then be able to communicate that same spark of life to the masses is the rarest of gifts. That achievement is Jack Kirby’s life’s work. In a medium which is comprised of a singular expression, uniquely composed of a combination of words and pictures, with Kirby’s work you almost didn’t need the words. He came from a humble and oppressed beginning. Instilled with a strong work ethic and an overwhelming thirst for survival, he self-intellectualized with his own hand, heart, and mind his means of escape. When I visited him in his home in Thousand Oaks, California, he had made it to the top of his mountain. Jack had the support and love of his wife, Roz. His children were grown. He was happy, fulfilled. The legacy of his life’s work lived on; a true triumph of the real Cap slugs it out with several baddies - uninked pencils to Captain America #103, page 17. American Dream. Close-up and in-person, Jack was bursting with energy, crackling, KEN VIOLA: When you approach the blank comic book page, how do glowing, and awe-inspiring; rough-hewn on the outside, kind and pure you service it in terms of the storytelling? inside. JACK KIRBY: I see that story first. I feel that story first. I know those Jack told me that behind Dr. Doom’s mask was a flawless, unmarked people first, and I put them down as I’d like them to live on those face that Doom could not bring himself to look upon. He told me how much pages. My stories are very sincere. My stories are people stories and he loved young people, among them kids who grew up in the 1960s, my genthere are elements that are very, very real. It doesn’t matter what the eration. On the wall in his studio was a photo of Jack with Frank Zappa. subject is, and I’ve done stories on a wide range of subjects. How well he’d come to understand human nature. I feel that no matter what kind of a story you’re going to write, if “Comic book people are the nicest people in the world,” he confided to you’re sincere in telling that story and not contriving it, you will find me. whatever you feel will have a pungent element of that story. The reader I miss him. will feel it because he’s (or she’s) no different than you. I’ve always felt 4

Simon & Kirby’s Kids Go To War! by R. J. Vitone readers the chance to contribute directly to that success? The response was terrific. The badge went back to press at least three times before war-time metal restrictions forced cancellation of the promotion. But the groundwork was laid. Bucky became de facto head of hundreds of thousands of Sentinels, usually speaking to them right from special bulletin pages in the comics. Simon and Kirby followed the logical progression of the situation. It was clearly time to create a new feature using kids as central characters. And so Young Allies #1 was born.

ne of the trademarks of Simon and Kirby was a seemingly endless volume of sheer inventiveness. During the early 1940s, the team re-shaped tired (for even then) clichés and made them look fresh. Finding inspiration in old dime novels, radio dramas, feature films, and news reports of the day, they created entire new fields of comic book genres that exist even now. One of the most enduring and best remembered was the kid gang motif, and nobody did it better.

The Young Allies - Sidekicks Go Solo Kid sidekicks were hardly a new idea. The Shield at MLJ had one. So did The Human Torch. Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Robin for Batman at DC because, “Batman didn’t have anyone to talk to, and it got a little tiresome always having him thinking.” Simon and Kirby had introduced Bucky in the very first Cap story, but the basic idea of the Young Allies strip was very different. Here was a cross-section of American kids caught up in fantastic situations fighting frightening villains, all against a background of the World War—and almost no adults around to spoil the fun! That first issue introduced all of what would be standard in the field for years to come—a small group of pals, inner rivalries, playful (often deadly) antics, and terrific adventures. The Young Allies were led by Bucky (even though Toro argued that point), and included some soon-to-be familiar stereotypes: Percival Aloysius “Knuckles” O’Toole, the Brooklyn Dead-End Kid; Jefferson Worthington Sandervilt, rich boy inventor; Henry “Tubby” Tinkle, the fat kid; and “Whitewash” Jones, the Harlem black kid with a harmonica. Where their parents were or how this group could ever strike terror into an enemy’s heart never concerned S&K. The team did some minor work on the first issues (cover and splash for each chapter of number one, plus issue two’s cover), and then suddenly left Timely. Ironically, one of the reasons they left was the success of the Sentinels of Liberty club. Joe Simon said years later that of all the dimes that rolled in for those membership kits, Jack and Joe never got even one of them. So it was over to DC Comics, then king-of-the-hill in the comics field, and time to re-invent the kid gang.

Could any red-blooded kid resist Cap’s call? The art looks to be more Simon than Kirby.

