THE GREAT SPIRIT SWIPE OF 1944

It's not uncommon for comic book artists to "appropriate" the work of others, whether it be a particular pose in reverse, a background or other panel or design elements. Indeed, many artists have what they typically call "reference files" that could -- in part -- also be termed "swipe files".

But what happens when you copy a character nearly verbatim? The result is a fellow by the name of "The Bogey Man" who was featured in Rural Home Publications' RED BAND COMICS #1 (November 1944). It's not hard to see that this crime fighter is a nearly total rip-off of Will Eisner's The Spirit, from his name, to his blue overcoat, white shirt, red tie, eye mask, and right down to his fedora. The only thing "original" about him is his pencil-mustache. There's even a clone of the pipe-smoking Commissioner Dolan.

The nicely-done cover by Avon's EERIE COMICS #1 Bob Fujitani, is also highly reminiscent of an Eisner setting. The interior story, "Bogey Man" is (possibly) written by Bruce Elliot, who wrote numerous scripts for Street & Smith's THE SHADOW comic book (the script credit is likely, since Elliot also wrote the two-page Bogey Man text story in this issue). The art is by August Froehlich, who coincidentally worked for the Eisner and Iger Studio in 1939! Among his other workplaces were the Jack Binder and Bernard Baily Studios.

The story almost comes off like a parody, but it tries too hard to stand on its own. Adding salt to the wound, a second story, "Satanas", stars the titular character who's a dead-ringer for The Claw/The Green Claw from the Lev Gleason SILVER STREAK and DAREDEVIL titles. Satanas is pictured on the cover with the Bogey Man.

Rural Home Publications was a consortium of several companies who collectively published some oddball titles such as MASK COMICS, LAFFY-DAFFY COMICS and EL BOMBO COMICS. Some sources say that there were four issues of RED BAND COMICS printed; indeed there was but they were actually only two of the same issues, one each published in Mexico by Publicaciones Recreativas and in the United States by Enwil Associates, Universal Comics Group, printed in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The second issue depicts both Bogey Man and Satanas but neither one of them appear in interior stories.

Now, excuse me while I go and temporarily wire my jaw shut.