Kid Komics
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Art Director, Kid Komics gave kids all over the country plenty of
exciting tales with a host of very different, but all equally adventurous,
characters. It lasted for three years before morphing into Kid Movie Komics
in the 11th issue, in the summer of 1946.
But let’s focus
here on that exciting debut issue, featuring 7 different action-packed tales
with the heroic Captain Wonder, the sweet and innocent Trixie Trouble, the wild
rustlin’ cowboy Pinto Pete, the pint-sized sub-mariner Subbie, aviation-master
Breezy Collins and the ryhmin’ rascal Flap Flipflop
We start with
Captain Wonder. Actually, we start with his nemesis, Mister Death, who is seen
on the very first page looming over the town with knarled hands and a spooky
white mask. We soon learn that Mister Death has been ravaging the poor town,
“stalking in the night on a trail of doom”! Sounds like a job for Captain Wonder
– also known as Professor Jordan. Poor Professor Jordan was known around his
school as a rather nerdy kind of guy, with, according to the bully-ish gym
teacher Mr. Brent, “the strength of a grasshopper and the spine of a jellyfish.”
Little did all of his unsuspecting colleagues know, however, that the good
professor was soon to save the word from a most formidable foe. When the rowdy
Tim Mulrooney was forced to stay after class one day and assist Professor
Jordan on a new experiment, a vial of “Wonder Fluid” slips from his hands and
transforms him from a brainy weakling to an all-powerful force to be reckoned
with. A force that even kicks Mr. Brent’s butt in the boxing ring.
That’s when the Professor decides to use his new power to champion
justice for all, and Captain Wonder is born. Soon, even the rambunctious Tim
Mulrooney joins him as a sidekick, and it isn’t long before mister Death meets a
most unpleasant fate.
More adventure unfolds with Trixie Trouble, a
sprightly little red head with enough pluck to get her out of any jam. In this
tale, she has eyes for a certain police officer – Officer McGillkudy. McGillkudy
is utterly sick and tired of Trixie’s endless pranks, but, in order to keep
coming into contact with him, Trixie has to keep getting into trouble. Every
time McGillkudy calls Trixie a pest, or a little cat, or a bag o’trouble, or an
imp o’Satan, Trixie flutters her lashes and falls more deeply in love.
Next, there’s the sharp-shootin’ adventures of Pinto Pete, a
freckled-faced cowboy (and we mean boy) who battles some nasty fiends
intent on stealing the ranch of one sweet old Mrs. Webster. But Mrs. Webster
just happens to be the mother of Pinto Pete, who, with the utmost cool, enters
the scene and announces, “I’m Pinto Pete. Now git out! Scat! Vamoos!” The
thieves aren’t too keen to go, until Pete whips out his twin six-shooters with
lightening speed and says, “Now will you hombres leave?”
Pete’s
adventures continue throughout the tale, and, with horse Swifty close by, saving
cattle, protecting the innocent and getting rid of the bad guys becomes the name
of the game.
Avast there readers! Next we have Subbie, a mini-sub-mariner
who decides to try his adventuresome luck on land. So, with the blessing of
Father Neptune, he dons a sailor suit, boards at PT boat and for the East coast
of the United States. That’s when trouble starts to break out among two young
sailors, who both are eventually knocked overboard. That’s where Subbie comes to
the rescue. He brings the boys aboard his ship, where they revive and realize
that they’re all in the path of some target shooters onshore. While
investigating matters further, the three saving the U.S. from Axis forces.
Next, we have Breezy Collins: leader of the Glider Patrol. These “three
real American boys and a girl” all very interested in aviation, are: William
Collins, Breezy’s dad, Wings West, the portly pilot extraordinaire, Nails
Nelson, the newest recruit and Janice Jones, who loves Breezy almost as much as
she loves flying. The gang’s adventures take them on a nighttime flight with
Wings in the plane behind the others, who are on the ground in their car. That’s
when Nazis come into the picture, and the crew not only attacks, but also
manages to get rid of a house of Nazi spies further down the road!
Last,
we have “Flap” Flipflop, the flying flash. Written entirely in rhyme and
alliteration, this lyrical tale takes Flap the fearless flight fancier high in
the sky…before he crashes. This gets him into trouble with Major Mush, to whom
he must prove himself all over again. But when enemy planes attack, it turns out
Flappy is happy to do boisterous battle and be the happenin’ hero after all.
It’s no wonder that, despite its rather short run, Kid Komics was
so popular. The variety of characters and the many exciting situations they
found themselves in were so diverse, that kids of all interests could find at
least one to follow. And today, a NM copy of Kid Komics #1 can sell for
over $5,000. Not bad, for a Kid!
� bad, for a
Kid!