One Panel #34-43: On Sale in 1937 Part 2

Ready for another round? AKA Why won't they publish Action Comics #1 already?!!
From Nadir Master of Magic: "Pearl of the Bleeding Heart: Part 1" by Will Ely, New Adventure Comics #17 (Jul 1937)

Nadir, Master of Magic, is one of many Mandrake wannabes that populated comics in the Golden Age. Just not a very good one. First is the name. Does he KNOW what "nadir" means? It's not a positive! Second, a lab?! Dude, check your shtick again. You seem to have forgotten it.

He would last 14 issues of New Adventure Comics before pulling a final disappearing act.

From Speed Saunders: "The Mystery of the Lost Ape" by Gardner Fox and Creig Flessel, Detective Comics #6 (Aug 1937)

In the category "Evolution of the Sound Effect", we find this early gem. It goes right above the "COLLECTIVE GASP!".

From Sandra of the Secret Service: "The Brain: Part 4" by Will Ely, More Fun Comics #23 (Aug 1937)

Exactly what orientation at a new job feels like.

From Federal Men: "Torpedo On Wheels" by Siegel & Shuster, New Adventure Comics #18 (Aug 1937)

Yet another, pre-Superman, visual echo from Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Or doesn't the rail-rocket death trap evoke baby Kal-El's spacecraft?

From Slam Bradley: "In Atlantic City" by Siegel & Shuster, Detective Comics #7 (Sep 1937)

More Siegel and Shuster, but I simply can't resist the image of Slam Bradley on top of a giant swordfish.

The more I look at their pre-Superman work, the more I can see how they're evolving towards the Action ideal represented by the Superhero. They just HAVE to invent Superman because how else do you up the ante when you're already doing some high-octane "hard man" comics like this one?

From Barry O'Neill: "Fang Gow of China: Part 24" by Leo O'Mealia, More Fun Comics #24 (Sep 1937)

I just spent the better part of a week watching marine survival films  - The Shallows, Jaws, All Is Lost - so this panel popped pretty natural. It's a nice splash panel. If you know what I mean. Ha. Haha.

From "A Tale of Two Cities: Episode 16" by Charles Dickens and Merna Gamble, New Adventure Comics #19 (Sep 1937)

One of the things New Adventure has been doing since it was called New Comics is adapt literary classics. A Tale of Two Cities has been going on almost since the beginning, and it's notable that it was drawn by a rare Golden Age female artist!

The title was simultaneously stripping H. Rider Haggard's She.

From Slam Bradley: "The Hillbillies" by Siegel & Shuster, Detective Comics #8 (Oct 1937)

Slam and Shorty have matching pjs and everything. More Bert & Ernie than gay couple probably, but that's for Frederick Wertham to judge.

From Dr. Occult: "The Shrinking Doom" by Siegel & Shuster, More Fun Comics #25 (Oct 1937)

Shrinking: Before characters like Doll Man and the Atom perfected it, it was pretty deadly. Also see the Master's Tissue Compression Eliminator in Doctor Who.

From The Adventures of Steve Conrad: "The Revenge of Devachan: Part 8" by Creig Flessel, New Adventure Comics #20 (Oct 1937)
Steve Conrad is famous for meeting all sorts of crazy tribes on his adventures. Guys who ride alligators? Check! (I'm not even going to mention the difference between alligators and crocodiles, really I'm not.)

After all that, we're STILL not in game-changing 1938! Sorry!

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