The Spirit Archive Volume Six!

Despite being drafted, Will Eisner had been able to keep tabs on the Spirit Sections, but war duties pull him away and in this volume, we begin to see a Spirit minus the mark of his creator. 

This volume features some dandy examples of the work Eisner was doing for the military after he'd convinced them that comics was a great way to get soldiers to actually engage with technical material. He created Joe Dope at this time as the hapless G.I. who always does it wrong the first time so real Joe's didn't have to. This work will prove very important to Eisner in his years after The Spirit. 

The Curse of the Ruby January 3, 1943

Will Eisner is back in the saddle for this one issue about a thief who murders and then is too overwrought to steal the gem he came for. The Spirit sees to it that the villain is haunted by the gem in different ways as both punishment for the crimes and a vehicle to bring him to justice. It doesn't take much of Eisner's magic to make you realize that despite the talent of others, his Spirit was special. 

The Lady in Black January 10, 1943

The titular lady in black is a princess of a faraway land and some pearls associated with her kingdom are the points of interest in this story by Eisner and Fine. There is a bit of female villainy involved in the story but not in a way as to add to the Spirit's robust roster of femme fatales. I notice that Ebony gets a lot of cover focus in these supplements. I wonder how this cover would have gone over on the newsstands? 

Keep Mum on Ship Movements January 17, 1943

Bob Powell steps in to script this war conscious mini-epic. The Spirit has volunteered to go with a merchant marine ship to deliver food overseas. Word slips out that the ship is about to come into port and a U-Boat targets and sinks it. But The Spirit and the survivors are not done yet. This one is entertaining propaganda and shows how even well-meaning people can make fatal mistakes. 

Schoolboy Stuart January 24, 1943

Dolan goes to prison to inspect and gets caught up in a riot about the quality of the food. Schoolboy Stuart is the ringleader, but Dolan learns there might be something to the complaints and the Spirit investigates and finds out that there is an even more dastardly scheme afoot. Manly Wade Wellman wrote this one for Lou Fine. There's little humor, and it comes across as one of those classic prison movie plots. 

June 18, 1940 January 31, 1943

This story begins with the question to the reader if they might know for a certainty where they were three years earlier. Commissioner Dolan's inability to remember opens him up to a dame who claims to be his wife. Dolan is up against it, the bad publicity alone perhaps ruining him, but the Spirit gets on the case. Joe Millard wrote this light-hearted farce which was a good tonic for the series. 

The Spirit's Super Scrappers February 7, 1943

Bill Woolfolk wrote this patriotic farce about Ebony arranging a metal scrap gathering crusade for the city. He's very successful, so much so that people begin to lose gates, posts and even balconies. Meanwhile the Spirit is on the trail of the Smelter and his gang which is hoarding gold. Loved this one, a great comedy with wonderful beats. And we also learn that Ebony will never run for President. 

The Brotherhood of Swivets February 14, 1943

When Dolan is inducted into the Brotherhood of Swivets gangsters see a chance to knock off the city's top lawman and follow him to Wildwood Cemetery where they dress as ghosts to first spook then do away with our beloved Commissioner. Needless to say, the Spirit gets in on the action since it's in his front yard. No writer listed at GCD for this one, another dandy effort by Lou Fine and his assistant Alex Kotzky.

Automatic Author February 21, 1943

This one shatters the Fourth Wall. Cicero Swunk builds a robotic writer who churns out novels an such that other writers are put out of business. The Spirit gets especially concerned when Will Eisner is replaced and he and Ebony bemoan what will happen when a robot controls their destiny. I couldn't help but think of the modern debates about AI and programs like ChatGPT which are pretty much doing this in the modern world. Manly Wade Wellman wrote this cautionary tale predicting a future we all must contend with. 

The Spirit of Spring February 28, 1943

The Spirit takes an art class and finds with him in the Von Google Art School a couple of notorious gangsters. As you likely already suspect more than the creation of fine art is going on in the school and Spirit slowly but surely gets to the bottom of it. Dolan is on the trail as well in this story by Joe Millard with more dandy art by Fine and Kotzky. 

