New Adventure Comics #21

Paris after WWI was the scene of a burst of creativity in literature, art, jazz and fashion. Women referred to as flappers, wore shorter skirts, bobbed their hair and dared to smoke and drink in public. For our grandmother Elsa and her sister Clary set free from a more restrained Swedish environment, it must have been exhilarating.

Imago blog

The Eiffel Tower at the time featured a restaurant with a full orchestra. The family story is that Nick proposed to Elsa there—naturally. One story has it that the Major asked the band to play “Fascination” over and over until Elsa said yes. Another story claims that he bribed the elevator operator to hold the elevator until she said yes. It was a romantic gesture of one kind or another and in keeping with the Major’s sense of a good story.

Eiffel Tower 2009 NWN

In the mid 1920’s, after leaving the army and beginning a career as a writer, Elsa and Nick returned to France in 1928 with their now four young children. The Major’s career as an author provided a comfortable living. They rented an apartment in Paris and an ancient chateau in Vic sur Aisnes a few hours north of Paris.

It was an idyllic time with family from Sweden visiting and a steady influx of visitors from the states and the European continent. The chateau, dating to 800 AD and steeped in history, influenced a number of the Major’s pulp adventure stories. These included “The Road Without Turning” nominated for the prestigious O’Henry Award. It is one of his most reprinted works.

In 2009 while in France I had the opportunity to visit the chateau at Vic sur Aisnes. You can read it here on the blog.

Chateau 2009 NWN

The stock market crash of 1929 eventually caught up with the family. Along with other Depression era difficulties, pulp adventure magazines were no longer able to pay the rates that sustained popular writers. The loss of income forced the family to return to New York in May 1930.

From NY Times, January 29, 2019 via NYC Municipal Archives

In spite of the challenges of the Depression, the Major, always the innovator and visionary, set up shop in the fall of 1934 at 49 West 45^th St. in New York City. The company, National Allied Publications, Inc., the precursor of DC Comics, was created to publish a magazine featuring all original comics. New Fun #1 appeared on newsstands January 11, 1935 89 years ago. It was tabloid sized and featured original comics rather than reprints from newspapers.

Although New Fun was not the first comics magazine with all original comics, it is essential to acknowledge because it is the foundation of modern comics and the beginning of a continuity developed from the vision of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson that has lasted for almost 90 years. New Fun, More Fun, New Adventure Comics and Detective Comics developed in just under 4 years are the basis of the 89 years of continuity of DC comics.

Thanks to French Journalist Xavier Fournier and Franck Souborin, librarian at the Ecole militaire in Paris, the Major returned to Paris once again. Monsieur Souborin included the Major as an important influence in American Comics in this exhibit on comics in war which took place February through March.

Xavier, who frequently writes about American comics and popular culture has been an encouraging supporter of the Major’s history. Here is the link to his review of the exhibit. You can use google translate.

Good friend, Alyce Birchenough, who was in Paris during the exhibit sent photos. Super thanks to Xavier, Franck and Alyce.

Ray Burley began drawing the continuing “Cal N Alec” and “Don Coyote” comics in New Adventure #19. These comics were originally drawn by R. G. Leffingwell as “Sir Loin of Beef” and “Sagebrush n’ Cactus” for New Comics #1-4. Bill Patrick continued with these comics in New Comics 5-16 but they were renamed. “Sir Loin of Beef” became “Don Coyote” and “Sagebrush n’ Cactus” became “Cal n’ Alec.” Some of the characters names remained. Leffingwell or someone renamed “Sir Loin of Beef” as “Evidence Eddie” for Mahon and Cook’s The Comics Magazine #1 and #2. Neither Leffingwell nor Patrick seems to have been affiliated with one of the studios so who created these comics?

In this issue “Cal n Alec” is in black and white. A stranger appears with a young boy at the campsite and asks for food. It is discovered that the stranger is a kidnapper when the young boy throws a dead snake into the midst of the group. Trust me, it makes more sense as a comic. “Don Coyote” is also in black and white with the dialogue in pseudo Shakespeareanese. The three compatriots enter a tavern as they are hungry. When they ask for buttermilk a bully threatens Don Coyote but young Hash crowns him with a pitcher of same. The penciling is good and the story is clear even with the silly dialogue. It was likely aimed at the younger demographic.

Whitney Ellsworth and Vin Sullivan in addition to their duties as associate editors have one feature each. “Jonah Jones” by Whitney Ellsworth is a two-page comic in color. This is the only appearance of this character. Jones doesn’t want an insurance policy but slips on a banana peel and ends up in the hospital for 6 months. He takes out an insurance policy on the banana salesman–a stereotyped Italian–and proceeds to thrash him with his cane.

“Laughing at Life” by Vin Sullivan is a regular feature and consists of 2 pages in color of one panel jokes. They’re typical for the period.

“Chikko Chakko,” a regular feature by Ellis Edwards is two pages in color. Chikko appears to his two friends who thought he was dead. When Chikko goes to surprise his girlfriend Loopie, he discovers Pedro consoling her. Chikko gets rid of him promptly with Loopie explaining Pedro was consoling her. The penciling is excellent and the story moves quickly. I’m still on the fence about the stereotyping in this comic.

Bill Ely has two continuing features “Dale Daring” and “Nadir Master of Magic.” Dale Daring, a two-page comic is in black and white. In this episode the marines arrive to rescue Dale, her father, Captain Brewster and Ali from the Valley of the Lost Ones. I’m a big fan of Ely’s style and his scripts are usually tight with lots of action.

“Nadir Master of Magic” is four pages in color. Ely’s penciling and style comes across especially well in color. In the continuing story of the search for the famous pearl Nadir chases Job to a ship using his magic crystal and gets on board. He is discovered and thrown overboard. The dialogue is a little clumsy in places but otherwise it’s a good story with lots of action.

Gil Fox appears with “Winnfield” a one-page comic in black and white with no dialogue except for the cries of a drowning man. It’s a testament to Fox’s artistry that the entire story is clear and quite funny without any dialogue. His penciling is superior.

There are only 3 non-comics features besides the entreaty to join the Junior Federal Men Club features. I.W. Magovern’s regular “Movies” two pages about the latest movies with a photograph of the Ritz Brothers in “Life Begins in College” and Joe E. Brown in RKO’s “Fit for a King.” It’s full of tidbits about movies and stars like Joel McCrea, Ginger Rogers and Katherine Hepburn and written with a snarky attitude as if Ms. Or Mr. Magovern had themselves a nice martini lunch. Enjoy!

There is a one-page feature on the explorer David Livingstone with two black and white drawings oddly entitled “Are You Handicapped” by Richard Speed. And a one-page for the International Good Neighbor Club by Ann Leslie encouraging readers to correspond with members from around the world. The beginning paragraph puts us in that time and place—“In these troubled days, with war clouds hovering menacingly over Europe and Asia, the work we have begun in our International Good Neighbor Club, seems more important than ever.” It’s a moment of sober thoughts in the midst of the comics.

In spite of what appears to be money problems this magazine is another solid publication with good stories and artwork from a regular group of contributors. It was most likely put together in late summer 1937.

Thanks to Doc DC, Comic Book Plus and Grand Comics Database.