Joker Comics #2

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vanhornluke
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Joker Comics #2

Post by vanhornluke »

Joker Comics #2 (1942)

1st Story:
By Art Gates

Appearances:
Dr. Nutzy, Lizzie, Nellie, Snoopy, messenger, lawyer, drivers, deliveryman, museum manager and employees, Abdul Anar, Trigger Wylie, Knuckles, phone operator, Mrs. Wylie, maid, cop

Synopsis:
Dr. Nutzy invents a spray of liquified metal that can be used to create bullet proofing on ordinary clothing. It's not perfected, though, so it can sometimes become too stiff and prevent the wearer from moving. Snoopy is then notified while at Lizzie's boarding house that he has inherited a case of cursed gold that was pilfered from an Egyptian tomb. After picking up the case, they worry that Abdul Anar, an Egyptian staying at the boarding house, may be a manifestation of the curse who will kill them. It turns out that he is just another boarder, but they are still concerned and decide to call the bank to have a truck sent over so that they can put all of the gold in a deposit box. Unfortunately, Nutzy accidentally transposes the numbers and ends up calling two crooks, Trigger and Knuckles, who are only too happy to masquerade as security officers and take the gold with them. Snoopy figures out they are crooks, though, and he tracks them to their house. They sneak in and spray Nutzy's new metal mist on the criminals and their clothes harden so far they can't move. When a cop arrives Trigger and Knuckles claim that the gold is theirs and that Nutzy and Snoopy are trying to steal it. The cop believes Trigger and promptly arrests him and Knuckles, since it's illegal to hoard gold and they'll get five years for it.

Note:
The racist stereotype of the maid is difficult to look at. Also, it's not clear to me if Trigger and Knuckles are brothers. They live in the same place with a Mrs. Wylie, but it's never explicitly stated.

2nd Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Tessie the Typist (Tessie Tender), Watt

Synopsis:
Tessie is an empty-headed secretary. One day a man comes into the office to see her boss, Mr. Pennypincher. The man identifies himself as named "Watt," but Tessie is so dumb that she thinks he is saying "What?" and keeps re-asking for his name. He calls her a numbskull and she takes it as a compliment, not knowing what it means. He barges past her into the boss's office, and she sings to herself that "some guys is just plain dumb."

Note:
The stereotyping here is the sort that I'm sure sent mid-century feminists into conniption fits. Also, Tessie's last name comes from a much later story.

3rd Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Tessie the Typist, J. Pennypincher, window washer

Synopsis:
A man comes into the office wearing a uniform. Tessie thinks he is handsome and begins daydreaming about him marrying her, thinking that she has always wanted to marry an officer. Her boss, Mr. Pennypincher, tells the man to get to work and we see that he is simply wearing the uniform of a window washer.

4th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Tessie the Typist, J. Pennypincher, tax collector

Synopsis:
Mr. Pennypincher says business is bad and he wishes he could sell and get out. When a man comes into the office inquiring about the business, Tessie decides to help out her boss and lies, saying that they make tons of money and will have a huge income tax bill. Hoping that the man will be interested in buying the business, she quickly regrets her lies, since the man identifies himself as an income tax collector.

5th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Tessie, Egboit, Dotty Lamarr (in movie)

Synopsis:
Tessie and her boyfriend, Egboit, go on a date to a Dotty Lamarr movie. The next day they have a lunch date, and Tessie decides to doll herself up like Dotty was in the movie. When Egboit arrives at the office to pick her up, he says he doesn't recognize her and asks her out on a date, saying he'd much rather see her face than Tessie's "homely puss." Tessie is outraged and punches him out. On the floor, Egboit asks Tessie if she can take a joke.

6th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Tessie, photographer

Synopsis:
A photographer walks into the office and asks Tessie if she would be interested in a photoshoot. She agrees, thinking that she will become a big Hollywood star and that even superstar Stark Gable will make love to her. She does the photoshoot and the next day she calls the photographer to ask how the pics turned out. He says that they were great and he has already used them on billboards all over the city. She looks out the window and sees that it's a billboard ad for Mack's Juicy Hamburgers.

Note:
The billboard ad says Mack's Juicy Hamburgers include vitamins ABCDEFGHI.

