Captain Truth? Who he??
Let's travel back to the halcyon days of 1958 and Great Action Comics #1 when a bold new hero made a blazing debut:
A closer look, if you please:
Well, he doesn't look too bad. Sure, the hat with ostrich plume is a little goofy, and I don't know quite what to make of those cuffs...but he looks like presentable enough a chap.
Ahh, but wait. I've played a little trick on you. This wasn't really Captain Truth's debut. This is a reprint comic, you see, reprinting portions of Gold Medal Comics #1 from 1945. And that's not exactly Captain Truth's real costume...
I don't know whether it was to mollify the Wertham crowd, or because I.W. Publishing's editors had a wee bit more modesty than those of Cambridge House in 1945. But that cover was re-colored or re-drawn. Because in his original 1945 debut, Captain Truth looked like this:
Oh, sweet merciful heaven...He's dressed like Puss-In-Boots, but without the blessing of concealing hair...
And this is how he's "dressed" throughout the interior (and no, they didn't redo those interiors for the 1958 reprint...only the cover). Holy heck, let's take a look, shall we?
Apparently written and drawn by Bob Fujitani, this was Captain Truth's only appearance...and it's hard to see why he didn't catch on (or catch his death of cold).
It's unclear whether of not Captain Truth had any actual superpowers besides flight...one might suggest he has a superhuman lack of modesty...
...or the ability to frighten evil-doers with his barely concealed crotch.
No insecurities here...Captain Truth let's it all hang out.
And considering that he's wearing less than Silver Age J'onn J'onzz, one has to salute his courage.
Did I mention that his only actual garment is...ahem...extremely form fitting?!
He's got a flair for drama...
...and his cape conveniently disappears when Fujitani wants to show off Captain Truth's hunky body.
Did I mention that there's a whole lotta nearly naked hero action here?
All larfs aside, there is an actual plot here:
That's right, the crooks are being paid big money by the Nazis to steal light bulbs, as they contain tungsten (Remember, this was 1945...) So what is the ultimate result if Captain Truth doesn't thwart this light bulb pilfering group??
That's right: starving schoolchildren, and we lose New Guinea to the Japanese. So save those light bulbs, kids!!
BONUS SOCIAL COMMENTARY:
Ken Elliot (Captain Truth's secret identity) comes home to find that he and his neighbors have all been evicted--even though they've already paid their rents!! What gives?!?
Oh, man, there's no way that Captain Truth will put up with this frakking BS, right?
Captain Truth--Dumbass Servant of The Man.
So, we've got a near-naked hero flying around, powers really kind of unknown, no origin at all...and he's down with poor people sleeping in the streets as long as the slumlord shows him some hypothetical blueprints. Whaddya say, Randy Jackson???
I still don't know what that means...sorry, Captain Truth, but you're rejected. Now go put on some clothes.
Let's travel back to the halcyon days of 1958 and Great Action Comics #1 when a bold new hero made a blazing debut:
A closer look, if you please:
Well, he doesn't look too bad. Sure, the hat with ostrich plume is a little goofy, and I don't know quite what to make of those cuffs...but he looks like presentable enough a chap.Ahh, but wait. I've played a little trick on you. This wasn't really Captain Truth's debut. This is a reprint comic, you see, reprinting portions of Gold Medal Comics #1 from 1945. And that's not exactly Captain Truth's real costume...
I don't know whether it was to mollify the Wertham crowd, or because I.W. Publishing's editors had a wee bit more modesty than those of Cambridge House in 1945. But that cover was re-colored or re-drawn. Because in his original 1945 debut, Captain Truth looked like this:
Oh, sweet merciful heaven...He's dressed like Puss-In-Boots, but without the blessing of concealing hair...And this is how he's "dressed" throughout the interior (and no, they didn't redo those interiors for the 1958 reprint...only the cover). Holy heck, let's take a look, shall we?
Apparently written and drawn by Bob Fujitani, this was Captain Truth's only appearance...and it's hard to see why he didn't catch on (or catch his death of cold).
It's unclear whether of not Captain Truth had any actual superpowers besides flight...one might suggest he has a superhuman lack of modesty...
...or the ability to frighten evil-doers with his barely concealed crotch.
No insecurities here...Captain Truth let's it all hang out.
And considering that he's wearing less than Silver Age J'onn J'onzz, one has to salute his courage.
Did I mention that his only actual garment is...ahem...extremely form fitting?!
He's got a flair for drama...
...and his cape conveniently disappears when Fujitani wants to show off Captain Truth's hunky body.
Did I mention that there's a whole lotta nearly naked hero action here?
All larfs aside, there is an actual plot here:
That's right, the crooks are being paid big money by the Nazis to steal light bulbs, as they contain tungsten (Remember, this was 1945...) So what is the ultimate result if Captain Truth doesn't thwart this light bulb pilfering group??
That's right: starving schoolchildren, and we lose New Guinea to the Japanese. So save those light bulbs, kids!!BONUS SOCIAL COMMENTARY:
Ken Elliot (Captain Truth's secret identity) comes home to find that he and his neighbors have all been evicted--even though they've already paid their rents!! What gives?!?
Oh, man, there's no way that Captain Truth will put up with this frakking BS, right?
Captain Truth--Dumbass Servant of The Man.So, we've got a near-naked hero flying around, powers really kind of unknown, no origin at all...and he's down with poor people sleeping in the streets as long as the slumlord shows him some hypothetical blueprints. Whaddya say, Randy Jackson???
I still don't know what that means...sorry, Captain Truth, but you're rejected. Now go put on some clothes.
Oh, my, the Naked Truth!
ReplyDelete"..the Power Boy (Powerboy?).."
ReplyDeleteSo he's the precursor to Supergirl's also barely-clothed stalker? Alternately, I'm beginning to wonder if any of the super hero names I created in my youth will ever be first introduced by ME?
Please tell me he's public domain, I think I feel a revival coming on.
ReplyDeleteAt least I hope that's what I'm feeling coming on.
Re: "the Naked Truth"...
ReplyDeleteI think that's almost *exactly* what they were going for, tbh!
Without context, it's the only thing that makes sense, I mean unless they were trying *REALLY* hard to come up with something "virtuous" to name him with like "Captain Justice", "Captain Virtue", "Captain Morality", etc.
Gold Medal Comics (along with its companion book Star Studded Comics) was produced by the Bernard Baily studio for the publisher Cambridge House. No idea who was behind them, but it was one of a number of short lived names used to publish books in 44/45 with semi-legal paper stocks.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm aware, this was the only story that Fujitani did for Baily; I've never seen or heard of any others.
The distinctive lettering, by the way, was by Howard Ferguson, who worked for Simon & Kirby on a lot of their early stuff for Timely & DC.