Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: blue beetle, Red Knight

Was The Red Knight a Sign Of Communism in 1943's Blue Beetle #18?

Blue Beetle #18 published by Fox in 1943 features the Golden Age version, who gained a little more attention due to the recent movie.

Published Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:27:07 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Blue Beetle #18 published by Fox Comics in 1943 featured the Golden Age version of the Blue Beetle character who has gained a little more attention due to the movie which has nothing to do with this version of the character whatsoever. He is accompanied by his Golden Age sidekick Sparky – later known as Spunky – though they returned to Sparky when the character was revived eighty years later – thank goodness. Britain and America are a little more aware of each other's use of slang these days. Blue Beetle #18 has its feature story, concerning one Red Knight, written and drawn by Phil Bard. Later, under another name, Oliver Ashford, he would bring back The Red Knight to the Charlton Comics version of the Blue Beetle in the sixties.

Why the name change? Well, in the twenties, he was known for creating editorial and gag cartoons work for the New Masses magazine, published by the Worker's Party of America from 1926 onwards, as well as for The Daily Worker newspaper published by the Communist Party USA, and Labor Unity magazine published by The Trade Union Unity League, and maybe, just maybe, such an association with Marxist literature in the fifties and sixties might not have been as overlooked. Was the character known as The Red Knight to be Phil Bard's easy of signalling his allegiance even then? Nevertheless, capitalism will out, and Blue Beetle #18 featuring first appearance of The Red Knight is being sold by Heritage Auctions with a CBCS grade of 8.0 and current bids totalling $252. Given the grade and the chance that DC Comics will revive the Red Knight any day now (especially with a history of Communist sympathies) the odds are that these prices will go up.