Judomaster - The Isle Of Dragons!

Judomaster #98 is dated December 1967. The single credit is the name "McLaughlin" hidden along a rockface on the splash page which features Judomaster holding a flying reptile at bay with a spear while Suzi turns in fear. It's another angle on the cover image by Frank McLaughlin who did this and all the Judomaster covers as far as I can tell. 

"The Isle of Dragons" begins with Rip Jagger being called into the office of General Hawkins where he learns that the Japanese are using some remote and possibly uncharted islands as potential bases. On one island named Tabuki which the natives call "The Isle of Dragons". An airplane photo shows a skeptical Rip that indeed there do seem to be giant reptiles on the island. Judomaster, Tiger, Bushiri, Suzikawa, and other warriors go by submarine to the island and attempt to get on land. They are almost immediately waylaid by natives who tell that the Japanese are indeed contstructing a base and they are making use of the ancient dragons too. The natives guide the group to an ancient city and then leave. Judomaster's team is then assaulted by a giant flying reptile and all seek shelter in a cave when a second dinosaur resembling a Tyrannosaurus Rex appears. But it turns out that in the mad dash for safety that Tiger and Suzi are missing. Judomaster goes out to find them. 

He goes to the city and finds a costumed figure calling himself the "Japanese Sandman" who tells one of his comrades about using his powers to put creatures to sleep to capture both Suzi and Tiger. About that time a giant lizard appears, and Sandman uses his hypnotic power along with tranquiler bullets the Japanese troops fire to subdue and develop a control of the beast. He then makes ready to ready to make Suzi and Tiger the creatures next meal when it awakes. Having seen enough Judomaster attacks, frees his associates and taking guns they head back to the cave. But the encounter the Tyrannosaur again but use their rifles to put it down. Then they gather Bushiri's men and the whole group attack the Japanese troops in the city. Judomaster tracks down the Sandman and avoiding his hypnotic powers eventually defeats the villain. When the Sandman is put out of the way, the monsters which have been in his thrall are released and they demolish the city and the Japanese troops are stunned that their tranquilizers no longer are effective. Using dynamite they brought Judomaster and Tiger blow up the whole shebang and escape. The last scene shows them rafting to the submarine and Tiger reveals that he had substituted regular ammunition for the special tranquilizers the Japanese used thus making the monsters uncontrollable. That scamp. 

Sarge Steel turns up one more time in a story with no credits but clearly drawn by Dick Giordano and scripting attributed at GCD to Steve Skeates. The tale titled "Key West Caper" is File 115. It begins with Sarge coming out of the ocean in full scuba gear onto a deserted beach at night. He thinks back to finding his office ransacked and a note saying that Bessie his secretary had been kidnapped and taken to a location off the Florida Keys. He then gets transportation and gets to the Keys as quickly as he can and arrived at that spot. He is attacked by a guard but subdues him and then recognizes the machine gun the thug used. There is another shot and Sarge kills the sniper but others get the drop on him and take him to a house where Bessie is unconscious on a table. The villains turn out to be Eric Rinn and Roja a man and woman team of baddies who had battled Sarge a few times in his own book and had run an operation named POW. They gloat that they at last have Sarge in this power when Bessie awakes and a fight breaks out. Rinn tries to shoot Sarge who shoots him first making his shot go astray and kill Roja. Bessie grabs up a machine gun and after quick tutelage from Sarge levels the other thugs. Sarge then cradles the overwrought woman in his arms as the story closes. 

"The Power of the Bow" is the text piece in this issue and talks about the impact of the bow and arrow as a weapon in Europe, China and the Americas. This is the last issue in the Charlton Judomaster run.

  But in Captain Atom #89 dated December 1967, Tiger shows up in the Nightshade back-up feature by Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo and in this story set in the modern day he is grown up and had trained Eve Eden the Nightshade some years before when she was a girl of fourteen.

 

This issue of Judomater was reprinted in the late 70's under the Modern imprint. The Judomaster series showed a remarkable amount of skill and talent on the part of Frank McLaughlin who went on to become one of the great inkers at both Marvel and DC. Dick Giordano who headed up the Sarge Steel back-up feature of course went over to DC and became a major player in comics for many decades to come. Judomaster disappeared.

Even when DC picked up the Charlton Action-Heroes including Judomaster he was barely used. Captain Atom and Blue Beetle got ongoing series as well as stints in the Justice League. The Question had an ongoing of his own for many years. The Peacemaker got a limited series. Even Thunderbolt had a run, though his rights have reverted to the Morisi estate today. Though DC mucked with the heroes they at least used them. That is all of them save Judomaster. He did make cameos here and there and other Judomasters have shown up over the decades, including one who is in the JSA today. 