The Sentinels Of Liberty - Comics’ First Kid Gang During the early success of Captain America Comics at Timely, a hugely popular promotion was run featuring the Sentinels of Liberty badge. Just about every Timely title ran colorful ads for the kit. By sending in a dime, hero-worshiping readers could possess not only the bronze shield with Cap’s likeness on it, but would also become full-fledged members of the nationwide Sentinels of Liberty club. The gimmick was simple and brilliant. Since most of Cap’s readers were young boys, and since the title was a runaway hit, why not offer those

(left and middle) Splash pages from Young Allies #1. (right) Splash page from Star Spangled #9, June 1942. 10

Needless to say, it became a long period. The basic strength of the Simon and Kirby Newsboy Legion run lay in one simple area: storytelling. Each issue of Star Spangled wove a new tale around some facet of life in “Suicide Slum.” In fact, Kirby knew those streets well. In his early twenties by the time he moved over to DC, Jack had grown up in that area of New York known as “Hell’s Kitchen.” When he transferred the images of his youth to the pages of the Newsboy Legion, he drew on those childhood memories, mixed them with a touch of Hollywood romanticism, and produced a striking backdrop for each new story. From the kids who played in the streets to the cops who chased them, right on through the immigrant shopkeepers and gossiping housewives, they all sprang from Kirby’s own unique vision. Except for a stray Nazi agent who wandered into the area, almost every threat came from home-grown thugs. A Kirby stock company of hoods became interchangeable plot devices, and the simple honesty of the gang sometimes was all it took to help them see the light and go straight. Will Eisner occasionally used the same formula, but usually it came across with a touch of tongue-in-cheek. The gentle humor that shines out of the Newsboy Legion run was another trademark of S&K. Corny? Maybe. But very well-done corn. From that first story in April ’42, Kirby drew the covers and a thirteen-page story for almost every issue of Star Spangled until number 30. Long after the team had left the strip, the title sported covers with the distinctive S&K signatures. Where did they go? Off to war, that’s where! Not literally. Not yet. That reality was just ahead. But another chapter in comics history came first.

A DC house ad shows S&K turning out stories. They look happy, don’t they?

Enter The Newsboy Legion & The Guardian! When Simon and Kirby switched over to DC, they hit the ground at full gallop. The Newsboy Legion was the third strip they introduced, and the first featuring characters wholly created by the team for their new publisher. (The revamped Sandman and Sandy came first, then the re-designed Manhunter. Both strips ran in Adventure Comics.) Dated April 1942, Star Spangled # 7 cover-featured S&K’s latest effort. That the gang elbowed the incumbent star of the comic (Star Spangled Kid) to back-up status showed just how highly the powers-that-be at DC thought of their new artist/writer team. Expanding on the concepts introduced in Young Allies, the first Newsboy Legion tale spun fresh twists into a formula epic: Jim Harper, resolute, square-jawed rookie policeman, assumes the persona of The Guardian. His quest: Stamp out crime in Suicide Slum... and have a helluva good time doing it!

Boy Commandos - Kids Go To War! The United States entered World War II in December 1941. Any casual student of comics history knows that many super-heroes had been fighting fascism long before that date. Superman routinely tossed foreign despots around, Blackhawk blitzed the Axis in Quality’s Military Comics, and the Sub-Mariner sank many a Nazi U-boat long before Pearl Harbor. Simon and Kirby’s Captain America was a direct response to the “Jap-a-Nazi” threat, and the Red Skull remains perhaps the most notorious war-time villain of all. Hitler himself often crossed the lines of disbelief to “guest-star” in many a comic-book story. As exciting as the Newsboy Legion was, their battlefield was restricted mainly to Suicide Slum... but what if they had guns...? Detective Comics # 64 (June ’42) introduced The Boy Commandos starring Rip Carter. Once again, the now-familiar basics were there. A multi-national gang of kids function as mascots and operatives for a British-based elite commando force led by U.S. Army Captain Rip Carter. By design or not, each symbolizes a nation involved in the war: Andre Chavard, hoping to free France; Alfy Twidgett, jovial English subject; Jan Haasen, blond Holland refugee; and (of course) Brooklyn, street-wise wise-guy who actually carried a tommygun in his trusty violin case. The group was led (or refereed) by Captain Carter, who struck a solid, very determined image but had a heart of gold under it all. As is often the case in a series like this, once Splash page from Detective Comics #65.

