#ted grant

[dcdreamblog]

A bit of an odd question but who was/is the best dancer in the JSA? The one mystery man who was only killed on the dancefloor?

Now this is a FUN question, though honestly one that would be hard to answer. I'll just keep it to the membership of the core, Golden Age JSA for simplicity's sake.

Let's check things off as we go.

Dr. Fate, Dr. Midnite and The Sandman: Were all noted as being incredibly mousy and introverted.

Charles McNider (Midnite): Was a lifelong bachelor who was always more concerned with his various intellectual pursuits. He didn't drink and his natural position at any function was in the corner, feeding our d'oeuvres to his owl.

Kent Nelson (Fate): Equally so, being a book learned archeologist whose wife was more likely to share a night at the library than the dance floor. At any social function, Kent and Inza Nelson truly only had attention for one another. You'd leave them alone at a candle lit dinner table and come back to find them sharing the light over some dusty scroll.

Wesley Dodds (Sandman): Was noted as being instantly eclipsed in any social or hosting capacity by his companion Dian Belmont. His teammates were often known to comment that the Dodds with and without his mask seemed like two entirely different people. Jay Garrick is once noted as saying that an unmasked Dodds "struck me most as a clerk, juxtaposed against Belmont's gothic elegance."

Starman: Would usually have been noted in a similar category to those above. UNTIL his marriage to Adele Drew. Drew was noted by a contemporary Daily Planet reporter as "Homely in appearance but of excellent humor and infectious energy" making her the perfect fit for the often melancholy intellectual she married. (That is NOT how anyone who knew her would describe her. Hippolyta once said Adele Knight was "Gorgeous of spirit and overflowing with love") While they DID dance, Knight was noted as being VERY unskilled, mostly floating along on his wife's ever present enthusiasm.

Green Lantern: Was an interesting conversationalist, and often popular at social functions, noted as having a voice for speeches. However his heavy build and more serious air kept him from being much of a dancer. (The only evidence I can find of him ever dancing is from memoirs about the reception of his wedding to his second Wife Molly Mayne (AKA Harlequin) which speaks more to the outsized effect she's had on him than anything.)

Wildcat: Any boxing historian can tell you that Ted Grant was not a sportsman known for his footwork. I read one account that described his style as "pouncing on the other guy and giving better than he got". Those more familiar with the sport can comment there. He was however known as a boisterous presence, especially when drinking.

Atom: Al Pratt was a man with a lot of good qualities. He had a lion's heart, he was loyal to a fault and he was tougher than a team of oxen. He was also 5 foot nothing and could be described as having two left feet if you cloned him and taped them together. His wife Mary wasn't known to be much better. Their "dancing" mostly included the two stepping on each other's toes, apologizing at the same time, and giggling about it.

The Spectre: ...let's be serious here.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl: Were just a TAD too self serious to be "cutting a rug" among the styles of the time. They were noted as accomplished classical dancers, the kind of couple that could draw eyes when something fancy was playing. As noted with the Nelsons above, though. It was often said that the two only ever had eyes for one another. It was running joke that the Hawks would always be the last to leave any function because they were slow dancing in each other's eyes 3 hours after the band had gone home.

Wonder Woman: Is a literal Queen. Not exactly the kind to be circling the floor at a cocktail party.

Hourman: For a born scientist, Rex Tyler was also known as particularly energetic especially in the aftermath of a battle. His wife, Wendi, being a stage actress was also trained as a dancer. Due to Rex's general lack of grace and Wendi's spontaneous, laughter prone personality however, their dancing was usually described along the lines of swinging each other around until they fell into a heap. Dr Midnite once said "It was common knowledge that any party where the Tylers only destroyed a single digit number of chairs was a sign of good fortune."

Johnny Thunder: DID dance. That does not, however, mean that he COULD dance. As the youngest and "hippest" of the JSA's number, he was always stumbling his way through the steps of this or that new dance craze that was sweeping the teenage population. He always seemed to be having fun, even if the flying debris of hands and feet made his space on any dance floor a rather wide berth.

Black Canary: I cannot describe to you the amount of a sexpot this woman was for her time. Like. Wavy hair over one eye, netted stocking, slit up both thighs, low cut, smoky eye shadow, wolf whistle, eye popping, hummina hummina AWOOGA sexy. Every single time the original Black Canary walked in the room, every monocle hit the floor and a bunch of upper class ladies discovered what lesbianism felt like. The woman could dance, and she could make the whole room WATCH her dance. But let's be clear in that no one was watching her "dance". You get me?

Mr Terrific: I mean obviously. There was not a single goddamn skill that one could quantify that Terry Sloane did not possess. All the big, fancy dance steps that people take classes for he could do inside, outside and backward inside an afternoon. Among his medals and accolades are evidently national ribbons in Salsa, Waltz AND Flamenco. He's Mr. Terrific. He could dance.

But then there's the actual ANSWER to the question.

The Flash: Jay and Joan Garrick were gaga for each other. Happily, loudly, publically, head over heels in love. The kind of love that starts a clan (which they eventually did, neither here nor there). The JSA is an organization RIFE with all time great love stories. But Jay and Joan Garrick were not a love story, they were the kind of light up the room, keep the conversation going, huddle the whole gang around the fireplace talking about nothing until sun up kind of couple. Socially, the entire JSA revolved around them.

And they danced. Boy did they DANCE. The kind of dancing that only a midwestern couple like that CAN do. The kind that got everybody up on their feet and clapping with the steps. The kind where a sweep of her simple dress somehow made her look like a twin city princess. The kind where a simple flourish and a dip made Jay seem like the most romantic leading man of all time. They danced because their happiness was infectious, and every time they did, a simple benefit party became a barn burner.