Rip Jagger and Tiger were the core of the L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) limited series by Bob Layton and Dick Giordano along with other Charlton heroes. (More on this tomorrow.) But likely because of his WWII setting Judomaster never got the push the others did. A stunted version and unrecognizable version of Judomaster did recently appear on the Peacemaker television series. Boy was that weird. 

It's too bad. Rip Jagger is a dandy character. Judomaster battled against the Japanese but alongside other Asians so that the racism that clouded many WWII efforts was undermined. He wore the colors of the Japanese for goshsakes, an image that has always been a bit confusing. But in the end Rip Jagger, the Judomaster was truly an action-hero, a man fighting in what we naively dub the last "good war". 

No more to come. It's been a blast doing this detailed read for two of my all-time favorite series. Tomorrow something completely different.  

To read the complete comic book go to this link. 

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Judomaster - The Acrobat Returns!

Judomaster #96 is dated August 1967. This issue again bears only the single credit for Frank McLaughlin so I assume he's the one doing the scripting, art, and lettering as in previous issues. 

The story titled "The Final Phase of the Plot to Destroy Judomaster" picks up right where the previous issue left off with The Acrobat getting away in a Japanese submarine while Judomaster and the Acrobat exchange threats. Bushiri and Judomaster talk and they agree that the Acrobat got access to the island too easily and that there must be a spy among them. Bushiri mentions a new man to the island, a fisherman who washed up on the beach some weeks before. They've been keeping an eye on him, but he might be the spy. Judomaster then follows this new man and quickly finds him using a hidden radio to call his Japanese masters. But the spy reveals that his information is from Suzikawa, Rip Jagger's love, which drives Judomaster into a rage and he proceeds to beat up the spy. Then after a thorough drubbing the spy repeats his claim that Suzi is the spy. Judomaster confronts Suzi and she confirms that she is the traitor bit claims she had no choice but assist. The scene shifts to the sub where the Acrobat gets his orders to return to the beach and continue his battle with Judomaster. Suzi tells Judomaster that the Japanese have her brother captive and that the information she's been giving them is useless. Judomaster realizes that what they want is him, so he heads off to face the Acrobat and engages the raft before it lands on the beach, using a specific karate blow to sink the raft. Then Judomaster and the Acrobat continue their battle in the ocean each trying to gain the upper hand. Meanwhile the others who came across with the Acrobat are met by Bushiri and his men and soundly defeated. Then Judomaster and the Acrobat come onto the beach where the Acrobat attempts to use his wire-gun again, but prepared for the weapon Judomaster drags the Acrobat to him and knocks him down for the count. Tearing off his mask Judomaster discovers that the Acrobat is in fact Suzikawa's brother and that his kidnapping was a ruse. He declares his loyalty to Japan and is hauled away while Judomaster takes Suzi in his arms to comfort her. 

Sarge Steel returns in Part II of File 112 "Case of the Village Moneyman" written by Steve Skeates, drawn by Dick Giordano with lettering by A.Machine. The installment begins with Sarge dodging a gunshot from the window of Bebe Summin's apartment and returning fire killing the gunman. Steel finds a typed note from Bebe asking him to meet her at the Cafe Long Spoon. Sarge playing a hunch goes to the newspaper morgue and does some research before meeting Bebe at the cafe. He finds her and a brief conversation in which she tries to get him to stop looking for her dad he says he won't give up the search prompting an attack which he fends off but then guns convince Sarge to follow the men to a a printshop where the mastermind of the operation is waiting. The villain is a guy named Jackson who Steel is familiar with and Sarge reveals that Bebe's dad is in fact already dead, which Jackson confirms. Bebe runs from the building in tears while Sarge beats down the thugs with his steel hand. Apparently making Bebe think her dad was alive was an attempt to create confusion among the federal authorities while the counterfeiting was underway. Sarge comforts Bebe as the story closes. 

"Flips and Counters with Judomaster" is a two-page offering with a eight letters. This is a lively feature this time. Much is made comparing Charlton's heroes to Marvel's heroes. Judomaster's top-knot comes in for criticism again as does Tiger. Sarge Steel's back-up is criticized but Giordano responds that 2nd-class mail regulations require a back-up feature in the book. The Smiling Skull is compared to The Red Skull, but Giordano indicates that when the Smiling Skull was created in Sarge Steel #3 that he didn't know anything about the Red Skull. And finally, there is the announcement of the arrival of "The Big Red C", Charlton's own distinctive corner design which graces this very issue. 

