African-American Comics 3 3

[sagii]

4 minutes ago, Dr. Love said:

Is complete.  The Fawcett is the set - the line drawn, while of course desirable, is another publisher's add on and a reprint of #2 at that.  And if you accept #4 as a Giordano cover....well what's the fuss? 

I must say the romance lineup in this next CC auction is absolutely extraordinary.

Thanks Doc!

Yeah, i know there was talk of the Charlton cover being Baker, but i doubt it.

The Romance line up in that auction is extraordinary indeed! The PQ on the GCE 12 is not off putting to me in the least! I think it's great that the book is in normal sized slab, unlike the restored copy i sold years ago for a song on eBay 

[Electricmastro]

The Dove from Suspense Comics #1 (December 1943):

 

[The Ghost Man]

Greetings all, since we're also discussing African-American creators, many people do not know that famed Krazy Kat artist George Herriman was African-American (Creole).

In addition, one of my favorite pulp artists Adolphe Barreaux was also reported to have come from African-American ancestry. Barreaux played some important roles in the history of Platinum-Age comics by creating and illustrating the racy and popular Sally the Sleuth for Harry Donenfield. It was his Majestic Art Studio that also produced the art for what was considered to be a precursor to Superman. A short series of superhero tales entitled The Astounding Adventures of Olga Messmer - The Girl with the X-Ray Eyes in August of 1937.

 

[Electricmastro]

17 hours ago, The Ghost Man said:

Greetings all, since we're also discussing African-American creators, many people do not know that famed Krazy Kat artist George Herriman was African-American (Creole).

In addition, one of my favorite pulp artists Adolphe Barreaux was also reported to have come from African-American ancestry. Barreaux played some important roles in the history of Platinum-Age comics by creating and illustrating the racy and popular Sally the Sleuth for Harry Donenfield. It was his Majestic Art Studio that also produced the art for what was considered to be a precursor to Superman. A short series of superhero tales entitled The Astounding Adventures of Olga Messmer - The Girl with the X-Ray Eyes in August of 1937.

 

Yeah, Herriman was of mixed race, and as I understand it, had the appearance of having lighter skin than what black people were usually known to have.

Anyways, at Timely Comics, there was Ray Holloway, who was a freelancer who also did Scorchy Smith:

Source: https://kidr77.blogspot.com/2014/05/stan-lee-interview-foom-cover-image.html?m=1

Edited October 7, 2019 by Electricmastro

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 10/6/2019 at 4:07 PM, The Ghost Man said:

Greetings all, since we're also discussing African-American creators, many people do not know that famed Krazy Kat artist George Herriman was African-American (Creole).

In addition, one of my favorite pulp artists Adolphe Barreaux was also reported to have come from African-American ancestry. Barreaux played some important roles in the history of Platinum-Age comics by creating and illustrating the racy and popular Sally the Sleuth for Harry Donenfield. It was his Majestic Art Studio that also produced the art for what was considered to be a precursor to Superman. A short series of superhero tales entitled The Astounding Adventures of Olga Messmer - The Girl with the X-Ray Eyes in August of 1937.

 

Oh yeah...just leave us hanging there and don't show the next page...

[Electricmastro]

From Best Comics #2 (December 1939, Nedor Comics). Art by George West.

Edited January 21, 2020 by Electricmastro

[Electricmastro]

The 784th Tank Battalion from True Comics #58 (March 1947, Parents’ Magazine Press):

[Electricmastro]

Black people who drew comic book art during the Golden Age era include:

Matt Baker

Alvin Hollingsworth

Cal Massey

Alfonso Greene

Warren Broderick

Tom Feelings

Elmer Stoner

Ezra Jackson

Ted Shearer

John Terrell

George J. Evans Jr.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Electricmastro

[Electricmastro]

From All Your Comics #1 (Spring 1946, Fox Comics):

[Electricmastro]

Fireball Freddie by black female artist Doris McClarty (Hep Magazine, October 1955):

[IngelsFan]

Tom Feelings original art from Mr. Mystery #14:

 

[Electricmastro]

Hey guys, this is something I’ve thought of for some time which I think is on-topic for this thread, and I’m sure I’m asking it with the best of intentions as academically and responsibly as possible, but I think a question that always pops up whenever someone posts a 1940s/50s cover such as some of the ones above with a comment of vitriolic condemnation attached is how exactly comedy, which is largely tied to the history of comics, should be approached when drawing from the world around you, including black people? Now, I realize outright, racist-based hateful and hurtful covers specifically meant to attack black people is objectively wrong. I get that, though at least from what I understand, most comic artists didn’t draw many black characters the way they did as an attack, but simply as an exaggeration which is perhaps inherent when it comes to comedy, which even Jack Kirby and Will Eisner were guilty of when they drew Whitewash Jones and Ebony White the way they did.

