Crack Comics: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox comic book title| <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->

|title=Crack Comics

|image = Crack Comics 1.jpg

|caption = ''Crack Comics'' #1 (May 1940)., Artworkartwork probably by [[Ed Cronin]].

|schedule = various

|format = Anthology

|publisher = [[Quality Comics]]

|genre = crime, superhero, humor

|startyr = 1940

|startmo = May

|endyr = 1949

|endmo = Sept.

|date = May [[1940 in comics|1940]] – Sept. [[1949 in comics|1949]]

|issues = 62

|main_char_team = [[Clock (comics)|The Clock]], [[Black Condor]], [[Captain Triumph]], [[Spider (DC Comics)|Alias the Spider]], [[Madame Fatal]], [[Jane Arden (comics)|Jane Arden]], [[Molly the Model]], [[Red Torpedo]]

|writers =

|artists = [[Alfred Andriola]], [[George Brenner]], [[Gill Fox]], [[Jack Cole (artist)|Jack Cole]], [[Paul Gustavson]], [[Klaus Nordling]], [[Art Pinajian]]

|pencillers =

|inkers =

|letterers =

|colorists =

|editors = Ed Cronin, John Beardsley, [[Gill Fox]], [[George Brenner]]

|creative_team_month =

|creative_team_year =

|creators =

}}

'''''Crack Comics''''' wasis an [[anthology]] [[comic book]] series published by [[Quality Comics]] during the [[Golden Age of Comic Books]].<ref name=Companion>{{cite book |last1=Koolman |first1=Mike |last2=Amash |first2=Jim |title=The Quality Companion |date=2011 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1605490373 |page=219}}</ref> It featured such characters as [[Clock (comics)|The Clock]], [[Black Condor]], [[Captain Triumph]], [[Spider (DC Comics)|Alias the Spider]], [[Madame Fatal]], [[Jane Arden (comics)|Jane Arden]], [[Molly the Model]], and [[Red Torpedo]]. The title "crack" referred to "being at the top of one's form"," like a "crack [[sharpshooter]].".<ref name="Steranko">[[Jim Steranko|Steranko, Jim]] (1972). ''The Steranko History of Comics 2''. Reading, Pennsylvania: Supergraphics. p. 92.</ref>

Notable contributors to ''Crack Comics'' included [[Alfred Andriola]], [[George Brenner]], [[Gill Fox]], [[Jack Cole (artist)|Jack Cole]], [[Paul Gustavson]], [[Klaus Nordling]], and [[Art Pinajian]].

Quality Comics published 62 issues of ''Crack Comics'' from 1940 to 1949; the title was temporarily revived in 2011, when the [[Next Issue Project]] published issue "#63.".

== Publication history ==

[[Image:CrackComics5.jpg|thumb|left|''Crack Comics'' #5 (Sept. 1940), first use of the "Quality Comic Group" logo (to right of "COMICS"). Cover art by [[Gill Fox]].]]

''Crack Comics'' started off as a monthly anthology of 68 pages, often with as many as 15 features. At first edited by [[Ed Cronin]], much of its material was originally "packaged" by the [[Eisner and Iger Studio]].<ref name="Steranko" /> "[[Clock (comics)|The Clock]],", as well as such newspaper strip reprints as "[[Rube Goldberg]]'s Side Show,", "[[Jane Arden (comics)|Jane Arden]]"," and "[[Ned Brant]]"," moved over from Quality's ''[[Feature Comics]]''.

The first use of the publisher name "Quality Comic Group" was on the cover of ''Crack Comics'' #5 (Sept. 1940).<ref name=chs>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212535/http://www.chs.org/comics/quality.htm|archivedate=September 27, 2007|title=Quality Comic Group: A Brief History|publisher=[[Connecticut Historical Society]]|url=http://www.chs.org/comics/quality.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

With issue #26 (Nov. 1942), at the height of [[World War II]], the title dropped down to a bi-monthly schedule due to wartime paper shortages; and with issue #33 (Spring 1944) it became quarterly, also reducing its page-count to 60. It was around this time that publisher Arnold dropped Eisner & Iger as a "packager" and began producing much of the material in-house.<ref name="Steranko" /> The syndicated newspaper strip reprints "[[Jane Arden (comics)|Jane Arden]]" and "Ned Brant" disappeared during this period, as well as such recurring features as "[[Black Condor]]"," "[[Don Q (comics)|Don Q]]"," and "[[Snappy (comics)|Snappy]]"."