All in all, a very solid issue of entertainment. The character development reaches a high with the revelation that Suzi's brother is now set up as Judomaster's arch-enemy. It's certainly something that would come into play later if the series had run longer. Tiger has very little to do in these issues and it's evident that he's being put on a back burner a bit, perhaps in response to letters, but more likely simply a lack of space and lots of characters to use. The appearance of the Big Red C along with the banner at the top of the cover with Judomaster's head and symbol really gives this comic a distinctive look that will really pop on a spinner rack.

 

This issue was reprinted in the late 70's under the Modern imprint. 

To read the complete comic book go to this link. 

More Judomaster to come. 

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Judomaster - Tiger Hunt!

Judomaster #94 is dated April 1967. The only credit is "McLaughlin" so I assume that Frank McLaughlin is again responsible for both story and artwork. 

The story titled "Tiger Hunt" begins with a symbolic splash page featuring mirror panels one showing a real tiger closing in on a tethered deer while hunters wait in ambush and the other shows Judomaster tied to a post while his young partner Tiger comes to his aid and Japanese soldiers wait in ambush. The story begins where it ended with Tiger being picked up out of the ocean by Japanese troops led by Mountain Storm a massive Sumo wrestler who once before battled Judomaster. He is taken back to shore, meanwhile Judomaster leaves Bushiri and his men to swim back to look for Tiger. Tiger is tied to a tree, but using a Ninja trick he slips his bonds and escapes into the jungle much to Mountain Storm's chagrin. Tiger looks for a cache of equipment he and Judomaster has hidden on the beach previously and finds a camouflaged poncho and some other Ninjutsu tricks of the trade. He throws powder into the face of a soldier and escapes again into the jungle. The Japanese led by Mountain Storm and Commander Suzi look for Tiger but are unsuccessful and begin to imagine him to be almost magical. Judomaster meanwhile searches for his lost partner and falls into a pit trap set for Tiger. Judomaster is tied to a post by the Commander and set up as bait. 

Tiger shows up to help but gets himself snared in a rope and ends up dangling from a tree. The two are thrown into a pit and a real tiger is brought out and released from its cage into the pit but Judomaster using techniques of Karate striking demonstrated in a later text piece in this very issue knocks out the big cat. He and Tiger then use their nimbleness to escape the pit and knock the Mountain Storm and the Japanese soldiers into it. The reunited team then find a raft and paddle away from the dangerous island. 

"Karate Man vs. The Bulls!" is a two-page piece by McLaughlin with Dick Giordano inks which talks about the power of the Karate hand strike and how endurance training in harsh weather. A particular master of Karate Mas Oyama is shown hewing off the horn of a bull which is charging at him. 

Sarge Steel is back in Part II of File 111 "Case of the Devil's Wife" by the team of Joe Gill on script, Bill Montes on pencils and Dick Giordano on inks. Sarge and the kidnapped ambassador find themselves on an island, prisoners of Satana the Devils Bride. She unleashes her hounds to attack Sarge but he throws the dog into the shark-infested waters. The Ambassador awakes and decries the cruelty of the act and Sarge uses his gun to save the dog which comes out of the water shaken. Then Satana rides up on horseback with a lance and begins to chase the pair along with her men and more dogs. Sarge uses his jacket to confuse the horse long to escape momentarily. The Ambassador indicates his attache has a bomb inside as they run from the henchmen. They head inside the house on the island where Sarge is at last able to call for assistance and gain the upper hand by dropping a rope over Satana. Holding her captive, the pair shoot thier way out of the house as a helicopter comes to rescue them and carry them to safety along with the captured Satana. 

 "Flips and Counters with Judomaster" is back to one page this issue offering up three letters. There is some debate about the continued use of cliffhanger endings, some liking them some not. Also Judomaster's "top-knot" as Giordano prefers to call it is again criticized. The Peacemaker's name is mentioned with a plug given to the Pat Boyette series. There is a small boxed blurb at the bottom of the page announcing that fans should watch for the "All-new Adventures of Blue Beetle". The house ad does not yet show him, but only the other four Action-Heroes. 

This is another really good issue. Tiger gets the bulk of the attention, though it is Judomaster who saves the day in the end. Tiger really comes across as very capable and confident even cocky in this story. He and Judomaster are a team of course similar to Captain America and Bucky in many respects. I have little doubt that the Timely team inspired the Charlton pairing. There is small evidence in this issue that Tiger is seen as a little boy anymore by Judomaster. This issue and the previous one were my first two Judomaster issues, and among the very first Charlton books I ever read. They then have a special place in my memory, but I'm happy to see that it's not only my nostalgia for these that make me remember them so fondly. These are really good comic book stories.

