Number 1718: Another imitation Captain Marvel

Thanks to Paw Broon for the online upload of this interesting comic from the UK, Masterman Comic. The date of the comic isn’t given, but based on what scarce information there is, the year of publication is probably 1953.



Masterman is an imitation of Captain Marvel, using a similar origin, including a supernatural being who gives young Bobby Fletcher a ring he rubs that turns him into a man. Since it has been done a few times (the later origin of The Fly comes to mind, also), the idea of a young boy suddenly gaining a man’s body, and a super-powered body at that, is a fantasy that is close to home. When I was a kid I would have loved to have suddenly become big and handsome and had super powers. Who wouldn’t? But thinking back, I would not have had the wisdom or skills to handle such an abrupt transition. I probably would have misused my super powers by being immature and oafish, trying to attract chicks, or maybe clobbering a few bullies in the schoolyard. Like Bobby does at the end of this story. Oops. That was a spoiler.



Something interesting about the comic is the cover says “American Comic” and the writing is a good approximation of an American comic, down to the dialogue. In this “American” comic no one says “Crikey!” or calls friends mates, or other young males lads or blokes. But I’d like to give a special groan at the bully’s name, Martin Weakbrane. So...groannnnn! Weakbrane is a weak name for a lamebrain.



There is also a science fiction story that is so wordy it is hard to get through, with a space hero (member of the “C.P.A.” So he's a Certified Public Accountant?) named “Gorton,” not to be confused with Flash Gordon, and believe me, you won’t. It has some giant penguins and a dinosaur, though. A special surprise is a short four-page story by Dick “Frankenstein” Briefer, a Western strip which appeared in America in Hillman’s Dead-Eye Western Vol. 1 No. 8 (1950).



Being me I cleaned up the original scans, blowing out the brown color of the pages to create a crisp blackline copy. Working with other’s scans is a part of this job I like.

Posted in: Pappy Comics