|
Post by mikelmidnight on Apr 20, 2020 11:49:19 GMT -5
Again, Roy spends a lot of time rehashing old All-Star issues, which doesn't annoy me as badly here as it did in Infinity Inc, where it got ridiculously out of hand. It does serve to show just how powerful Green Lantern is, if he let himself go. Roy did say, later, that he had used this incident to fill GL with guilt, to explain why he wasn't using the ring as much. Brain Wave is retconned into ASC #8's story, before he had appeared. Also, the recap of the missing members shows Superman fighting Luthor, as in Superman #17. However, Luthor has red hair, while he is bald in the old story. This was a retcon of the idea that the Earth-2 Alexei Luthor always had red hair. he is shown that way in the earliest stories; but, is bald in the newspaper strip and appears bald from then on. He is depicted with red hair in the DC Comics Presents Annual, where Alexei Luthor teams with Lex Luthor and Ultraman, from Earth-3. On this occasion, I actually thought the retcon was a reasonable one, as the JSA's activities were fairly incompatible with the continuation of the war. I knew the red-haired Lex was a retcon as well, but understood he needed some sort of visual to distinguish him from his counterpart (the same reason the Earth-2 Supes continues working for the Daily Star, even though the Daily Planet dates back to the 40s). I remember there was some guy who used to constantly post online who was obsessed with the fact that the "Earth-2 Superman" was not the same as the "1940s Superman" and insisted the DC needed to deal with discrepancy. As continuity-obsessed as I was/am, I thought he was bonkers, as did just about everyone else. Another reason to dislike Shooter, all the more so that I think the original story looked a lot better than the hodgepodge that eventually came out.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 20, 2020 12:22:42 GMT -5
In the interview, Perez talked about how Shooter had been fine with the script, then kept coming up with objections after Perez had drawn the art and what he described sounded rather like the experiences directors have had with the MPAA over random objections to scenes in movies, but never explicitly stating "You have to cut this to get an R", leaving them to blindly edit until they get a rating that will allow a commercial audience to see it. The way he described it, it sounded like Shooter was on a power trip, since this was DC's project, rather than Marvel's, like the X-Men/Teen Titans. Might have been personal, since he wrote a good deal of Avengers stories and was sore he wasn't writing this one, though that is pure speculation. He did make sure he wrote the Marvel Superman and Spider-Man (with Marv Wolfman's involvement). Some of it could have been personal issues with Gerry Conway; though, again, pure speculation. Only Shooter knows for sure and he seems to have a recollection of things that never seems to match up with other witnesses (though that isn't unique to comics).
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 27, 2020 15:15:36 GMT -5
All-Star Squadron #21Continuity Fix Time! Creative Team: Roy Thomas-writer/editor, Jerry Ordway-pencils, Mike Machlan-inks, C McCarthy-letters, Gene D'Angelo-colors. C. McCarthy is Carrie McCarthy. Synopsis: Roy couldn't resist... Superman joins the All-Stars at the World's Fairgrounds and Firebrand drools over Supes.... Lois will scratch your eyes out! Supes catches them up on what he has been up to and Roy sends us out to find an issue of Superman that was probably more than our allowance. Meanwhile, they put an end to the idea of the JSAers in uniform and fold in the whole Justice Battalion thing and Johnny Thunder suggests making Wonder Woman secretary, so Roy can retroactively fix that bit of chauvinism... Johnny Quick is jealous and snipes with Tarantula, who tries to let him see that Belle isn't like that and his inadequacies are in his own head. Johnny makes the suggestion to use the Trylon & Perisphere as their new HQ. He and the metal men (Robotman and Steel) and Tarantula go in to clean up, while Superman takes Belle & Green Lantern to hes new Secret Citadel, upstate, to get some equipment. Hawkman, Dr Fate, Firebrand, and Atom head for New York, to recover the Hammer of Thor, while Johnny Thunder & Thunderbolt transport Wonder Woman, Starman, Sandman and Dr Mid-Nite to Washington DC. In New York, the gang finds the hotel where the HQ resided on fire and Firebrand absorbs the flame, after Dr Fate takes care of supporting the building. Hawkman rescues some kids from a balcony and the group confers with Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. Atom locates the Hammer in the rubble, but is beat to the punch by a dude who's part of the Fin-Head Brigade... He is called Cyclotron (that explains the cycling shorts..... ) and he has some monsters with him. He has Atom held up to be smashed (and yes, Roy makes the joke) and holds everyone off while the green guys grab the Hammer. Cyclotron hurls Atom into Hawkman and Dr Fate attacks, but gets his power sapped, Atom & Hawkman fight the greenies. Firebrand is able to fend them off, more with light than heat and Cyclotron is firing bolts; but, says he doesn't want to hurt anyone, he just needs the Hammer. The cops try to move in and he blasts a wall, which comes raining down towards the mayor. A cop dives for him and Fate intercepts the rubble with his body and survives. Fate emerges with the body of the dead cop and comes at Cyclotron full force and withstands much, before weakening. Cyclotron apologizes, then uses the greenies as a shield and runs back into the tunnel, which seals around him. the JSAers stop the greenies and head for Washington, while Firebrand remains behind to investigate. Superman shows off his mountain cabin to GL and Belle... They get the nickel tour and then are interrupted by more greenies, led by some goof named Deathbolt... You can tell he's a villain because he is dressed in green and purple. His power is enough to hold back Superman and he grabs the Powerstone from Superman (from his previous adventure, before he arrived at the Perisphere) and hands it to a woman, who turns up. Superman recognizes the woman's eyes. The Ultra-Humanite! Thoughts: Roy shifts gears into the next adventure and does the old split the team ploy, then sicks a villain and greenies on them Cyclotron looks a lot like the later Atom costume redesign; so, it doesn't take a lot of foresight to see a connection to why Atom switched and why he had powers. Deathbolt is a good name; but, one ugly Silver Age costume, which works for a GA villain. Then, the Ultra-Humanite turns up in his gender-bending form, from the 40s, when he was a Humanite in a woman's body. So, Roy has bequeathed the Trylon and Perisphere to the Squadron; so, they have their Hall of Justice and he hints that Elektro will be put to use. We also get a glimpse at the original Superman Secret Citadel ('cause they couldn't get away with calling it a Fortress of Solitude, then, with Doc Savage still going). Mike Machlan debuts as inker and he will work with Ordway for a long time. This is a good one and Firebrand is shown in a new light, suggesting that she is a favorite of Roy. GL is suffering PTSD from the visions, and Johnny Quick has an inferiority complex. Looks like an interesting storyline is developing. Historical Notes: Fioerllo La Guardia was elected mayor of New York for 3 consecutive terms, from 1934 to 1945. Known as the Little Flower (translation of his given name), because of his 5 ft 2 in height, he was a New Deal Democrat who was also put in charge of National Civil Defense, during the war. La Guardia was an energetic, charismatic man who was loved in the immigrant communities for promoting reforms that further enfranchised them. He spoke against the Nazis and Fascists in 1934, when they were just getting started. In July, 1945, during a newspaper delivery strike, La Guardia took to radio to read the latest funnies to the children (and adults) of New York, a scene later repeated on an episode of MASH, when Col Potter reads the wedding of Li'l Abner and Daisy May to the camp.
|
|
|
Post by mikelmidnight on Apr 29, 2020 11:47:25 GMT -5
Synopsis: Roy couldn't resist...