This issue was reprinted in the late 70's under the Modern imprint. 

To read the complete comic book go to this link. 

More Judomaster to come. 

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Judomaster - Meet The Tiger!

Judomaster #93 is dated February 1967. The story and art are credited to Frank McLaughlin and Dick Giordano is credited as the editor. 

The story "Meet The Tiger" picks right up where the last issue ended. Judomaster and the young Japanese-American boy Rip Jagger has dubbed "Tiger" are on in the middle of a bombing raid scheduled by the Allies six hours after Judomaster entered the lair of The Smiling Skull, a Nazi spymaster. During a hand-to-hand battle with the Skull, Judomaster has been blinded by intense light. The scene shifts to a military hospital where Rip Jagger is in bed with his eyes bandaged. Around him stand Bushiri his trainer, Suzi his beloved, General Hawkings his commander, and the boy "Tiger". Rip is understandably depressed by his apparent blindness and requests solitude. Everyone leaves save the boy who overhears his hero bemoan his fate and confess he is of no use in the war effort anymore. The boy is heartbroken and confronts Rip calling him a coward then running away. He then goes to General Hawkins and volunteers to take Judomaster's place despite his age. Hawkins at first rejects him, but then thinks that making Rip think that Tiger is in fact going to replace him might snap Judomaster out of his depression. So Hawkins arranges with Bushiri for Tiger to go the island and begin training. Rip awaits the day the bandages come off and he is informed of Tiger's new role. The scene shifts to Tiger's training which lasts many weeks. Suddenly Judomaster appears and announces that he is back, his eyes have healed and he has a mission to take out an enemy gun site. 

Tiger having finished his training is given a costume similar to Judomaster's by the Sensei and the team of Judomaster and Tiger is born. They head to the island where the enemy gun is located accompanied by Bushiri and his marauders. They stealthily prowl the enemy lines, climb a great cliff and while Bushiri's men provide a distraction they attack the giant gun with Judomaster fighting the troops and Tiger placing the explosives. The gun explodes and both Judomaster and Tiger dive from the high cliff into the sea. Judomaster is picked by Bushiri but Tiger is picked up by a different boat, one containing Judomaster's old enemy The Mountain Storm. At this point the story ends. 

 Another feature is "The Kiai Shout" a two-page piece by McLauglin detailing the value of the shout during combat not only in judo but other forms such as fencing. 

 The Sarge Steel story by Joe Gill and artists Bill Montes and Dick Giordano in this issue is File 111 "Case of the Devil's Wife". Sarge Steel is driving through town and comes under gunfire by a pursuing car. He shoots back with special explosive ammunition and disables the enemy's car. He heads to the airport to meet Ambassador Bruyden but is met by a beautiful redhead who gives him a kiss which paralyzes Sarge. Meanwhile the woman and her accomplice take the ambassador away in a wheelchair. When Sarge recovers he and another agent Lowell Cade check into the woman and Sarge learns she is called "The Devil's Bride" and that she is an accomplished international blackmailer. Sarge threatens some other enemy agents with rough treatment if they do not give him the Devil's Bride's location but when he returns to his own apartment she is waiting. They struggle but her perfume paralyzes him again and he is taken by helicopter to an island estate where he finds Ambassador Bruyden who is carrying an explosive attache case. Sarge takes the Bride hostage but the guards prepare to release guard dogs on him as the story abruptly ends. 

"Flips and Counters with Judomaster" features two pages and five lengthy letters. There is another by famous fan Bill Schelly and several that applaud the development of Judomaster and the addition of a letters page to the Charlton comics. And the idea of "Action-Heroes" is specifically referenced by Giordano as he talks about how Charlton wants heroes without powers (save for Captain Atom who has at this time been de-powered quite a bit) with an emphasis on training and equipment. This according to Giordano gives the line a great logic across the board, and a great realism. Giordano also talks about the advantage an artist has when he also writes a comic such as McLaughlin or Pete Morisi (PAM) and how much of Marvel's success was due to Jack Kirby. 

This is a really outstanding issue of Judomaster. After several issues of preparation Tiger is at least unleashed on the reader and the series finally arrives at its mature state. McLaughlin's artwork is in top form at this point and Giordano's work on Sarge Steel is excellent. The sense of Judomaster being part of a larger Charlton Universe is enhanced by a wonderful house ad featuring the "Action Heroes". This is certainly one of Charlton's peak periods.

This comic was reprinted under the Modern imprint in the 1970's. 

To read the complete comic book go to this link. 

More Judomaster  to come. 

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