Showing posts with label R S Callendar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label R S Callendar. Show all posts

Friday, July 20, 2012

Reading Room: THE OWL "Food Market Racketeers"

The Owl's second appearance, while keeping the story elements, completely reworked the strip's visuals, as seen in this never-reprinted tale from CrackaJack Funnies #26
The revamp included a new costume, which The Owl would keep for the rest of his days (with minor color variations), and primary characters who now look more like individuals, especially Nick Terry with his broken nose, a rare condition for a lead character who's supposed to be refined and educated!
(Usually supporting or comic-relief characters had a broken nose.)
Though the Owl's Golden Age adventures ended in 1943, he was the only Dell superhero to return during the great superhero revival of the Silver Age (but not in a Dell comic)!
You'll see that tale next week!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Reading Room: THE OWL "Carter Escapes"

WHOOOOO Knows What Evil Lurks...?
Nope, it ain't The Shadow...but our hero does cast a shadow...with glowing eyes, in this installment of our look at owl-themed heroes in comics!
The Owl's premiere appearance in Dell's CrackaJack Comics #25 (1940) by an unknown writer  and artist doesn't give an origin, and features both a costume and gimmick (the shadow with glowing eyes) that will never appear again!
(Note: the strip is copyrighted to "R S Callendar" who apparently was a packager working with Dell.
His name appears on all the material in CrackaJack, Popular, Super, and other Dell titles that wasn't derived from newspaper strips or other licensed sources like Red Ryder and John Carter of Mars.)
As of the next issue, new ongoing artist Frank Thomas radically-redesigned everything from the characters' appearances to The Owl's costume and gimmicks.
You'll see that tale later this week!