Thread by @jeffs_comics

Close-up of Action Comics 43 (cover date Dec, 1941)

While America isn't in the War yet, Superman is on this great cover by Fred Ray of Harrisburg, PA in his first year of doing Action covers.

This Superman - part flying, part leaping, still defines how I see Superman in flight.

The Superfriends cartoon was inconsistent in how it showed Superman in flight, but I always liked the bent leg and one arm forward look.

That is how my Mego Superman always flew

I know conversations of created or co-created a character can create controversy, but consider the corollary of continued creation.

Fred Ray was mostly a cover artist, but came early to Superman, redesigning the S emblem and creating covers like this one.

Action 43 is still an anthology title. The Superman story is still a gangland story, not a wartime one.

However, National is using Superman to sell Defense Bonds. Paper was not yet rationed, but 'helping the war effort' could be a rationale for publishers to get paper later.

So which comic book character was the first to be used to sell War Bonds? Action 1943 was published in October of 1941, and precedes this 1942 World's Finest.

Was Superman the first to sell Defense Bonds or War Bonds in 1941?

Okay Comic Book Sleuths

Todays #ComicBookMystery

Which was the first comic book character used to sell War Bonds (or Defense Bonds) and Stamps?

Can anyone solve the case of the First Defense Bond?

I suppose the answer might differ by country, but I was looking at the United States.

The Series E Savings Bond was launched in May 1941 (the first bought by FDR), and rechristened "Defense Bonds" They would not be called 'War Bonds' until after the attack on Pearl Harbor

So, we already know Superman was selling Defense Bonds (or at least being used in a National Publications ad for Defense Bonds) in October 1941.

Is that the first?

Any other contender would be encouraging "Defense" bonds and stamps.

Here's Uncle Sam, but this isn't Quality comics comic book character Uncle Sam. I also don't know the date, but that makes it interesting since you could advocate *this* is Quality's Uncle Sam.

That would lead to a 2nd #ComicBookMystery

What comic book character first encouraged enlistment in the Armed Services during WWII? (in the US)

Again, we see Uncle Sam and that leads to confusion with the Comic Book version of Uncle Sam

What about Captain America?

His first appearance is March 1941, long before the US entry into World War II (and supposedly got Simon and Kirby some harassment by isolationist groups - there is another #comicbookmystery to look into)

So Captain America is definitely encouraging patriotism in March of '41, but are Simon and Kirby or Timely promoting Defense Bonds?

This is where you sleuths come in, but I would say "no" because March of 1941 predates the Series E bonds in May of '41

SO here is Captain America in May of 1941, on sale at the same time as Series E savings bonds. Yet, this should still be too soon to be selling "Defense Bonds", and I'm not sure Series E were called "Defense Bonds" until later in the summer of '41

I went to our old friend, The Grand Comics Database, but "Defense Bond" only brought up 1942 results.

We know Superman was used to sell Defense Bonds in October of 1941. Can we get any earlier?

A place to start looking might be around Captain America 5, cover date August of 1941. It came up the other day this is the first appearance of the Ringmaster, but I've also read this is not the same character, but his father.

Now we know lots of characters would get into selling war bonds once the US was in-it-to-win-it. However, there were a lot of comic book characters even by the summer of 1941.

For now, that's as close as I can get to Which Comic Book Character first sold Defense Bonds? Possibly Superman in October of 1941.

Keep on sleuthing this #comicbookmystery !

By the way, Series E bonds paid face value at maturity in ten years, being purchased at 75% face value. The Treasury Department had long used celebrities to appeal to patriotism to sell them.

Anyone ever get an E or EE savings bond as a gift?

More digging and I found this 1942 Calendar where again, Superman is urging the purchase of Defense Stamps!

Notice though, its a school year calendar.

According to Heritage, it was distributed in Fall of 1942.

We could ask the related question about comic strip characters in the newspapers promoting defense bonds and stamps too.

Thanks to all who read this. Its indicative of some of my threads that start one way, and then go off another unexpectedly.

This #ComicBookMystery is still unsolved. Some of the best mysteries are like that - follow your own theories and let me know your opinion.

Hey @threadreaderapp , please unroll