We wrap up 1949 in the nineteenth volume of Will Eisner's The Spirit Archies. In this volume we will meet a new partner for The Spirit as well as more than a few new femme fatales. Jules Feiffer's writing will become increasingly important to the series as evidenced by the increase in words for each story. The word balloons fairly bulge in some tales. It's all letterer Abe Kanegson can do to fit it all in.
Ye Olde Spirit of '76 July 3, 1949
We are told of the legend of Ebenezer Q. Budderchern, an American revolutionary and patriot who went missing in the dense fog on his way to the Philidelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. There is a document which is the stuff of legend and The Spirit, Ebony White and the Dolans all show up in the small town of Fort Hooten on the Fourth of July and get caught up in searching for it, as are some gangsters The Spirit spotted on the train. The ghost of Budderchern makes an appearance.
Lily Lotus July 10, 1949
This story begins a small series of tales in which The Spirit feels he's in the way in Central City and departs. He leaves behind his friends and heads to the island of San Cedros where he finds Lily Lotus, the red-haired wife of gangster Butcher Vaddis, who is holed up on the island to escape prosecution in Central City. Lotus is eager to escape the clutches of her abusive spouse and helps The Spirit escape and bring some small measure of justice, though with tragic consequences.
Sally of the Islands July 17, 1949
The Spirit's island escapade continues as he adopts the name "Smith". He encounters Sally who looks to escape the clutches of a villain named Kragg and seeks some measure of freedom from a marriage with the governor of the small islands of the Marquesas. But danger rears its head as The Spirit battles to stop the pillaging of Kragg, with the inconstant assistance of Sally. We learn of this story as it's being told to Dolan and Ebony who are now searching for their wayward friend.
The Masked Man July 24, 1949
Ellen Dolan hires private detective Willie Ankle to find The Spirit. Ankle takes the case, but he sees it more as an opportunity to raise his profile and to woo the lovely Ellen. At one point he deems it prudent to impersonate The Spirit, which impresses Ellen so much she agrees to marry him. She changes her mind immediately when she learns our hero is returning to Central City, but the news of the engagement makes the papers and changes The Spirit's mind.
The Ball Game July 31, 1949
We are introduced to Sammy who comes to the island of Monabau to manage a baseball team. The Spirit is conscripted to manage the opposing team when it turns out that games of baseball are central to the potentially violent politics of the island. The two end up working together to bring some measure of justice to the process, though Sammy ends up with a shiner by the end. He and The Spirit then leave the island as partners.
Matua August 7, 1949
The odyssey among the islands of "The Peligros" islands continues as The Spirit and Sammy arrive at Matua, an island that legends suggest was once a horrible monster. The new "witch doctor" arrives just in time to attempt a magic spell which will stop the monster from emerging from a century of slumber. Thugs looking for gold get involved with tragic consequences when the volcano begins to erupt. The Spirit and Sammy are lucky to escape with their lives.
The Return August 14, 1949
The Spirit returns to Central City, but he and Sammy find that the city has undergone some dark changes in his absence. Mayor Bowser has been forced from office and political power has fallen into the grip of thugs. Wildwood Cemetary has been closed to make way for new construction and The Spirit is wounded when he begins to investigate. He is saved when former officer Klink finds him and Sammy and gets The Spirit some medical attention. Together with other former policemen they scheme to return the city to some measure of justice. By the story's end, Sammy is made a regular member of the cast, and will for all intents and purposes replace Ebony, though the latter will return from time to time.
The Candidate August 21, 1949
The Spirit's rescue of the city makes him quite popular and a political party long out of power sees in him the chance to take control of the city at long last. The "Good Old Days Party" led by political fixer Monica Veto conscripts The Spirit as their candidate despite his many attempts to reject the nomination. His protests only serve to make him more popular. Finally, it turns out that Commissioner Dolan wins the day, though very unexpected circumstances.
White Cloud August 28, 1949
Dolan is installed as Mayor of Central City, but he is not happy in his new position which requires schmoozing and paperwork he's unaccustomed to doing. Dolan's honesty runs roughshod over Monica Veto's schemes to pay off political cronies and she schemes of ways to ease him out and seize control of the city's finances. A way out is discovered when an old treaty with the Cloudfeet Indian tribe requires the city to pay an enormous sum to the last surviving member of the tribe. Dolan is able to reclaim his role as Police Commissioner and The Spirit's world is rock steady again.