(A picture, originally secret. From Jay Garrick's bachelor party. June, 1947. For those of you wondering. That makes this June their 77th)

[thoughtkick]

When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls.

Ted Grant

[perfectfeelings]

When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls.

Ted Grant

[bindedlies]

Gang Moll... pulp cover art by Rudy Nappi, 1952 but with Hippolyta and her boys.

This image lives in my head rent free, had to put it into color.

[folklore-fantasy-and-sci-fi]

Now I just need something where they all have the corresponding accents…

[why-i-love-comics]

DC Vs. Vampires: World War V #5 (2024)

written by Matthew Rosenberg art by Otto Schmidt & Pierluigi Casolino

[dailydccomics]

we're calling everybody in for this one Justice League Europe #47-48

[milowing]

oh that's his BABY

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #32 by Mark Waid and Adrián Gutiérrez

[evilhorse]

Justice Society of America house ad from August 1992

[dailyjsa]

Just announced: DC is relaunching Justice Society of America with a new JSA ongoing (by Jeff Lemire and Diego Olortegui) as part of the 'All In' intiative.

[vertigoartgore]

2000's JSA Vol.1 #10 cover by artist Alan Davis & inker Mark Farmer.

[dcdreamblog]

Watched a clip of an interview with Ted "Wildcat" Grant, and he mentioned the he once "swam two miles with three bullets in his lung", and it hit me. Man was not just a professional boxer, but for years was the reigning *Heavyweight Champion of the World*. How'd he hide or explain away the inevitable physical result of spending every night fighting heavily armed gangsters, spies, saboteurs and supervillains with his bare hands, when he was routinely walking into a ring with no shirt on in front of huge crowds, getting inspected by refs and whatever you call the guys who take care of fighter's injuries, having his photo taken, etc.?

You just answered your own question. He was Heavyweight Champion of the World. He always came in at weight before the fight and he played it clean as a whistle in the ring. Were YOU gonna question him in front of the crowd, or where a sports reporter might hear you?

(The famous photo of Grant's final victory against Cassius Clay before professional retirement, Las Vegas)

Beyond that, Ted Grant's personal life was (assumed to be) a known quantity. He was a roughneck from a harsh part of Gotham and he retained a strong sense of "street principles". Even out of his uniform he was often seen getting into fights with catcallers, deadbeats and anyone else who offended his sense of decency on the street. More than once he came upon a man striking his wife or child and beat said man into a hospital bed in broad daylight.

If you were the ref, or the reporters, any new scar or bruise that couldn't be explained as the price of his living COULD be explained away as Ted Grant being Ted Grant even away from the camera. I am going to list for you actual things Ted Grant did, in his civvies, during his period of active sportsmanship. Not one of these is a lie.

He got so offended at a beat cop shaking down newsies for protection money that he started a fight. He fought said cop, his partner and 4 other beat cops who joined in. And won.

He saw an off duty sailor, who had half a head of height on Grant, refuse to leave two women alone. He put the sailor's head through a table and scared off half a dozen other service men just by telling them who he was.

He crashed through the front window of a hotel lobby because he was trying to strangle a reporter who called him a "Nip Lover" for speaking out against Japanese internment.

AND, my personal favorite

He walked past a bar known to be a hang out for the local Klan chapter. Heard one of them on the bar's porch call him a "White Man's inspiration", walked directly up to the bar, split the oak door off its hinges with one punch and thrashed all 29 men inside walking away with only a black eye and bruises from his right shoulder to elbow where one of them broke a METAL BAR STOOL across it. He then made a habit of bringing black friends and ring staff to said bar, daring anyone to make a fight out of it (which they often did, to repeated results) until the bar shut down. Where he then used the pot from his next fight to buy the land and donate it to the NAACP. If you've ever been to the Grant Rec Center that does after school for the north end of The Narrows in Gotham, now you know why its called that.

No one questioned Grant showing up with a shiner and a crooked tooth, they just contented themselves with the knowledge the the other guy A. deserved it and B. got it worse.

[thoughtkick]

When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls.

Ted Grant

[theflashjaygarrick]

Okay I've thought a lot about how I would do the Tom King Best of the Best style Black Canary vs. Shiva fight (whilst keeping as much of the original idea in tact).

Main thing is that I would change the training line up. In his version you have Wildcat (Ted Grant), the original Black Canary (Dinah Drake), and Batman training her. And while I love her JSA links getting a shout out I have no idea why Batman is there except for the fact that both King and DC think Batman has to be everywhere.

If I was to redo it I would have the lineup instead be:

Dinah Drake and Ted Grant

Connor Hawke

Cassandra Cain

So partially this is just because Connor Hawke and Cassandra Cain are two of the best hand-to-hand fighters in the DC universe who have previously and fought and held their own against Lady Shiva.

But also they also have more thematic significance. Along with Grant and Drake represent the key superhero groups that Dinah has been part of and shaped throughout her superhero career. Drake and Grant representing the JSA who raised her. Connor Hawke representing the Arrow Family she shaped. And Cassandra Cain representing the Birds of Prey she co-founded and her future as a hero.

(She has also been JLA/JLI and you could fit Batman in for that, but I would argue that she is the premiere hand-to-hand fighter of the main JLA cast over him)

Not only does this provide a good showcase of different chapters Dinah's story, but it also highlights the importance of her role in the DC universe as a teammate and often a team leader. Also it allows the people whose lives and heroic careers she's shaped to support her in her literal fight for the top billing as a solo act as she strives to become DC's Best of the Best.

[stay-close]

When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls.

Ted Grant

[bad-comic-art]

From JSA Classified #27. Thanks Gordon Purcell

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submitted by @augustheart