I mean ... who could possibly resist, and why would you ever want to?
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on May 11, 2020 17:18:39 GMT -5
Sorry this has been so long; but, week after week of working an essential job and arguing with idiots about face coverings and running their two copies themselves made me just want to veg out a bit. All-Star Squadron #22I guess they are still trying to hide the surprise that the woman is the Ultra-Humanite, not Ultra the Multi-Alien or Ultraa, hero of Earth Prime. Creative Team: Roy Thomas-writer/editor, Jerry Ordway-pencils, Mike Machlan-inks, David Cody Weiss-letters, Carl Gafford-colors Synopsis: When we left our heroes, Ultra-Humanite had been revealed as the boss of Cyclotron and Deathbolt (he of the ugly green costume). This is Ultra inhabited the body of actress Dolores Winters.... ...after he was done exploring it, no doubt! (I mean, come on, he's evil! You just know he didn't find himself in the shapely body of a starlet and just "get on with things!") Ultra uses the Powerstone to put the whammy on Superman then seems to bond it to his....er, her forehead. Deathbolt takes down Green Lantern and Liberty Belle fights to a pair of greenies. She ends up captured and pimp-slapped by Deathbolt. Ultra-Humanite then recounts how he took over Dolores Winters' curvaceous body and gave the transgender spectrum a whole new wrinkle. She (for the sake o fpronoun sanity, Ultra Humanite will be referred to as "she," so long as she is en femme, as it were), then kidnaps a nuclear scientist, Terry Curtis and tries to force him into helping her with blackmailing a city, which Superman defeats, with the help of Curtis, who nabs Winters, who escapes into a volcano crater and seemingly dies... However, Ultra escaped in a mole driller and found the greenies. She then used her feminine wiles to conquer them and is going to offer them Liberty Belle, since Vulcan (as opposed to Mars) needs women! Libby isn't a fan of matchmaking, especially when it involves her and a whole lot of male creatures. Meanwhile, Johnny and the Steel Twins (Steel and Robotman) are repairing Elektro, for use in their new Perisphere HQ. Johnny has nothing to do, so he starts picking fights with tarantula, who has his number and says he is heading off to New York to unwind and suggests that Johnny look into the disappearance of Hawkman's group. Johnny mans up and heads out. In New York, he runs into Firebrand, who has left a hospital, where the last of the greenies they fought has died. She is smoldering, literally and a crowd overreacts, but Johnny saves the day and shows her his newfound ability to fly (well, generate enough momentum to rocket through the air). She is tired, so he whisks her up to her penthouse apartment (she is a rich deb, remember) and she goes to her room to sleep, au natural, while Johnny crashes on her couch, but doesn't hit on her, because it's the 1940s and Roy is a prude! Johnny wakes up (probably out of a dream that involved flying or cigars, or both) and finds Cyclotron floating outside the window. He seems to know Danette Reilly and he attacks Johnny and then plants one on Danette (after accidentally knocking her loopy, when she ran into the room in costume (which is a pretty fast change) and he recognizes her. He whisks her away and Johnny comes too and is POd. We cut to the Secret Citadel, where Ultra Humanite has everyone in an energy field and Deathbolt makes threats. he calls Ultra "lady" and she is rather ticked off (and gender dysphoric). We learn how she met Deathbolt, who is Jake Simmons, who is wanted for murder and was struck by a lightning bolt, while flying in Arizzna, fleeing from the police. Ultra rescued him and experimented on him, giving him his electrical powers. Cyclotron shows up with Firebrand and snipes at the other two. He unmasks and reveals that he is Terry Curtis and that he has the Hammer of Thor and will turn it over if Ultra swears nothing will happen to Danette (who is unmasked and still loopy). She does (Shyeah; right!) and Curtis hands over the object, then Ultra reveals its secret... She is interrupted by the cavalry, in the form of Johnny Quick, Steel and Robotman. A fight ensues and the cavalry turns out to be the 7th, and goes down like Custer at Little Bighorn. Ultra is about to dump Robotman off a cliff, until she remembers that he has a human brain and she can put her own brain inside and get out of her female body. They head underground with Supes, Firebrand and Robotman and leave the rest behind, with Cyclotron sealing up the tunnel behind them. While heading underground, Ultra says they will next seek the helmet of Dr Fate. Thoughts: Another great issue of action, intrigue and Golden Age comic recaps, as Roy has to relate Ultra-Humanite's battles with Superman, across several issues, leading to the gender swap and apparent death (which would be undone later, int he Silver Age) and replacement by Lex Luthor (as opposed to Alexei Luthor), not to mention the All-Star Comics story with the Hammer of Thor. The recaps are still, mostly, in service to the story. Ordway and Machlan are developing into a great team, as the art is terrific. In Danette's apartment, it is shown that Johnny sees her undressing in a mirror (cheeky devil!) and that she continued further; but, she appears to have had panties added as she slips into bed, yet appears completely naked, under a sheet, when in bed. Comics Code and all that, plus DC dictates, I'm sure. Funny that Johnny doesn't feel that his kipping on her couch isn't a bit awkward and not proper, given that this is the 40s. Yeah, I know that people did those kind of things then, or there wouldn't have been Baby Boomers; but, this is DC, not Last Gasp. Roy seems to want to be a bit adult, but still wholesome, which makes for an awkward dynamic. Deathbolt is basically just another thug made into a super-thug, but, Cyclotron is tied to an actual Golden Age character, who was involved with Ultra-Humanite, but not super-powered. I smell an origin story, next iussue. Oh, Roy teases Amazing Man, next issue; but, I suspect it is not John Aman, from Centaur and Bill Everett, though, as we will see, that is who Roy will be homaging. Roy slightly addresses the gender issue for Ultra Humanite, who was born a male. However, the original swap was more of a shock thing and the character was soon killed off. Roy had a chance to do something with it here; but, chose to just make Humanite a misogynist who is itching to get out of the female body. James Robinson would later provide an alternate ending to Ultra Humanite, in The Golden Age. I do have to say, if Humanite hates being in a woman's body, he has a funny way of dressing said body. Historical Notes: Not much actual historic content. A theater marquee advertises A Yank on The Burma Road, which sounds like a porn title, but is actually a 1942 film, with Barry "I was James Bond first" Nelson and Laraine Day. The film is about a cabbie who takes a job ferrying a convoy of trucks from Rangoon to Chungking and ends up fighting the Japanese. The film was