7th Story:
By Al Jaffee

Appearances:
Pedestrians, duck, Squat Car Squad (Rook, Sarge), mother, baby, voice on police radio, passengers at the railroad terminal, gumball machine employee, gumball machine owner, railroad employee, judge, bailiff

Synopsis:
A mother flags down the Squat Car Squad, Sarge and Rook, and asks them to save her baby who swallowed half a dollar. They reply that this should be easy, as they've handled swallowed nickels and dimes before. The mother asks if they've ever handled half a dollar before and they say the size of the coin is no problem. She says the problem isn't size but quantity, since it was half a dollar in pennies! They don't know what else to do, so they hold the baby upside down and shake him. 49 cents comes out easily, but the last penny is stuck, so Sarge gives up and drops the baby, which knocks the penny loose. The mother is outraged, but not for dropping the baby, but rather because the last penny bounced into the sewer. *doh* Afterward, they get a call over the radio telling them to go to the railroad terminal. There they find a man shouting that a thief just stole his gumball machine. They chase the thief and get into a big fight, eventually subduing him. They drag the thief into court, but once there he tells the judge he isn't a thief but instead works for the gumball machine company and was simply replacing it. :sigh:

8th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Skinny, cop, Herby, truant officer, baseball fan, baseball player

Synopsis:
Skinny wants to watch a baseball game, but he doesn't have money for a ticket. He decides to drill a hole in the fence so he can watch, but he drills right through and into a cop's backside. ooOO?! The next day he decides to play hooky and go to another ball game, telling his friend Herby that he isn't scared of being caught by the truant officer. He goes into the stands only to find he's seated right behind the truant officer. *brickwall*

9th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Dippy Diplomat, political figures

Synopsis:
Dippy Diplomat ponders a question, then decides to call various political figures. Later, he meets them for a game of poker.

Note:
The Dippy Diplomat stories in this issue have no dialogue, so there is minimal story to each.

10th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Dippy Diplomat, speech attendees, people standing in line

Synopsis:
Dippy Diplomat attends a speech or panel discussion of some kind, and then he stands in line at the pay office.

Note:
There's so little to go on here that I'm not sure I understood the story.

11th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Dippy Diplomat, cook, woman at diner, dancers, musicians

Synopsis:
Dippy Diplomat meets a woman at a diner and he takes her out for dancing. She finds it difficult to dance with him since he is so short, so he leaves and returns with one of the stools from the diner so he can stand atop it while dancing.

12th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
marines, Theodore, Sergeant, Major, Tommy Gunz, Mugs McGurk

Synopsis:
A series of goofs and mishaps as Tommy Gunz and his pet bear, Theodore, live as marines. They are often confused for each other, causing confusion, especially at a boxing match between Tommy and Mugs McGurk. Tommy is so strong that he holds back a tank behind a brick wall, and the sergeant hates Theodore and uses his image during target practice.

Note:
Tommy seems to have super-strength here.

13th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
E. Radicate de Bugs, rabbit, customers

Synopsis:
E. Radicate de Bugs is selling a miracle liquid that can be used for cleaning, bathing, and even cooking. When the potential customers ask what it is, he says that it's called water.

Note:
The rabbit is dressed like a human and talks, so I'm wondering if it's another of the talking funny animals in 616 like Top Dog. He is never given a name or title in any of these Bugsy stories in this issue, so I can't give him a chronology below.

14th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
E. Radicate de Bugs, rabbit, Sandy McTavish

Synopsis:
Sandy McTavish challenges Bugsy to buy milk without having any money. When he returns, he tells McTavish to hold out his glass and drink. When McTavish complains that the glass is empty, Bugsy explains that anyone can drink a full glass, but the challenge is to drink when the glass is empty. *doh*

15th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
E. Radicate de Bugs, rabbit, Spunky, farmer, ducks

Synopsis:
Bugsy and his friend Spunky want to cross a river, but they are worried that it's too deep. A farmer tells them it's shallow, so they race each other across. Partway through Bugsy flounders because it's too deep. Angry, they confront the farmer and he says he thought it was shallow since it only comes up partway on the ducks' legs. :sigh:

16th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
E. Radicate de Bugs, rabbit, businessman, competitors, customers

Synopsis:
Bugsy buys a tickling feather business, thinking he will make lots of money. After he buys it he learns that the businesses on both sides of his in the same complex also sell tickling feathers, and both have large signs for sales. Thinking quickly, Bugsy puts a large sign over his door saying "Main Entrance" and all the customers from the neighboring businesses enter through his door. :applause:

17th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
E. Radicate de Bugs, rabbit, pedestrian, S. Ike Ologist

Synopsis:
Bugsy visits a psychologist names S. Ike Ologist ( :sigh: ) on the recommendation of a cop. The shrink asks him what would happen if he cut off one of Bugsy's ears. Bugsy replies that he wouldn't be able to hear. Pleased, the shrink then asks what would happen if he cut off both of Bugsy's ears. Bugsy replies that he couldn't see. Flabbergasted, the shrink asks why that would affect his vision. Bugsy explains that without his ears his hat would fall down over his eyes. :willynilly:

Text Story:
By Mickey Spillane

Appearances:
Dopey Fooz, Stephen Smirch, Tony, Danny Koople, thugs, Cookie, Killer Gilroy

Synopsis:
Dopey Fooz works for the Snooty Detective Service. His boss, Stephen Smirch, gives him a case: silver spoons are disappearing from Tony's restaurant. Dopey begins to investigate but he keeps running into criminals like Danny Koople and Killer Gilroy. He arrests all of the criminals and in the process discovers that the spoons aren't being stolen, but rather Tony's coffee is so hot that it dissolves the spoons.