The Story of Rat-Tat The Toy Machine Gun September 4, 1949
We are treated to another "The Sprit's Reader" offering, this time telling the strange saga of Rat-Tat, a toy that wants very much to be a real gun, but regrets all of that when he becomes part of a gang of criminals. There are many ups and downs in this tale of Rat-Tat and his youthful owner as they try to stay alive and resist the schemes of the Carbuncle Boys. Finally, Rat-Tat is able to showcase his mettle as he saves The Spirit and his owner.
Ten Minutes September 11, 1949
This one is a classic told in real time pretty much. We follow a dour fellow named Freddy who is fed up with life in his neighborhood and seizes a moment to commit a robbery and murder to get funds to flee the city. But within minutes his crimes are discovered, and he makes an effort to escape the police and The Spirit which turns out tragically. This one gets reprinted a lot.
Lurid Love September 18, 1949
This one feels like a MAD magazine story. "I Was Passion's Plaything" is the title of the story of Sammy's mopey love for Ellen Dolan, a woman he is afraid to speak to for fear of taking her away from his friend The Spirit. Things get complicated further when villains Seth Passifik and his moll Ugly Mary show up. Things develop and Sammy is forced to take violent action when Ellen's safety is threatened. The story is often interrupted with ads which parody those which often appear in such magazines.
Return of Vino Red September 25, 1949
Vino Red is a thug who escapes from Central City with his moll "Ice" Waters and his gunman "Dots" Semafore. He returns to his Italian hometown but is met with rejection by his family who are ashamed of his criminal ways. He uses force to take control of the town, but after one hundred days the locals band together to remove him. His allies abandon him as he attempts to return to Central City. Dolan and The Spirit attempt to intercept him, but nature interferes with their plans.
Crime October 2, 1949
When the crime boss Stinger apparently dies, Autumn Mews manipulates his wannabe replacements Vulture, Stabby, and Snagly to confirm his death and vie to replace him with deadly results. The Spirit is convinced Stinger is well dead, though Commissioner Dolan is less convinced and looks for the missing gangster. The drama plays out in the Central City park as the criminals confront The Spirit in a deadly contest on the playground. The fate of Stinger is revealed.
Death of Autumn Mews October 9, 1949
Autumn Mews returns with a scheme to uncover the true identity of The Spirit and so remove him as a threat to her plans to run crime in Central City. To that end, she entices the unsuspecting Sammy to check into the history of The Spirit and bring her his discovery. She learns that The Spirit is Denny Colt and attempts to blackmail Dolan and The Spirit with that information. But her accomplice Virgil has other plans, plans which result in a deadly shoot-out with the police.
The Curse October 16, 1949
Backwoods troubadour Ol' Pete Bogg shares the story of Sweet Cider Sue and her boyfriend Jimson Weed who come from feuding families. Sue is accused of witchcraft and Jimson saves her, but he has to kill to do so. He heads off to Central City and gets involved in the boxing game, but when he is betrayed by his manager Doc Ringer, he finds that love is not enough in this world. The Spirit is along for the ride as he and Dolan work to uncover the crimes of Doc Ringer. And there might some magic as well.
Fox at Bay October 23, 1949
The criminal Reynard the Fox is hold up in a building and is holding off police. He is following some sort of carefully wrought scheme and rejects The Spirit's attempts to get him to surrender. The Spirit attempts to enter the building and bring Reynard in, but he is shot in the legs for his efforts. He is at the Fox's mercy as the story reaches its climax. The wounds The Spirit suffers in this episode will beleaguer him for several weeks.
Elect Miss Rhinemaiden of 1950 October30, 1949
It's Halloween and the Miss Rhinemaiden competition needs a contestant at the last minute and the for real witch Hazel P. MacBeth gets the gig. She uses a potion to make her beautiful and wins, only to be kidnapped by thugs who wish to ransom her for fifty thousand dollars. All the while, the injured Spirit attempts to bring the two criminals to justice with limited success. The two hoods come to regret their actions nonetheless as the holiday comes to a close.
The Inner Voice November 6, 1947
In a complicated story in which a bum reads a Spirit comic about a thoroughly disreputable villain named Maurice Mayhew who tells a sordid story of hiding treasure during the Spanish Civil War and then betraying his partner, Andre. Later during WWII Maurice finds himself in Nazi hands and an operation results in the blood of his surviving partner being introduced into his veins, and in his mind bonding them forever. Since that time, despite Andre's death his voice echoes in Maurice's mind. By the internal comic's end Maurice seems to have died, but the frame story suggests otherwise.
