Number 1603: Heap big origin

“It walked in the woods. It was never born. It existed. Under the pine needles the fires burn, deep and smokeless in the mould. In heat and in darkness and decay there is growth. There is life and there is growth. It grew, but it is life and there is growth. It grew, but it was not alive. It walked unbreathing through the woods, and thought and saw and was hideous and strong, and it was not born and it did not live. It grew and lived about without living.”  Theodore Sturgeon, “It”

The classic story by Sturgeon, published in 1940 in John Campbell’s Unknown, has had an influence far past its initial publication.The novelette was hailed by readers as a classic. As far as I can tell the first “It” copycat was the Heap, who was a German flier of World War I. He died and then was resurrected during the next war as the shambling creature called Heap.

This is the origin of the Heap, told in Air Fighters Comics #3 (1942). The Heap was created by Harry Stein and artist Mort Leav, and probably wasn’t conceived as a permanent addition to the title. After appearing a few times, in 1946 the Heap found his way as a permanent back-up feature (sometimes featured on the cover) until Hillman closed out its comic book line in 1953.

The swamp creatures have come and gone in comics. They are always popular. Heap was, also, I believe, or he wouldn’t have been wandering about in different areas of the world for those years. But to the best of my knowledge all of those swamp creatures go back to Theodore Sturgeon’s incredible original story.

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 ...AND AS A BONUS FEATURE TODAY, HOME BUYING TIPS FROM PANIC AND JACK DAVIS

Today my son and his wife take possession and move into their new home in Western Pennsylvania. Mrs Pappy and I have their children staying with us, which is how we help the process. After all,we live 1600 miles apart (and it is a good excuse for me not to do any furniture moving and heavy lifting).

The last issue of EC Comics’ Panic (1955) featured this funny and well-drawn satire, “House Hunting.” The thing about the best satire is that it never gets too far from reality, just basically pointing out absurdities in any situation, such as looking for a house.

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Number 1438: Mad Hatter shares the wealth

Mad Hatter was a short-lived comic, two issues, published in 1946. Superheroes were not having an easy go of it in the postwar comic book era, and Mad Hatter was no exception. The premise of the character, as shown here, isn’t much different than many others. A guy dresses up in panties and a cape and goes about fighting crime. The advantage to the strip, if there is one, is the creative team of William Woolfolk for the script, and Mort Leav for the art. Woolfolk once claimed he was the highest paid comic book writer of the 1940s, and I’ll take him at his word. Leav spent the latter 1940s drawing crime, western and romance comics for publisher Rae Herman.

I wonder if anyone noticed that the Golden City is a communist paradise? As De Leon, ancestor of the Spanish explorer who found it claims, “Our wealth belongs to all! From each we ask only what he can give and to each we grant whatever he may need!”

From Mad Hatter #2 (1946):

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Number 1350: “Love me the way I am, baby!”

Here’s another love story/cautionary tale. You young women listen up. Pappy’s wisdom — learned from decades of reading comic books, with a little personal experience thrown in — is yours for the taking.

1. If you are given a choice between a dull good guy and a flashy bad guy choose the bad guy. After all, when he’s done with you then the chump you dumped, and who has steadfastly loved you since, will still be there to sweep you into his dull but manly arms and you will be happy forever.

2. Do not go driving with a guy who has been drinking. Not much else needs to be said about that.

From Love Journal #16 (1952), drawn by Mort Leav:

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Number 1326: Saboteurs!

This is the second entry in our "War is hell on the homefront" week, with war stories published in 1942, America's first full year of World War II.

Sabotage was a big concern during the war,* and counter-espionage would have been less of a problem had Nazi spies and saboteurs been as easy to catch as they are in these stories from Jumbo Comics #41. These are short comic book tales and need quick resolution, so coincidence and confessions extorted by force speed them up.

Lightning, not to be confused with Ace Comics' Lash (né Flash) Lightning, made his final appearance in this story. He had begun his career in Jumbo #14. It helps to get a spy to talk if he can be zapped by electricity shooting from fingertips. Today some zealous interrogator might use a stun-gun or a Taser, but Lightning had the innate ability. No waterboarding necessary for this spy to give up the sinister plans. The story, credited to “Teller Tayles” (groan) is drawn by main Sheena artist Robert H. Webb, according to the Grand Comics Database. ZX-5 was a long-time continuing feature in Jumbo. This particular episode, with its sexy enemy agent, is credited by the GCD to Mort Leav, with a guess that the inking may be by Al Bryant.

*And what’s changed in 71 years? It’s still a major concern, and billions are spent every year to prevent it.

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