shot before the US came into the war, in November 1941; but, it does make mention of Pearl Harbor, which must have been added after principal photography. The Chinese were battling the Japanese, at that time and had been for the last 5 years (or decade, if you count the incursion into Manchuria). Nelson would go on to play James Bond in the Climax Theater presentation of Casino Royale, with Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre, making him the first visual presentation of James Bond in another medium (there was a South African radio adaptation, prior to that). It's a long way from Barry Nelson as "Card Sharp" Jimmy Bond (and a British Felix Leiter) to Sean "My name is Bond, James Bond" Connery (and an American Leiter). Aslo appearing in the film are Asian-American acting legends Philip Ahn (Kung Fu, MASH) and Keye Luke (same series, as well as the original cinematic Kato, in the Green Hornet serials and Number One Son, in the Charlie Chan films). Both of these men played various Asian roles, often in sing song accents (Ahn is Korean-American, born in Los Angeles, while Luke was born in Canton and raised in Seattle), yet always in a dignified presentation. Ahn's dignified demeanor often had him in sympathetic roles, though he did play Japanese villains during the war (which led to death threats from ignorant film goers). Luke was a commercial artist who designed and painted movie posters, as well as murals at Grauman's, before becoming an actor (debuting in The Painted Veil). Both played stereotyped roles, though Luke was cast as the detective Mr Wong, in The Phantom of Chinatown, following on the heels of Borris Karloff. he played the character with an American accent and no stereotyped mannerisms.. He also appeared in the Dr Kildare series. His Number One Son was a modern American, who called the detective "Pop," to play against the more traditional father. Luke would go on to voice Chan in Charlie Chan and the Chan Clan and the villain Zoltar, in Battle of the Planets. Ahn and Luke were often mentors to younger Asian and Asian-American ators, including those who would form the East West Players, a theatrical company that put on plays with Asian casts, without the stereotyping of Hollywood. Among its members were Mako, Nobu McCarthy (Courtship of Eddie's Father), Beulah Quo (Kung Fu), James Hong (Blade Runner), Soon Tek-Oh (MASH, Man with the Golden Gun), Nancy Kwan, Pat Morita, BD Wong, Lauren Tom, Daniel Dae Kim, and Yuki Shimoda.4
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on May 19, 2020 17:00:58 GMT -5
All-Star Squadron #23Amazing Man? I thought he looked like this... Creative Team: Roy Thomas-writer/editor, Jerry Ordway-pencils, Mike Machlan, David Cody Weiss-letters, Gene D'Angelo-colors Synopsis: Green Lanter, Johnny Quick, Liberty Belle and Steel return to the Perisphere and Johnny makes a move on Libby... #MeFirst! Johnny flies off and Libby and Alan go off to his radio station for intel, while Steel whines like a little girl because he didn't die in a concentration camp but his girl thinks he is dead (because he told her that!). Meanwhile, Atom, Dr Fate and Hawkman play chicken with a DC-3... They pull it out of a spin and then move on, as Fate relates why he is at half-mask. They then arrive at his Salem tower and find Inza hurt and some dude trying to steal the Helmet of Nabu... The dude proves to have the ability to turn his body into whatever substance he touches and he knocks out Atom and Dr Fate, though Atom comes to fast enough to grab him before he can touch the Helmet and turn him back to flesh, then knock him out by slamming him into a wall (why couldn't he absorb those properties, when his face impacts the stone?). Atom recognizes him as Will Everett, the Olympic champion, alongside Jesse Owens. Fate has Atom put Everett's hand on the Orb of Nabu and reveal his past.. He finds a job sweeping up for Terru Curtis and is there when Ultra's goons come looking for some gear, He gets pistol-whipped and carted off to be an experimental subject. He joins Ultra's team, then goes for the helmet and Inza is surprised and bumps into a column, dumping a statue on her head, knocking her out. Then we are caught up. Kent puts on the original Helmet of Nabu, because he did in 1942 and Roy is sticking with it. Nabu's voice comes out and Inza is POd, because Kent promised. They fly off to find Ultra. The letters page includes praise from some old writer.....some guy named Gardner Fox. Apparently, he had something to do with the old All-Star Comics. Thoughts: Yet another new villain; or will that be the case? It is clear that he is a dupe and is being used, but has been badly treated in life, yet has a code of honor. I'm sure it will come forward. The design of Amazing Man's costume is pretty good and does have a 1940s feel, with the flared epaulets and military-style tunic. All very operatic and Flash Gordon, which is how artists should view 1940s costumes, though they don't always when doing period pieces. Amazing Man is Roy & Jerry's homage to Bill Everett and his early superhero Amazing Man, from Centaur Comics. Amazing Man was John Aman, who is trained in mystic Tibet, before passing a series of tests to return to America to fight The Great Question, a rogue member of the Council of Seven, who trained him. The character ran in Amazing-Man Comics, from issues 5-26, and Stars and Stripes Comics 2-6, until Centaur went out of business. he was, by far, Centaur's most popular character and was a favorite of several people, including Gil Kane; and, especially Pete Morisi, who used his origin as an inspiration for Peter Cannon, the Thunderbolt. Amazing Man disappeared until the 1990s, when he and the other Centaur heroes were revived at Malibu Comics, as the Protectors. Unfortunately, they debuted just before Malibu launched the Ultraverse titles and the Protectors barely got off the ground before they were pushed to the side and dumped. I thought they had way more potential, though the work on the series was of lower skill than the Ultraverse titles, and the conceptual pieces from Jerry Bingham and Clarke Hawbaker. When Marvel bought Malibu, they got ownership of their versions of the Protectors characters (who are in the public domain), but did nothing with them, even as they barely used the Ultraverse characters. That is, until Immortal iron Fist, when John Aman turned up at a tournament at K'un-L'un. This was an homage, based on the fact that the origin of Iron Fist drew inspiration (in part) from Amazing Man (as well as the Kung Fu tv series and Five Fingers of Death). In the tournament, we see Aman turn into a green mist, one of the powers of Amazing Man. This Amazing Man borrows a power from the Marvel villain, The Absorbing man, who also turns into whatever he touches. The character isn't that original, as similar tales exist in mythology and folklore, such as the story of King Midas. So, Roy continues using past stories and characters to create continuity links and some new heroes and villains, as well as pay tribute to mentors (Roy shared an apartment with Bill