A sketch Jack did for a fan while stationed at Camp Stewart, GA in WWII. Speed was the key. Jack Kirby produced a staggering amount of high-quality pages during this period. The accelerated output showed through in the pace of the stories. The intro of Jim Harper and his origin as The Guardian takes up only two pages! Kirby’s art flowed with that pace. Pages became pushed-together vignettes as scenes collided at break-neck speed. Dynamic figures stretch with exaggerated power, and when The Guardian throws a punch, hoods fly out of the panel gutters, breaking more than just the Laws of Physics! And just when you think this will turn out to be “just another” super-hero story, along come four ragged street corner newspaper sellers: Tommy, leader of the gang; Gabby, the rambunctious talker; Big Words, the “professor;” and Scrapper, the Flatbush slum kid with an impossible accent. (Maybe he was related to the soon-to-come Brooklyn of the Boy Commandos?) Arrested for petty crimes, the boys are about to be tossed in jail until their twenty-first birthdays. Jim Harper saves the day, taking responsibility for the orphans for a “trial period.” 11

In Search Of... The Boy Explorers! by Frank Johnson and John Morrow

fter being discharged from the military at the end of World War II, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created a promising new series for Harvey Comics called The Boy Explorers. But the easing of paper rationing at the end of the war brought a flood of post-war titles to the stands, and Boy Explorers was crowded out and cancelled after only one issue. That first issue sent the lads on a quest to complete seven arduous tasks, or face death! But did they ever complete those tasks? We went searching for answers, and compiled this list of their appearances, including ads, text-only stories, and some unpublished stories.

Stuntman #1 (April 1946) This issue contains a 2-page text-only story entitled “The Boy Explorers Meet Commodore Sinbad” (note the misspelling of “Sindbad”). It was later reprinted in Thrills Of Tomorrow #19. According to cover dates, this text story pre-dates Boy Explorers #1.

Boy Explorers #1 (May 1946) Following the formula of their previous successful kid groups, Joe and Jack developed an intrepid group of youngsters to assist crusty old Commodore Sindbad in his quest for adventure: Smiley, the AllAmerican boy; Gadget, boy inventor; Gashouse, streetwise Brooklyn transplant; and Mr. Zero, a pint-sized tot. The premiere 12-page story entitled “Talent For Trouble” served as a prologue to what promised to be an epic adventure that would stretch over several issues. It seems

Splash page from the story in Joe Palooka #5. that in his youth, Commodore Sindbad had promised to marry the Princess Latima, and she had just shown up to collect on that promise. Looking for a way out of the marriage, Sindbad heads to the Bluehills Orphanage, where he finds the four boys getting into mischief. He proceeds to adopt the four from Miss Prunella Axehandle, the proprietress of the orphanage. But the Princess won’t let Sindbad off the hook that easily. She gives him a choice: Marry her or duplicate the seven heroic feats of “Sindu San—the greatest sailor who ever lived!” And the price for failure is death! The kids voice their support, and a fired-up Commodore is ready to take on the first task. The story ends with the Commodore telling the boys they must travel to the “edge of the world” to face the old man of the sea. This issue featured an ad that supposedly showed the cover of Boy Explorers #2. Although the copy in the ad says, “The Boy Explorers Find The Edge Of The World,” the cover depicts an underwater scene that doesn’t take place in the “Edge Of The World” story, and was meant to accompany the unpublished “Centropolis” story which would’ve run in issue #3. So the cover shown in the ad in issue #1 is really issue #3.

Stuntman #2 (June 1946) Splash page to Boy Explorers #1 - the prologue to the Seven Tasks.

This issue contains another 2-page text-only story entitled “Triumph For The Boy Explorers.” Although it runs opposite an ad for 14

EXTRA! The Newsboy Legion! by Rich Morrissey The work of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby very likely inspired DC’s Star Spangled Comics from the very beginning. The success of Timely/ Marvel’s Captain America hadn’t gone unnoticed there, and in late 1941 DC introduced its own patriotic pair, created by the company’s own star writer, Superman creator Jerry Siegel. While company policy refused to allow a hero to make his debut in his own title as Captain America had done, DC came close by giving The Star Spangled Kid and Stripesy several stories in each issue of the similarly-named Star Spangled Comics. Siegel’s own contribution to the concept seems to have been the idea that the boy (rich Sylvester Pemberton) would lead the team and the adult (chauffeur/mechanic Pat Dugan) would be his sidekick. Yet, although the stories featured a wide variety of unique villains like The Needle and some above-average writing, the Star Spangled Kid didn’t really catch on—perhaps due to the less than stellar art of co-creator Hal Sherman. So, with Star Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942), the title character was relegated to a secondary slot while new characters were introduced. DC had reached the reasonable conclusion that the best way to duplicate the success of a Simon/Kirby feature was with Simon and Kirby themselves, recently lured to DC from Marvel. “The Newsboy Legion, starring The Guardian,” like “The Star Spangled Kid and Stripesy,” gave kids top billing over an adult super-hero, and the name might have been contributed by editor Mort Weisinger, who had always been fond of the word ‘Legion.’ The Seven Soldiers of Victory, who starred in Leading Comics, were also known as the Law’s Legionnaires; many years later Weisinger would introduce the still-successful Legion of Super-Heroes. Everything else in the Newsboy Legion feature was pure Kirby. The Newsboy Legion wasn’t a group of middle-class kids like the

