Posted in: Comics, Vintage Paper | Tagged: black canary, Promise Collection

Promise Collection 1947: Changing Tides

"Comic Books Denounced by Police Chiefs," declared a July 22, 1947 report in the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader. Perhaps ironically, Wilkes-Barre was the location of Central Color Press, whose owner Victor Fox was printing a few of the comic books that the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association likely found objectionable, including series such as Phantom Lady which are present in the Promise Collection of this period. "Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association today denounced certain types of comic books as the source of inspiration for brutal crimes committee by teen-age youths and a cause in the rapid rise of juvenile delinquency. A resolution condemning the "funny books," introduced by Frank A. Sweeney, chief of police of Jenkintown, Pa., and sponsored by the law committee was adopted at a morning session that began the second of the three-day 34th annual convention in this city."

"Chief of Police Sweeney scathingly criticized certain types of comic books before introducing his resolution. 'Police are concerned with the rise in crime, particularly the definite increase in crime among boys and girls,' asserted the Montgomery County officer. 'There are several intangible things we can't do anything about, but some contributing causes can be stopped. One of those that can and must be eliminated,' declared Sweeney, 'Is the lurid, gaudy, almost obscene type of comic book that is designed for young boys and girls. Sweeney said he remembered when the Police Gazette had to be smuggled into the home and hidden lest a youth face the wrath of an irate parent. But I can't recall anything in the Gazette then or now that is worse than the stuff in these," he stated, as he brandished a half dozen of the brightly-colored books. [author's note: as a serious Police Gazette collector, I can say with certainty that Chief Sweeney is mistaken about his recollections of that notorious title — even during the 19th century period, and certainly during the times Sweeney would remember — when it was briefly owned by DC Comics owner Harry Donenfeld.]

"Sweeney said one of the worst features about the criminal-inciting type of comic book is that not only do the children buy them but the parents bring them into the home. He said numerous cases can be cited in which teen-age boys and girls charged with heinous crimes admitted to police authorities that they got their ideas from comic books. There is hardly a page in some of these books, Sweeney asserted, that does not contain a murder or other horrible crime committed by novel methods that stir the imagination of Children. Sweeney's resolution was adopted after it was seconded by Chief of Police Harry Christ, of Morrisville, Bucks County, and Chief of Police John Watahovich. Freeland. These three men, convention officials announced, will broadcast a program here tonight detailing the many contributory factors or certain comic books to juvenile delinquency."

Welcome to Part 14 of the Promise Collection series, which is meant to serve as liner notes of sorts for the comic books in the collection. The Promise Collection is a set of nearly 5,000 comic books, 95% of which are blisteringly high grade, that were published from 1939 to 1952 and purchased by one young comic book fan.  The name of the Promise Collection was inspired by the reason that it was saved and kept in such amazing condition since that time. An avid comic book fan named Junie and his older brother Robert went to war in Korea.  Robert Promised Junie that he would take care of his brother's beloved comic book collection should anything happen to him. Junie was killed during the Korean War, and Robert kept his promise.  There are more details about that background in a previous post regarding this incredible collection of comic books.  And over the course of a few dozen articles in this new series of posts, we will also be revealing the complete listing of the collection.  You can always catch up with posts about this collection at this link, which will become a hub of sorts regarding these comic books over time.

May Through August 1947 in the Promise Collection

The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association was not the only such organization that was scrutinizing comic books in mid-1947.  Various other police organizations were leveling criticism at what they termed "unrestrained, bold, vicious, salacious and immoral" comic books.  Many such organizations were beginning to point out that they had local laws on the books that could be applied to comics, such as the Indiana state law which defined penalties including imprisonment "or anybody who sells, offers to sell, prints, publishes or brings into this state for the purpose of selling or giving away, "any paper, book or periodical the chief feature or characteristic of which is the record of commission cf crime or the display by cut or illustration of crimes committed or of the acts of pictures or criminals, desperadoes, or of men or women in lewd and unbecoming positions or improper dress."

It's likely no happenstance that the Promise Collection of this four-month mid-1947 contains a number of noteworthy "Good Girl" oriented characters, covers, and titles just as such comics were receiving significantly heightened scrutiny.  Zoot Comics, Phantom Lady, Blonde Phantom, Marvel Mystery #82 featuring the debut of Namora, Black Cat, Planet Comics featuring Mysta of the Moon and other female characters, The Saint #1, numerous Better/Nedor/Standard issues featuring Alex Schomburg covers, and countless others are part of the collection from this time frame.

