"The Bacteriological Detective" by Arthur B. Reeve (first published in Cosmopolitan, February 1911; reprinted in Reeve's The Silent Bullet: The Adventures of Craig Kennedy, Scientific Detective, 1912; later reprinted in Scientific Detective Monthly, February 1930 and in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, September 2003)
Craig Kennedy was America's answer to Sherlock Holmes. A Columbia university professor aided by his "Watson," roommate and newspaperman Walter Jameson, Kennedy used the latest in scientific knowledge and machinery to solve seemingly unsolvable cases. He first appeared in "The Case of Helen Bond" in the December 1910 issue of Cosmopolitan. He made another 81 appearances in that magazine, ending in August 1918. His adventures continues in many other magazines and many of his later appearances appear to have been ghost-written. Four collections and 26 novels eventually appeared about the hero, ending in 1936. Kennedy also appeared in two movie serials and in a 1951 television program, Craig Kennedy, Criminologist.
After gaining fame with the creation of Craig Kennedy, Arthur B. Reeve began writing film scripts in 1914, peaking "in 1919-1920, when his name appeared on seven films, most of them serials, three of them starring Harry Houdini." When the film industry substantially moved to Hollywood, Reeve remained behind in New York. Reeve entered a contract with Harry K. Thaw (the man who murdered Stanford White in 1906 and was found not guilty by reason of insanity) to produce scenarios about fake spiritualism. Thaw refused to honor the contract, forcing Reeve into bankruptcy. Reeve was k own as an anti-racketeering advocate, hosting a radio show in the early 1930s. He also was known to have been a consultant for the FBI.
"The Bacteriological Detective" has Kennedy investigating the mysterious death of millionaire Jim Bisbee, who recently died of typhoid fever in a private hospital. Bisbee had recently been to his country house when five of his employees were struck with the disease. A noted germaphobe, Bisbee retreated to his New York apartment, where he came down with typhoid a few days after.
To solve the case, Kennedy used microbiology, as well as the emerging sciences of fingerprinting and handwriting analysis and the practice of immunology. In a case easily solved by the modern reader, Kennedy's investigation provided ample excitement and wonder for the readers of the time.
Along the way, Reeve bemoans the good old days. "We [Kennedy and Jameson] had commented on the artificiality of the twentieth century. No longer did people have homes; they had apartments, I had said. They didn't fall ill in the good old-fashioned way any more, either -- in fact, they hired special rooms to die in. They hired hall for funeral services. It was a wonder they didn't hire graves. It was all part of out twentieth century break-up of tradition."
An interesting story, quaint and fastly read. Not everyone's cup of tea, though.
Small House of Everything
Friday, May 31, 2019
Saturday, May 25, 2019
CAPTAIN JET #1 (MAY 1952)
The Korean War needed a Korean War hero and America got it -- briefly -- in Captain Jet, AMERICA'S WAR ACE! Captain Jet lasted for only six issues from Ajax-Farrell comics before transforming into Fantastic Fears #7, a horror anthology comic book. The art for Captain Jet was provided for by the Iger Studio, known for re-purposing earlier comic book art as they did here from World War II comic book art.
Captain Jet appears in three adventures in this issue. First, he stops the enemy from using poison gas; then, while transporting General Barton and his "doll-faced aide" Linda Parker, Jet's plane is brought down by the enemy who capture all three (SPOILER ALERT! but not for long); finally, Jet is signalled by an intelligence agent disguised as a saronged native girl.
Besides a number of features and a four-page story about top American war correspondent Ace Reynolds, this issue is chocked-filled with grotesque drawings of Korean villains because that's how american comic books rolled during the Korean War.
Not the greatest comic book of its time but some of the plot points and artwork are pretty good.
Check it out.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
SPORADIC BLOGGING FOR A WHILE
Blogging has been sporadic for the last week and will probably continue that way for another two or three weeks. Two visits to Alabama last week and a planned weekend in Atlanta in a couple of weeks. Plus, we're spending a lot of time ferrying grandchildren to and from school and appointment. Our niece will be visiting at the end of the week. One granddaughter had four wisdom teeth pulled this morning and will need some TLC. Jack's medication has changed and is not working well so we need to get a handle on that. And the combination of chemo and Prednisone that Kitty is on for her anemia has swollen her legs painfully. In the grand scheme of things, these are all minor, but combined make for a hectic few weeks while everything gets sorted out.
Better times are ahead. In the meantime, I'll blog when I can.
Better times are ahead. In the meantime, I'll blog when I can.
