Small House of Everything

Small House of Everything

Friday, January 10, 2025

NEW HEROIC COMICS #50 (SEPTEMBER 1948)

 Who needs superheroes when you've got a bunch of real-life heroes all around us?  New Heroic Comics singled out "Men and women chosen by this publication for their daring actions in hazardous tasks."

Among the heroes in this issue:

  • Charles R. Hersey & Bernard J. Guttilla, lifeguards who rescued a downed Navy pilot off Long Island (artwork most likely by Frank Frazatta)
  • Robert McCarthy, a New York City detective who saved the life of another detective while battling two crooks on a slippery, rain-soaked roof 60 feet above ground
  • Joseph M. Smith. a New York City mechanic who dove into the East River to save the life of a young man caught in tides and currents under a pier
  • Johnny Ramming, an eleven-year-old boy who saved the life of a young child from a deep water pool in Union City; a two-page text story
  • Herbert R. Sharkey, a cable placing foreman who dared a powerful river riptide to save a young boy, and received the Vail Medal Award for his actions
  • Alexander Mikolasy & William Mohrhoff, who raced against time following a hydrogen gas explosion to save the lives of many workers; both were given the Vail Medal Award 
  • Fritz Reige, a former Coast Guardsman who faced off against two stick-up men who invaded his father's delicatessen; Reige was able to capture the men even while being wounded
  • George Patton (no. not that George Patton), when a vicious fur robber adds murder to his crimes, this New York City police detective pulls out all stops to bomg the killer to justice
  • Mrs. Anne Trump, when an early afternoon tornado hit the town of Worth, Missouri, fourteen children were stranded in their school with their teacher, Anne Trump -- who led them to a safe area of the building and kept up their spirits while their town was torn apart (and, no, she's not related to our incoming president...why would you ever think that?)
  • Miles Coiner, a Kansas City scoutmaster who saved the life of a woman who fell from a viaduct into the Kaw River
  • John J. Flynn, who rescued a man being dragged by an out of control motor boat near New York's Clason Point ferry slip
  • Patty Weindorf. when the pilot of the city launch on choppy Presque Isle Bay fell dead, thirteen-year-old schoolgirl Patty had to captain the ship by herself and bring it in to safety
  • Charles R. Lane, a Maryland telephone employee rescues a family from dangerous flood waters, and
  • Sparky & Mickey (a dog and a cat), as a defective furnace filled a Brooklyn apartment building with deadly coal gas, these not-so-dumb animals saved  the lives of 25 people, and were given the ASPCA Medal for Bravery (although they would probably have preferred a tasty bit of sausage) 

It's a bit hard to convey drama in a short two- or three-page story, as mot of these are, but it's nice to see regular folks honored for being decent human beings.  For that reason alone, this issue is worth a look.


https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=96215&comicpage=&b=i

No comments:

Post a Comment