Black Cat (Harvey Comics)
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Black Cat is a comic book adventure heroine published by
Harvey Comics Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey World Famous Comics, Harvey Publications, Harvey Comics Entertainment, Harvey Hits, Harvey Illustrated Humor, and Harvey Picture Magazines) was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfr ...
from 1941 to 1951. Harvey also published reprints of the character in both the mid-1950s and the early 1960s. The character's creation is claimed by the Harvey family to have originated with publisher Alfred Harvey, but there is no corroborating evidence for this. The Black Cat debuted in ''Pocket Comics'' #1 (August 1941).


Publication history

The Black Cat debuted in ''Pocket Comics'' #1 (August 1941), an experimental
digest-sized Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately , but can also be and , similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes have evolved from the printin ...
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
published by Harvey and was illustrated by artist
Al Gabriele Al Gabriele (deceased) was an American comic book artist during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. He is known for his work on some of Marvel Comics' earliest Captain America and Sub-Mariner stories, and ...
. After the demise of ''Pocket Comics'', the Black Cat became one of the features in the anthology ''Speed Comics'', lasting until that title's demise in 1947. By 1946, Black Cat had also gained her own title, which published 29 issues until 1951 before changing its content to horror stories (the title was subsequently known as ''Black Cat Western Comics'', ''Black Cat Mystery Comics'', ''Black Cat Western Mystery'', ''Black Cat Western Comics'', and ''Black Cat Mystic'', before reverting to ''Black Cat'' for the final three issues, #63–65). Black Cat also appeared in a separate Harvey anthology, ''All-New Comics'', in issues 6, 9, and 15. Writers on the Black Cat series are not positively known. Artists who worked on the feature after Al Gabriele include
Pierce Rice Pierce may refer to: Places Canada * Pierce Range, a mountain range on Vancouver Island, British Columbia United States * Pierce, Colorado * Pierce, Idaho * Pierce, Illinois * Pierce, Kentucky * Pierce, Nebraska * Pierce, Texas * Pierce, West ...
, Arturo Caseneuve,
Bob Powell Bob Powell (né Stanley Robert Pawlowski; While gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, and gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, Bails and Ware note: "family name corrected by his son, Seth R. Powell July 2006." October 2, 1916
, Jill Elgin and
Joe Kubert Joseph Kubert (; September 18, 1926 – August 12, 2012) was a Poland, Polish-born Americans, American comic book artist, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkm ...
.
Lee Elias Lee Elias (May 21, 1920 – April 8, 1998) was a British-American comics artist. He was best known for his work on the ''Black Cat'' comic book published by Harvey Comics in the 1940s. Biography Emigrating to the United States from Manchester ...
, occasionally inked by
John Belfi John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
, provided the art from 1946 until the feature's end in 1951.


Fictional biography

Linda Turner is the daughter of
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
actor Tim Turner, and a former Hollywood stunt woman. Linda has successfully made the transition from stunt woman to lead actress. During the filming of an unnamed picture, Linda suspects the film's director, Garboil (no first name given), of being a Nazi spy or at the very least an American Bund member. In order to follow him and gain corroborating evidence, she disguises herself in a backless blue blouse, red shorts, blue flared gloves, red buccaneer boots and a blue opera mask and calls herself the Black Cat. While following Garboil, Black Cat meets Rick Horne, a reporter for the ''Los Angeles Globe'' who has been assigned to investigate rumors of a Nazi spy ring in LA. Initially disdainful of each other, the pair are forced to work together and discover that Garboil is planting secret information in his motion pictures. Using her knowledge of the studio, Black Cat sneaks into the editing room and changes the edit of the picture to render the information useless. When they are discovered, Rick and Cat physically overpower the gang and turn them in. Garboil escapes and Linda decides to maintain her Black Cat identity in order to keep watch over his activities. According to ''Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes'', "Most of the Black Cat's opponents are ordinary criminals and Axis agents, but she does fight a female Mad Scientist, the criminal brothers known as the Three Black Cats, a vampire, and after the war Russians in Afghanistan." In 1944, The Black Cat's costume was modified slightly, becoming a one piece blue bathing suit with buccaneer boots, flared gloves and opera mask, all in blue, and a red belt. This look would remain for the rest of her career.


Cast of characters


Linda Turner

Linda Turner gained access to movies with bit parts in her parents' films as a child. Her father was silent film western actor Tim Turner and her unnamed mother was a stunt woman, having appeared at least once in a jungle girl picture or serial, probably in the early thirties. By her late teens, Linda became a professional stunt woman and won some acclaim for her work. Her natural beauty gained her a screen test and her innate acting ability led to acting jobs, eventually to starring roles. Her acting roles have ranged from period dramas and romantic melodramas to action heroines, where her history as a stunt woman allows her to do some of her own stunts. That same history as a stunt woman, plus life on her father's ranch outside of Los Angeles, gave Linda the physical skills to perform her work as The Black Cat. Linda is adept at riding a horse and a motorcycle, as well as performing stunts on the vehicle. She is proficient with a lasso and rope, and possesses a black belt in judo. Her stunt training also allows her to make impressive leaps from buildings or moving vehicles safely.


