Manic Monday Bonus--Where Do You Think Sheena Got All Of Those Leopard-Skin Outfits?

The problem with writing jungle based comics--particularly if you've never been to the jungle, and have no knowledge beyond what cliches Hollywood and the pulps and other comics have filled your head with--is sooner or later, you've gotta run out of ways to tell your stories.

Take, for example, Sheena, Queen Of The Jungle #17 (1952). The first Sheena story in the issue starts thusly:

Ouch!!

Fair enough. But the very next story--in the same comic book--starts like this...

OK. Well, sure, there are probably tons of leopard attacks.

The third Sheena story in that same comic begins:

Oh, come on, now!! Three separate stories, that each start off exactly the same--with Sheena saving someone from a leopard attack by stabbing the big cat with her knife?!?

Was there no other way to start 3 consecutive stories? Were there no other animals who could attack? Was there no other way to dispatch them? 

For what it's worth, there were an awful lot of Sheena stories over the years, and yeah, while she killed a lot of leopards, she had plenty of other ways to open a tale, and lots of other jungle denizens to spar with. Why this issue was where the storytelling devolved to all-leopard, all the time, I couldn't tell you. Maybe Sheena needed to stock up on new leopard skin outfits?

The author is unknown for these stories. The artist for all three was Robert Webb. The editor doubtless went into hiding after this.

 Meanwhile: leopards!

That was from Sheena, Queen Of The Jungle #3 (1943)...

Maybe my next project after Kid Eternity will be to document all the leopards Sheena killed over the years...

T'Challa's Replacement?!?

I hate to be that guy, but I have to point out that...

...Red Panther is neither red, nor a panther. Nor is he wearing red, or dressed like a panther, or wearing panther skin, or...

In fairness, it should be pointed out that, in his debut in Jungle Comics #1 (1940), he was the White Panther, in the most godawful costume of all time:

That's apparently a solid white body stocking...

By the next issue, someone came to their senses, as he had changed his name and costume:

OK, at least he's wearing red here. Still, nothing particularly panther-like.

Red Panther never got a civilian name, or an origin story. We was just your generic white jungle hero...

...albeit with a costume that seemed terribly unsuited for the genre.

Even his creators seemed confused, as occasionally he took off in a rocket to fight aliens:

Well, at least the rocket launched from Africa...

Then suddenly, without any explanation, in Jungle Comics #19 (1941), Red Panther went all proper jungle cosplay:

So, the Red Panther. No longer red. Never a panther.

If I were writing this feature, he'd be a deluded dude who came into Wakanda to try and fill in for T'Challa after he vanished at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. And Shuri kicks his ass.

That's why I'm not allowed to write comics.

Bold Fashion Choices--That Belt....!!

I have thoughts on this:

A) Man, that ape is totally pulling off that red belt!

B) But...isn't that kind of a small "gorilla-slave"? I mean, come on, now...

C) OK, is the women in blue "The Tigress of T'Wanbi"? How about that woman in the background, wearing the leopard print bikini and posing provocatively for no reason whatsoever?

D) Man, those gorillas sure drool a lot.

E) That belt, man...that belt!!

F) Ki-Gor was, of course, a Tarzan knock-off. He was cover boy and lead story star in some 59 issues of Jungle Stories, from 1938 to 1954. Despite the lengthy run, it doesn't seem as if Ki-Gor ever made the leap to other media--no comics or movies or radio shows. Of course, why pay for the rights to Ki-Gor when Tarzan rights probably weren't that expensive...or better yet, just come up with your own Tarzan knock-off!!

G) A "Tigress"...in Africa?

H) Man, if Grodd had a belt like that, he would have beaten the Flash decades ago!!

From Jungle Stories Winter 1941. Sadly, the cover artist who created that belt is not known.

Friday Night Fights--Black Panther Style!!

For this week's Friday Night Fights, we try to keep Slay Monstrobot's position as the #1 Google search result for "man-on-animal action." Because what's the point o a good fight if men can't fight animals??