Everett, at one point). This is a pretty decent storyline, so far, as Roy builds a sort of All-Heel Staffel, as it were. Historical Notes: Will Everett's backstory mentions race relations in the 1940s, such as the color barrier in professional sports and segregation in most areas of life, either legally or in practice. Expect further commentary as all of the talk of the "Greatest Generation," often fails to take into account that that same generation had legal discrimination against non-white races, women, homosexuals, and others, proving they were just as screwed up as every other generation, in their own way. It was illegal in most states to marry outside of race and in many places for a minority to be on the streets, after dark. Many of those laws continued to exist after desegregation and the Civil Rights movement. Slavery was only finally legally outlawed in Mississippi in the late 1990s! WW2 was an interesting period in the evolution of the Civil rights Movement. Some African-Americans, such as the Harlem Hellfighters, had fought in WW1 and earned the respect of the French (which the French didn't carry over to their own colonial Arabs, Africans and Asians). When WW2 broke out, many answered the call and joined a segregated military, where they were often restricted to menial jobs. However, pressure fromt he NAACP and others, plus sheer need, led to actual combat units, such as the Tuskeegee Airmen and the 761st Tank Battalion, in Patton's 3rd Army. Many African-Americans also worked in Defense Industry factories and there were race riots, in 1943, in Detroit, Texas and Harlem. The story also references the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which were designed as a propaganda tool of the Nazi belief in Aryan Supremacy, which was laid to waste by Jesse Owens, John Woodruff and Marc Robinson (brother of Jackie Robinson) won gold medals (Owens won 4 at the games). Hitler had wanted a ban on Jewish and Black athletes, but, threatened boycotts made him relent and place a token Jewish athlete on the German team. Anti-semitic signs were removed during the games, to avoid criticism int he foreign press. Despite revisionist history, Jesse Owens was not snubbed by Hitler. Hitler had been honoring winners; but only the Germans. He was told that because of the international press he would have to acknowledge all winners, including foreigners and he stopped greeting the winners. he was also present for specific durations and was leaving the stadium when Owenswon his event. However, Owens stated that Hitler saw him as he was leaving and waved to Owens and he waved back. The same cannot be said when he returned to the US. After his ticker tape parade, he was not allowed to enter the Waldorf Astoria via the main doors and was taken to the reception, there, via a freight elevator. he was not invited to the White House to meet FDR. He was met by Mayor LaGardia, of New York. Later, the Democrats tried to recruit Owens and he rejected them because of the snubs. The origin
|
|
|
Post by electricmastro on May 19, 2020 23:42:51 GMT -5
Historical Notes: Will Everett's backstory mentions race relations in the 1940s, such as the color barrier in professional sports and segregation in most areas of life, either legally or in practice. Expect further commentary as all of the talk of the "Greatest Generation," often fails to take into account that that same generation had legal discrimination against non-white races, women, homosexuals, and others, proving they were just as screwed up as every other generation, in their own way. Putting aside those who use willful ignorance when speaking of older days as “the good old days” and don’t do enough research, what’s referred to as a great generation or good old days, as I’ve observed, very much depends on perspective. Even the 1920s were referred to as “the Harlem Renaissance” for black people, even though Jim Crow existed back then as well. There was also the case of a black man named Hans Massaquoi, who grew up in Nazi Germany as a kid, but escaped persecution likely because his dad was a prince and royal protection extended onto him. He was said to have had a relatively happy childhood and lived to be 87 when he died in 2013. So indeed, the conclusion I’ve come to is that royalty, money, power, and the like can definitely be factors when it comes to who is faced with more hardships that others, and one could say Will Everett showed quite a contrast when not having the privileges of an African prince. Cool that Roy Thomas had a throwback to the Centaur Amazing-Man by the way (Amazing-Man Comics #8, December 1939).
|
|
|
Post by dbutler69 on May 20, 2020 14:26:00 GMT -5
I've read that the bravery with with the African-American soldiers served in WW2 had a lot to do with the desegregation of baseball.
|
|
|
Post by electricmastro on May 20, 2020 14:44:14 GMT -5
I've read that the bravery with with the African-American soldiers served in WW2 had a lot to do with the desegregation of baseball. Along with Jackie Robinson, there was also Joe Louis. Along with the Army being desegregated in 1948, one can start the see the wheels turning in more, though not all, people re-examining their understandings of race, especially after the Nazis killed many Jews on the accusation of being in an “Aryan racial war with the villainous Jews” and other such foolish propaganda. That definitely served as a big wake up call for the baby boomer generation, and while there were definitely some that refused to face their responsibilities and continued being foolish, there was still definitely progress made that helped bridge whites and blacks together.
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on May 20, 2020 16:12:52 GMT -5
Black soldiers were major targets for harassment and lynching in the early post-war era. A lot of them wore their uniforms for a significant period of time because they were by far the best clothes they had. But that was viewed as "uppity." They also had been treated generally well by the people in liberated nations so it was a shock to their system to return to being second-class citizens at home.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on May 20, 2020 20:41:14 GMT -5
WW2 led to quite a lot of changes...a lot of African Americans served in the armed forces and a good portion, eventually saw combat. Many, after, used the GI Bill to go to college. Another large portion had jobs in defense plants. Many got opportunities that had been denied them, before. The military was desegregated in 1948 and a lot of African-American leaders felt it was their time, that they had proved themselves to White society, in the war and it was time to claim their due. It was still a long hard road. Even within the military, official desegregation didn't necessaril;y mean fair and equitable treatment and opportunity. There were incidents in every decade, major issues in Vietnam and plenty into the 1970s. There were still issues when I served at the end of the 80s and beginning of the 90s (women, too, which was really coming to the forefront, when I was leaving).