18th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Scottie, soldiers

Synopsis:
Scottie serves in the Royal Army and he carries an umbrella. When asked why, he explains it protects him. A shell then falls and explodes. Scottie isn't thrown far because his umbrella slows him down.

19th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Scottie, soldiers

Synopsis:
Scottie is ordered to deliver papers to a desert station by motorcycle. He says he hates riding in sidecars and is initally glad when the motorcycle crashes, but then he has to ride in a sidecar attached to a camel.

20th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Scottie, other soldiers

Synopsis:
Scottie is ordered to climb up a sand dune and look for tanks at night. He climbs and notices the sand shift beneath him, but doesn't think anything of it, not realizing that he has climbed on top of a tank. :sigh:

21st Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Scottie, other soldiers including a major

Synopsis:
Scottie is ordered to take a message back to HQ 15 miles away and deliver it to the major, hiking the way there. He starts his hike and figures he won't need his blanket. A few miles later, having seen no enemies, he figures he won't need his gun. Later, he figures he won't need his canteen. A few miles later he feels thirst and backtracks to his canteen. Then he thinks he would feel safer with his gun and backtracks to it, then feels cold and backtracks to his blanket. By this time he has forgotten the message and so he returns to his starting point to get a reminder, only to find the major there.

22nd Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Scottie, other soldiers including the major

Synopsis:
Scottie has guard duty and is ordered to shoot anyone who doesn't give the passcode, "I see a ghost." When the major arrives on the other side of the gate, he feels so hot and tired that he has forgotten the passcode. He takes off his hat and sets it on the wall, not knowing that a mouse is under the hat. The hat starts to move and Scottie notices, so he demands the passcode. The major thinks he is speaking to him through the gate and says he doesn't remember, so Scottie shoots, thinking he has just killed the major. He feels great guilt, but when the major walks through the gate, Scottie exclaims "I see a ghost!" and the major thanks him for the reminder. :deadhorse:

23rd Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Scottie, his superior

Synopsis:
Scottie is ordered to camouflage the roof of a building. When he asks what that means, he is told to paint the countryside so that the roof is confusing to the enemy. Scottie does so, painting a bunch of road signs all over the roof. *doh*

24th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Skinny, his mom, radio announcer

Synopsis:
Skinny has to practice piano, but he would rather play outside. He decides to trick his mom by tuning the radio into a station that plays piano in the afternoon, but as soon as the radio announcer speaks Skinny is busted.

25th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Skinny, Herby, their moms

Synopsis:
Skinny's mom says he can sleep over at Herby's house, but after they roughhouse and make a mess, Skinny is sent home.

26th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Rolly, Solly, Stanislaus Wladebiscowik, mouse, flying skull, bird, butterfly, army general, assassins, General Viva La France and his wife

Synopsis:
Rolly, a moronic youth, wants to join the army as a general. An M.P., Stanislaus Wladebiscowik, tells him to get lost, but a general overhears the exchange and likes Rolly's enthusiasm, so he orders the M.P. to get Rolly a uniform. While his young friend Solly tags along, Rolly is ordered to protect Viva La France, a general in the Free French army. While dusting a vase in the general's tent, he discovers a ticking time bomb. When the general tells him to quickly throw it in water, Rolly throws the bomb in a small mop bucket of water. Rolly and Solly are both injured in the resulting explosion, but the general visits them in the hospital to show his gratitude.

27th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Eustis Hayseed, Chief Blackfeet, pedestrian, clerk at employment office, criminals, Tuffy, fruit stand owner and customers, cop, Wingy/Windy and thugs, Miss Scarface, Honey Jeeper, Killer Zancho, horses

Synopsis:
Eustis and Chief Blackfeet need work and go to an employment agency. The clerk there has ties to criminals and, seeing that they're so dumb, sends Eustis and the chief to work for various crooks like Tuffy and Windy. They eventually end up being sent to assassinate Miss Scarface's rival for her boyfriend, but they think they just being sent to take the rival horseback riding. By coincidence, the rival is Honey Jeeper, who has come to the city looking for them (and she's so dumb she doesn't even realize that Scarface's boyfriend likes her). Killer Zancho has also been sent to kill Honey, and they arrive just in time to stop him. Reunited, Eustis and Honey decide to go out for spaghetti.

Note:
This story, besides the horrible racism in Chief Blackfeet's depiction (this time he and his people are said to be cannibals), also includes a reference to domestic violence as acceptable (when Eustis confronts Killer Zancho, he chastises him for hitting a woman who he's not married to). :x There's also a typo, since at one point Windy is called Wingy.