The origins and inspirations for most of these characters are relatively easy to decipher.  Jungle Girl characters, femme fatales, damsels in distress and science fiction planets full of warrior women were all long-time fantastic fiction staples, even in 1947.  Female counterparts to male heroes was another tried and true idea.  But one of the most popular and enduring female characters introduced in mid-1947 appears to have a wonderfully specific source of inspiration.

The Alchemy of the Rare Black Canary

Sometimes when researching the possible inspirations for comic book characters, the historical connections can be complicated and hard to decipher. Like chasing down the butterfly whose flapping wings eventually lead to something greater and trying to make sense of it.  Other times, even the smallest inspiration can be unmistakable, and can still lead to surprising and legendary comic book consequences.  Such is the case with a now-legendary character that debuted in Flash Comics #86 in 1947 (and there's an incredible high-grade CGC 9.2 copy of this issue in the Promise Collection). When I started researching historical elements that might have nudged Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino towards creating that first Black Canary story, and found newspaper headlines across the country about "The First Black Canary", at just the right time, I knew this would be no butterfly hunt.

The real-world Black Canary of that era was also very elusive.  In mid-1945, Mrs H.B. McElwain of Baltimore made the AP newswire with her quest to create the first black canary hybrid bird.  Perhaps it was a welcome distraction for a world worn down by the grim realities of World War II, because the journalists who put together this little burst of newspaper stories that year leaned into it with a vengeance:

Mrs. H.B. McElwain, wife of a Baltimore surgeon, loves canaries, but a canary is not enough. As the alchemists wanted gold from base metals, she wants a black canary.

Just how the aristocratic hybrid will look is conjecture. It may be totally black. Or it may have yellow or green wing markings.  Hard-working Mrs. McElwain is far from annoyed by this uncertainty, however.

"That's the beauty of it," she says. "You never know what to expect. It's just like alchemy."

Though news of Mrs. McElwain's progress was scarce over the next two years, she'd managed to capture the public's imagination with her endeavor.  "Black Canary" briefly became a fabric color alongside the likes of "Canary Yellow".  By 1946, Mrs. McElwain had competition from around the world in her quest for the Black Canary.  And despite seemingly little reported progress, people didn't give up hope.  In 1947, around the time that Flash Comics #86 was hitting the newsstands, the Indianapolis Star noted that members of the Greater Indianapolis Bird Club were still anxiously awaiting the arrival of a Black Canary hybrid.  It appears that such bird clubs had become a serious matter in the U.S. by this time, as the Greater Indianapolis Bird Club was preparing for some sort of Bird-centric Comicon.  Or Birdcon, I guess, for which they expected to attract exhibitors from around the country.  And just like some comic book collector awaiting that fabled back issue dealer who had found a fresh copy of Action Comics #1 in somebody's grandfather's attic, the Bird Club still held out hope that someone would arrive at their event in Indianapolis that year and unveil a Black Canary hybrid to the world at last.

DC's Black Canary soared to unexpected prominence from obscure and elusive beginnings as well.  Her debut in Flash Comics #86 is not just a back-pages story in this anthology, but she is also not the star of the feature — more a likable villain in a Johnny Thunder story.  But like Mrs. McElwain's quest for a bird so unique and unusual that she didn't know what to expect, DC Comics' Black Canary would quickly capture comic fandom's imagination — at least enough to join the Justice Society of America with issue #38 just a few months later, followed by her own solo feature beginning in Flash Comics #92. The record is surprisingly silent about Mrs. McElwain's quest after 1947, and other efforts over the next few years seem vague and unverified.

Not unlike Wonder Woman, Black Canary would largely avoid the scrutiny of the nation's local police forces in 1947.  But some other characters and titles mentioned here would not remain unscathed for very long.  "A law seldom is any stronger than public opinion," the Indianapolis News noted about this brewing controversy. "If the people of Indiana had wanted this statute enforced, it would have been. But the fact that they have ignored it only stresses the need for further education on the consequences of their apathy."  And they were certainly right.  Public opinion was about to be marshaled against comic books at unprecedented levels.

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