The 1940s Captain America Newspaper Strip

[Jeff of Earth-J]

“Hey, True Believer! Remember how great the Captain America comic-strip was that ran nationally back in the 1940s that — what’s that? You never heard of it? Well, allow us to take you back through the mists of time when the USA was on the verge of war, sinister spies and femme fatales were lurking in the shadows, and a certain star-spangled shield-slinger — and his trusty, wise-cracking side-kick — stood ready to defend the old red, white and blue!”

I thought starting this discussion with that “disclaimer” from issue #1 of this three-issue series would be the best way to avoid the confusion of discussing a strip which never existed. I had been looking forward to this faux collection of “comic strips” ever since I first saw it solicited. Now that I’ve read it, it’s not exactly what I expected. First of all (for some reason), I expected the stories to mimic only daily comics strips. Consequently, I also expected it to be in black and white. There’s no reason for me to have made either of these assumptions; that’s just how I pictured it in my head.

In point of fact, writer/artist Karl Kesel attempts to simulate both daily and Sunday strips, but they are all in color. Also, the presentation of the strip reads more like a comic book than a comic strip. In addition to being in color, the four panels of each “daily” installment are stacked two-on-two rather than reading four across from side-to-side. That’s not so bad; I have seen some (albeit not many) strips collected that way. But the “Sundays,” which should read left to right across three tiers of panels (if the intention is to duplicate a Sunday newspaper strip, that is), are set up to be read like pages in a comic book.

Each “daily” has been given its own title, a practice which had been largely dropped by the ‘40s, anyway, nor is the pacing set so that the reader could follow either the dailies or the Sundays and still get a complete story (although perhaps I’m being a bit pedantic with that last criticism). Does this project at all resemble an actual 1940s-era newspaper strip? Well, no, not really. As a matter of fact opinion, John Romita’s work on the Captain America comic book of the ‘50s more closely resembled a classic adventure comic strip (specifically Milton Caniff’s work) than Kesel’s, but that’s not to say the series is entirely lacking in merit.

These strips originally appeared on Marvel.com’s Digital Comics Unlimited Service for an entirely different audience than newspaper strip readers (or comic book readers, for that matter), and an introductory editorial by Kesel explains what he set out to achieve. The script gives a nod to the original Simon and Kirby stories, the plots are fast-paced and straight-forward, and the art is detailed with lots of action and good panel-to-panel continuity. Whereas I might quibble with the format of the presentation, the first issue was good fun and I’ll be back for the next two.

[ClarkKent_DC]

I'm as pedantic as you are, Jeff -- I thumbed through the book on the shelf when I saw it on my last strip to the store, and put it back just because it didn't appear to be what it promised. Wednesday Comics captured that kind of thing far better.

[Figserello]

Making the Sunday strips and the daily strips work whether read seperately or both together would have been a huge amount of work for a creator of a nationally syndicated newspaper strip with a readership in the millions and consequent payback. Expecting the same thing from a little 3-issue series with a probably limited readership is asking a lot, to my mind.

I also half-suspect that you've spent more time studying actual newspaper strips of the early C20th than Mr Kesel, so he had his work cut out for him getting it right...

But then again, reproducing a 40s strip that never was is what he set out to do, so his self-set task was to get it right.

(Comicbook Guy question: Is it in continuity?)

[ClarkKent_DC]

Exactly, Figserello -- if that's what he set out to do, it's on him to get it right. Look at Alan Moore and the 1963 miniseries, which was a dead-on homage to early Marvel comics.

[Figserello]

I looooved 1963. There is a homage. I loved the way that the strips themselves just oozed fondness and admiration for what early Marvel had accomplished, whereas the editorial spoofs were scathing on how it had been accomplished.

Also the ads. "Speak you good English?"

Setting out to 'recreate' a Captain America strip that never existed was a strange tack to take. It's not as if the market was crying out for it. If it was a labour of love on Kesels part, it sounds like he didn't go that extra mile for it.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

“Is it in continuity?” Captain America’s origin has had more tweaks and revisions than any other hero who springs readily to mind. It does contradict established continuity in that the Betsy Ross character is an FBI agent who plays a much more active role in Cap’s adventures (more akin to Sharon Carter’s “Agent 13” in the Silver Age). She also played the role of “Agent R” (the disguised crone who fronted the curio shop) and the script references Sando and Omar among other things. I guess the best answer to your question is, “It is if you want it to be.”

This project is a true labor of love on the part of Karl Kesel. I wish I had the comic with me today so I could quote verbatim from his editorial. He did say his entire career seemed to be leading to this point.

I, too, loved 1963, but when are we going to see the conclusion!?

[Philip Portelli]

And really, would 99% of its readers actually know what a 1940s newspaper Sunday page truly looked like. Just enjoy this slice of Cap's glory days revisited.

[ClarkKent_DC]

Philip Portelli said:

And really, would 99% of its readers actually know what a 1940s newspaper Sunday page truly looked like. Just enjoy this slice of Cap's glory days revisited.

99% of the readers might know what a 1940s newspaper Sunday page truly looked like if they were presented with a proper facsimile here ... after all, Marvel could very well have given us this slice of Captain America's glory days revisited without claiming they're doing something that they haven't done quite right.

So where is that conclusion to 1963, anyway?

[Figserello]

I, too, loved 1963, but when are we going to see the conclusion!?

So where is that conclusion to 1963, anyway?

Seeing as yiz asked nicely...

[Jeff of Earth-J]

SIGH...

[Philip Portelli]

The first issue was a light-hearted but action packed mystery filled with goofy dialogue, romance and just enough danger to keep it suspenseful. It even makes sense that scientists would experiment on Cap to try to duplicate him. It's a welcomed relief from the seroiusness and violence of today's comics!