Young Allies (who had spun off of Captain America’s feature during Simon and Kirby’s stewardship), but a street gang of young orphans. Tommy, Gabby, Scrapper, and Big Words made what little money they had by selling newspapers, giving them their name, but they initially weren’t averse to augmenting their income by petty pilfering. The Guardian was literally just that: a young policeman named Jim Harper who had initially arrested the boys, but then saved them from reform school by getting himself appointed their legal guardian. At first the boys resented him, but after Harper adopted the identity of a costumed hero to rescue them from hardened adult criminals, they became fonder of the cop, whom they didn’t know—but frequently suspected—to be the costumed Guardian. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first instance of a hero whose identity was regularly suspected by his supporting cast: Lois Lane didn’t begin to regularly suspect Clark Kent of being Superman until some years later, also in comics edited by Mort Weisinger. The young protagonists, and the criminals and situations they faced, may well have been inspired by Simon and Kirby’s earlier work on Young Allies, as well as by influences outside comics. The late E. Nelson Bridwell has cited the then-contemporary Dead End Kids movies as a major influence, and MGM’s “Our Gang” comedies, with a cast averaging a few years younger than the Newsboys, were still successful. But they were also rooted in the reality of the streets on which Kirby had grown up, with the wise but friendly adult mentor, as Ray Wyman has noted in The Art Of Jack Kirby, reflecting the lessons of Kirby’s own boyhood. With the Newsboy Legion as its lead feature (where it would remain until #65), Star Spangled Comics became one of DC’s more successful titles. The boys remained energetic and somewhat wild, but

(above) The Newsboy Legion’s first appearance from Star Spangled #7. (left to right) Covers to Star Spangled #13, #15 and #19. 23

under the Guardian’s influence they applied it more and more to improving their neighborhood. They collected papers and raised When Kirby returned to DC in 1970, there had already been talk money for the war effort as World War II escalated, tried out for a of bringing back his first fully-realized teen group, the Newsboy movie, published their own newspaper, and prevented a slumlord Legion, in the pages of Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen. It has been said from swindling the people of Suicide Slum. Interestingly enough, that Kirby was literally offered any book at the company but refused those people, like the boys themselves, seemed to be almost entirely to displace any existing creative team. With a revival of his classic white, but this only reflected the segregation of urban neighborhoods characters being discussed at the same time Jimmy Olsen had lost at the time, and the continuing tendencies of street gangs to segregate artist Pete Costanza to deteriorating eyesight, Olsen was his immediate themselves by race, sex, and ethnic background. My friends who’ve choice. “Jimmy Olsen Brings Back the Newsboy Legion” was the title experienced such groups directly, as Kirby himself had as a boy, conof Kirby’s first issue, #133—but his revival of his 1942 group showed firm that the Newsboy Legion accurately reflected real-life gangs in how much both Kirby’s outlook and the comics world had changed. containing no Hispanic, black, or female members. While non-white The Newsboy Legion itself seemed to have hardly changed at all boys, and girls of all races, certainly aren’t averse to joining gangs, most of them also tend to segregate themselves by race and sex. Simon and Kirby continued to turn out the Newsboy Legion and other features—Boy Commandos, Sandman and Manhunter—until their own draft notices arrived. At that point they began taking on more assistants, including the young Carmine Infantino, Joe Certa, and Gil Kane, in an effort to turn out as much material as possible for their features before they had to report for duty. After their final departure, writers Don Cameron and Joe Samachson, and artists Gil Kane, Louis Cazeneuve, and Phil Bard took over their features. Kirby briefly returned to his DC characters after the war, but once Simon was discharged, he accepted an offer for the pair from Harvey Comics. After Simon and Kirby’s departure, the Newsboy Legion (along with the Boy Commandos) was turned over to writer Ed Herron, a one-time protégé of Simon and Kirby who had worked for them on past features like Captain America. Curtis Swan, a mapmaker with whom Herron had worked on Stars and Stripes during the war, came to DC with him and made his debut on Boy Commandos, soon taking over the Newsboy Legion as well toward the end of its run. The Newsboy Legion was dropped from Star Spangled Comics in 1947, ironically replaced by DC’s first kid sidekick in a starring role—Robin the Boy Wonder, in mostly solo stories in which Batman’s appearances were limited to supporting roles. Their last story, interestingly enough, was the first and only one not to involve the Guardian in any way, symbolically allowing them to set off on their own as the partnership dissolved. Kirby would explain years later that Jim Harper had been promoted to detective, and reassigned to another precinct. Even the numerous other Golden Age revivals at DC in the ’60s left the Newsboy Legion and their Guardian untouched, almost as if they were waiting for the return of their creator, who was at that time creating a new mythology with writer-editor Stan The Newsboy Legion confronts The Guardian’s murderer. Uninked pencils from Jimmy Olsen #143, page 10. Lee at Marvel Comics.

