With the eighth volume of
The Spirit Archives we reach the year 1944. Jack Cole, the artist most famous for his creation the Plastic Man has arrived on the scene to take control of both story and art. It's a good fit for the series visually. Will Eisner was busy creating posters and a potential comic strip for the military. It was to be titled
"General Poop" but proved too controversial for the army. I find it odd that an organization specifically designed to train men to kill finds qualms with the content of any comic strip, but there it is.
Killer Ketch January 2, 1944
When Killer Ketch is released from prison he goes on the search for Lulu Mae Cronin, the love of his life and the woman with whom he committed the crime that sent him up in the first place. When his search for Lulu causes havoc and a few deaths, the police and the Spirit get involved alongside a lovely blonde private detective. Killer is hard to handle under normal circumstances and these are not those. This one is a solo effort by Jack Cole on both script and art.
Mrs. Sorrel January 9, 1944
When a philanthropist is murdered the police are stymied. Ebony is outraged and so he and the Spirit visit the widow and are met with a violent rejection. After getting access to the house by an unusual means the duo begin to unravel the case and save themselves beside. This is another one by Jack Cole who brings very active figures to the pages.
Ebony's Inheritance January 16, 1944
A dying man gives a notebook to Ebony and the mystery begins when he and Spirit must uncover just what the "X, Y, and Z" in the notebook mean. They have to do so and also evade the danger of others who first try to buy the notebook then use other means. Cole does double duty again. One detail in his stories is the offbeat way he shows the impact of a blow -- it's an odd thing looking like a flower.
Murder by Magic January 23, 1944
People are dropping like flies in this little thriller. One victim is a close friend of Ellen's and then her boyfriend and so forth and so on. The culprit seems to be a strange man dubbed Dr. Hoodoo, and he practically confesses to the crimes he claims are done by magic and dares anyone to convict him. The Spirit takes up the challenge of course. The talented Jack Cole is both writer and artist on this bewildering yarn.
Circumstantial Evidence January 30, 1944
A man runs by Ebony screaming he's about to be murdered and runs into a movie theatre. A shot is heard, and a man seems next to the victim seems clearly to be the culprit. But things might not be what they seem, and this story gives us a villain who is at once both innocent and guilty. Jack Cole who has picked up the reins seems to have found a niche with these tiny murder mysteries. Also of note is that the Spirit seems to be working with the police with few qualms by this time.
Radio Burglars February 6, 1944
Some of Central City's wealthiest citizens are finding their homes robbed and pillaged after they return home. They left home originally because they heard that a natural disaster such as a tornado, earthquake or even killer ants was about to descend upon them. The Spirit has to rely on the technical skills of Ebony to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Man O' War February 13, 1944
Commissioner Dolan is tasked by the Mayor with protecting one of Central City's richest fellows. But despite that protection the fellow is killed in a most mysterious way in his own swimming pool. The Spirit dives headfirst into this mystery to find the killer and save Dolan's job as well.
In the Moorish Section of Central City February 20, 1944
Jack Cole offers up a strange one this time as a murder in he Moorish Section of town sends the Spirit, Commissioner Dolan and Ebony White in different directions looking for the killer. Ellen offers up her own theory as to the solution of the crime as well. Ebony is highlighted as he dons some Moorish garb to go undercover as it were.
Who Killed Sam Wright? February 27, 1944
Manly Wade Wellman and Lou Fine return for this story about the murder of a beat cop named Sam Wright. Commissioner Dolan wants the Spirit to leave the case alone so that the department can find the killer of one of its own. But of course, the Spirit doesn't do that and before long he's discovered the secret.
The Charity Ball March 5, 1944
Ellen Dolan gets weary of the Spirit's lack of attentiveness and hires an escort to take her to a local ball. But it turns out the guy is a gangster and further that the staff at the ball are planning to rob the attendees. The Spirit gets on the trail in this story by Jack Cole. It was nice to see Ellen getting some attention in these stories of late as she'd kind of disappeared.
Double Eagle -An Exclusive Hotel in Central City March 12, 1944
When Chief Double Eagle, a Native America Medicine Man checks into a hotel with his bear we are off to a wild start. It seems the Chief has recently invented something of interest to thieves and he's kidnapped. The Spirit investigates and finds a very upset bear. It's Dan'l Boone time when the Spirit is forced to punch it out with the bruin. Jack Cole gave us this wild and wacky tale full of energy and action.
Skelter and Crab March 19, 1944
A new detective agency named Skelter and Crab appear in Central City. When Skelter is killed by knife it seems that Commissioner Dolan is the most likely suspect. Of course, the Spirit gets to the bottom of this less than deep mystery. Jack Cole's character designs seem to be getting wilder and wilder as his tenure on the strip bumps along.
Torchy Tyler March 26, 1944
Torchy Tyler is a cowboy singer in the Gene Autry tradition. He has a secret and that allows some hoods to blackmail them into helping them with a robbery. But the Spirit is able to intervene, and Torchy is instrumental in breaking up the gang. This is another entertaining effort by Jack Cole and features some outlandish action sequences.
