Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Fawcett Publications, golden age

Spy Smasher Remembers Wake Island in Spy Smasher #8, up for Auction

Spy Smasher remembers the Battle of Wake Island on the cover of Fawcetts's Spy Smasher #8 shortly after that history took place.

Published Tue, 16 May 2023 18:48:09 -0500

by Mark Seifert

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Moments from World War II often found a unique echo in the realm of comic books, particularly in a series like Spy Smasher, which mirrored the wartime ethos of its moment in time. The cover of Spy Smasher #8 has the title character attacking a Japanese fighter pilot while saying, "Here's one for the Wake Island boys." Of course, this is a reference to the Battle of Wake Island, which was precipitated by an attack that began simultaneously with the attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. A war-era comic book that includes a sometimes overlooked moment of history, there's a Spy Smasher #8 (Fawcett Publications, 1942) CGC FN+ 6.5 Off-white pages up for auction in the War Comics Showcase Auction #40223 at Heritage Auctions.

Spy Smasher #8 (Fawcett Publications, 1942)

Created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, Spy Smasher first appeared in Whiz Comics #2, cover-dated February 1940. Along with Captain Marvel, he quickly gained significant popularity, doing his part to make Whiz Comics one of the most memorable publications of the era. Throughout his early stories, the character sometimes fought against the Mask, a nefarious mastermind behind a deadly spy ring. The character soon got his own series which lasted for 11 issues 1941-1943, and was also adapted into a successful 12-part film serial directed by William Witney for Republic Pictures in 1942. With the end of World War II, however, Spy Smasher's relevance began to wane. Eventually, his name was changed to Crime Smasher in Whiz Comics #76, and shortly thereafter, the character fell out of favor.

Alex Blum and Al Camy provide two of the interior Spy Smasher stories here, and Blum may have done the cover as well. Notably, this issue also contains a humor feature called Sir Butch by Dave Berg, who would later become a humor comics legend at Mad Magazine.

With a cover date of November 1942, the cover of Spy Smasher #8 was probably drawn a few months after the Battle of Wake Island took place, probably at the time of the release of Paramount's Wake Island film. A war-era comic book that includes reference to important WWII history, there's a Spy Smasher #8 (Fawcett Publications, 1942) CGC FN+ 6.5 Off-white pages up for auction in the War Comics Showcase Auction #40223 at Heritage Auctions.