The Strange Saga of Spark Man in Sparkler Comics, Up for Auction

Newspaper sketch syndicate United Feature had an intensive presence in the comedian e book business for the reason that early days of the Golden Age.  They printed their flagship Tip Top Comics for 188 points from 1936-1954 earlier than licensing the title to St. John, that includes a spread of their sketch characters reprinted in comedian e book format.  Sparkler Comics was their different long-lasting title, operating from 1940-1954 from United Feature earlier than once more being handed off to St. John (who renamed the title for common characteristic Nancy and Sluggo at that time).  But Sparkler Comics was comparatively distinctive amongst United Feature’s output.  In addition to reprinting comedian strips like Tarzan, Nancy, and others, Sparkler Comics launched a non-newspaper strip superhero referred to as Spark Man.  A splendidly unusual and unjustly forgotten hero of the Golden Age, there is a Sparkler Comics #1, Spark Man #1 and a bunch of points of Sparkler Comics up for public sale in the 2022 October 2-3 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122240 at Heritage Auctions.

Spark Man defined the idea of his powers in his debut in Sparkler Comics #1 as primarily being managed utilization of static electrical energy, which he was capable of wield through gold balls in his gloves on the ideas of his index fingers.  The image on his chest is an equals signal “=”, which is confirmed in a caption in an early concern, as he initially used the image to mark the foreheads of criminals he defeated, and likewise signed off with it in notes to authorities.  Fans have lengthy questioned in regards to the that means of the equals signal in the context of Spark Man’s adventures, and the notes appear to suggest that he’s an “equalizer” towards extra highly effective forces for victims in want.  There was a excessive diploma of issue-to-issue continuity in these adventures, as Spark Man’s identification was unknown even to the reader in the early going, with a number of forged regulars thought of candidates.  His identification was in the end revealed in Sparkler Comics #10.

The character was created by author Fred Methot and artist Reg Greenwood, who additionally created the obscure superhero characteristic Mirror Man and the super-powered staff Triple Terror for United Feature’s Tip Top Comics round this identical time.  Notably, Methot was additionally the unique writer of a 1949 Season 2 episode of the tv sequence Suspense referred to as The Comic Strip Murder which featured paintings by Dick Ayers in the episode.  The story had initially been an episode on the radio present Mystery Theater in 1944.  The 1945 Spark Man one-shot is a set of the character’s early adventures.  Spark Man’s adventures are well-written and drawn and the epitome of Golden Age weirdness, and there is a Sparkler Comics #1, Spark Man #1 and a bunch of points of Sparkler Comics up for public sale in the 2022 October 2-3 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122240 at Heritage Auctions.

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