Is That A Camera On Your Waist, Or Are You Just Glad To See Me?

We're all familiar with Peter Parker taking pictures of himself in action as Spider-Man in order to eke out a living:

It's hard to believe that Peter got many good pictures from this set-up--what are the odds the fight stays in front of the camera? Etc.--but J. Jonah Jameson seemed pleased (sort of).

Ah, but that was with primitive 1966 technology. And what most people don't know is, Peter was not the first to use the shtick. Let's take the Wayback Machine to 1940...

Yup, the Fox was playing the "take pictures as a super-hero and sell them as a photographer" game two decades before Peter Parker came up with the scam.

But without webbing, and 1940s-era cameras, how did the Fox get his pictures?

Good gosh.

Yup, he wore that gear under his costume.

Even allowing for artistic license, that bulky gear had to be a noticeable bulge under his costume, right? And how big a hole (or holes) did he have--he had to allow the lens and the flash to "see" out!

Well, one way to get away with it, is to turn off the lights!

Uhh...maybe he's where the flash is?!? Just sayin'...

At least Paul wasn't as unethical as Peter Parker--he, as the Fox, usually gave the pictures he took to another reporter, Ruth Ransom, rather than try to claim the credit/money for himself.

Ahh, cranky newspaper editors...

From Amazing Spider-Man #42 (1966) and Blue Ribbon Comics #6 (1940)