Congo Chronicle 13: The Italian Officer!

As mentioned last time, June 1941 sees Congo Bill's move to Action Comics, with #37. Action was (and is) the home of America's favorite champion, Superman. But of course you knew that.

Astute readers will notice a subtle change in the artwork this month. Til now we've been treated to to the work of George Papp, a DC Comics workhorse who slaved away on such features as Superboy, Green Arrow, and The Legion of Super-Heroes. With the move to Action, we welcome artist Fred Ray, best known for his tireless work on Congo Bill's fellow he-man adventurer, Tomahawk.

We join up with Bill and Prof as they travel to Tabur, to meet Kent's old pal Major Stirling. In addition to confirmation that Kent is indeed an old bugger...oh, er, sorry, I mean beggar...we learn his first name...Joe. Hmmmph. I thought at the very least he'd have some kind of high-falutin' egghead name like Reginald or Archibald. Unfortunately, his jolly "I want you to meet Congo Bill" gives us no clue to Bill's surname, if indeed he even has one, and isn't legally named "Congo Bill".

Which wouldn't be unheard of, I suppose. Shortly before the birth of an acquaintance of mine, his mother asked his older brothers what they'd like to name the new baby. They said "Buffalo Bill". And that's what they named him. True story.

I also think it safe to assume that "Tabur" is a made-up name, and that the action hasn't all-of-a-sudden shifted to Malaysia.

Of course, Major Stirling has to introduce a girl into the procedings to foul everything up:

Syble. Think it rhymes with bible?

Stirling explains his predicament:

"Askari", as you probably already know, was a generic term for East African natives that were pressed into military service by various colonial powers.

A renegade Askari escapes the compound to warn the enemy, followed closely by Syble, followed even more closely by Congo Bill, who knows the trouble that a nosey dame can cause! Bill confronts the Askari, who struggles with him at the edge of a steep cliff! Fortunately, the next few panels give Bill a chance to show off many of his masculine skills!

Swimming!!

Tracking!

Pole Vaulting!
Fisticuffs, not to mention witty repartee!

Marksmanship!!

Bossing around uppity dames!!!

All's well that ends well, as the Officer is captured and taken back to the well-appointed offices of Tabur where he can salute his betters to his heart's content!

Also in Action Comics this month......

Superman tackles "a couple of hard guys"!

Pep Morgan, Athletic Ace,

sneaks into a male dormitory!

The Three Aces are startled
by a giant phallic symbol!

Mr. America gets some boys talking!

And Zatara The Magician
bets on the Beavers!


Join us next time for more testosterone-charged adventures with
Congo Bill and his friends!

Congo Chronicle 12: The Daring Daylight Diamond Robbery!

So soon after our last diamond-themed adventure comes this, from More Fun Comics #67 (May, 1941).   This will be Bill's final appearance in More Fun; next month he moves to the more aptly-titled Action Comics alongside another famous Kent.  We'll also say goodbye to co-creator and artist George Papp with this issue, who will stick around More Fun to work on such forthcoming features as Green Arrow and Superboy.

Blah blah blah. Enough talk and more action!

Seems notorious jewel thief Gordon Slade is pulling off a brazen daylight heist!

Heading north along the coast, Slade disappears into the interior. The befuddled authorities have no choice but to turn to Congo Bill (who nonetheless has to ask permission from his sugar daddy Professor Kent!)

Seeing as how Bill addresses Kent as "Professor" most of the time, you may be questioning my insistence that there's more to their relationship than meets the eye.  I propose it's analogous to my acquaintance Mr. A_____, who has a large country estate and a live-in gardner. Although obvious to even the most obtuse observer that the gardner is tending more than the petunias, if you get my drift, he always addresses Mr. A______ as "Mr. A______" in public.  (And possibly in private as well. I don't like to pry.)

Bill and Prof come across a formerly-friendly tribesman who seems a couple of bubbles off plumb!

Unfortunately, knowing that we're dealing with Bantus does nothing to place us geographically, but for the sake of argument I'll assume we're still in South Africa somewhere.

Wise to the shady goings-on, Bill and Prof track the tribesman...

Even on their guard, Bill and Prof are soon captured!  Seems the tribesmen are now of the opinion that all whites are bad evil (an opinion not entirely unjustified if you've even a cursory knowledge of colonialism, I suppose...)

So just who is this medicine bird fellow, anyway?

I'll spare you the shockingly-racist battle repartee that Congo Bill engages in while fighting Ju-Ju; suffice it to say that Mighty Ju-Ju is no match for our stripped-to-the-waist hero!

Bill tosses Ju-Ju into the Medicine Bird, and to the surprise of all (except, I guess, us, who surely saw it coming)

The Bantus want to execute Slade immediately, but Bill and Prof petition to be allowed to return him to face justice in Capetown.  Bill offers a slick trade of white man film-flammery!

They head off with their prisoner, but before they reach civilization, we're reminded once again that The Ways of Justice are Strange!

 The ways of Justice are VERY strange, as boa constrictors are not native to Africa...anyway, let's finish things off with a Brokeback-tastic shot of our gentleman adventurers, shall we?