It's been a busy day in the jungle. Mowgli got mixed up with mischievous monkeys, and Bagheera and Baloo and Kaa had to bail the young human out.

Now the time has come for punishment:

BAM!!

But all's well that ends well, by the law of the jungle:

Spacebooger reminds you that this week's theme seems to be heroes riding prone on the back of predator cats:

The bear necessities of corporal punishment is from Marvel Fanfare #11 (1983), from a story by Rudyard Kipling, script by Mary Jo Duffy, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by P. Craig Russell

Now is the time for you to go and vote for my fight. Why?? Do you want Bagheera to slap you down too? So you'd better go vote!!

When You Can't Afford A Name-Brand Jungle Hero!!

Do you need a jungle hero, but can't afford Ka-Zar?

Try Lo-Zar, the discount Ka-Zar!!

Lo-Zar, now gluten-free, and less filling!

Lo-Zar, for all of your generic jungle needs!!

Lo-Zar: not the pulp Ka-Zar, not the modern Ka-Zar--but an incredible simulation!

Lo-Zar: because every company needs their white Lord Of The Jungle!

Those images are from the covers Timely's Jungle Action #1-6 (1954-1955). Those were Lo-Zar's only appearances. Some of his stories were reprinted in the 70s, and they renamed him Tharn in those reprints, presumably to avoid his being confused with Kevin Plunder.

He never had a real name, or an actual origin. He was just your typical white jungle god.

If we ever get Agents Of Atlas back, maybe Marvel could include him on the team, or at least as a guest star...

Tabu And The Sixth Sense!!

Fletcher Hanks was straight up nuts. Gloriously so!

Jungle man Tabu once saved the life of a hermit witch doctor. As a reward:

Great! Tabu can see dead people now? Guess the symbols on playing cards?

Ha ha, that would be silly. No, Tabu can do amazing things now, like...

I could almost buy that--an extra sense (maybe like Daredevil's radar sense, perhaps) that lets him "sense" the lay of the land, and avoid obstacles and threats and stuff.

Ah, but the "sixth sense" is so much more than that!!

OK, I don't think you can credit those abilities to any "sense."

Still:

Well, this is a Fletcher Hanks story, so whether it's set in the jungle or outer space, you know it's going to ultimately be about over-the-top and insane vengeance against the bad guys.

When Tabu finds a village destroyed by "slave raiders," he uses his powers to mercilessly torment them. And when he finally confronts the in person?

OK, that is not a "sixth sense"!!

What. The. Frak?!?

JUSTICE!!

The witch doctor is so impressed, that...

A seventh sense?!?!?! Holy crap, what can that do?!?!?

We never found out what Hanks might have intended for a seventh sense, as he only did the first Tabu story before movie on to the even more insane Fantomah strip.

Tabu continued under other hands for well over 100 issues, his powers waxing on waning on the writers' whim. His origin was retconned to need a dead jungle wizard's magic cloak to have his powers (SPOILER ALERT: he loses the cloak A LOT in those stories!).

And of course, no one ever made Tabu's stories as hardcore demented as Fletcher Hanks.

From Jungle Comics #1 (1940)

Friday Night Fights--Jungle Book Style!!

OK, I have to admit this--to my great shame, Slay Monstrobot has slipped to the #2 Google result for "man-on-animal action."

Unforgivable, I know.

Well, this week's Friday Night Fights won't help much, as instead of "man-on-animal action," I go straight for the "animal-on-animal action."

Wambi The Jungle Boy was a completely forgettable character for Fiction House Comics. The strip never aspired to be anything more than a straight-up rip-off of The Jungle Book, with the orphan "man-cub" having adventures with his ape best friend and constantly fighting the evil tiger.

So join as as Sidrah the Tiger comes after Wambi and Ogg the Ape:

WAM!!!!!

Spacebooger can't stop humming The Bare Necessities now...

Jungle slapdown from Jungle Comics #113 (1949), by Roy L. Smith and Henry Kiefer

Now is the time for you to go and vote for my fight. Why? Because no one else this week gave you a gorilla smacking the crap out of a tiger, that's why!! So go and vote!!