Roy's not done with this topic as he will be visiting White Supremacists and American Nazi groups in future issues, with Amazing Man. Sadly, since Roy never got to 1943, he didn't get a chance to bring up wartime prejudices against Latino Americans and the Zoot Suit Riots.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on May 23, 2020 21:49:54 GMT -5
All-Star Squadron #24Tarantula gets a pulp makeover! I have a feeling that the pouches on the boots are going to be awkward. Also, Ordway has him holding his pistol in his left hand and he has a holster on his right hip, but in a standard draw rigging, not a cross-draw (butt end facing out). I know it's probably better for the layout, so I am just going to internalize it that he had to switch it to his left to steady himself on the wall, with his right. Interesting eyelines on the All-Stars in the web; GL appears to be looking down, Liberty Belle is looking at him, Steel is looking up at Tarantuala's crotch (well, that's what it looks like, from the angle) and Batman is looking just to Tarantula's left, like something is coming around the corner. Creative Team: Roy Thomas-writer/editor/, Jerry Ordway-pencils, Mike Machlan-inks, Cody (not me; it's Cody Weiss)-letters (I could have written letter to the comic, but not in it; my handwriting is medical in quality) Synopsis: Jerry Ordway rips off Bob Kane ripping off Hal Foster..... (Okay, Ordway is doing a deliberate homage; but, Kane wasn't) Anyway, Batman is out tooling around on rooftops, knocking down tv anten.............whoops, too early for that. Um..................washing lines? Okay, Batman is out tooling around rooftops, knocking down washing lines, when he spots Robin, out cold, in Robert Crane's lab (via a window and a monocular), He busts in and fights some greenies that are poking around. Robin relates why he came there, to meet his distant cousin, Chuck Grayson, when a mole machine came up through the floor and out popper greenies. They grabbed Cuz and Robin started split kicking underdwelling life forms, before an explosion knocked him loopy (well, loopier)... Batman and Robin load greenies into the Batmobile (1942 model, which is more than the serials ever did for him)... They head for the Fairgrounds and the Perisphere. Meanwhile, we see a meeting of the All-Heel Hegemony(trademark me; but DC can buy the rights for a reasonable fee.....say $20 million? I mean, they waste that much on catering for one of those movies) Once again, I will ask the question; if Ultra-Humanite is uptight about being in a woman's body, why does he dress her like that? Not exactly daywear for the 1940s gal. The greenies show up with Chuck Grayson. Ultra wants him to put her....er, his brain, in Robotman's body....er, chassis......structure? Firebrand tries to sweet-talk Cyclotron (Terry Curtis) and confirms that everyone who wasn't married wasn't celibate in the 1940s, despite what your grandma may have claimed when you were about to go out on a date (she and Terry were lovers). Ultra turns on a tv screen (advanced science, don't you know...) and shows the SS Normandie, the French ocean liner, which is being refitted to become the USS Lafayette, a new aircraft carrier (nope, see note below) for the Navy. Abbott & Costello are trying to figure Who's on First?, while at a war bond drive, in honor of the late Carole Lombard. Johnny Chambers and Tubby Watts are covering the event for the Sees-All, Tells All News Agency. There is an explosion and Johnny utters his speed formula and changes into his running clothes... The explosion has ripped through the Normandie. Johnny rescues shipyard workers (who never put out their cigarettes, even while working around flammable liquids!) and ends up injured). Green Lantern and Liberty Belle just happen to be passing by and find him and take him for medical treatment. GL uses his ring to dunk the Normandie and put out the fire, then reset it on the surface of the water, upright. Commander Steel is at the Perisphere, swiping brooding from Captain America, when he hears a noise, which turns out to be Tarantula, in his swanky new pulp duds... Steel fills him on on everyone's whereabouts and even he thinks Roy is overdoing the spreading around of everyone. Tarantula then explains to the cranky Flag-Draped One what he has been doing, which consists of people mistaking him for Sandman, then running smack into Brainwave, at his own apartment. Except, it isn't the little bald guy.... He's looking for John Law and I don't mean the Fuzz (or the comic strip idea, from Will Eisner). They fight, until he nearly brainfries Tarantula and then reveals he is Brainwave Jr, from 1983 (he has a U2 album, to prove it). They calm down and talk, until John Law's housekeeper, Olga, whacks BJ in the back of the noggin, for scaring her. She wants to turn him over to the police; but, JL tells her to watch over him and give him a note, when he wakes up. She reconsiders her employment. He then grabs a new web gun (which looks vaguely like the lovechild of a Walther P-38 and a Browning Hi-Power). Olga then gives him the new threads and he hops into a taxi and reveals that the boot pouches are actually a wallet... Possibly one of 3 times someone actually pulls something practical out of a pouch, in a comic book. They are interrupted by Atom, who carries the unconscious Amazing Man in, while Dr Fate flies off. then, Batman and Robin turn up with the greenies and GL and LB also arrive. Amazing Man wakes up and touches an iron railing and snaps his bonds. he then runs at the assembled All-Stars. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Ultra senses the arrival of some special soldiers and Roy teases us with something called Infinity, Inc. He says we will never forget them. Wanna bet a C-Note on that, Roy? 50 to 1 odds? Thoughts: More with Roy's little ad hoc Injustice Society, which will hereby be known as the All-Heel Hegemony! seriously, Roy' low hanging fruit. Can't believe you didn't think of it. DC, you know where to find me. More actions and intrigue and the debut of Brainwave Jr (get your copy before prices skyrocket). We are then teased with the upcoming debut of Infinity, Inc, Roy's attempt to create a Next Generation Justice Society, which was great while Ordway was drawing it, then everyone left the book (even when McFarlane came on to liven up the look of things, if not the stories). Roy is doing more continuity fixing, by linking the previously unrelated Dick and Chuck Grayson. Quite frankly, there is no point in doing this, except to get Batman in New York to be around when Ultra grabs Grayson to implant his....her....its brain into Robotman's body. Deathbolt makes a crack about Ultra's curves and nearly ends up Deadbolt. He also suggests if he had been the one to wake up in a woman's body, he would have been very happy, which is either creepy or that he is gender dysphoric. Cyclotron is showing signs of a face turn, but Amazing Man still seems to be with the Heel team. Everything is moving along nicely, though I think adding a time-displaced Infinity, Inc is a bad idea. Better to have done that in an annual. Historical Notes: Carole Lombard died in a plane crash, on January 16, 1942. She had been in her home state of Indiana to host a war bond rally, which raised over $2 million. She had been scheduled to return to Los Angeles by train and her mother and press agent were afraid of flying. She wanted to get back quickly and they tossed a coin and Lombard "won." They flew on Transcontinental and Western Air, on a sleeper flight and stopped in Las Vegas to refuel. They departed at 7:07 pm and then crashed into Double Up Peak, 32 miles southwest of Las Vegas. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error, due to directional lights being in wartime blackout so that enemy planes could not zero in on them, despite the Japanese not possessing planes with the range to reach Las Vegas from a base or an aircraft carrier and the Germans did not have planes that could reach the US without refueling. In other words, she died due to wartime hysteria, following Pearl Harbor. Also on the plane were 15 servicemen. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were comedians, working on the burlesque circuit. When Costello's regular partner was ill, Abbott filled in as a last minute replacement. The pairing worked well and friends and family encouraged them to continue. In 1938, they appeared on the Kate Smith Hour radio program and were a big hit. The following month, they debuted their famous Who's on First? routine. Eventually, they had their own radio series and were starring in movies. Costello adopted the high pitched, childlike voice to differentiate himself from Abbott, as his normal voice was too similar for listeners, on radio. The pair did take part in a war bond drive, in the Summer of 1942 (when Jennifer O'Neill was gettin' it on with Gary Grimes!) and were credited with raising $85 million. In 1943, after a tour of Army bases, Lou was stricken with rheumatic fever and was bedridden for nearly 6 months. The day he returned to work, his toddler son Lou Jr drowned in the family pool. The death of his son destroyed Lou Costello and friends and family noted he was no longer the fun-loving guy, that he became quick to anger. A rift developed, in 1945, from which they never fully recovered. At times, Costello wouldn't even speak to Abbott, except to deliver his lines. They were able to make up and re-team, eventually moving to television. By the mid-50s, their star had waned and the IRS came after them for back taxes, despite their work for the war effort. They finally broke up in 1957. Lou Costello's health had been shaky, due to both weight and his bout of rheumatic fever and he died of a heart attack in 1959, 3 days before his 53rd birthday (yeesh; I'm 53!) Abbott, who suffered from epilepsy, used alcohol to help control his seizures and developed alcoholism. He tried a comeback, with a new partner, in 1960, but it didn't work out. He did provide his own voice for a series of Abbott & Costello cartoons, from Hanna-Barbera. The SS Normandie was a French ocean liner, world-renowned for its luxury. It was launched in 1932 and set a record for a Transatlantic crossing, in 4.14 days. It's engines were the most powerful steam turbine engines ever built. The interior of the ship was noted for its Art Deco aesthetics, with paintings of Normandy, as well as a children's lounge, with paintings of Babar, by creator jean de Brunhoff. The ship was in New York Harbor when war broke out in Europe and was interred there. It remained under watch of the French crew, until US Coast Guard personnel were stationed on board, in 1940, to protect against potential sabotage. Upon US entry into the war, the Normandie was seized by the US government and turned over to the US Navy. Roy gets it wrong about its planned use. The ship was being refitted to become a troopship, not an aircraft carrier, though that idea had been initially floated. It was redubbed the USS Lafayette (AP53). On February 9, 1942, a fire broke out on board the ship and spread rapidly, thanks to flammable kapok lifejackets and the wood trim interiors. The ship was outfitted with a sophisticated fire suppression system; but, it had been deactivated by the Navy, during the refit. The internal water pumping system had also bee deactivated. The crew had to resort to using manual water fighting methods to try to stop the fire, for 15 minutes, before help arrived from civilian authority. The fire was further fed by a strong northwesterly wind, which led to the upper 3 decks being consumed, within an hour. New York firefighting hoses could not fit the French inlets. Firefighters sprayed water on the ship from the shore and via fireboats, alongside, which caused a heavy list, to port. The ship's designer, Vladimir Yourkevitch, arrived on scene to assist and advise, but was barred by harbour police. He recommended opening the sea cocks to allow the ocean to flood the spaces and right the ship, while the fire was contained. Rear Adm Adolphus Andrews, commander of the Third naval district, rejected the idea. By evening, the fire was considered to be under control; but, flooding water inhibited efforts to counter-flood the ship, to right it (when a ship lists heavily to one side, due to flooding, the procedure is to counter-flood the opposite side of the ship to stabilize things, until repairs can be made and the flood waters pumped out). Eventually, the Nasvy ordered the ship to be abandoned and the ship capsized, nearly crushing a fireboat. It came to rest on its port side, at am 80 degree angle. Adm Andrews barred the press from the sight before the ship capsized so that they could not capture the moment. A shot of the capsized ship was used in the film Saboteur, which Hitchcock claimed drove the Navy apoplectic, as they were suppressing losses to American merchant ships from German u-boats, between January and August of 1942. Sabotage was suspected, but a Congressional investigation, instead, found a systematic failure on the part of the Navy, with careless attitudes, improper safety precautions, slipshod work supervision, poor refit planning, violation of safety rules, poor coordination onboard and among authorities. The real cause of the fire was a shipyard welder who ignited kaypok lifejackets when working with an acetylene torch. Believe me, this is all too common as we routinely had to bark at shipyard workers to extinguish cigarettes while we were transferring fuel and similar unsafe behaviors. While I worked in the Material Office of COMDESRON 4 (Commnader, Destroyer Squadron 4), we had a ship that experienced a rupture in a steam line. The blast caught a sailor, full force, causing 3rd degree burns over 90% of his body. It took him about 3 weeks to die. Investigation found that the wrong thickness of pipe had been installed by the shipyard. Naval authorities backed the civilian shipyard company, when we tried to press for punitive action, as the Charleston naval Shipyard had been facing declining work and was in danger of being closed. the reason the work was declining was because of the poor quality of the work being done by the local companies, who used political patronage with the local US Representative to protect them. We routinely received investigation notices from his office about unpaid Navy bills for these companies; the bulk of which were unpaid because work had not been performed to specifications and the Navy was demanding corrections be made. That was usually the end of the investigation. That Representative's campaign slogan was "You do for Me and I will Do For You!" Yeah. There were plans to salvage it and refit it into a an aircraft and transport ferry, redesignated USS Lafayette (APV-4). However, the cost of salvaging, the extent of the damage, and manpower required elsewhere put the kibosh on the idea and it remained in drydock, a derelict. It was stricken from the Navy register in 1945 and sold for scrap in 1946 Oh, the Batman thing. Ordway was homaging a panel from Detective Comics #31, which also appeared in issue #33; but, which was swiped from a Hal Foster Tarzan panel, from a 1929 adaptation of Tarzan of the Apes. Ordway was deliberately and openly paying tribute to the panel; Kane swiped multiple images for his earliest Batman tales, before hiring ghost artists to do the work for him (including Jerry Robinson and Sheldon Moldoff). I suspect the panel was instigated by Roy, much as the previous Superman splash page had been, a couple of issues before. The All-Star Companion, Vol 2 includes Jerry Ordway's original redesign of Tarantula, though I can't find an example online. It featured a grey bodysuit with red/violet colored center strip, running from neck to crotch (imagine a strip that, at the chest, is inside the outer edge of the pectorals, and narrows as it extends down the torso, down to the crotch area) No trunks. It is supposed to be a vest, and has a bib flap with buttons. Gloves and boots are of matching color and the boots do have the pouches at the cuffs. He has a full face mask (tight-fitting hood, no mouth or nose openings) and suction cups on his palms and boot soles. It looked somewhat like the early Spider-Man costume, before it was redesigned by Ditko. Roy felt it was too generic and Ordway reworked it, creating the final product seen in the issue. In the original sketch, the holster for the web gun is one the left hip and Tarantula holds it in his left hand. In the redesign final sketch, the holster is on the right; but, he still holds the web gun in his left hand. I think Ordway intended John Law to be a Southpaw. More than a few artists are Lefties; don't know about Ordway.
