Number 1589: Invaded Earth

This is the first posting of a theme week. I'm calling it Skiffy Week, recognizing those science fiction fans who deplore the term “sci-fi,” pronouncing it skiffy. These are the kinds of stories that probably qualify for such a title...old-fashioned, corny, oddball. You know, skiffy.

First up, a chapter from the long series of post-invasion tales, “The Lost World,” illustrated by Graham Ingels. The villains are the usual Voltamen, but it’s early enough in the series (it began in Planet Comics #21*) that the Voltamen had not yet adopted their Yoda-speak. Dialogue that in this that story reads, “The old one is dead. We will take the female,” would soon be written as, “Dead the old one is. Take we will the female.”

This story shocks my sense of cultural heritage when our two protagonists, Lyssa and Hunt, burn movie film. Outrageous!

From Planet Comics #26 (1943):

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*I posted that first story last year. Click on the thumbnail to read it.

Number 1532: What about Bob?

Bob is some kind of unlucky guy, or maybe he’s just dumb...or maybe he plans it to prove Sheena’s love for him...but I’ll be damned if he doesn’t get in a lot of messes that force her to rescue him. In this case he’s being rescued from a witch doctor’s daughter who gives him a choice of being with her or being stomped by an elephant. I know what my answer in that situation would be, but Bob is more noble than that. Sheena is is his woman, and besides, she rescues him at least every month in Jumbo Comics. Bob, who likes a strong woman, will stick with Sheena.

The witch doctor’s daughter appears to revive the dead, but she apparently also has the power to change her skin color. The splash page and end of the story show her as Caucasian, in the rest of the story she’s not. Did anyone check the colorist’s work before it went to the engraver? That is an editor’s job.

From Jumbo Comics #83 (1946), drawn by Robert Webb:

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More Sheena here. Just click on the thumbnails:

Number 1465: Jungle royalty

Queen of the jungle and princess of the jungle are mighty highfalutin titles for women wearing abbreviated costumes and swinging through trees, wouldn’t you say? I guess it all started off with Tarzan, who was really England’s Lord Greystoke, and back home in Africa known as Lord of the Jungle. Sometime in the thirties when Sheena was created it sounded good to say “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.” The name and title roll off the tongue. It wouldn’t sound right to have her called “Lady Sheena” or even a title like “Sheena, Duchess of the Jungle.” They just don’t have the same ring, do they?

So Sheena was queen and Taanda, who came along later and could not be queen because Sheena was queen, was the white princess of the jungle. I’ve got stories featuring both of these royal jungle gals today.

Sheena’s story is from Jumbo Comics #101 (1947), and Taanda is featured in a cover story from Avon’s White Princess of the Jungle #4 (1952). The Sheena art is by Robert Webb, the Taanda artist is unknown by the Grand Comics Database.

Number 1374: A one-two punch from Fight Comics

In this 1945 Hooks Devlin story from Fight Comics we see a tattooed woman. In that era tattooed women were seen in circuses and sideshows, not walking down every street in cities and towns, large and small. Times, people and fashions change. Nowadays we don't see men going to circuses or carnivals wearing suits and ties. The difference is, of course, that putting on a suit and tie is temporary, whereas ink on skin will live with the wearer forever. However, not in the case of this tattooed woman in the story. You'll understand what I mean when you read it.

I don’t remember if I ever told you that Señorita Rio was a movie star who became a spy. In this episode she meets up with a young admirer and wannabe movie star, Susy, who helps her.

At the Grand Comics Database art credits for “Hooks” are given as Alex Blum pencils and Al Feldstein? inks. It doesn't look like Feldstein to me. His inking is usually heavier than the thin, slick lines in this story. Lily Renée signed the Rio story.

From Fight Comics #38 (1945):