Monday, October 19, 2009

Almost Doc Savage: Super-Detective December 1942




It's been four whole days since I posted a pulp cover, and I'm feeling withdrawal symptoms. So here's another issue of Super-Detective, with a GGA cover by one of the Speed line's best, Mr. Allen Anderson. As discussed in our earlier Super-Detective post, Jim Anthony began his pulp career as a full-blown Doc Savage clone, then eventually cooled his heels to function more as an ordinary detective.

This tale from 1942 seems to fall in the transitional stage. Jim is still the globe-trotting hero, but he's graduated from the swimming trunks of the early issues into long pants and suit jacket. "The Carribean Cask," which may or may not have been authored by W.T. Ballard & Robert Leslie Bellem, sends Jim after a cask supposedly thrown into the sea by Columbus, and said to contain a personal message from old Chris to the King of Spain.

3 comments:

Laurie Powers said...

You're right - a great cover. The garters are a nice touch. :)

Richard Prosch said...

I wonder if they got any flack from DC? That logo is blatantly derivative. Maybe they phased Jim out of the trunks for more than just creative reasons.

Evan Lewis said...

It does indeed look like someone put tracing paper over a copy of Superman.