|
|
|
Post by Prince Hal on May 25, 2020 13:26:21 GMT -5
This continues to be the best review thread/ history lesson we've ever had here, codystarbuck. A couple of quick points re the '36 Olympics: Jackie Robinson's brother was Mack, not Marc. He took the silver in the 200m, finishing second to Owens by four-tenths of a second. And at the last moment, the US coach lifted two of his runners, Sam Stoller and Marty Glickman, from the 4x100 and replaced them with Ralph Metcalfe and Owens. The replacement of the two Jewish runners has never been satisfactorily explained. Glickman always thought it was to avoid embarrassing Hitler despite what coach Lawton Robinson had told him about the need to put their fastest team out there to beat the Germans. The Germans finished behind the Italians, who were blown away by the American runners, who set a world record. The US team would almost certainly have won with Stoller and Glickman. The two were the only American athletes not to participate in any event at the '36 games. Avery Brundage, the head of the US team, always swore that it had nothing to do with the fact that the two runners were Jews, but Brundage was a noted anti-Communist and anti-Semite, and a Hitler admirer who spoke before a meeting of the German-American Bund later that year. His company also was granted the contract to build a new German Embassy in Washington, DC in 1938. Coinky-dink? (It never was built b/c of the war.) I grew up listening to Glickman as the voice of the NY Giants and NY Knicks. He was great guy who deserved far better.
|
|
|
Post by electricmastro on May 25, 2020 22:55:08 GMT -5
All-Star Squadron #24Tarantula gets a pulp makeover! I have a feeling that the pouches on the boots are going to be awkward. Also, Ordway has him holding his pistol in his left hand and he has a holster on his right hip, but in a standard draw rigging, not a cross-draw (butt end facing out). I know it's probably better for the layout, so I am just going to internalize it that he had to switch it to his left to steady himself on the wall, with his right. Speaking of which, I’ve found it interesting when people say that characters like the Shadow, the Spider, and Doctor Occult are “pulp heroes” who can’t count as superheroes due to a lack of powers, yet seem to have no problem calling Batman, Green Arrow, and Hawkeye as superheroes despite not being the same as Superman either.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on May 31, 2020 16:28:32 GMT -5
All-Star Squadron #25The Guardian returns, by popular demand; the popular demand of DC and Roy Thomas to maintain trademark on the character, as Alpha Flight had been launched and Vindicator was being switched to Guardian (per the All-Star Companion, Vl 2) Infinity, Inc debuts, establishing their long run as DC's premiere second generation team! BAM! Hunh......my sarcasm meter broke........ Ordway forgot Scarab and had to add him in late. Not sure if that would have mattered much, in the grand scheme of things. Creative Team: Roy Thomas-writer/editor, Jerry Ordway-pencils, Mike Machlan-inks, Cody Weiss-letters, Gene D'Angelo-colors Synopsis: The JSA is looking rather chill, for a group who've been getting their butts kicked and are supposed to be in a strategy meeting.... Secretary of War Harry Stimson and Gen George C Marshall barge in and tell the JSA (well, Justice Battalion, though it's more a squad, really...not even enough for a platoon) to get off their keisters and go find the Black Dragon Society. Wonder Woman starts to say something about their friends and is told to suck it up, buttercup. Then, they are told to sit tight. That's the military.....hurry up and wait! Meanwhile, some of the others are fighting Amazing Man, who takes getting punched in the face as a racial thing, prompting a frank and open discussion of race relations in the US and inherent biases in superheroing. HA! It's a comic; they just keep punching each other and sound stunned at the accusation, not to mention the angry black man stereotype. GL grabs him via the power ring, which he cannot transmute. Atom reinforces other stereotypes as he grabs a tree branch to hit Amazing Man, which he absorbs and Atom is reminded that GL's ring doesn't work on wood and gets decked. Batman whispers strategy to Liberty Belle and they tackle AM and his hands are lassoed to keep them away from anything he could use. Steel grabs him, allowing him to turn into steel, again, and then the page gets a little too ironic, given when I am writing this..... And all jokes stop. Instead of continued violence, Roy stops everything (maybe he was getting uncomfortable with where this was going, too) and Liberty Bellle makes some rather hard to swallow leaps in intuition and we get everyone talked down and Amazing Man makes a face turn. He swears to not turn on the All-Stars (and they accept it) and they all run off to fly the Batplane to LA, except Steel and Belle, who have to a hail a taxi. Belle shows some leg; but, she's wearing jodhpurs and the effect isn't quite the same as Claudette Colbert (as Steel and Roy remind us) The All-Heel Hegemony is waiting to hear if their demands have been met, while Cyclotron whines and gets called a wuss and a traitor (the latter by Danette) He says they don't understand and runs off to something in a glass chamber. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, a trademark is maintained... He's jawin with the Newsboy Legion, instead of guarding things and gets knocked out by the arriving Infinity, Inc, who run into Rosie the Riveter.....or Mary Caitlin Bridget Katherine O' Callahan, based on the Quiet Man accent. they start smashing ships, like Ultra-Humanite told them to (!!) Steel and Belle turn up and Steel and Nuklon compare fins and punches... while Belle tangles with Scarab. Suddenly, Steel and Belle fade out of view. On the West Coast, at an aircraft plant, the All-Stars are shown around by Sen. Knight and his daughter Sandra. Fury and Northwind run into Bats, Robin and Tarantula. Batman and Robin double team a girl and Fury ends up carrying on a family tradition... Sandra Knight gets dad to safety and then Phantom Lady turns up to add more cheesecake to the bondage. Tarantula immediately spots she is Sandra Knight. No shinola, Sherlock! She only wears goggles, for a mask and you were just arguing with her, when she called you Spider-Man. Northwind calls them fascists, then gets taken down and we get more imagery that is a little unsettling, at the moment, and then Fury breaks loose, but still gets manhandled by Batman, before they all disappear (well, Bats Tarantula, Northwind and Fury) leaving Robin behind to stare at the lady running around in her skivvies and green booties, which isn't that different from Robin, when you think about it. Atom, GL and Amazing Man arrive in