Sunday, May 19, 2019
HOW TO SOLVE SOME OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST PROBLEMS
A TED Talk by Musimbi Kanyoro, CEO of the Global Fund for Women.
https://www.ted.com/talks/musimbi_kanyoro_to_solve_the_world_s_biggest_problems_invest_in_women_and_girls/discussion
https://www.ted.com/talks/musimbi_kanyoro_to_solve_the_world_s_biggest_problems_invest_in_women_and_girls/discussion
Saturday, May 18, 2019
SUPER-MYSTERY COMICS #19 (JANUARY 1944)
Super-Mystery Comics had a spotted run from July 1940 to July 1949, a total of 48 issues. During World War II, comic books were popular both with kids and with the armed services overseas. Some of ads in the comic book seem to be targeted to America's fighting forces. Case in point, the inside from cover of this issue which touts two books:Private Letters of the World's Greatest Lovers and Guide to Intimate Letter Writing (which will allow you to "master the ways of love," and includes a "Personal Directory of intimate love phrases" -- something every lonely doughboy needs).
In this issue enemies of America get their comeuppance from such heroes as Magno the Magnetic Man, Dr. Nemesis, Hap Hazard, The Sword, Mr. Risk, and Paul Revere, Jr..
Magno, the Magnetic Man, should not be confused with other Magnos. This Magno is a creation of Ace Periodicals and is a playboy adventurer who apparently has no secret identity and no everyday garb. He has a masterful control of magnetism which also allows him to fly and to be invincible. He fights enemies of America and is aided by his sidekick Davey a schoolboy who suit gives him some of Magno's powers. Other Magnos in Comicbookland include Quality Comics' Magno, an elecrtical lineman named Tom Dalton who got superpowers when he got zapped (twice) with 10,000 volts of electricity, and Sandy Laker who is Magno, Man of Magnetism, and who first appeared in British comics in 1971. (Similarly named comic book characters include Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier's Mangor (who learns super-heroing from reading comic books) and Magneto, arch-enemy of Marvel's X-Men.) Magno and Davey were the headliners ofdf'frthglbgvb,,,gdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrcv,l; .e Clown, who is after a formula that appears to transmute metal into gold. At the end of this adventure we learn that "Magno and Davey put all their spare money into War Bonds and Stamps -- Do you?"
Dr. Nemesis is really Dr. James Bradley, who dons a surgical mask and carries a hypodermic needle to fight crime. As a skilled surgeon he knows where all the weak points of a body are. His identity is kept secret, even from his fiance, the lovely nurse Mary Strong. He appeared in twelve adventures from Ace Periodicals with this issue containing his last appearance. In this issue Dr. Nemesis battles Japanese Agent X-2 as the evil oriental infects American soldiers with leprosy. This adventure ends with "If you can't give your blood to the Red Cross, the least you can do is buy War Bonds." This Dr. Nemesis should not be confused with the much-later nemesis of Dr. Who.
Hap Hazard, the red-haired copy boy of the Daily Star, goes on a walk with his girlfriend Arabella and gets sprayed by a skunk, leading him to find two more skunks -- a pair of German spies. Although not a superhero, Hap handles himself well in situations that are mostly his own fault.
Schoolboy Arthur Lake transformed into The Sword whenever he pulls Excalibur from the stone. As The Sword he has the strength of "many times ten" men. One of the neat things about this strip is that whenever Arthur draws Excalibur, his two best friends also transform into superheroes: Lance Larter becomes The Lancer and Moe Lynn becomes Merlin. Young Arthur keeps Excalibur hidden in a nearby place for when he needs to transform to battle Nazis and saboteurs. His arch nemesis is Faye Morgana, head of Nazi operations in the U. S. In this episode Faye Morgana is joined by bad guys The Goth and The Hun to stir up prejudice against foreign workers at a war factory. (A completely different Sword from Golden Age comics was Olympic fencing champion Chic Carter in stories published by Quality Comics; Carter did not become the Sword until his 24th appearance in Smash Comics, after which he appeared in fifteen issues of National Comics and eighteen issues of Police Comics. Quality Comics also had a different Merlin in the person of playboy Jack Kellog, who could cast spells when wearing the original Merlin's cloak. He appeared in forty-five issues of National Comics, only to be killed in his first adventure for DC after Dc bought out Quality comics stable of characters.)
"The man who knows no fear" is known only as Mr. Risk, who has no powers beyond being a good fighter and a master of disguise. He is usually accompanied by his faithful servant Abdul. In a story that does not involve spies or enemy agents, Mr. Risk finds himself against an uncommon criminal, the blackmailing murderer The Cougar. The Cougar's identity had been discovered by one of his victim's twin sons. The Cougar -- not knowing which son saw him -- must kill one boy and goes after the other when Mr. Risk steps in.
