Crossing the Divide: Joe Louis (2)

This comparative look at the peaks of the respective careers of Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey in Bill Stern's Sports Book Vol.2 #2 is interesting, not least because it doesn't mention race. In 1952 when this comic was published by Ziff-Davis in a still-segregated America, it was remarkable in that it features an African American, and still more remarkable that Joe Louis is not billed as representing his race. It's refreshing to read a comic from that time that simply presents Louis as a normal, if accomplished, member of the human race. This was one approach to racial integration in comics used by some writers of Silver Age comic books later on, presenting diversity as if racial harmony was a reality in society. Interestingly, the art on this story is by famed inker Frank Giacoia.

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Crossing the Divide: 'Sugar' Ray Robinson

Another of the many stories in Bill Stern's Sports Book Vol.2 #2 (Ziff-Davis, Winter, 1952) features 'Sugar' Ray Robinson, whom many consider to have been the greatest pugilist of all time. Robinson was another boxer who fought in an age when successful African American sports personalities were seen as ambassadors of their race. Their success was seen as 'proof' of racial equality, in a society that was struggling to impose intelligence over the animal instinct that saw and feared difference. Robinson was friends with Joe Louis, and during WWII these two boxers played a significant morale-boosting role in the armed forces. Ironically, although in 1952 Robinson is praised highly, on the first page of this story, for sound management of his earnings, by the end of his life he was existing in poverty.

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Crossing the Divide: The Harlem Globetrotters (1)

In the early 1950s, Ziff-Davis published Bill Stern's Sports Book, a comic book in the sports genre. Volume 2 # 2 (Winter, 1952) was a 100 page square bound 25c comic, and contained several stories featuring African American sports stars. The first in the book (and the hardest to scan!) was about the origins of the Harlem Globetrotters. Drawn by Everett Raymond Kinstler, it's an artistic gem, but it's also an interesting read as it follows the early exploits of the world's most famous basketball team. What's important to remember is that this comic was published during the period when segregation was still in force in the USA. The Globetrotters are another example of African American sports personalities who were able to induce members of the majority population previously entrenched in a dualistic stance on race, at least to some extent traverse the race barrier. Like all African American sports personalities of the time, in addition to having to make a name for themselves in their field, the Globetrotters had thrust upon them the responsibility of representing the African American community or 'race' as a whole, an unwholesome burden inflicted by a society divided along racial lines.

For sportsmen like the Harlem Globetrotters, that hard-earned recognition made its own contribution to breaking down the race barrier, even though such representation should never have been necessary in the first place. But that was how American society had evolved at the time, on its road towards making the words of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States become a reality. Looks like the Globetrotters also had the privilege of being some of the first people to have their portraits drawn by Kinstler, for whom several U.S. Presidents have subsequently sat! Kinstler nowadays is recognized as one of the greatest portrait artists of all time.

Nurse Romance Stories: Romantic Marriage 2 - "Her Father's Image"

There's a couple of things I'd like to say before getting into this story. First of all it is how much I enjoy those Ziff-Davis/St. John comics from the early 50s, with Romantic Marriage and Cinderella Love being two of my favorite romance titles. I especially like the ones with painted covers. Gorgeous! Issue 2 from 1950 (no month specified) appears to me to be swiping an image from a contemporary British comic, the Eagle, which began publication in 1950. The Eagle featured Frank Hampson's famous sci-fi series, Dan Dare, and although I couldn't find an exact match to the soldier on the cover of RM2, here's a couple of pics of Dan Dare to give you the idea that it might be so:

Well it might be just a coincidence but the first thing that came to mind when I saw the cover of RM2 was "Dan Dare!" Anyway, back to the nurse romance story. When Nurse Gail Gordon helped car crash victim Norman Crandall through his most critical period of recovery to the point where he could be released from hospital, she became attached to him as the product of her intervention. When he asked if she would be his private nurse she eagerly accepted, not having thought what kind of person he actually was. Therefore, although it turns out Norman is loaded and lives with his aunt in a stately home, we can't accuse Gail of gold-digging - she had no idea!

