Black Hood Comics
Encyclopedia
Black Hood Comics was the name of an American
anthology
comic book
series published by MLJ Magazines Inc.
, more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for eleven issues between Winter 1943 and Summer 1946. The series featured MLJs costumed hero Black Hood, and "Boy Buddies", featuring Shield's partner 'Dusty the Boy Detective' and Wizard's
side-kick 'Roy the Superboy', together with humor strips.
. The title continued directly on from Hangman Comics
, starting from issue #9 (Winter 1943), with a 68-page issue featuring new stories of the costumed hero Black Hood replacing Hangman, and a continuation of the "Boy Buddies" series featuring Shield's partner 'Dusty the Boy Detective' and Wizard's
side-kick 'Roy the Superboy' The series was edited by Harry Shorten.
The feature character throughout the series was the titular Black Hood, a masked hero who first appeared in Top-Notch Comics
#9 (October 1940). Black Hood appeared in four stories in each issue of Black Hood Comics to begin with, and most issues also carried a Black Hood text story, something all comic books did through the early 1960s, to satisfy U.S. Postal Service requirements for magazine rates. The stories were drawn by a number of artists, including Clem Weisbecker, Bob Fujutani, Bill Vogoda, Irv Novick
, Al Fagaly and Raymond Kinstler.
Issues #9 (Winter 1943) and #11 (Summer 1944) also starring "Boy Buddies", the Shield's partner 'Dusty the Boy Detective' and the Wizard's side-kick 'Roy the Superboy' in a dual adventure with art by Bill Vogoda, while issue #10 (Spring 1944) featured a Dusty the Boy Detective solo story, also by Bill Vogoda. The "Junior Flying Corps Club" pages were also continued from Hangman Comics, with plans for making model gliders in issues #9-13, but with issue #14 (Spring 1945) the Club page disappeared, replaced by a true-facts page entitled 'World of Wonder'.
From issue #10 (Spring 1944) the series dropped to 52-page issues, and with #12 (Fall 1944) the number of Black Hood stories was reduced to three, with a war adventure series "The Flying Dragons" taking up the extra space in #12-13, followed by "Gloomy Gus the Homeless Ghost" by Red Holmdale from #14-19. "Bentley of Scotland Yard" (who previously had a long-running series in Pep Comics
) had one story in #14 (Spring 1945) by Joe Blair and artist Paul Reinman
, while the animal humor strip "It shouldn't happen to a dog" by Burton Geller completed issues #16-17.
Issues #18-19 of Black Hood Comics were published under MLJs new title, the Archie Comic Publications imprint; although the covers featured the 'An Archie Magazine' logo instead of 'An MLJ Comic' from issue #16 (Fall 1945). For the last issue of Black Hood Comics, #19 (Summer 1946), there were only two Black Hood tales, the 14-page "The Black Hood versus NeedleNoodle" and a 19-page finale, "NeedleNoodle Strikes Back", both drawn by Irv Novick.
Following MLJs new editorial direction towards teen humor comics after the success of Archie Andrews
, from issue #20 (Fall 1946) Black Hood Comics was retitled Laugh Comics
and became an all-humor title. Black Hood made two further appearances in the next year, in Pep Comics, while "Gloomy Gus" moved to the same title for a long run as Pep Comics also went to an all-humor theme.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
anthology
Comics anthology
Comics anthologies collect works in the medium of comics that are too short for standalone publication.- U.S. :- UK :British comics have a long tradition publishing comics anthologies, often weekly...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series published by MLJ Magazines Inc.
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
, more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for eleven issues between Winter 1943 and Summer 1946. The series featured MLJs costumed hero Black Hood, and "Boy Buddies", featuring Shield's partner 'Dusty the Boy Detective' and Wizard's
Wizard (Archie Comics)
The Wizard is a fictional superhero character created by Will Harr and Edd Ashe, Jr. for MLJ Comics, which later became Archie Comics. He first appeared in Top-Notch Comics #1 in December 1939, and he was the headliner of that title until its cancellation in 1944...
side-kick 'Roy the Superboy', together with humor strips.
Publication history
Black Hood Comics was published by MLJ Magazines Inc., the precursor to what would become the publisher Archie ComicsArchie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
. The title continued directly on from Hangman Comics
Hangman Comics
Hangman Comics was the name of an American anthology comic book series published by MLJ Magazines Inc., more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for seven issues between Spring 1942 and Fall 1943...
