Future World Comics

Thursday, December 29 2005 @ 04:00 PM PST

Happy New Year! And what more appropriate way is there to step into 2006 than with the one and only issue of "Future World Comics" -- which features a “Preview Of The World Tomorrow” from the perspective of 1946? Behold such marvels of the future as “bouncing putty” (composed of “lazy molecules”), “air-cooled shoes” and “robot sentinels!” (Shades of The Uncanny X-Men!) You’ll get all this -- and “old Dr. Gay,” too!

[fieldinserts][issuetitle]Title: [subissuetitle]Future World Comics[subissuetitle]
[issuetitle][issue]Issue: [subissue]No. 1[subissue]
[issue][publicationdate]Date: [subpublicationdate]1946 (“Summer Issue”)[subpublicationdate]
[publicationdate][publisher]Publisher: [subpublisher]George W. Dougherry[subpublisher]
[publisher][coverartists]Cover Artist(s): [subcoverartists]“Ulmer” (signed)[subcoverartists]

[coverartists][introtext]Happy New Year! And what more appropriate way is there to step into 2006 than with the one and only issue of "Future World Comics" -- which features a “Preview Of The World Tomorrow” from the perspective of 1946? Behold such marvels of the future as “bouncing putty” (composed of “lazy molecules”), “air-cooled shoes” and “robot sentinels!” (Shades of The Uncanny X-Men!) You’ll get all this -- and “old Dr. Gay,” too![introtext]

[fieldinserts]Here's the one and only issue of FUTURE WORLD COMICS, which features a "Preview Of The World Tomorrow" from the Oddball perspective of 1946. Chock-full of post-WWII optimism, this 48-page (plus covers) funnybook takes the route of POPULAR MECHANICS and other eye-to-the-future publications, but with a distinctly pro-military slant. (And why not? After all, the USA had just won the war!) The cover of FUTURE WORLD COMICS depicts a flying car, which appears nowhere within the comic itself; in fact, those of us living in the year 2005 are still waiting for those flying cars!

Included in this issue of FUTURE WORLD COMICS are the following stories, features and advertisements:

• "What In The Future World", a black-and-white, inside-front-cover page of speculation, featuring "a juke-box that automatically plays loud when there's a lot of noise in the room, softly when there's little noise", "a sun lamp that bleaches slightly scorched shirts back to whiteness", and "radio communication with France" by bouncing radio waves off of the moon.

• "Don't Risk Paying Hospital And Doctor Bills All By Yourself!", an ad for a mail-order "Hospitalization Insurance Plan" ("costs 3¢ a day for adults") from the "George Rogers Clark Mutual Casualty Company".

• "What's The Future Fuze?", a page of speculation, featuring future applications of "fuzes" (AKA "fuses"), including tiny radio receivers, private aircraft instrumentation, "robot sentinels" (shades of THE UNCANNY X-MEN's Bolivar Trask!) smaller and less expensive hearing aids, and electronic recorders to be carried into the stratosphere by balloons.

• "Mercy Flight", signed by "Ulmer". - "It seems like young Fred Grant's knowledge of science is of little help to him in his mad dash to get penicillin to Port Radium in northern Canada - where his older brother, Jim and 65 others are stricken with pneumonia - unless it gets there FAST - there is no hope - and weather grounds the planes - at Yellow Knife - 300 miles away - " Desperate, Fred tries driving to Port Radium, but discovers that, five miles out of Yellow Knife, that the bridge is out. Meanwhile a heavy snowstorm descends on Port Radium, where doctors lament their lack of penicillin and sulfa drugs. Back in Yellow Knife, Doug attempts to talk pilot Doug Patterson into flying the mission through the deadly storm, but the airman balks: "If I had a Black Widow Night Fighter with radar - I'd try it - but in this sub-zero weather, we wouldn't have a chance!" When Fred sees a "radar fuze" - also known as a "proximity fuze" - sitting on the mantle, he jerry-rigs it to work. After installing it and a "reflector" - "so it will only register from one direction at a time" - he and Doug test the new equipment, install it and take off on their "suicide" mission. One hour later and 100 miles nearer to Port Radium, Fred and Doug use the devices to avoid crashing into trees and mountains, but by the two-hour mark, Fred discovers that the proximity fuze has been jammed by ice. Bravely - or perhaps foolishly - Fred climbs out of the cabin and onto the wing, where he pries loose the frozen device, then slides back inside the airborne plane with the fuze cradled in his arms. Operating the instrument from within the aircraft's cabin, Fred and Doug evade a few more mountain peaks before landing in Port Radium to finally deliver the penicillin and sulfa drugs just in time. When one of the doctors asks how they made it through the storm, Fred answers, "The world's best flying, and a gadget I made!", while Doug replies, "A gadget he made, and the world's luckiest pilot!"

