Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Golden Age Idol--Kangaroo Man And Bingo!!

Just when you think you've already come across everything brilliant that the Golden Age had to offer, you stumble across this:

Kangaroo Man? You mean Bob Keeshan?

No, you fool, Kangaroo Man. Check out the handy origin in the caption in the very first panel:

Yes, a "daredevil explorer" and his trained kangaroo fighting Nazi agents.

Yes, you're right, that is the best concept for a comic book EVER.

Kangaroo Man (& Bingo) were created by S.M. Iger and Chuck Winters in Choice Comics #1 (1941). The feature lasted only 3 issues (as did Choice Comic) But oh, what a three issues.

First let's meet Bingo:

That's right...he speaks kangaroo, but thinks like a human.

Let's recap the origin again:

But how can a daredevil and one trained kangaroo succeed against dangerous foreign thugs?

Let's just says the Nazis quickly learn that you don't bring a hand grenade to a kangaroo fight:



How about guns?

Nope.

And Bingo, believe it or not, is the master of aerial combat!


Oh, and Bingo has mastered other vehicles, too:



And what does the intrepid Bingo want as a reward? Not much:

Publisher Great Comics surely knew what a massive hit they had on their hands, a surefire way to break the monopoly of superheroes, as the cover to issue #2 showed:

Oh...my...god...

This is the greatest thing ever. And the best part is, it surely must be public domain, so anyone can swoop in and start creating Kangaroo Man (& Bingo) stories (after paying me a small finders' fee, of course)! Sure, the concept may be too silly for stick-up-the-butt DC these days, but Marvel must have room for this! Dark Horse? Dynamite? BOOM!? Anybody...?

RSP! RSP!

Panel from Choice Comics #1 (1941) and #2 (1942)
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9 comments:

  1. Konstantine ParadiasNovember 21, 2012 at 9:08 AM

    I have to know if this is open domain. Bingo is just screaming for a gritty, pessimism pron reboot in the style of Dark Knight or Ruins.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chris SobieniakNovember 21, 2012 at 9:23 AM

    Oh please, leave that dark stuff out of my comics.

    ReplyDelete
  3. snellNovember 21, 2012 at 9:40 AM

    Gentlemen, that;s the beauty of public domain--we can do as many versions as we want to!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Larry ENovember 21, 2012 at 10:30 AM

    Why was it called "Kangaroo Man"? Looks to me like Bingo is carrying the weight on this team.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Konstantine ParadiasNovember 21, 2012 at 10:37 AM

    You know how the 50's were like. People were being all specieist and everything...

    ReplyDelete
  6. SallyPNovember 21, 2012 at 3:55 PM

    I am simply agog.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wayne Allen SalleeNovember 21, 2012 at 5:09 PM

    THE DARK KANGAROO RETURNS.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Konstantine ParadiasNovember 21, 2012 at 6:26 PM

    No, I mean, just imagine it: the setup's in the 80's, Cold War looming, neuclear annihilation at hand and all and Bingo's just a tired old Kangaroo warrior with his animal friend who's recently grieved over the loss of his best buddy, Kangaroo man.

    To the people, he's little more than a joke. To the Army, he's obsolete. To himeself, he's a washed-up failure.

    But when Agent Medved and his Siberian Squadron attempt to infiltrate the US and sabotage the country's intelligence networks to allow the Soviet army to invade, it's his chance to take up arms and fight!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ken BeggNovember 22, 2012 at 6:35 PM

    This is why we need a Squirrel Girl Marvel Team-Up book.

    ReplyDelete