Number 290

Hangman and the Executioner

Correspondent 1506NixNix sent me these scans from Hangman Comics #3 and commented, "Hard to believe this bloody stuff is from the same guys who came up with Archie and Betty and Veronica." For the few of you out there who might be unaware, MLJ, publisher of Hangman Comics, became the Archie Comics publishing company.

The racism is that of its era, typical of American attitudes toward Asians in 1942, and especially our then-enemies the Japanese. The graphic gore is the sort of thing that got noticed by the bluenoses in the early days of comics. MLJ, showing its pulp origins, didn't have a monopoly on violence, but in this example they did it with flair, that's for sure. Grand Comics Database says the art is by Mort Leav ? and John Cassone ? which I guess means they think it might be, maybe, kinda, probably those artists. Whatever. The art is done skillfully, and is all the more effective for it.

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