Black Cat

Black Cat #13

Black Cat issue #13* (September, 1948)  features lesson thirteen of “Black Cat shows you how to do simple Judo tricks.” Artist Lee Elias, who is actually featured in a full page biography on the inside cover, was apparently himself an actual student of real hand-to-hand combat.

According to the bio he also “worries about faithful reproduction of the latest car models” and presumably by default, motorcycles as well.  The book includes a lot of motorcycles, particularly in the story “Race for Death.”  I particularly fond of the “Movie Star Chumps Ridin’ Motorcycles! I wish we had their dough” panel.

“Hollywood’s Glamorous Detective Star” Linda Turner by day is cycle ridin’ Black Cat by night – a skill which was put to the test in this issue’s story, Race for Death.  Later in Elias’ career he moved on to work on DC characters, including Green Arrow.

*Sold copy