Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Ripples Through Time - 046

I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order, one per day. After I read each story I'm going to post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.

Adventure #112 Aquaman Splash Page
Adventure #112 (January 1947) - The Television Thieves!

Black Jack pirates a load of gold from a ship entering a new port, but doesn't realize his crimes are being televised live.

Strange coloring on the splash page, as Aquaman's shirt is green. Perhaps those early DC color TV weren't so faithful at reproducing reality.

The entire heist is captured by cameramen on a plane above the new port, and they follow Black Jack. Aquaman is at a home for retired sailors (who all have pipes and similar hats) and sees the action on their big screen TV. And no, I'm not kidding. It's a big screen.

At the end of the story Aquaman has to convince the audience that the whole thing was done on a stage. Neat trick, that! But those unsophisticated Golden Age TV viewers were fooled anyway. Apparently DCU Golden Age TV special effects were fantastic.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman asks a fish where Black Jack and his gang went. Aquaman has fish untie him after he escapes from Black Jack's thugs.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman is knocked out by a wrench dropped by the cameraman on the plane.

Quotefile: Old sailor watching the TV, "Shades of Davy Jones! If it ain't Black Jack! That television can pick up anything!"

Have you read this story? What do you think?

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