Thursday, December 07, 2006


Ripples Through Time - 036

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.

More Fun #107 Aquaman Splash Page
More Fun #107 (January 1946) - Blackie, Come Home!

Ark's son, Blackie, is frightened of Aquaman and runs away on a very long journey across the United States.

The final Aquaman in More Fun Comics! All the superhero features in More Fun moved to Adventure Comics after this one, and More Fun became an all-humor magazine. For Aquaman's last More Fun, he goes and visits Ark the Seal, who helped on a few previous adventures and was Aquaman's first recurring ally. We learn that Ark has retired to a safe island in "Northern Waters" and is raising a family. His son, however, thinks humans are dangerous, and runs away from Aquaman.

Blackie must move really fast. First he is chased by a polar bear, which Aquaman stops. Then he swims up the St Lawrence River, and to Lake Ontario. Then Niagara Falls. Yes, Blackie goes over the falls in a barrel and gets to be on the front page. Then he goes through Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and bothers a fisherman in Lake Michigan. He escapes Aquaman and goes overland in a fish truck to the Mississippi, where he interrupts a singing act on a showboat. In a single text box he goes down the Mississippi, "into the Gulf of Mexico, up the Rio Grande and overland again to Great Salt Lake," where Aquaman finally catches up to him.

Finny Friends Report: Aquaman runs into his old friend Ark, and chats with him. When Blackie runs away, Aquaman follows him. First he protects him from a polar bear. Then he runs into another seal who points the way Blackie has gone. He throws a very large fish into a fisherman's boat to protect Blackie from being killed for stealing the fisherman's other catches. Lastly, he throws Blackie himself at a poacher, before returning Blackie to Ark for some punishment.

Captured/Knocked Out report: Aquaman isn't captured or knocked out in this one.

Quotefile: Ark, "RK! RK!* (*Seal language meaning, 'Well, if it isn't Aquaman! Sure is a small world!')" ... Polar Bear, "RRRRRR...* (*Translation: 'Lunch-Time! Here's a blue-plate special')"

Have you read this story? What do you think?

No comments:

Post a Comment