Cartoonist [[George Brenner]] became editor of ''Crack Comics'' with issue #31 (Oct. 1943) (Cronin having left the post in Feb. 1942), a few issues before Brenner's character [[Clock (comics)|The Clock]] stopped appearing in the book's pages.<ref name="Clock">Markstein, Don. [http://www.toonopedia.com/clock.htm "The Clock,"], {{webarchive Webarchive|url=https://wwwarchive.webcitation.orgtoday/20120917173205/66tXLHj7l?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/clock.htm |date=2012-0409-13 17}} Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Accessed Nov. 15, 2011.</ref> Beginning with issue #42 (May 1946) the title went back to a bimonthly schedule, which it maintained until its cancellation with issue #62. (Duringduring this time, the title also gradually reduced its page-count from 60 to 52 to 36.). Brenner stayed on as editor almost to the end, leaving the post after issue #61 (July 1949).

=== ''Crack Western'' and ''Jonesy'' ===

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=== Next Issue Project ===

Following the demise of ''Crack Comics'' and later the publisher itself, many of Quality Comics' characters lapsed into the [[public ___domain]]. In November [[2011 in comics|2011]], as part of editor [[Erik Larsen]]'s "[[Next Issue Project]],", [[Image Comics]] published ''Crack Comics'' "#63,", containing the following stories:

* [[Captain Triumph]], written and penciled by [[Alan Weiss (comics)|Alan Weiss]]

* The Space Legion, written and illustrated by [[Chris Burnham]]

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== Recurring features ==

* '''[[Clock (comics)|The Clock]]''': Moving over from ''[[Feature Comics]]'', [[George Brenner]]'s the Clock was the cover feature of ''Crack Comics'' #1, alternating cover appearances with the [[Black Condor]] until issue #19. He was a regular feature in the title — usually as the final story in each issue — until his last appearance, in issue #35 (Autumn 1944). The Clock's spot was taken over by '''[[Floogy the Fiji]]''', a [[Jungle girl (stock character)|jungle comics]] feature which lasted from issue #36 (Winter 1944) until issue #59 (Mar. 1949).

* '''[[Black Condor]]''': A mystery man with the power of flight, the character's adventures were originally written by [[Will Eisner]] and drawn by [[Lou Fine]].<ref>Markstein, Don. [http://www.toonopedia.com/blcondr1.htm "Black Condor,"], Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Accessed Nov. 15, 2011.</ref> The Black Condor was the lead feature of ''Crack'' from issue #1–26, and a regular feature until issue #31 (Oct. 1943).

* '''[[Lee Preston of the Red Cross]]''': Newspaper strip reprints of Lee Preston, a heroic [[Red Cross]] nurse, and her friend Rick Royce, were a feature from issues #1–9 (Jan. 1941), when the strip was replaced by [[Paul Gustavson]]<nowiki>'</nowiki>s '''[[Tor the Magic Master]]'''. Jim Slade was a photojournalist whose superhero persona was a backward-speaking magician. This feature lasted from issue #10 (Feb. 1941) until issue #26 (Nov. 1942). Beginning with issue #27 (Jan. 1943), Tor's spot was taken by [[Alfred Andriola]]'s '''[[Captain Triumph]]'''. Stories of the merged twins (one alive, one dead) who formed the Golden Age superhero were a recurring item — mostly as the cover feature — through to ''Crack Comics'' final issue, #62.

* '''[[Alias the Spider]]''': [[Paul Gustavson]]'s crime-fighting bowman was a regular feature in ''Crack'' from issue #1–29 (May 1943), eventually replaced by [[Bernard Dibble]]'s humor feature '''[[Beezy Bumble]]'''.<ref>Markstein, Don. [http://www.toonopedia.com/spider.htm "The Spider,"] {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20240525201833/https://www.webcitation.org/66fqwEXex?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/spider.htm |date=20122024-0405-04 25}} Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Accessed Nov. 15, 2011.</ref> Beezy lasted through the rest of ''Crack Comics''<nowiki>'</nowiki> run, ending with issue #62.

* '''[[Molly the Model]]''': [[Bernard Dibble]]'s one-page humor strips were featured in every issue of ''Crack Comics'' from #1–62.

* '''[[Eric Vale (comics)|Eric Vale]]''': Two-page text stories of the adventuresome pilot of a black plane were a regular feature, only missing a few issues, from #1–50 (Sept. 1947).