28th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Dippy Diplomat, dinner attendees, diner patrons

Synopsis:
Dippy attends a dinner with well-dressed people, then goes to a diner.

Note:
I have to confess I didn't understand what was really going on in this story.

29th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Dippy Diplomat, train passengers, people at the platform and railroad employee

Synopsis:
Dippy's train arrives and he receives a warm welcome. He's so short, though, that he quickly falls behind the crowd, so he runs up and has one of the baggage handlers put him on the baggage cart so he can keep up.

30th Story:
By ?

Appearances:
Dippy Diplomat, artist

Synopsis:
Dippy has his portrait painted, but the artist is an abstract painter, so the resulting portrait is bizarre. Dippy decides to try to contort himself into a pose that resembles the portrait.

31st Story:
By Basil Wolverton

Appearances:
Powerhouse Pepper, Slop Slugginhammer, bird, crowd, boxing ring employee, Hannaphobia Slugginhammer, pedestrians

Synopsis:
Powerhouse beats Slop Slugginhammer in a boxing match. Slop is furious, so he decides to invite Powerhouse over to his home for dinner, thinking that his wife's cooking is so horrible that it will kill Powerhouse and allow Slop to become champ. However, Powerhouse eats his dinner and enjoys it, even the potatoes that Slop but rusty nails in. Slop becomes so angry that he throws Powerhouse out the window for a ten story drop, but Powerhouse lands on his neck and bounces back up to the window. He punches out Slop and his wife is so grateful that she offers him more dinner.

Note:
I really have to wonder if Powerhouse is some sort of mutant.


Chronologies:

ANAR, ABDUL
JOCO 2

CHIEF BLACKFEET
JOCO 1/8
*JOCO 2/27 (add)

DE BUGS, E. RADICATE
JOCO 2/13
JOCO 2/14
JOCO 2/15
JOCO 2/16
JOCO 2/17

DIPPY DIPLOMAT
JOCO 2/9
JOCO 2/10
JOCO 2/11
JOCO 2/28
JOCO 2/29
JOCO 2/30

DR. NUTZY
JOCO 1
*JOCO 2 (add)

FOOZ, DOPEY
JOCO 2/TEXT

GENERAL VIVA LA FRANCE
JOCO 2/26

GUNZ, TOMMY
JOCO 1/6
*JOCO 2/12 (add)

HAYSEED, EUSTIS
JOCO 1/8
*JOCO 2/27 (add)

JEEPER, HONEY
JOCO 1/8
*JOCO 2/27 (add)

KILLER GILROY
JOCO 2/TEXT

KILLER ZANCHO
JOCO 2/27

KNUCKLES
JOCO 2

KOOPLE, DANNY
JOCO 2/TEXT

MCGURK, MUGS
JOCO 2/12

MCTAVISH, SANDY
JOCO 2/14

OLOGIST, S. IKE
JOCO 2/17

PENNYPINCHER, J.
JOCO 2/3
JOCO 2/4

POWERHOUSE PEPPER
JOCO 1/5
*JOCO 2/31 (add)

ROLLY
JOCO 2/26

ROOK
JOCO 2/7

*ROOK (renumber to II)
IM 198-FB
{IM 163}
IM 164
IM 165

*ROOK II (renumber to III)
IM 167

SARGE
JOCO 2/7

*SARGE (renumber to II)
PPSM 26 (17:2 - 17:3)-FB
PPSM 26 (18:2)-FB
PPSM 26 (18:4)-FB
PPSM 26 (19:4 - 19:8)-FB
ASM 122 (2 - 5)
PPSM 26 (20:3)-FB
ASM 122 (6 - 20)
PPSM 26 (21 - 22)-FB
PPSM 26

SCARFACE, MISS
JOCO 2/27

SCOTTIE
JOCO 2/18
JOCO 2/19
JOCO 2/20
JOCO 2/21
JOCO 2/22
JOCO 2/23

SKINNY
JOCO 2/8
JOCO 2/24
JOCO 2/25

SLUGGINHAMMER, HANNAPHOBIA
JOCO 2/31

SLUGGINHAMMER, SLOP
JOCO 2/31

SMIRCH, STEPHEN
JOCO 2/TEXT

SNOOPY
JOCO 1
*JOCO 2 (add)

SOLLY
JOCO 2/26

TESSIE THE TYPIST/TESSIE TENDER
JOCO 2/2
JOCO 2/3
JOCO 2/4
JOCO 2/5
JOCO 2/6

THEODORE
JOCO 1/6
*JOCO 2/12 (add)

TUFFY
JOCO 2/27

WINDY
JOCO 2/27

WLADEBISCOWIK, STANISLAUS
JOCO 2/26

WYLER, TRIGGER
JOCO 2
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