Paul Revere, Jr., is the son of newspaper columnist Paul Revere, Sr. Jr. and his friends of the america awake club, Pat Henry and Betsy Ross, stumble on a Nazi plot to sabotage a patriotic waste fat collection program. (Waste fat can be used in the production of gunpowder to be used against the Axis.) Jr., Pat, and Betsy spoil the German's plot and discover that the smallest things an ordinary citizen can do add up to a mighty weapon against tyranny.
After reading this issue, you will be wondering how in heck the Axis thought they could beat America.
Enjoy.
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=73678&b=i
In this issue enemies of America get their comeuppance from such heroes as Magno the Magnetic Man, Dr. Nemesis, Hap Hazard, The Sword, Mr. Risk, and Paul Revere, Jr..
Magno, the Magnetic Man, should not be confused with other Magnos. This Magno is a creation of Ace Periodicals and is a playboy adventurer who apparently has no secret identity and no everyday garb. He has a masterful control of magnetism which also allows him to fly and to be invincible. He fights enemies of America and is aided by his sidekick Davey a schoolboy who suit gives him some of Magno's powers. Other Magnos in Comicbookland include Quality Comics' Magno, an elecrtical lineman named Tom Dalton who got superpowers when he got zapped (twice) with 10,000 volts of electricity, and Sandy Laker who is Magno, Man of Magnetism, and who first appeared in British comics in 1971. (Similarly named comic book characters include Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier's Mangor (who learns super-heroing from reading comic books) and Magneto, arch-enemy of Marvel's X-Men.) Magno and Davey were the headliners ofdf'frthglbgvb,,,gdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrcv,l; .e Clown, who is after a formula that appears to transmute metal into gold. At the end of this adventure we learn that "Magno and Davey put all their spare money into War Bonds and Stamps -- Do you?"
Dr. Nemesis is really Dr. James Bradley, who dons a surgical mask and carries a hypodermic needle to fight crime. As a skilled surgeon he knows where all the weak points of a body are. His identity is kept secret, even from his fiance, the lovely nurse Mary Strong. He appeared in twelve adventures from Ace Periodicals with this issue containing his last appearance. In this issue Dr. Nemesis battles Japanese Agent X-2 as the evil oriental infects American soldiers with leprosy. This adventure ends with "If you can't give your blood to the Red Cross, the least you can do is buy War Bonds." This Dr. Nemesis should not be confused with the much-later nemesis of Dr. Who.
Hap Hazard, the red-haired copy boy of the Daily Star, goes on a walk with his girlfriend Arabella and gets sprayed by a skunk, leading him to find two more skunks -- a pair of German spies. Although not a superhero, Hap handles himself well in situations that are mostly his own fault.
Schoolboy Arthur Lake transformed into The Sword whenever he pulls Excalibur from the stone. As The Sword he has the strength of "many times ten" men. One of the neat things about this strip is that whenever Arthur draws Excalibur, his two best friends also transform into superheroes: Lance Larter becomes The Lancer and Moe Lynn becomes Merlin. Young Arthur keeps Excalibur hidden in a nearby place for when he needs to transform to battle Nazis and saboteurs. His arch nemesis is Faye Morgana, head of Nazi operations in the U. S. In this episode Faye Morgana is joined by bad guys The Goth and The Hun to stir up prejudice against foreign workers at a war factory. (A completely different Sword from Golden Age comics was Olympic fencing champion Chic Carter in stories published by Quality Comics; Carter did not become the Sword until his 24th appearance in Smash Comics, after which he appeared in fifteen issues of National Comics and eighteen issues of Police Comics. Quality Comics also had a different Merlin in the person of playboy Jack Kellog, who could cast spells when wearing the original Merlin's cloak. He appeared in forty-five issues of National Comics, only to be killed in his first adventure for DC after Dc bought out Quality comics stable of characters.)
"The man who knows no fear" is known only as Mr. Risk, who has no powers beyond being a good fighter and a master of disguise. He is usually accompanied by his faithful servant Abdul. In a story that does not involve spies or enemy agents, Mr. Risk finds himself against an uncommon criminal, the blackmailing murderer The Cougar. The Cougar's identity had been discovered by one of his victim's twin sons. The Cougar -- not knowing which son saw him -- must kill one boy and goes after the other when Mr. Risk steps in.
Paul Revere, Jr., is the son of newspaper columnist Paul Revere, Sr. Jr. and his friends of the america awake club, Pat Henry and Betsy Ross, stumble on a Nazi plot to sabotage a patriotic waste fat collection program. (Waste fat can be used in the production of gunpowder to be used against the Axis.) Jr., Pat, and Betsy spoil the German's plot and discover that the smallest things an ordinary citizen can do add up to a mighty weapon against tyranny.
After reading this issue, you will be wondering how in heck the Axis thought they could beat America.
Enjoy.
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=73678&b=i
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