Class Reunion March 7, 1943

Wellman returns as the writer for a tale which speaks to anyone who didn't fit in back in those old school days. Edward Stead is our hero in more way than one as this possibly bitter reminder of those years for many. The scripts seem to have loosened up a bit and the panels are larger. The density of storytelling which marked the earliest Eisner efforts has settled down a bit. Lou Fine is finding his own voice a bit. 

Byron's Memoirs March 14, 1943

This is an unusually grim tale by Wellman and Fine. It's a solid mystery for sure, but lacks that certain something that typically marks a Spirit story and that something is a dot of humor. This read to me as if Wellman had repurposed a script for another venue. The tale is about four book collectors, each of whom owns a copy of Byron's Memoirs, a cursed book which does lead to several murders. 

Saul Taylor March 21, 1943

Saul Taylor is an old man who has decided to leave all his wealth to a college and specifically a certain Professor Spencer. The Spirit spots the problem immediately. When the old codger brusquely announces his decision to his heirs no one can is too surprised when he's murdered forthwith. Dolan featured nicely in this one, but alas as the straight man to the wily Spirit. Again, it's Wellman and Fine on the job. 

Andy Hogan March 28, 1943

This is the story of a overweight hood who gets some bad medical news and decides that if he's going to meet his maker, he'll make sure he has lots of company. The gangster, who had once been quite stealthy in his crimes begins a spree in broad daylight that requires the Spirit to step in and save the and reveal some harsh truths. I've become accustomed to this version of the Spirit and I have adjusted my expectations somewhat. 

Evil Eye Mander April 4, 1943

Kayo Harrigan is heavily favored in his boxing match and is winning until he looks into the malicious eyes of Evil Eye Mander. Under Mander's uncanny glance he loses. Later in Wildwood Cemetary the manager of the other fighter meets Mander to pay him off and the Spirit captures both before he too falls victim to Mander's spell. This is another Manly Wade Wellman and Lou Fine effort. The weirdness of Mander brings back a little of the strangeness that Eisner seemed to infuse the strip with so often. 

The Dollars of 1804 April 11, 1943

Grace Gilbert of the United States Secret Service comes to Central City to enlist the Spirit's help but before she can even explain her mission she is killed. She leaves two cryptic clues which the Spirit then follows to a large criminal enterprise and Ebony follows him. Wellman and Fine are on the job again in this straightforward crime adventure. It was nice to be reminded that the Spirit had been long ago made a special operative of the government. 

The Grandfather Clock April 18, 1943

A legend ties the end of a man's life to a clock stopping. This clock is to be at the center of the crime and the Spirit gets on the trail when he smells almonds. Once again Dolan is set up to be the credulous investigator while the Spirit is able to find the true trail. Nothing much special in the Wellman-Fine offering. A little mystery with a less than enthralling solution. Ebony does get some action. 

The Last Mile April 25, 1943

Mannex is a man with a peg leg, and he uses it to walk the last mile to his execution. He makes threats against two people before his death. The Spirit and Dolan then find evidence of a man with a peg leg at the scene of the murder of one of those two men. Will Eisner returns to join forces with Lou Fin on this story. Nonetheless despite beginning strong, but it lost some of its steam as the story hobbled along.  

Yellow Eyes Janus May 2, 1943

When two friendly and well-liked men are murdered, one a soldier, Dolan is at a loss to figure out anh connection. Then a third man shows up in the office and spills the beans that Yellow Eyes Janus is killing anyone who dated his girl Ruth Malone. He's about to kill Ruth too when the Spirit intervenes in one of the better action sequences in the strip in some time. Will Eisner is back on scripts and helps Fine with the art. 