• "How The Proximity Fuze Works". - This follow-up story - drawn in a style that's imitative of that of cartoonist Milton (TERRY AND THE PIRATES) Caniff - begins days after the events of "Mercy Flight", Fred visits his brother Jim who's recovering in Port Radium's hospital. When Jim asks exactly what a proximity fuze is, Fred explains, "Gee, Jim, everybody knows about that! It's the fuze that explodes the shell whenever it gets near, or, in the proximity of anything! Get it, a proximity fuze! It shot down so many 'buzz' bombs over England - that the Germans quit using them. It shot down Jap suicide planes - before they reached our warships - " But after Fred launches a somewhat over-detailed description of how a proximity fuze actually works, Jim seems genuinely relieved when one of his doctors shows up and gently ejects Fred from the room, "You saved him with your penicillin. Now, don't talk him to death!"

• "Jack Boyd And The 'Radar Rescue'", signed "drawn by Seymour". - "Ten years before, millionaire Rodney Jackson and his pilot had vanished on an attempted airplane flight from Hawaii to Darwin, Australia. His son, Rodney, Jr., had never quite believed his father had been lost at sea. So, when old Cap'n Enos brought him the message from his father, found in a bottle picked up on a California beach, Rodney was overjoyed -------- " The story begins as Rodney, Jr. reads the note to crusty Cap'n Enos: "Will the finder of this note deliver it to my son, Rodney Jackson Jr., in Central City, Indiana, USA. I am alive, on a island about 5 deg. S. lat, 175 deg, E long. If my money's gone, I have enough wealth here to pay for an expedition. R. Jackson". Cap'n Enos immediately agrees to pilot the Jackson family's 250-foot yacht, "The Silver Streak" to the South Pacific in search of Rodney's lost father. Realizing they'll need radar to match the shape of the island that's drawn on Rodney Sr.'s map, the boy millionaire next recruits Jack Boyd, an ex-navy radar developer. Two weeks later, they set sail from San Francisco, plowing southward until they find a tropical hurricane in their path. During the storm, they use their radar, managing to keep from being rammed by a passing steamer ship. Three weeks later, Jack's radar matches nearby Heart Island to the sketch on Rodney, Sr.'s note. As they approach Heart Island, they see a ship departing from the island. Landing, the trio searches the island, but only find Rodney Sr.'s demolished hut and a scrawled note that reads "HELP PIRATES JACKS" The team's radar expert has an idea: "I get it. Your father probably sent a lot of notes in bottles. Someone else got one, found the island and took him and the treasure. Come on!" Following the pirate ship's trail of smoke, "The Silver Streak" is almost thrown off its course in a dense fog bank; fortunately, Jack's radar saves the day. Finally catching up with the pirates, Rodney, Jr., Jack and Cap'n Enos steal aboard and locate Rodney Jackson, Sr. The pirate ship - carrying a fortune in pearls they stole from Rodney, Sr. - takes off with "The Silver Streak" in hot pursuit, using its radar to track the thieves despite the thick fog. When Rodney, Jr. threatens to torpedo the pirates' ship if they don't hand over the purloined pearls, the bad guys reluctantly agree. But after the exchange is made, the crew of "The Silver Streak" reveal that their torpedo is actually "a blasted dummy made of tin pipe and canvas"! Later, as Rodney Jackson, Sr. thanks his "radar rescuers", he offers to split the sales of his pearls four ways -- about a million dollars apiece! So how does Jack Boyd plan to spend his portion of the money? "That's easy. Build a bigger and better radar!"

