Number 2264: Plastic Man set in Concrete

We complete our Thanksgiving week postings with Plastic Man, meeting up with a crook who sells cheap cement to make concrete that ultimately costs lives. Now that particular part of the story isn’t funny but tragic, and has happened in real life. What is funny are the drawings by Jack Cole, and the breakneck action panels. I am always amazed at how many ways Cole could contort the body of not only the stretchable Plastic Man, but other characters who supposedly have human bodies.

This appeared in Plastic Man #14 (1948). The Grand Comics Database gives writing credit to Joe Millard* and art credits to Jack Cole (pencils), and Alex Kotzky (? ), question mark meaning they aren't sure, for inks.

Although they have the same name, the villain Concrete is not the same as the character, Concrete, created by Paul Chadwick in the 1980s.

*I am a fan of the “Who Created the Comic Books?” blog by Martin O’Hearn, who by studying their styles, has proved he is observant and knowledgeable about writers and artists. I went to the blog to see if his research might show a corroboration with the Grand Comics Database that Joe Millard was the author of this story, based on the use of two unusual utterances I have seen before in other comics: “GRAWK!” and “YAWP!” In his posts concerning Millard’s style he does not mention them, which makes me wonder if GCD identified the writer of the story correctly, or if it is another writer who uses those made-up words? To look at Martin’s blog and his outstanding research go to the right and click on the link in the sidebar of this blog.

Posted in: Pappy Comics