Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Adventure Comics - "Starman"!

Continuing my "A 'Slight' History of Golden Age Comic Book Super Heroes" we meet the third super hero to take up residence in National Periodical's "Adventure Comics, Starman!

Created in 1941 for the 61st issue of Adventure by Gardner Fox and Jack Burnley, Starman was astronomer Ted Knight who found a way to harness the power of faraway stars and invented "The Gravity Rod" with which he could control the force of gravity, allowing him to fly as well as several other tricks.

One trick, seldom if ever seen in the comics, was one which should interest you ladies who struggle every day with the negative effects of gravity. Ted "Starman" Knight demonstrates here as he visits "Ye Olde Drink Hole".




Ah, Rusty was a happy gal that day.

Starman later learned to shoot energy beams from the rod and changed it's name to "The Cosmic Rod". He later, alongside Dr. Mid-Nite (more on him later) replaced Hourman and Green Lantern (again...more to come) in the Justice Society of America.

Very slick art and some genuine dynamic storytelling soon earned Starman the cover spot in Adventure Comics which he wrested away from Hourman who had of course taken it from Sandman. Quite the line-up of heroes each and every month, no matter WHO got the cover.

Here's Starman's story from Adventure Comics #67, which also features the debut appearance of one of the classic golden age villains, "The Mist".

Enjoy!





























READER REBUTTAL:

I don't believe this has ever occured in the life of this blog, but a concerned citizen from Lompoc, California registered a complaint about the gag in yesterday's post featuring Hourman. In the interest of fairness and equal time, Jeffy lends an ear to this concerned citizens greivance.



He's right. "Jay Ward" cartoons are immeasurably more funny than "Total TV" cartoons.

Talk to you soon.

6 comments:

Runs.with.Ferals said...

Roger Ramjet needs to meet Underdog !

Unca Jeffy said...

Mybe he will my friend, maybe he will. Anything's possible. :P

Akshunt "Action" Frank Franklyn said...

don't forget about Super Chicken's problem with the Super Sauce, he's known to be a violent drunk... just ask poor old Fred.

Unca Jeffy said...

Hmmmmmmmmmmm...you're right, Frank (betcha never heard that before) it seems there's a big problem with chemically induced super heroes out there...I might need to look into this idea of a support group deeper.

Runs.with.Ferals said...

Oh- and- does that gravity device LENGTHEN as well as it tightens ? Not that anyone needs that service (ahem).

Unca Jeffy said...

Well, I'm almmost positive it can increase gravity as well as decrease it, which of course would lengthen things that hang under their own weight. I didn't ask though, because, like you, I'd never need to know such things. ahem!

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