• ":Let's Look At Radar's Future", a page of speculation, featuring future applications of radar that include aircraft instrumentation, map-making and security surveillance.

• "It's Patented! Patents That Have Been Granted", illustrated by cartoonist Larz Bourne, includes a matchbook with a face, a device that can detect when a jar is leaking, a bird house with a ventilation system, facial patches that eliminate wrinkles and a self-illuminating makeup compact.

• "It's Patented! United States Patents Have Recently Been Granted On These Devices", includes "a voice recorder that starts when u talk into it", a device "for those who want to exercise their eyes", "a vacuum cleaner carried on your back, papoose style", "a double-ended snap clothespin" and a special auger for boring holes in ice.

• "What In The Future World", a page of speculation that features "bouncing putty" made from "lazy molecules" (I'll bet it will "pick up your favorite comics", too!), an "insect-chasing electric light", "air-cooled shoes", an "electric cable that yells when it's hurt" and "a new line of dyes" that will convert military uniforms into civilian wear.

• "How Radar Works", signed "S.R.". - "Jack Boyd is spending a few days at the Jackson's country estate, resting up from the rigors of the exciting, radar directed rescue of Mr. Jackson - " Rodney, Sr., having been stranded on Heart Island for over a year, is anxious to catch up on the latest technological developments -- including radar - and Jack is more than delighted to attempt to provide an explanation. "Well, the name 'radar' is sort of a tip off. It means RAdio Direction And Ranging. Get it? RADAR! Radar shows direction and distance and works on the echo system." After a demonstration involving a rifle and a stop watch, Jack is only getting started, but the senior Jackson soon begs off in exhaustion, claiming, "Help! I've had all I can take for one day. Save it for some other time!"

• "Bill Cosmo And The Plutonium Pile!" - "When Bill Cosmo - old Dr. Gay's prize science student - received the letter from far away Pasco, Washington - it looked to Bill - like a good chance to work with his old professor - and get in on the ground floor of the exciting new field of atomic energy - He had no idea that he was to be the main figure in an adventure which was almost to end in DISASTER!" Upon arriving at "Plant No. 2", Bill is reunited with his old college professor, Dr. Gay, who seems greatly relieved at his former student's arrival. Dr. Gay explains, "As you know, Bill, we're making - plutonium here! - The stuff they used in the atomic bomb!" But Dr. Gay's assistant, Eric Hardin - ordinarily, a good man who has been behaving oddly lately - has been creating cause for concern. When Hardin overhears them talking about him, he flips out, accusing Dr. Gay of plotting against him. While he rants, Dr. Gay privately shows Bill movie footage of the first test of the atomic bomb: "Yes - Bill - this is what will happen here - if we get to much plutonium together, and using Hardin's calculations - we will!" While Dr. Gay shows Bill the plant's plutonium pile and safety instruments, Hardin plots vengeful mischief against his boss. That night, while Dr. Gay takes a short trip into nearby Walla-Walla to check on his wife -- who's recovering from an accident - Bill oversees Eric Hardin tampering with the plant's instrument power supply. But when the plant's Chief Of Security poo-poos his report, Bill grabs a Geiger-Mueller counter from Dr. Gay's laboratory to rough-check the instruments' readings. Again, he stumbles onto Hardin, who attacks Bill to prevent him from getting those readings. After a frenzied fist-fight with the crazed ex-assistant, Bill rushes to the plant's plutonium pile -- which is making noises that sound like that of a machine gun! But as Bill attempts to shut down the piles, he's attacked once again, this time by Hardin --who claims that his replacement is intending to blow up the plant -- accompanied by the plant's guards! As the Geiger-Mueller counter goes wild, Dr. Gay suddenly arrives back at the plant. It's revealed that Eric Hardin didn't want Bill to check the plant's instruments because he'd already sabotaged them, a fact that is exposed when Hardin corrects Dr. Gay, who insists that the plutonium pile be immediately unloaded. Dr. Gay sincerely thanks Bill "for saving 3,000 lives and a half-billion dollars", but all Bill expects is to continue working as Dr. Gay's latest assistant!