Doctor Plague May 9, 1943

When Doctor Plague threatens the city with a Smallpox plague, the city responds with a vigorous vaccine program and scuttles his plot. He returns to threaten the city again with the Black Death. The Spirit barely survives his encounters with Doctor Plague, a villain threatens to return. Wade Manly Wellman wrote this one for Lou Fine. One cannot read it today without thinking of the madness vaccines have caused in the United States. Doctor Plague would find us easy pickings today. 

Policewoman Ellen May 16, 1943

With men scarce because of the war, Commissioner Dolan enlists women to fill the void with his daughter Ellen in charge. It proves an unusually successful program as suddenly crooks don't seem to mind being arrested as much as they once did. But when Ellen spots a particular dress she covets on a mysterious and comely wench things go sideways fast. Bill Woll folk wrote this entertaining if sexist yarn with Fine and Kotzky on art as usual. 

Tony Zacco May 23, 1943

The Spirit goes overseas into the European Theatre to locate a wanted thug named Tony Zacco. It's a perilous quest but when he finds his quarry he's not the same man. Tony Zacco the gangster has been transformed by patriotism and war into Tony Zaccarelli, a man anyone would be proud to fight alongside. Wade Manly Wellman hit a double with this one, giving us a properly patriotic wartime tale and a fascinating personality study. Fine and Kotzky do the art as usual. 

The Spirit Ain't Fair to Ebony May 30, 1943

Ebony is put out that the Spirit is getting all the credit for a bust he feels he had a great deal to do with. When he goes to the library and unwittingly leaves with a valuable tome, he becomes the target of the Gardenia gang and it's a harrowing chase that follows with the Spirit right there to bust some chops. Bill Woolfolk wrote this funny crime outing with Lou Fine being joined by inker Aldo Rubano. 

Terrible Terry Gill June 6, 1943

Terrible Terry Gill is a gangster who is giving Dolan and Central City a very hard time. But he's not satisfied with that criminal success, he worries about the next generation and his legacy. Since none of his gang nor he have bothered to father any kids, they set about to kidnap babies from all over town. Ebony gets into it when he's roped into watching a kid for a few minutes and then that kid gets snatched. The children prove to be more than the gang expected. Joe Millard wrote this Lou Fine illustrated effort. 

Diamonds on Ice June 13, 1943

This light-hearted yarn features Ebony and his pal Peirpont. The duo fool around with hypnotism and as a result get involved with the very same fraud case that the Spirit is investigating. The Spirit is barely in this one, just long enough to nab some culprits. This one read just like a comedy bit with Marx Brothers or the Three Stooges, though in the former example we're down by two and the in the latter by one. GCD is mum on the author of his Lou Fine drawn story. 

Parrot Puggins June 20, 1943

It's a conundrum when Parrot Puggins appears to be in three places at once, prison and the sites of two robberies. The kidnapping of Hollywood movie technician is the clue the Spirit needs to round up some precious latex (the war and all) and get to the bottom of the little crimewave. Loved the splash page on this one, something which had been ignored in the Spirit stories of his era. Bill Woolfolk and Lou Fine join forces on this one. 

Keep Out June 27, 1943

The volume closes out with a crisis for the Spirit when Bedford J. Breen, the man who actually owns Wildwood Cemetary decides he wants to develop the land. Not only is the Spirit's home and base of operations in jeopardy but so is the empty coffin, which is the secret of Slats Riordan, a gangster believed to be dead. Breen is put under enormous pressure to change his mind until he gets a bargain he cannot refuse. Woolfolk and Fine are back on this story. 

One can see that Lou Fine is beginning to express his own style a bit more in these stories. Characters seem to lean into the action more and Dolan looks to be at a forty-five degree angle all the time. The presentation of Ebony is a bit more regrettable, as he appears shapeless and pudgy. That does play into the stories in which he's featured which are invariably comedies. His speech is a bit more prone to be the ugly stereotype found in films of the day. I do enjoy the stories for the most part, but they seem in general to lack the density that Eisner's yarns present.  

The Dojo continues next time with rest of 1943 in the seventh Spirit Archive edition in two weeks time. 

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