Norman's not a uniform fetishist, so when Gail sheds her nurse clothes and slips into a swimsuit, revealing herself to be a brunette bombshell, Norman instantly gets the hots for her - the very hots! And its no surprise by now that Gail finds herself head over heels in love with Norman. But then Gail notices the similarity between Norman and her father, and she resolves to complete the likeness by molding Norman's personality until it matches that of Daddy. Couple of things here - first, girls do apparently have an subconscious tendency to seek partners with characteristics that in some way reflect their father (e.g. Dad was physically abusive to Mom, so daughter ends up in a domestic violence situation herself). Secondly, there's this womanly thing of wanting to change the man of her choice into the image she has constructed of her ideal man (which sometimes manifests as wanting to reform a bad but 'really misunderstood' guy). It's hard to know where stereotypes end and reality begins in this realm.

For rich guys, yachts are kind of obligatory, as much as the stripy shirt and hat are for the yachtsman. And yachts are great places to declare undying love for your woman. But now that Gail has Norman under her spell, the transformation process has to begin. First non-smoker Norman is encouraged to take up pipe smoking. Next, he's a pacifist but Gail's dad loves hunting, so now Norman has to go along with Gail's desire that he go out and murder innocent wild creatures. Buying all the hunting gear and weapons isn't a financial issue for Norm, and neither is getting out into the wilderness to bag some game - he's got a sea plane! But suddenly events take a turn for the worse when Norman, unfamiliar (as already noted) with firearms, accidentally shoots the family lodge's caretaker, Pierre. Good job Gail's a nurse, huh!?

With good weather and Norman's sea plane, it's possible to get Pierre to a hospital in around an hour, tended by Gail. When Pierre pulls through, Gail again attributes his survival to her intervention, but here comes the reckoning. Gail thinks she's saved Norman from a manslaughter charge, but Norman has a different perspective. He gives it to Gail straight - Pierre's near death experience was directly the result of Gail trying to manipulate Norman into adopting various traits of Gail's father - okay Norman shouldn't have gone along with it, but it's not happening from here on. Gail admits she's been misguided in her actions, but she loves Norman anyway and no longer foolishly thinks he should change. A close call, and now everything should be hunky dory right? But wait - suddenly Gail's back to her scheming. Gail's dad meets Norman, and seems awfully keen to have Norm head up his Alaska oil project. Gail's back in full transformation mode, thinking that Norman will be like her Dad after all, a businessman. Norman is hesitant to accepts Gail's Dad's offer, but goes along with it to please Gail again. Things are, however, beginning to fall into place in Gail's head, and she starts to get some realizations regarding her Dad's enthusiasm for having Norman, and his money, in charge of the Alaska thing. Oh boy!

So here's the irony. Gail's dad, Mr. Gordon, is a stock swindler, and he used Norman's good name to persuade investors to buy worthless stock. The whole thing tumbles down, Norman takes the rap, and he has become like Gordon, another swindler. Gail realizes too late that she loved Norman just the way he was and should never have tried to change him. Fortunately (maybe Norman's good reputation working in his favor here) the DA has been ready to give Norm a chance to clear himself. As Gordon spills the whole story in his conversation with his daughter, Norm and the DA's representative are listening outside. Norm is cleared, Gordon is arrested, and Gail has inadvertently informed Norman that she wants him just the way he is - no more meddling trying to change him. Norman's a real gem - he overlooks all the trouble Gail has caused him starting with her assuming ownership of him at the hospital, and they're going to marry and live happily ever after. Norm is even going to ensure all those swindled investors get their money back, meaning Gordon will be out of jail in a week or so. Happy ending! But we went through some tribulations to get there for sure.

This tale delivers a lot of stereotypes about women in general, but what is the story's lesson about nurses?  Well this one assumes her successful care provision entitles her to ownership of the recovered patient, an entitlement to determine aspects of the patient's life. In this case the patient was someone she fell in love with, who also turned out to be the most eligible bachelor imaginable - money, looks, impeccable character, willingness to go out of his way to please the woman he loves, the ability to overlook faults in others. Gail's a lucky girl - lucky because what she put Norman through would have driven an ordinary mortal away on day one!