George Brenner’s The Clock Strikes in Crack Comics, at Auction

Just a little-remembered and unassuming title that was launched in 1940 by writer Quality Comics, Crack Comics took over the persevering with adventures of one of the crucial vital characters in comedian guide historical past. The Clock was the primary masked hero of the Golden Age, who finally led the way in which for later iconic characters similar to Batman and Superman. Add in early appearances of the Black Condor by the legendary Lou Fine, and this sequence has a historic significance that continues to face the check of time.  The are a number of early problems with Crack Comics that includes The Clock up for public sale in the 2023 April 30-May 2 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122318.

The Clock was the brainchild of George Brenner, making his first look in Funny Pages #v1#6 and Funny Picture Stories #1, each launched in November 1936. Brenner’s character caught the general public’s creativeness in that early Golden Age period, and The Clock quickly discovered a house at Quality Comics, the place he appeared in the Crack Comics sequence. The Clock was mysterious millionaire named Brian O’Brien, who, in search of justice, took on a vigilante alter ego. The character underwent some transformation, similar to adopting a monocle and cape, whereas sustaining the core points of his id. Despite competitors from different groundbreaking superheroes in the period, The Clock captured readers’ curiosity and remained a vital a part of the Golden Age narrative.

Clock creator George Brenner and Quality Comics writer Everett M. “Busy” Arnold had an fascinating connection exterior of comics — big-time faculty soccer. Arnold was a significant booster for the soccer program of his alma mater Brown University, most famously paying the tutoring of Joe Paterno whereas he attended there. Interestingly, Brenner had been a soccer scout for Brown through the early Thirties. In addition to writing and drawing the adventures of the Clock, he was finally made Quality Comics’ editor by Arnold.

At Quality Comics, the Clock ran in Crack Comics #1-35, Brenner had just lately develop into editor in direction of the top of that interval, and maybe not had the time to write down and draw his creation. The Clock light into obscurity after DC Comics acquired Quality Comics’ characters and titles in 1956. However, the masked hero stays an vital determine in comedian guide historical past, deserving of lasting recognition. For these in such checkpoints of comedian guide historical past, three problems with Crack Comics are set to be auctioned on April 30-May 2, 2023, at the Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122318.

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