• "How Atomic Energy Works!", signed "Thompson". - "Bill Cosmo, home on a short vacation from the atomic energy plant, is in his basement lab with his small brother, Johnny - " Bill explains, "The formula for finding he energy of a moving body is speed, times speed, times weight. Imagine something moving with the speed of light, which could o around the Earth 7 1/2 times in one second. That's how fast the tiny particles (protons and neutrons) that form the atom's central nucleus are moving!" Using a balloon and a pile of coal, Bill tries to explain to his little brother how an atomic explosion is created. When Johnny asks "What'd happen if all the neutrons made energy?", Bill's non-committal answer is, "Maybe you'll see that happen some day…"

• "They Did The Impossible", a two-page illustrated text-feature written by H. S. Camp and illustrated by F. C. Hollingsworth.

• "Your Future Needs The Army And The Army Needs You". - "Right now, the U.S. Army offers their biggest bargain to qualified men between the ages of 17 and 34. You can select any branch o the service. You get a chance to learn, first hand, about the latest developments of a scientific world. If you enlist for 3 years, you get a 4 year college or other course, FREE, when you get out, and you're paid during the whole 4 years at school. In the service, there are free correspondence courses in almost everything." An army sergeant shows three potential recruits a variety of careers within the armed services, including working with the latest jet planes, working with remote control aircraft and working in the field of radar. The sergeant concludes his lecture with this bit of hard-sell dialogue, persuasive points that are still being used by recruiting officers sixty years after FUTURE WORLD COMICS was published: "If you've always wanted to see China, here's your chance. If fact, you can elect to serve anywhere our armies are! And pay? Where else can you start a job that leaves you $50 or $60 a month, after you've paid for food, rent, clothes, doctor and dentist, and gives you a month' vacation a year with pay! Me, I decided to make the army my career. I'm drawing $207 a month now. In two years I can retire on 30 years service with $155.25 a month for the rest of my life. Anyway you look at it, it's a bargain. So, do yourself a favor, drop into the nearest army recruiting office and learn all about it. If you don't know where it is, just write!"

• "Where Is Atomic Energy Going?", a speculative page that illustrates such future usages of atomic energy as atomic automobiles, disease treatment, space travel, home heating, and plutonium-powered factories, ocean liners and locomotives.

• "It's Patented!", illustrated by cartoonist Larz Bourne, includes "a razor that carries its own cream and water in the handle", "a stairway that swings out of the way and reach when not in use", a "portable fire-escape that pops up somewhat like an opera hat", a "fountain pen with the built in ink eradicator" and a talking robotic money-dispenser "to help you balance your budget". (Scan 1, Scan 2, Scan 3)

• "Thrill Your Friends With Your Personal Photo Stamps In Your Letters, Greeting Cards, Etc.", a black-and-white, inside-back-cover ad for stamps "made from your favorite snapshot or photo" from "The Photoplate Co."

• "Bobby Finds A New Buddy!", a back-cover strip-ad for the BOYS FUN BOOK, available through mail-order from "Foremost Books", drawn by SUPERMAN artist Wayne Boring.

ODDBALL Factoid - Cartoonist Larz Bourne not only worked in comic books, he also drew many gag cartoons for magazines and worked extensively in animation for Famous Studios (as a story man on such demented fare as "Baby Huey" and "Herman And Katnip" cartoons) and Hanna-Barbera Productions, among many others!

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