* '''[[Slap Happy Pappy]]''': Created by Quality editor [[Gill Fox]], most of the hillbilly character's humorous one-page strips were done by [[Jack Cole (artist)|Jack Cole]], and were a regular feature from issues #1–49 (July 1947).

* '''[[Madame Fatal]]''': [[Art Pinajian]]'s [[cross-dressing]] detective debuted in issue #1, continuing as a feature until issue #22 (Mar. 1942), when it was replaced by '''[[Pen Miller]]''', who came over from ''[[National Comics (series)|National Comics]]''.<ref>Markestein, Don. [http://www.toonopedia.com/penmillr.htm "Pen Miller,"], Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Accessed Nov. 15, 2011.</ref> [[Klaus Nordling]]'s cartoonist/detective and his "Chinese houseboy Chop Chu" solved crimes and helped the war effort, lasting as a regular feature from issue #23 (May 1942) until issue #60 (May 1949).

* '''[[Red Torpedo]]''': [[Submarine]]r Jim Lockhart, created by [[Henry C. Kiefer]], first appeared in ''Crack Comics'' #1 and was a regular feature until issue #20 (Jan. 1942), when he was replaced by '''[[Hack O'Hara]]'''. O'Hara was a tough New York taxi driver who used his muscles to take down criminals. Hack's stories, illustrated by [[Witmer Williams]], were featured from #21 (Feb. 1942) through issue #62.

* '''[[Space Legion (comics)|Space Legion]]''': [[Vernon Henkel]]'s science fiction adventures starring Rock Braddon and Commander Crosby were a regular feature from issues #1–18 (Nov. 1941), replaced by Henkel's own '''[[Don Q (comics)|Don Q]]''': Don was a crime-fighter whose secret identity was a [[diplomatic courier]] for the American government. His adventures appeared in issues #19 (Dec. 1941)–26 (Nov. 1942).

* '''[[Wizard Wells]]''': [[Harry Campbell (artist)|Harry Campbell]]'s Wells was a former [[All-American]] athlete and a talented inventor who used science to outwit crooks. Wells' sidekicks included Tug, a punch-drunk jack-of-all-trades and Wells' would-be girlfriend Mary Perry. Wells was featured in issues #1–14 (July 1941), when he was replaced by [[Al McWilliams]]' '''[[Spitfire (Quality Comics)|Spitfire]]'''. The adventures of heroic fighter pilot Tex Adams lasted from issue #15 (Aug. 1941) until issue #27 (Jan. 1943). Spitfire was in turn replaced by [[Al Stahl]]'s '''[[Inkie (comics)|Inkie]]''', who lasted as a feature from #28 (Mar. 1943) until issue #60 (May 1949).

* '''[[Rube Goldberg]]'s Side Show''': Reprints of the [[Rube Goldberg|cartoonist]]'s newspaper strips were a regular two-page feature in every issue from #1–40 (Winter 1945).

* '''[[Jane Arden (comics)|Jane Arden]]''': Reprints of the popular newspaper strip featuring a spunky gal reporter were a regular ''Crack Comics'' feature from issues #1–25 (continuing the tradition of ''[[Feature Comics]]'' #21-31).

* '''[[Ned Brant]]''': A regular feature from issues #1–25 (Sept. 1942), the sports-related stories were syndicated newspaper strip reprints by writer [[Robert Zuppke]] and artist [[Walt Depew]].

* '''[[Snappy (comics)|Snappy]]''': [[Arthur Beeman]]'s one-pager humor strips debuted in issue #5 (Sept. 1940), lasting until #26 (Nov. 1942).

Other characters of note who appeared in ''Crack Comics'' included [[Batch Bachelor]], [[Biff Banks]], [[Black Shark (comics)|Black Shark]], [[Dewey Drip]], [[Kiki Kelly]], and [[Yankee Guerilla]].

== Notes ==

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==References==

* {{gcdb series|id=157|title=Crack Comics}}

* {{comicbookdb|type=title|id=21106|title=''Crack Comics''}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.herogoggles.com/Quality-Heroes.html Quality's Superheroes & Villains Encyclopedia]

* [httphttps://colescomics.blogspot.com/2010/08/slap-happy-pappy-selection.html "Slap Happy Pappy – A Selection,"], Cole's Comics

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crack Comics}}