QUASIMODO'S FIRST COMICS ADAPTATION

The 100th Anniversary of Lon Chaney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is next year. In the meantime, I came across what I believe to be the first Hunchback adaptation in the comics in JUMBO COMICS #1 (September, 1938). Drawn by Dick Briefer, there is no credit for the scriptwriter, but it is attributed to the artist. Briefer is of course, known for his Frankenstein series in Prize Comics.

HAPPINESS IS BEING IRISH

In the 1950's, numerous TV shows were developed that featured characters from radio, comic books and other popular sources. Luckily enough for young boys just coming of age, one of them was Fiction House comics' SHEENA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE. The star was a statuesque blonde by the name of Irish McCalla with a 39 1/2-24-37 figure. A virtual female version of Tarzan, Sheena fought man and beast through 26 episodes of the show until it was cancelled. It went on into heavy syndication for years. I remember watching these as a kid, mesmerized by the leopard skin-wearing beauty, always ending each story with a laugh at Chim the Chimpanzee doing something humorous.

Before Ms. McCalla was Sheena, she was a popular post-war pin-up model and appeared on the cover and in the pages of many under-the-counter men's magazines of the day. However, she never posed nude except once, at the behest of the great Peruvian artist Alberto Vargas, who wanted the shots to use as reference photos for her picture that would end up on calendars and playing cards.

In this article from PLAYBOY (February, 2008) by famous film critic Leonard Maltin the story of Irish McCalla and Sheena are revealed. The nude photos that are included are the first time that they were ever published. Following is Sheena's first appearance in a comic book.

Here's Sheena's first appearance in a comic book, JUMBO COMICS #1 (September, 1938). The script is by W. Morgan Stanley with art by Mort Meskin.

More Irish HERE.