Again, this is not to defend racism, but I suppose I’m simply wondering what exactly the fine line is between ok and not ok? Like, would it have been more ok if characters of various races had been caricatured together? Should it have been disallowed for black people to have been part of comedy/exaggeration-based material altogether in favor of only white characters being in exaggerated comedy stories with caricatures? Could only someone like Matt Baker have been allowed to insert black characters on comedy covers/in comedy stories since he was black himself?

Edited June 2, 2020 by Electricmastro

[Ryan.]

9 hours ago, Electricmastro said:

Hey guys, this is something I’ve thought of for some time which I think is on-topic for this thread, and I’m sure I’m asking it with the best of intentions as academically and responsibly as possible, but I think a question that always pops up whenever someone posts a 1940s/50s cover such as some of the ones above with a comment of vitriolic condemnation attached is how exactly comedy, which is largely tied to the history of comics, should be approached when drawing from the world around you, including black people? Now, I realize outright, racist-based hateful and hurtful covers specifically meant to attack black people is objectively wrong. I get that, though at least from what I understand, most comic artists didn’t draw many black characters the way they did as an attack, but simply as an exaggeration which is perhaps inherent when it comes to comedy, which even Jack Kirby and Will Eisner were guilty of when they drew Whitewash Jones and Ebony White the way they did.

Again, this is not to defend racism, but I suppose I’m simply wondering what exactly the fine line is between ok and not ok? Like, would it have been more ok if characters of various races had been caricatured together? Should it have been disallowed for black people to have been part of comedy/exaggeration-based material altogether in favor of only white characters being in exaggerated comedy stories with caricatures? Could only someone like Matt Baker have been allowed to insert black characters on comedy covers/in comedy stories since he was black himself?

Looking forward to a bunch of white guys taking a stab at answering! 

[Electricmastro]

On 6/2/2020 at 12:40 PM, Ryan. said:

Looking forward to a bunch of white guys taking a stab at answering! 

Well, I was talking about this in another thread, and 50YrsCollctngCmcs brought up the interesting answer of:

“I don't think it is necessarily the depiction, as there were characters like Doiby Dickles and the three insufficiently_thoughtful_persons in the Flash who were exaggerated depictions of negative Caucasian stereotypes. I think it has much more to do with the associated ideas people held about the supposed inferiority of other races and the resultant societal injustices. More to the story than the depiction.“

[Electricmastro]

Fredric Wertham talking about race prejudice in comics in Seduction of the Innocent (1954):

Edited June 28, 2020 by Electricmastro

[Larryw7]

Wertham was very disingenuous when discussing race and ethnic issues in comics. He completely misrepresented EC's, taking them completely out of context, accusing them of using racial epitaphs in a harmful way. What EC was doing was publishing what they called their "preachy" stories. Great little morality plays that showed the evil of racism, anti-Semitism , drug addiction,  mob violence, anti Catholicism, etc. Wertham must have been a dope to think these stories were racist. Either that or he was a sensationalist and a liar.

[Electricmastro]

6 hours ago, Larryw7 said:

Wertham was very disingenuous when discussing race and ethnic issues in comics. He completely misrepresented EC's, taking them completely out of context, accusing them of using racial epitaphs in a harmful way. What EC was doing was publishing what they called their "preachy" stories. Great little morality plays that showed the evil of racism, anti-Semitism , drug addiction,  mob violence, anti Catholicism, etc. Wertham must have been a dope to think these stories were racist. Either that or he was a sensationalist and a liar.

I’m not sure how Wertham specifically felt about EC in regards to how they handled race, but Wertham was right to generally speak out against the companies that frequently used racial stereotypes, as if to capitalize on Little Black Sambo, Amos ‘n’ Andy, and blackface minstrel shows, as well as Asian caricatures that were especially prominent in World War II-era comics, and what impressions this could leave on children reading them considering the environments they were growing up in.

Edited June 28, 2020 by Electricmastro

[Electricmastro]

From Green Lama #5.

[ThothAmon]

Posted this on page 1 of this thread with an old photobucket link. Can’t edit so I’ll put it here. 
 

[Bookery]

On 6/28/2020 at 11:48 AM, Electricmastro said:

I’m not sure how Wertham specifically felt about EC in regards to how they handled race, but Wertham was right to generally speak out against the companies that frequently used racial stereotypes, as if to capitalize on Little Black Sambo, Amos ‘n’ Andy, and blackface minstrel shows, as well as Asian caricatures that were especially prominent in World War II-era comics, and what impressions this could leave on children reading them considering the environments they were growing up in.

I know WW2 Japanese caricatures are often lumped into the same racist stereotypes as other imagery, but I'm not sure that's entirely fair.  When your fighting for your lives, often with youngsters barely out of high school, your very survival may depend upon instilling both fear and anger in your troops against the enemy.  In WW1 the "Huns" were depicted as vampires, gorillas, and all sorts of other grotesques.  Throughout the history of human warfare a nation's enemies have never been portrayed as what they usually were ... wide-eyed acne-faced youngsters scared out of their wits.  That said... the continuation of such depictions after the war is of course a different matter.