More culture, more Wolverton

Basil Wolverton's Culture Corner from Whiz number 90.

Fawcett always had a unique approach to marketing

Fawcett presented themselves as part of the popular mainstream, comics from the people who brought you Mechanix Illustrated and other fine magazines.

Even as early as the mid-Forties, Fawcett was heading off charges of comics' corrupting influence with its "Editorial Advisory Board."

The end of the original Marvel era

Whiz Comics ran for 155 issues and every one of them featured Captain Marvel, arguably the most popular of the Golden Age, at times outselling even Superman.

This final story, printed in 1953, is unusually dark for a Captain Marvel story but that was the direction the industry was headed in -- 1953 was the height of the horror trend with EC titles like Tales from the Crypt peaking in sales and quality.

There are no decapitations in this story, but the monster's plan are genuinely disturbing and the story is tight and well drawn. Not a bad note to go out on.

This would definitely be worth a Popsicle bag

From Whiz Comics 147

Golden Age recursion

Unlike most comics companies (which generally came from the pulp side), Fawcett was the publisher of major magazines like Mechanix Illustrated and Family Circle (as well as racier titles like True Confessions). It's not surprising that Fawcett's comics were a bit like MGM movies -- well crafted and entertaining with good production values if sometimes a bit stiff. You won't find many of the flashes of (often dark) genius that you saw from artists like Eisner, Cole, Simon&Kirby*, Briefer, Ayers, Meskin, even Shuster. What you will find are stories that are beautifully drawn (particularly those by Mac Raboy), charming, clever and often gently and subtly medium-pushing.


From 1947:


From 1951:

Though Simon and Kirby did a brief stint on Whiz Comics.

A bit of Golden Age whimsy with the big red cheese

By some measures, Captain Marvel was the best selling character of the Golden Age. His adventures (like this one from 1949) were always whimsical, clever and well-drawn. There was something about the character that lent itself to a light and cartoony touch. Perhaps it was his innocence (he seemed, if anything, less worldly than his young alter ego).

When this artist (Kurt Schaffenberger) became the artist for DC's Lois Lane story he was arguably my least favorite artist with a major publisher; here he's just about perfect.

"Pre-war quality at pre-war prices"

This was 1947 and people were already getting, if not nostalgic, then at least a little wistful for the good old days.

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