, starting from issue #9 (Winter 1943), with a 68-page issue featuring new stories of the costumed hero Black Hood replacing Hangman, and a continuation of the "Boy Buddies" series featuring Shield's partner 'Dusty the Boy Detective' and Wizard's
Wizard (Archie Comics)
The Wizard is a fictional superhero character created by Will Harr and Edd Ashe, Jr. for MLJ Comics, which later became Archie Comics. He first appeared in Top-Notch Comics #1 in December 1939, and he was the headliner of that title until its cancellation in 1944...
side-kick 'Roy the Superboy' The series was edited by Harry Shorten.
The feature character throughout the series was the titular Black Hood, a masked hero who first appeared in Top-Notch Comics
Top-Notch Comics
- Top-Notch Laugh Comics/Laugh Comix :In a change of editorial direction, from issue #28 the story emphasis changed to humor strips and the title became Top-Notch Laugh Comics to reflect this. All the long-running adventure series from Top-Notch Comics ended between issue #24 - Top-Notch Laugh...
#9 (October 1940). Black Hood appeared in four stories in each issue of Black Hood Comics to begin with, and most issues also carried a Black Hood text story, something all comic books did through the early 1960s, to satisfy U.S. Postal Service requirements for magazine rates. The stories were drawn by a number of artists, including Clem Weisbecker, Bob Fujutani, Bill Vogoda, Irv Novick
Irv Novick
Irv Novick was an American comic book artist who worked almost continuously from 1939 until the late 1990s.-Biography:...
, Al Fagaly and Raymond Kinstler.
Issues #9 (Winter 1943) and #11 (Summer 1944) also starring "Boy Buddies", the Shield's partner 'Dusty the Boy Detective' and the Wizard's side-kick 'Roy the Superboy' in a dual adventure with art by Bill Vogoda, while issue #10 (Spring 1944) featured a Dusty the Boy Detective solo story, also by Bill Vogoda. The "Junior Flying Corps Club" pages were also continued from Hangman Comics, with plans for making model gliders in issues #9-13, but with issue #14 (Spring 1945) the Club page disappeared, replaced by a true-facts page entitled 'World of Wonder'.
From issue #10 (Spring 1944) the series dropped to 52-page issues, and with #12 (Fall 1944) the number of Black Hood stories was reduced to three, with a war adventure series "The Flying Dragons" taking up the extra space in #12-13, followed by "Gloomy Gus the Homeless Ghost" by Red Holmdale from #14-19. "Bentley of Scotland Yard" (who previously had a long-running series in Pep Comics
Pep Comics
Pep Comics is the name of an American comic book anthology series published by the Archie Comics predecessor MLJ Magazines Inc. during the 1930s and 1940s period known as the Golden Age of Comic Books...
) had one story in #14 (Spring 1945) by Joe Blair and artist Paul Reinman
Paul Reinman
Paul J. Reinman was an American comic book artist best known as one of industry legend's Jack Kirby's frequent inkers during what comics fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books...
, while the animal humor strip "It shouldn't happen to a dog" by Burton Geller completed issues #16-17.
Issues #18-19 of Black Hood Comics were published under MLJs new title, the Archie Comic Publications imprint; although the covers featured the 'An Archie Magazine' logo instead of 'An MLJ Comic' from issue #16 (Fall 1945). For the last issue of Black Hood Comics, #19 (Summer 1946), there were only two Black Hood tales, the 14-page "The Black Hood versus NeedleNoodle" and a 19-page finale, "NeedleNoodle Strikes Back", both drawn by Irv Novick.
Following MLJs new editorial direction towards teen humor comics after the success of Archie Andrews
Archie Andrews (comics)
Archie Andrews, created in 1941 by Vic Bloom and Bob Montana, is a fictional character in an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, as well as the long-running Archie Andrews radio series, a syndicated comic strip, The Archie Show, and Archie's Weird Mysteries.-Character and...
, from issue #20 (Fall 1946) Black Hood Comics was retitled Laugh Comics
Laugh Comics
Laugh Comics was a comic book produced by Archie Comics in two volumes, from 1946 to 1987 and 1987 to 1991. The showcased some of the early appearances of the "Archie gang." Beginning with issue #145, Josie began making semi-regular appearances , with art by Dan DeCarlo.- Publication history :The...
and became an all-humor title. Black Hood made two further appearances in the next year, in Pep Comics, while "Gloomy Gus" moved to the same title for a long run as Pep Comics also went to an all-humor theme.