1940 Comic Books


“The Mirror Man” (Tip Top Comics 56, December 1940, p. 36)
by Fred Methot and Reg Greenwood (1899-1943)
13.5 x 19.5 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

The Mirror Man was a super-hero series introduced in the Tip Top Comics anthology in issue 54 (October 1940), by writer Fred Methot and artist Reg Greenwood (who also introduced The Triple Terror characters in this same issue). It ran for 23 issues.

This is from the third Mirror Man issue (page 3 of a 5-page episode).

As Mirror Man, Dean Alder possesses the Mystic Garment, a robe that permits him to use mirrors and other reflective surfaces as his transport, and he uses this to fight crime and evil.

Soon after WWII broke out, both the Mirror Man and Triple Terror characters hung up their spandex and enlisted in the army, becoming military warriors fighting the enemy overseas. The first Mirror Man war story was in Tip Top Comics 71 (March 1942), and the Triple Terror triplet had a spy-adventure and decided to formally enlist at the end of their Tip Top 72 (April 1942) story.

Methot and Greenwood (1899-1943) are credited with The Mirror Man stories through Tip Top Comics 87 (August 1943), which was presumably Greenwood’s last story because he is listed as dying in 1943). The more noted Paul Berdanier (1879-1961) took over The Triple Terror and did one Mirror Man story (TTC 88, September 1943). The rest of the Mirror Man series, which lasts about another year, is not credited except for a couple of stories signed “Singer.” Methot is still thought to have written these, and the artist is referred to as Sam Singer in some places.

Mirror Man saves young Benton from the clutches of the evil Professor, but then takes a bullet. Benton assists him to a mirror, through which the hero passes, rests and recovers from his wound. After Gregg is jailed, Alder is informed of young Tommy Britt being cheated out of money at the Cattail Club, so Mirror Man takes a hand before Tommy’s brother Bob takes on the thugs at the club alone.

 


“The Mirror Man” (Tip Top Comics 56, December 1940, p. 37)
by Fred Methot and Reg Greenwood (1899-1943)
13.5 x 19.5 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

This is from the third Mirror Man issue (page 4 of a 5-page episode).

Mirror Man saves young Benton from the clutches of the evil Professor, but then takes a bullet. Benton assists him to a mirror, through which the hero passes, rests and recovers from his wound. After Gregg is jailed, Alder is informed of young Tommy Britt being cheated out of money at the Cattail Club, so Mirror Man takes a hand before Tommy’s brother Bob takes on the thugs at the club alone.

 

A black and white comic page titled Ibis the Invincible, from the era of vintage comics, shows a man in a suit using a magical staff, a couple fleeing, and scenes of magic. The last panel features a large B-O-O-M sound effect from an explosion.

Ibis the Invincible, in “Whiz Comics” 11 (December 1940) p 55
by Peter (Pete) Anthony Constanza (1913-1984)
16.5 x 21.25 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

First page from the story “The Walking Sphinx,” written and colored by Bill Parker, who also wrote and colored the early Captain Marvel stories.

Constanza is best known for his work on Fawcett Comics’ Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family during the World War II era and served as one of Captain Marvel’s longest-tenured artists (inking credits on some stories and covers in Whiz, too).

Costanza began his career at Fawcett in 1939, during writer-artist C. C. Beck’s initial planning and creation of Captain Marvel, later becoming Beck’s chief assistant on that character. In the early Whiz issues, he penciled and inked Ibis (picked up in issue 9), Golden Arrow (picked up from Beck in issue 3), Spy Smasher (also picked up from Beck in issue 3).

He stayed with Fawcett Comics until they folded in 1953 after losing an expensive and long-running lawsuit over Captain Marvel’s alleged infringement of DC Comics’ copyrighted character Superman.

Ibis the Invincible began as a feature in Whiz Comics #2 (Feb 1940) and stayed through its entire run (issue 155 in June 1953)

Ibis begins his life as Amentep, a prince of ancient Egypt who was in love with the beautiful Princess Taia of Thebes. As a young man, Amentep is given the “Ibistick,” a talisman of incredible power, by the Egyptian god Thoth, who empowers the talisman after Ibis was overthrown. 4000 years later, the mummy of Amentep returns to life in an American museum in 1940 (this was later revealed to be the work of the wizard Shazam). Now called “Ibis”, Amentep sets out in search of his beloved, eventually finding her at another museum. Seeking to adjust to this new world, Ibis uses his vast powers to become a crimefighter.

 

A black-and-white comic page titled El Carim, Master of Magic, captures the dramatic flair of golden age comics. Characters in suits and dresses watch as El Carim performs magic, rescues a man from death, and speaks with a woman in vintage style scenes.

“El Carim” (Master Comics 7, October 1940, p. 21)
by Sven Elven (1897-1969)
18 x 24 in., ink on paper
Coppola Collection

A black-and-white comic page in the style of vintage comics shows a villain using a powerful iron magnet to catch a hero. The hero escapes, battles attackers, and rescues a woman before fleeing—all classic drama from 1940 comic books.

“El Carim” (Master Comics 7, October 1940, p. 26)
by Sven Elven (1897-1969)
18 x 24 in., ink on paper
Coppola Collection

A black-and-white comic page from a golden age comic shows action scenes with dialogue. Characters discuss a villain named El Carim, a plane crash, invisibility, and a destroyed house. The comic is titled Master Comics with handwritten margin notes.

“El Carim” (Master Comics 7, October 1940, p. 27)
by Sven Elven (1897-1969)
18 x 24 in., ink on paper
Coppola Collection

El Carim was a master of the mystical arts. He was visited by the spirit of Wizzar, the father of all magic, who gives him a magic cloak. He uses his cloak and backwards-recited magic to fight criminals and evildoers assisted by the lovely Gladys. El Carim spelled backwards is “Miracle.”

Sven Elven (nee Hubert Frykholm) legally adopted the name Sven Elven after immigrating to the US. Sven worked in the comic book industry during its earliest days, in the 1930s, with lots of DC work appearing in Detective Comics (34 appearance, including #1, 1937, & #27, 1939), and in Action Comics (17 appearances, including #1, 1938). He drew features like ‘Captain Quick’, ‘Cosmo, The Phantom of Disguise’, ‘Marco Polo’, ‘Pirate Gold’, ‘Three Musketeers’ and ‘Treasure Island’ for National/DC, and additionally worked for Centaur (‘Miraco the Great’) and Fawcett (‘El Carim’, ‘Jungle Twins’). After comics, he worked at Emerson Electric Co, from which he retired in about 1967. Sven died in a farming accident in Bennington, VT.

Pages 1, 6, and 7 from the 7-page story ” The Menace of the House of Monsters” featuring the character El Carim.

 


“Fight 9 (p 55)” (Oct 1940)
by Klaus Nordling (1910 – 1986)
18 x 24 in., ink on paper

Eisner-Iger Shop. Page 5 from the 5-page story that begins “Due to rebellious disorders in a part of…” featuring the character “Strut” Warren

 

A black-and-white comic page in the style of vintage comics shows a man named Kirby transforming into a superhero, fighting two attackers, and quickly defeating them before leaving as the defeated crooks lie on the floor.

“Fight 3 (p 23)” (Mar 1940)
by Dan Zolnerowich (1915-1995)
18 x 24 in., ink on paper

Eisner-Iger Shop. Page 4 from the 8-page Kayo Kirby story beginning “At his camp in the country…”