Surgery... November 13, 1949
The Spirit faces amputation of both his legs unless Satin and Ellen Dolan can locate Doctor Anschluss, a surgeon with great skills who has written a treatise describing a way The Spirit's legs might be saved. Their search takes them into the back alleys where they find escaped Nazis and a weary bum named Mr. Pigeon. Pigeon's secret is the secret which can save The Spirit's life and career as a crimefighter. Satin's longstanding and selfless love for The Spirit has never been better displayed.
The Thanksgiving Spirit of 1949 November 20, 1949
Mr. Carrion and his vulture Julia are back in Central City just in time to get involved in the competitive feud between the Thimble's and Acie's department stores. Both are staging parades to celebrate the holiday as well as plumbing the depths of Central City with endless basements. The imminent destruction of the stores is why Thimble hired Carrion. The recovering Spirit and Commissioner Dolan are on hand to minimize the skullduggery. But the real hero of the day is the silent P.S. Smith.
The Embezzler November 27, 1949
Quadrant J. Stet is a humble accountant who works for J. Parrish. Stet's eyesight is failing him and to save it he needs five thousand dollars. When he seeks a loan from his boss he is turned down, but soon thereafter is the prime suspect when five thousand dollars is seemingly embezzled from the business. His eyesight failing, the hapless Stet discovers the truth about the missing money and is saved by The Spirit when his life becomes endangered because of this dangerous knowledge. The way in which the story is told allows us to share, to some small degree the limits of Stet's faltering eyesight.
Winter Haven December 4, 1949
The Ka-No-Ma Ski Lodge is the location of a seeming vacation for Commissioner Dolan and the recuperated Spirit. But they discover that the lodge, located near the Canadian border is actually a haven for smugglers. The Spirit is struck by a dark-haired beauty Flaxen Weaver who is at the hub of the smuggling operation along with her duplicitous partner Matty Luger. The adventure ends with an exciting ski chase.
Flaxen Weaver December 11, 1949
The Spirit is in low...well spirits as the story begins. He reflects on how a ball Flaxen Weaver shows up as one "Baroness La Planche". She is scheming to steal a valuable "Peace Medallion" and The Spirit is held by her accomplices. Ultimately, she is successful, and The Spirit is helpless as Flaxen and her two murderous cohorts draw cards to see who will shoot him. Flaxen draws the top card but she relents and instead chooses to betray her villainous allies. The Spirit fears she is dead, but perhaps that's not the case.
Lonesome Cool December 18,1949
Lonesome Cool is a dangerous but sad figure of a villain. He is raised by an uncaring mother and finds that he must use his wits and muscle to get what he wants. He grows up to become an isolated man and murderous gangster who goes into business with a boyhood ally named Frankie Spade who has become an engineer. Their business is successful, but only because Lonesome uses substandard materials, and so creates dangerous structures. When The Spirit attempts to bring him to justice, Space learns of the crimes and takes deadly action. There is the suggestion that Cool's cruel upbringing is responsible for his criminal ways.
The Christmas Spirit of 1949 December 25, 1949
It's nearly Christmas and Santa Claus is visiting Central City to wrap up his plans for the holiday and to make sure the work of getting those presents out is completed. But his efforts go to waste to some degree when a blow to head by a snowball thrown by P.S. Smith gives him amnesia. Dolan investigates the muddled old man but assumes he 's a bum. Santa then gets involved with two robbers named Pixie and McJimmy who offer to help the old fellow when another blow returns his memory with only hours to go before the big event. Despite getting busted climbing in a chimney and ending up in jail, Santa still gets the job done. The Spirit appears only as a face in the final panel of this story.
And that's the end of 1949. The stories in this collection are a fun gaggle of humorous outings and some true crime adventures. I rather liked The Spirit's odyssey among the islands and while I'm sad to see Ebony fade out, I do rather like Sammy. It's pretty obvious that Ebony's presence still radiated the offensive stereotype despite many efforts to elevate him beyond it. Sadly, I'm sure the absence of a black character likely made the strip more acceptable in some parts of the country, though we are entering into the final few years of the run.
Next time it's 1950 and Will Eisner will mine some of his less successful projects to add to the luster of The Spirit's run. More in two weeks' time.
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