Comments on: Scott's Classic Comics Corner: Multiple Personality Disorder Titles Pt. 2

By: Mike Blake

Mike Blake — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:28:59 +0000

Nope, I guess not.

http://www.geocities.com/musicfornimrods/02.JPG

http://www.madpeck.com/grafix/fcover/fc.GIF

By: Mike Blake

Mike Blake — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:26:50 +0000

An underground cartoonist called The Mad Peck, located here in Rhode Island, used a thinly-disguised Black Cat in his music reviews done in comic strip form in CREEM magazine, many years ago.

He said she was "the Masked Marvel," an obscure and forgotten forties super-heroine. But the only characters by that name I've encountered were male.

Perhaps he was afraid someone somewhere probably still had the rights to the name and exact design. But take a look for yourself (I forget if you can post links on this site).

By: Ian A.

Ian A. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:33:12 +0000

That "Clean as a Whistle" cover is striking.

No wonder it haunts you.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:18:14 +0000

To be honest, I was hoping that this column and my coyness would encourage some independent research, but seeing how you're probably all just as lazy as I am - here's a link:

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=11225&zoom=4

By: Scavenger

Scavenger — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:14:56 +0000

Do we not get to see the Clean as a Whistle cover?

By: Andrew Collins

Andrew Collins — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Here's the link for that:

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=fullsize&issue=02304200762%201

By: Andrew Collins

Andrew Collins — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:23:44 +0000

Anybody looking for the Evanier/Anderson story can find it at Mile High Comics under the title "Alfred Harvey's Black Cat The Origins (1995)" It's actually on sale right now for only a couple bucks.

By: David M

David M — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Also, I wonder if Harvey's Black Cat is the first "fishnet-stocking" superheroine (she debuted in 1941). Black Canary doesn't appear until 1947 in Flash #86 and Zatanna not until much, much later in 1964 in Hawkman #4. Can anyone find a fishnet-stocking superheroine to predate Black Cat??

By: Blackjak

Blackjak — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:30:11 +0000

Nope, wasn't a reprint title... Was definitely new stories by someone else, claiming that the original had lain dormant long enough (similar to the concept behind Project Superpowers), but with a "naughty" angle to it... I'm afraid I didn't pick it up, but I do remember it being covered in Comics International back in the day...

By: David M

David M — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:25:07 +0000

Who owns the rights to all of those great old stories/characters? I ask for two reasons:

1) It would be awesome to see some archive editions of Black Cat made!; and

2) When Marvel introduced its Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) character, was there no one to object on behalf of the Harvey character?

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:06:32 +0000

Dub

I know I've seen the 'Judo Tricks' reprinted in Joe Palooka and I remember a text story off all things. These might have been occasional filler rather than a regular feature, but my Joe Palooka exposure is pretty limited.

She also appeared in the digest-sized Pocket Comics in the early 40s.

Speaking of 'Eraser Covers' - it's a subgenre I'll be highlighting one day. Captain Marvel Adventures #97 has them both beat.

I should have noted that I discussed two Black Cat issues in the Singe Issue Hall of Fame feature at my blog. More in depth discussion there.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:59:10 +0000

There was a reprint title in the early 90s. Not sure about the 'erotic' angle.

One of the issues featured a new story by Mark Evanier and Murphy Anderson. I've never seen those - but would likely pick them up if I stumbled upon them.

By: DubipR

DubipR — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:55:33 +0000

Looks like that Black Cat Mystic cover beat the Living Eraser by at least a good couple of years.
But another great subject Scott. But wasn't the Black Cat also in some issues of Joe Palooka too? One of my GA collectors showed me one time a while back. Also, weren't there reprints of the Black Cat in the late 80s? I vaguely remember seeing those in comic shops

By: Blackjak

Blackjak — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:41:18 +0000

Didn't this title get "pinched" by one of the "erotic" comic companies in the 90s?? I vaguely remember reading something about the fact that her costume would end up being shredded by the end of every issue... In the same way that Domino Lady was done by Eros, using the fact that the character and title had been apparently dormant for a specific length of time...