Manic Monday--The Best Headbutt In Comics History!!

The Flash is at Snow Mountain (just outside of Snow City), trying to stop a blackmailer from ruing the live of a gubernatorial candidate.

Should be no contest, right?

Except...

Ho-ly....Jay Garrick has a glass jaw!

Apparently, the trees on Snow Mountain are rubber trees. Seriously, the "BOYYYY-Y-YN-N-G-GGGG" sells it. Best sound effect ever?

As a special Monday bonus, here's the death trap Mr. X put our hero in:

Woo-hoo!!

Still doesn't make up for you getting chumped by the world's cheapest head-butt, Jay...

From All-Star Comics #36 (1947)

The Best Covers You've Never Seen--Superfriends!!

From issue #1 (1942) thru issue #29 (1948), DC's Comic Cavalcade always featured these three guys on the cover:

Cover by Frank Harry

Often it was a holiday theme, occasionally it was a "split" cover showing a scene from each of their adventures.

But most of the time...

Cover by Frank Harry

...it showed Jay and Alan and Diana just hanging out together, having fun!

Cover by E.E. Hibbard

I know, crazy concept, right? Heroes enjoying each others company? Being friends?

Cover by E.E. Hibbard

I mean, would you ever see this kind of cover today? Let alone on multiple issues?

Cover by E.E. Hibbard

I mean, where's the grimdark? How could a cover of Diana helping the boys sell a fish story ever attract readers?!?

Cover by E.E. Hibbard

And no, these issues never featured the heroes teaming up on the inside--they were all solo stories (along with other heroes, funny animals, Mutt & Jeff reprints, and gosh knows what else).

Cover by Martin Naydel

But apparently, someone at DC thought that the idea that these heroes were friends, and enjoyed each others' company, and just liked to spend time together, made an enticing selling point.

Cover by E.E. Hibbard

Heck, some even thought the idea might be inspiring to kids.

Cover by Harry Lampert and Alex Toth

Still, by 1948, most super-heroes had fallen out of favor, and soon Comic Cavalcade covers (and the insides) were all funny animals, all the time.

Yeah, olden days, etc.

Still, it would be nice if, just occasionally, we'd get a modern cover of heroes just hangin' out and being friends.

Manic Monday Triple Overtime--Paper Drive!!

Guess what time it is, kids?

PAPER DRIVE!!!

After each headliner's story in this issue, they give us a one-page PSA about why it's so important to save paper!

Of course, we can only shudder when we think of the bitter irony that many, many comics books were tossed into scrap drive piles, thanks to these comic ads. Thanks for nothing, Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman!!

From Comic Cavalcade #6 (1944)

Manic Monday Bonus--Little Shop Of Keystone Horrors!

Normally, I would never, ever question the science in a comic book...

...but I've gotta call shenanigans on that malarkey.

Then again...

...if they print it, it must be true!!

Botanist Phineas Burton receives a mysterious package...

No harm? As if!

Wait...thought balloons for a plant?!?

No, this is all of your nightmares come true!

So begins a wave of plant-based crime across Keystone City:

Apparently, no one had any weed-killer available.

But our overgrown flower is not content:

The secret origin of driverless cars.

Plus, more crime!

Anyway, Flash makes quick work of the plant, and everyone is saved.

See, everyone, we don't need Poison Ivy to do a "plants out of control" story. Cut out the middleman, and bring back Maldita Toxicohedron!!

From Comic Cavalcade #5 (1943)

Manic Monday Triple Overtime--Oh, So That's Where Superman Learned To Do That!

It's just another day in Keystone City, and the Flash is putting more perps out of action!

The man needs a vacation--and Jay's about to take one!!

Good point...but:

Wait--that's totally ripping off the 1978 Superman movie!!

And what do you know...it works!!

But so much for rest and relaxation--Flash get caught up with Robin Hood shenanigans!! And it turns out--he's supposed to be there!!

Well, after many silly but wonderfully fun pages, Flash rousts the bad guys, and finally gets his down time:

Jay Garrick, you lucky bastard--I miss you.

From Comic Cavalcade #11 (1945)

Manic Monday Triple Overtime--How To Recognize Your Own Wife?!?

Sigh...this one is going to get me into so much trouble...

Socialite Molly Bennett is very, very sad:

SPOILER ALERT for you degenerate, cynical modern folk: no, he wasn't having an affair. He would just rather be a workaholic than spend time with his wife.

Well, Joan Williams--Flash's girlfriend--learns of this tragedy, and wishes that she could be Betty Buttinski and solve this marital crisis!

In one of life's inexplicable coincidences, Joan does run into Mrs. Bennett--right out side the beauty parlor!

Yes, a day at the beauty parlor can solve any problem between a wife and husband!!

Molly gets all dolled up, but that just gets her kidnapped by thugs looking for a big ransom from her husband!!

They haul her down to the port, where her husband is about to get on a slow boat to South Ameica, and...

Yes, seriously. One day at the beauty parlor, and he can't even recognize her!!

Rather than be insulted by such a ridiculous bit of churlishness, Molly chooses to see the glass half-full:

Oh, poor Molly...

But when she speaks...

So, they stop to make goo goo eyes at each other while the Flash mops up gun-wielding thugs.

And all's well that ends well!!

Moral: Ladies, if you want to keep your husband interested, make yourself purty. If he's not home a lot--it's YOUR fault!!

Sigh...

From Comic Cavalcade #2 (1943)