Detroit and run up against Jade and Obsidian (before he was gay). Atom & GL end up disapeparing, while Jade demonstrates powers like GL. Then Brainwave Jr wakes up and destroy's John Law's wall. Thoughts: Well, this was written in 1983, but, there are a few images of black characters in fights that look like they stepped out of current headlines. As Sting would sing... Remember when Sting had hair? In more synchronicity, this album came out the same year as this comic. The plot thickens and now Infinity , Inc has been shoehorned into it. Quite frankly, it's a bad idea. Things were already complicated enough with the All-Stars and the All-Heels, without adding new chaarcters to the mix. Better to do the preview insert, if you ask me, or save them for the next storyline. However, there was a purpose in debuting them here, as it will tie into their new series, when it launches. So, Infinity, Inc? Where exactly are they incorporated? Who are their corporate officers? Is it a standard corporation, an S Corporation or what? Where is their stock prospectus? Would an LLC have been a better option? We know nothing about the characters, at this point, other than they seem to think the All-Stars are Nazis and are working for Ultra. Phantom Lady makes a reappearance, for little good reason, in this chapter. Guardian is in a similar position. Historical Notes: Harry Stimson was Secretary of War, under both Pres. Taft and Roosevelt (FDR). He was also Sec of State, under Hoover. He had been part of the reorganization of the Army and had served as an artillery officer in WWI and Governor Gen of the Philippines, under Coolidge. He was also a US Attorney, under Teddy Roosevelt; so, the guy had some pretty big credentials and was well respected by both parties. Remember when that was possible? When you could actually get bipartisan legislation? Stimson was initially opposed to Japanese Internment, on legal grounds; but, pressure from the Army and War Departments led him top give in and support the idea to FDR. Gen of the Army George C Marshall was Army Chief of Staff under Roosevelt and Truman; the boss of Eisenhower and MacArthur. Here, when one of the All-Stars mentions Ultra, he gets confused and almost breaks security, before he realizes they meant Ultra-Humanite. He is thinking of the Ultra, the codename for all signals intelligence decrypted, through the work at Bletchley Park. The Germans used cypher machines to encode messages to transmit via radio to field units and vice versa. The machines added layers and layers of possible permutations to codes, making them practically unbreakable, without a corresponding machine keyed to a particular cypher combination. Notice I said practically. It was mathematically possible to decrypt signals; but, the level of computations was extremely diffcult in an era of slide rules and pencil and paper. However, the Polish achieved it at the start of the war. Their mathematicians had been able to break the code, with aid from a turncoat German officer and some luck. however, the Germans got wise to it and increased the complexity of their signals, particularly the Enigma encoders. A code-breaking team was working at Bletchley Park to break the Enigma code, using the Polish work as a starting point, and mathematical genius of Alan Turing and Hugh Alexander. Early computers were developed to perform the huge number of calculations that enabled the code breaking. However, Enigma wasn't the hardest to break. The less known Lorenz cypher, was even harder, as they had no pre-work for it or knowledge of the machine used for it. More intelligence was gained via Enigma signals, but intel of far greater strategic value was gained via Lorenze, because of the high level at which it was used. The Japanese Purple Code had also been broken and proved a valuable source of intel on Japan's allies, as signals were sent to the Japanese ambassador about German and Italian military movements and topics, with assessments. The Japanese eventually got an Enigma machine; but did not make great use of it. The decoding of Japanese cyphers aided the US Navy in setting up their ambush at Midway Island, where they intercepted the Japanese fleet and sank their carriers. It also allowed them to identify an aircraft flight for Adm Isoroku Yammamoto, head of the Japanese Navy and architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Signals provided intel of his flight path and fighters were vectored to the route with the result his plane was shot down and Yammamoto was killed, creating a major leadership vacuum in the Japanese Navy. It was outright assassination, under any military code; but, it was effective and the British had similarly tried to kill or capture Rommel. Alan Turing was a brilliant mathematician and was considered the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. He excelled in mathematics, as a student, despite over-emphasis on classical education in the schools he attended. He attended Cambridge, where he received a First Class degree in mathematics and wrote papers that proved that computing machines could solve any problem that could be represented by an algorithm. Turing used intel the Poles provided abut the mechanics of the Enigma to provide specifications for a bombe, a device for analyzing cyphers. His designs gave broader decrypting solutions than the Polish method. The Bletchley Park work was of the highest secrecy and he received little public recognition, as a result, during or soon after the war. Recognition was further buried because he was a homosexual and, in 1952, was convicted under Section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885, for "gross indecency" after admitting to a sexual relationship with a man, while making a report to the police about a burglary of his home. The fact that he consensual sex with an adult male trumped the theft of his property. He was convinced to plead guilty and was subjected to injections designed to reduce libido (chemical castration, essentially). His security clearances were revoked and he was denied entry into the United States, though not in other European countries. In 1954, he was found dead, by his housekeeper. The coroner's report ruled suicide by cyanide poisoning. Later examination of the evidence suggested the poisoning might have been accidental, due to an apparatus to electroplate gold onto spoons, which Turing had and used. Conspiracy theories suggest he was murdered as a security risk. Turing was eventually officially pardoned by the Queen, in 2014 and a blanket pardon of all men convicted for engaging in homosexual acts was also given. In 1986, a play by High Whitemore, Breaking the Code, told the story of Turing and featured Derek Jacobi, in the West End production and in a 1996 tv adaptation (which I saw on Masterpiece Theater).
|
|