I just want to pause here and note that both the captain of the submarine and his commander are wearing monocles. Just where did that stereotype come from?


Maybe Renoir's Grand Illusion, in which the crippled German prison commandant is bemonocled?

Nah, it's an old stereotype of Prussian aristocrats, probably dating more from the 1880s, if not earlier.

The origin of Aquaman, in fairness, can't really be discussed without comparing the very popular Submariner at Timely, who appeared two years earlier. If you want more wacky pre-Pearl Harbor fun, dig up Marvel's reprint of HUMAN TORCH #5, in which the Torch and crew have to stop Namor from conquering the world (including Berlin) with his Atlantean armies.

I THINK the 1976 SECRET ORIGINS OF THE DC SUPER-HEROES book has something closer to the original colors of this story. I'll look when I get home tonight, and if it does, I'll scan it for you.

The origin of Aquaman, in fairness, can't really be discussed without comparing the very popular Submariner at Timely

Yes, it can. In fairness, even.

However, I didn't leave Namor out, as I mentioned him in regards to Aquaman's odd dialogue. I think Whit was trying for another Namor and perhaps writer Mort Weisinger was thinking of Namor while writing the first story, but Paul Norris has reported that he'd never heard of or read Namor (not a stretch for a working artist in the days long before the internet), and as a result, the look is nothing like Namor's.

I would very much like to read all of Namor's first few stories. A few years ago a friend sent me a very good detailed overview of Namor's first couple of years. My conclusion after reading them was that Aquaman is not based on Namor at all, but probably owes his existence to Namor's popularity. Ironically, it was Aquaman who continued to be published as Namor lanquished, forgotten.

Paul Norris may well have not read or heard of Namor (and the Aquaman stories have very little in common in tone or style), but I'm pretty sure Mort Weisinger had...Mort was nothing if not, er, relentlessly opportunistic to the point of viciousness? Right.

Namor wasn't forgotten for a huge amount of time -- there was the mid-50s revival, inspired by an intended television series that never actually made it.

I think we're completely in agreement on Mort.

As for forgotten... Aquaman was published almost every month, at least six times a year even during the war years, for 30 straight years after his creation. Namor didn't have such luck, despite his higher popularity when he started, because he didn't have... ahem... a "relentlessly opportunistic" person making sure he stayed in print. At least, that's the last going theory I've heard as to why a comparatively bland character like Aquaman stayed in print as long as he did.

Mort apparently did his best to protect both Aquaman and Green Arrow.

And they also benefited from being in the back of ADVENTURE behind Superboy (who was hugley popular during that period). If they'd been in their own titles, they probably would not have remained in publication in the early 50s.

Yup! And as a side-effect, I've come to enjoy Superboy and Green Arrow quite a bit too...

heya...
i actually wanted to get my hands on a copy of this.. but cant seem to find it anywhere.
Do you think u could pass me the ISBN so i could do an advanced search?
email address: crystal_moon_56@hotmail.com
thank you so much!!
Kit