#fred ray

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Superman - art by Fred Ray (1942)

[comic-covers]

(1942)

[chernobog13]

Jerry Ordway's wonderful cover for Adventures of Superman (vol. 1) #424 (January, 1987).

The cover itself is an homage Fred Ray's cover to Superman (vol. 1) #14 (February, 1942):

[thecomicsnexus]

DETECTIVE COMICS #58

DECEMBER 1941 By Bill Finger , Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, and George Roussos.

Batman and Robin deal with a crimewave led by a brand new villain... The Penguin!

RATING: OKAY

If this was a modern comic, it would be much less, but let's say my rating is "adjusted for cultural inflation." I know other comics at the time looked better, but overall, this story was the average (with the added bonus of being one of the most popular comics of the time).

And what a time it was. Now, while the cover date says December 1941, and there's a submarine on the cover, the comic was released in October, so any themes of war in the Pacific is just mere coincidence.

I mentioned Bob Kane in the credits, because he may or may have not been involved in this issue (it's hard to know, but more often than not, it was his studio doing the work and not himself). This also doesn't look much like Bob Kane's art (but close enough).

And speaking of the art, the Penguin does look a lot like one in this story (his shadow is also depicted as a penguin as well).

Overall, it's not so great of a story, but it introduces Penguin's obsession with deadly umbrellas (and they are pretty much the gimmick of the entire thing).

It is also worth mentioning that Dick Grayson was indeed, the reader. Bruce and Dick had to leave a museum at the beginning of this story after Dick made fun of an artist. Something Bill Finger probably assumed a kid would do.

The comic also takes place after Batman became honorary part of the Gotham Police, so the Penguin trying to frame him comes with actual stakes.

Nevertheless, Golden Age stories like this are a challenge to read after almost a hundred years of comic book evolution.

[tomoleary]

Fred Ray - Promotional Christmas card from DC issued in the 1940s

Source

[comicbookbrain]

Superman #10, May-June 1941 Issue. Fred Ray art and inks.

[splooosh]

“World’s Largest”

Fred Ray

[evilhorse]

Action Comics #36

[browsethestacks]

Vintage Comic - Tomahawk #082

Pencils: Fred Ray

Inks: Fred Ray

DC (Sept-Oct1962)

[comicartarchive]

Detective Comics 58 Cover by Fred Ray

[classichorrorblog]

Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Forbidden Planet costumes and props (1956)

[rhetthammersmithhorror]

Witch Academy | 1995

[chernobog13]

Matt Wagner's re-creation of Fred Ray's cover for Action Comics (vol. 1) #39 (August, 1941).

The original.

[tomoleary]

Fred Ray Original cover art for Action Comics #50 (DC, July 1942) Source

[videoreligion]

Dark Universe (1993)