Who Killed Bob Sydell? April 2, 1944
The GCD doesn't identify a writer for this one, but Lou Fine steps back in to do the art chores. A jilted dame hires a professional murderer to kill the man who spurned her and when that man turns up dead, you'd think that there would be few mysteries, but there are when the hitman himself is killed. The Spirit has to chase down three potential perps to find out the real truth. Fine's return brings back a little of the dark atmosphere the strip had sacrificed under Cole.
Dead in the Street April 9, 1944
We have another Lou Fine drawn story written by a mystery writer. When the Spirit, Ebony, and Dolan find a dead body in an alley the first idea that it's merely an unfortunate bum gets tilted when it's revealed the man was murdered and that he was in fact an upstanding citizen.
Suspended Animation April 16, 1944
The unknown writer returns for another story drawn by Lou Fine. Sorrocco is dead, at least that's what the police and his underlings think. When some of those thugs go to get some of the promised booty from the widow, they discover that Sorrocco might be back, if not necessarily alive. This story takes us back to Wildwood Cemetary which we hadn't visited for some time in the series. The Spirit is on his home turf as he unravels this mystery.
Rogoff April 22, 1944
Jack Cole returns on both the writing and art chores. When Ebony comes up an invention, he thinks will help with weather prediction, he is soon taken by a gangster named Rogoff sees more deadly uses for the devices. He cooks up a deadly glove which can kill with a single touch. The Spirit is very close to his second death in this unusually tense story.
The Voodoo of Dr. Peroo April 30, 1944
Jack Cole again on both script and pictures. A fraudulent mystic named Dr. Peroo becomes convinced he can do real magic and so sets about to enrich himself in various ways, which from some perspectives do seem supernatural. So, it's up the Spirit, the man who pretends to be a ghost to battle a man who pretends to be a sorcerer.
John Magby's Last Will and Testament May 7, 1944
Bill Woolfolk writes this story drawn by artist Robin King. When Ebony wants to scare up a little cash for his project, he seeks out millionaires and one in particular, an infamous miser named John Magby. But there's strange possibly even criminal doings at the Maby estate and it seems the Spirit has to get involved. The artwork is perfectly fine is definitely a change.
Fifi McCoy May 15, 1944
Jack Cole is back for his little yarn about one of Commissioner Dolan's old fames, a lady named Fifi McCoy who has her love letters to Dolan found and used against her since she's planning to marry. When she seeks the help of Dolan, the Spirit is the one who answers the call to assist a damsel in distress. Cole's lively artwork is welcome.
Black Marx May 21, 1944
Jack Cole is also credited with is oddball story about a wounded Spirit. It appears he's been shot and is suffering from his wounds in a very public way. This emboldens the mobster Black Marx to try and rub out the Spirit once and for all. Even first-time readers will realize that this is a ruse of some sort on the Spirit's part, but the reason for it all takes time to discover.
Beyond the Grave May 28, 1944
Jack Cole is on hand again with a strange story about an idol that seems to kill. When the mobster Dondru tries to escape Commissioner Dolan's police force he is successful, at least for a time. Dondru led a cult of villains who seem to put greed above adherence to whatever creed they've vowed to follow. I liked the character of Constable Cravey who is protective of his jurisdiction, much to Dolan's chagrin.
Ebony's Piano Lesson June 4, 1944
Manly Wade Wellman steps back up to write this one drawn by the great Lou Fine. Ebony wants to be a drummer, but Ellen Dolan has other plans for him and takes him to get piano lessons. But when Ebony makes a startling discovery, his very life is at risk. Ellen for her part is out quite a bit of cash for the lesson. Ebony has become an inconsistent character, sometimes capable but most often comedy relief.
The Cellini Dagger June 11, 1944
Wellman and Fine return for a rather pedestrian tale about a very old dagger that seems to have a curse of sorts on it. The people who own it, seem to die. The Spirit does some heavy research in this one which yields some interesting results. There is quite a bit of violence in this one, or at least it felt like that.
Sweet Odor of Geraniums June 18,1944
Manly Wade Wellman wrote this one for Robin King to draw. This is worst Spirit section to date. Robin King's artwork is bland and lacks any storytelling punch whatsoever. We get a story about a lovely orphan who seems to have a lot of suitors. The secret of that is the point of the dreary tale. I was struck that there is not a single close up of the girl's face. This one had the feeling of a story produced under extreme haste.
Sad Eye Sam's Last Laugh June 25, 1944
Jack Cole wraps things up with this story about a poor man who needs money for an operation to save his life. He makes a deal with hoods, who then have a profound interest in the welfare of Sad Eye Sam. There are a few twists and turns in this story which brings back a modicum of the visual interest the series had before.
Jack Cole is definitely the star of the show here. His Spirit stories are filled with action and movement, almost sometimes too much. But he adept at capturing the eye. As we get deeper into the volume other talents show up and the excellent Spirit stories become downright dreary. The Spirit is just too normal in these stories, the atmosphere of Wildwood Cemetary mostly ignored.
As 1944 rumbles along and the war effort will produce some of the most dramatic moments of the century. More on Spirit stories in this pivotal year in a few weeks.
Rip Off