Congo Chronicle 9: The Thing!

Here comes trouble indeed, CB! More Fun #64 sees Bill and Prof headed for a "friend's" plantation. Based on its size, the attacking beast seems to be a white rhinoceros, native to South and Central Africa. Congo Bill Fun Fact: All five species of Rhinoceros (White, Black, Indian, Javan, and Sumatran) are endangered, but White Rhinocerii are the least vulnerable, with roughly 14,500 remaining in the wild.

Lucky thing, as Congo Bill's trusty rifle puts this one down for good!

But then........
Attacked by a chimp! Ring a bell, readers? That's right, it's no ordinary chimp, it's our old pal O'Toole!
Bill, Prof and O'Toole head for the plantation where the trouble of the month is revealed. The Plantation owner is eager to sell his land, but a mysterious bulletproof evildoer has been systematically murdering the native plantation owners in the dead of night, leaving only a threatening note behind:
The Thing??!? Surely not......
....bears a striking resemblance, that's all I'm sayin'.

Bill manages to force a confrontation with the mysterious Thing (and it's still only page 4!) but finds that the rumours of his bulletproofness are not overblown!
Next day, the threat the Thing poses become all-too clear! Looks like Bill faces a leveredged buy-out!

Not to fear, Bill has a plan. We knew he had a lovely singing voice, but who knew he had theatrical skills as well....?
Bill chases the hooded hoodlum through the underbrush, and gives us a shot of his rippling ebony torso!
Bill is determined to stop the Thing, despite his injuries - but in the nick of time, (as he had done so capably in Chronicle 2), O'Toole saves the day!
Once captured, The Thing turns out to be the prospective buyer (I can now reveal, dear reader, that I suspected this all along!)
Mr. Tate, after a lengthy prison stay, went on to become a partner in a prestigious ad agency!

Next time - more hard-fisted action with Congo Bill!

Congo Chronicle 3: Attack of the Leopard Men!

In More Fun Comics #58 (August 1940) we find Congo Bill and Professor Kent having a leisurely rest in a "peaceful native village" where Professor Kent is "absorbed in the study of African plant life" - so Kent is a botanist, then? The hapless henchmen of the Skull in More Fun #56 seemed to have taken him for an archaeologist - perhaps, in the heady, adventurous days of the early 1940's, any advanced degree would do!

Bill and his new aide-de-camp, O'Toole, are itching for action, as all manly men do! Prof intuitively senses Bill's unease...a crack in the thus-far seamless veneer of their May-December bachelor friendship....?

The peace is disturbed by news that a pack of vicious Leopard Men have been attacking peaceful natives, following the bidding of our old nemesis THE SKULL!

Bill is ready to spring into action and rid the Dark Continent of the threat of The Skull once and for all, when he is interrupted by a dapper and polite newcomer!

An interesting exchange ensues - Bill introduces himself....as CONGO BILL!

Could this be his given name??!? What's more, Inspector Slade of Scotland Yard has heard of him...and doesn't flinch at not being offered a traditional surname!

Bill prepares to set sail with the Inspector....but what's this? Could it be- separate vacations for our gentlemen companions?

Tracking The Skull - - the Leopard Men attack!

The Leopard Men are no match for Inspector Slade's sub-machine gun (de rigeur for all Scotland Yard Inspectors!) and scatter into the jungle. For the first time in the chronicles, we discover a not-so-impressive fact about our pal Bill...he's sold himself to the inspector as an experienced jungle tracker, BUT....

....um, wouldn't the ability to track someone through tangled underbrush be kind of a vital skill for a JUNGLE TRACKER?

Never mind, Bill, you're still our man. Besides, O'Toole is along to ferret out the Skull's hideout - and Bill is right behind to exhibit his real gift - FISTICUFFS!

As well as quick on-the-job problem solving!

Yeah! Take THAT, Savages!

With every foe defeated, THE SKULL faces the nightmare criminals everywhere - the terrible swift sword of the BRITISH JUDICIAL SYSTEM!


I hope, dear reader, that you haven't grown fond of O'Toole, Inspector Slade, OR The Skull - because none of them will ever appear again. Professor Kent, though - will he be able to reconcile his love of botany with Bill's itch for action? STAY TUNED!

Congo Chronicle 2: The Return of the Skull!

In More Fun Comics #57 (July, 1940) we rejoin Congo Bill and Professor Kent on their river cruise, after they have beaten The Skull and made away with the priceless treasure from the lost city. And it makes for pretty hungry work, let me tell you! Er, at least...I think that's what Congo Bill means when he declares his intention to "dig up some fresh meat"....

Never one to shy away from trouble, Bill rescues a chimp from the clutches of a boa constrictor (which are native to Central and South America, not Africa, but facts never get in the way of a man-of-action like Congo Bill!) and the chimp returns the favor by saving Congo Bill from a hungry lioness by...um...biting it on the tail:

Bill rewards the chimp with an Irish name (a possible clue to Bill's own ethnic heritage...?) but - what's this - the Professor's in trouble?!?

Bill finds that Kent has been captured by the enemy they should have killed last issue - The Skull! Bill and O'Toole sneak aboard the captive boat, but Bill is overtaken by the fiendish Skull! Not to worry, for as often happens when Congo Bill's around.....

...the pair of hairy legs that come to Congo Bill's rescue, in case you were wondering, belong to O'Toole, not Professor Kent.

Spunky O'Toole secures the boat for Congo Bill and deposits The Skull on the shore, leaving open the thrilling possibility that he might make a third appearance next issue!