Jack’s Back!

The Dingbats Of Danger Street © 1995 James G. Kingman hen I learned Jack Kirby was leaving DC in 1975 I was sorely frustrated. I mean it; looking back on my life, the most poignant memory I have of early summer 1975 was my reaction to the word in Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth #34’s letter column that he was moving on to a different company. Actually, I was initially stunned, giving way to frustration. I didn’t know anything about Kirby’s pre-’70s work, except for reprints in 100-Page Super Spectaculars. He was with DC when I jumped on board in 1972 and I just assumed he’d always been there, and was going to remain there, forever. Since I wasn’t into picking up back issues yet (in early 1975 I was just becoming aware that it was possible), I had no idea Kirby had worked for so many different comic book companies. Kirby had been at Marvel in the sixties? News to me. (I was thirteen and in junior high at the time. Comic book history was not part of my daily studies.) And where was Kirby going now? In those days there wasn’t Wizard or Previews or comic book shops to fill you in on industry news. All I had were the clerks at Stop ‘n Go and 7-Eleven, and the check-out lady at Pantry market, and I didn’t dare ask them for fear of feeling like a fool. Kirby leaving DC. It was incomprehensible. But wait, maybe it was just a mistake. I mean, wasn’t that Kirby’s bold work on the cover of First Issue Special #6 (September 1975) welcoming ‘The Dingbats of Danger Street’? What was a new concept by the King doing out in June of 1975? He was practically gone, wasn’t he? Just a few more Kamandi and ‘Losers’ stories to crank out, and off he’d go. Why would

he start anything new with DC? Gee, maybe there was hope. So I read it, and loved it, and thought, wow, I’m going to get my own modern Newsboy Legion, and Kirby will stay at DC to do it! Right after the story, in the final panel of page 18, there was a notice: “Would you like to learn how the Dingbats were formed? We have their tragic stories! Write and tell us if you want to see them!” So I did, and I waited, and Kirby left DC for Marvel, then went on to Pacific Comics, then returned briefly to DC, then did some work for Topps and Image, and now he’s gone, and I’ve heard rumors over the years that there were additional Dingbats tales, but they’ve never been published. I’ve been waiting almost twenty years. Does the first tale still stand up today? Nostalgically, there’s no doubt; I loved it as a kid, having picked it up just as school closed in June and the three month summer break began. How do I feel about it as an adult? Well, there are hundreds of comics I’ve grown out of, but not this one. Its pleasure is eternal, I suppose. I get just as much a

Double-page spread meant for Dingbats Of Danger Street #2, inked by Royer. 27

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW, CLICK THE LINK TO ORDER THIS ISSUE IN PRINT OR DIGITAL FORMAT!

KIRBY COLLECTOR #7 Special Kid Gangs issue! Unpublished 1987 Interview with Jack, overview of Simon & Kirby's Kid Gangs, the Unpublished Boy Explorers, Dingbats of Danger Street, unsung Kid Gang The Boy Heroes, Boys' Ranch unused pencils, Newsboy Legion old and new, unpublished art from X-Men, Jimmy Olsen & others, including pencils before they were inked, and much more! (36-page magazine) $4.95 (Digital edition) $1.95 http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_57&products_id=282

Two generations of unpublished Kirby kid gang stories. Shown here is unpublished art from what would’ve been Boy Explorers #3 (partially inked, without ‘spotting’ the black areas) and a page from what would have been Dingbats of Danger Street #3, inked by D. Bruce Berry.