Rick Horne

Rick Horne is a reporter and love interest of Linda Turner. Initially Horne is employed as a reporter for the ''Los Angeles Globe''. In later appearances, he works for a Hollywood trade paper as a columnist. Near the end of the series, Horne also had a radio broadcast, in much the same manner of
Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...
, where he broadcast news and entertainment interviews. Horne is aggressive and seemingly fearless, often using his fists to escape hazardous situations or to subdue criminals. Though his fighting prowess is surpassed by The Black Cat, he is often a help to her. Horne was mistrustful of Black Cat at first and denigrated her efforts to bring Garboil to justice. However, as they worked together more and more, Horne was impressed with Black Cat's ability and began to view her as an efficient force against crime and an attractive fantasy woman. At the same time, Horne struck up a casual friendship with Linda Turner without realizing she is also The Black Cat. Their relationship grew over the years, to the point where the two began to date and maintained a tenuous commitment to each other. But Horne is more attracted to the mysterious fantasy of The Black Cat than to the glamorous Linda Turner, and Linda seems determined to keep the reporter at arm's length until he commits to her rather than his fantasy woman, even though both are the same woman.


Toby

Toby is Linda Turner's pet cat. Toby was usually portrayed as a black Siamese. Toby was usually depicted as a male, though one story identified the cat as female. It is possible that Linda had two cats, both named Toby, at different stages of her life. In Toby's initial appearances, the cat displayed an antagonistic dislike for Garboil, Linda's director on her films. In at least one story Toby was drawn by artist
Bob Powell Bob Powell (né Stanley Robert Pawlowski; While gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, and gives Stanislav Pavlowsky, Bails and Ware note: "family name corrected by his son, Seth R. Powell July 2006." October 2, 1916
as a white Angora. After changing to Black Cat, Linda worked a skin tight black cat skin over the white cat and, in disguise, Toby assisted Black Cat in tracking down the villain of the story.


Garboil

Garboil is the studio contract director Linda initially works with. He is of German descent and speaks with a thick German accent. It isn't known whether Linda initially suspects him of being a spy because of his activities or his ethnic heritage, but her suspicions are proven to be well-founded. He is cold and superior in his dealings with others, and has a disdain for Linda's cat. Garboil was the only recurring villain in Black Cat’s history. The character disappeared after a few appearances.


Tim Turner

Linda's father is introduced in 1946, after Black Cat gains her own title. A former cowboy who gained stardom as a western hero during the silent movie days, Tim Turner retired from films sometime after the death of his stunt woman wife, Linda's mother. The elderly Turner lives primarily on his own on a ranch outside of Los Angeles. He has an affectionate relationship with his daughter, who he knows is The Black Cat, and occasionally advises her on her cases. It was Turner who taught his daughter how to ride and rope, skills she later translated into her stunt work. Though he is concerned for his daughter's safety, Tim Turner wholly approves of her activities as The Black Cat and her desire to bring justice to the world. Turner also dabbled after his film career as a private detective, but it’s unknown whether he was successful at it. He did teach some of his investigative skills to his daughter.


Jonesie

Jonesie is Linda Turner's personal secretary. The slim blonde with the large black horn-rimmed glasses handles Linda's fan-mail and schedule, acts as a liaison with the studio Linda is contracted to and occasionally is a sympathetic ear to Linda when she pondered her curious relationship with Rick Horne.


Kit Weston

Kit Weston was introduced in ''Black Cat'' #28. The thirteen-year-old boy was a circus aerialist, part of the act The Flying Westons. During a performance, the tent is engulfed in flames by the super-criminal The Fire Bug. The Black Cat saves Kit when he’s trapped by the fire on a trapeze platform. However, Kit’s parents are killed in the blaze. Linda Turner volunteers shelter to the orphan until relatives can be found. Later, in order to cheer the despondent youth, Linda appears to him as Black Cat and takes him with her as she trails The Fire Bug. Black Cat corners the villain at the municipal museum and, with Kit’s aid, defeats him. The Fire Bug is revealed to be Orson Arson, a former special effects wizard at Century Studio. While Linda and Tim debated what to do with Kit, the boy managed through a combination of youthful bravado and his aerialist skills to foil a burglar he caught in the Turner home. Impressed by his skill and energy, Linda takes him into her confidence and reveals her second identity to him. Kit is given a blue unitard with red trunks and a blue cowl with cat’s ears, and assists Black Cat in her last two adventures as “Black Kitten”.


Reception

Black Cat was ranked 41st in ''
Comics Buyer's Guide ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' (''CBG''; ), established in 1971, was the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry. It awarded its annual Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards from 1983 to circa 2010. The public ...
's'' "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.


Further reading

* ''The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen: Awesome Female Characters from Comic Book History'' by Hope Nicholson, Quirk Books (2017)


References


External links


The Black Cat (Harvey Comics, 1941)
at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Archived
from the original on April 9, 2012. {{Authority control American superheroes Comics characters introduced in 1941 Golden Age comics titles Golden Age superheroes Female characters in comics Harvey Comics superheroes Female superheroes Fictional judoka 1941 comics debuts 1946 comics debuts 1963 comics endings