This time I'm visiting 1940's Whiz Comics #10 and a story featuring the adventure hero Lance O'Casey, written by Bill Parker and drawn by Bob Kingett. Lance O'Casey was one of the longest-running adventure heroes in the Fawcett Comics stable, lasting 1940-1953. Much like yesterday's hero, Gypsy Johnson, he was a "soldier of fortune" always seeking out new adventures. The introductory caption explains his home is on the South Seas island Maloana, his schooner is named the Brian Boru II and his pet monkey is named Mr. Hogan. That's more detail than Gypsy Johnson ever eeked out!
We open on the schooner as Lance spots a lifeboat and draws aboard a beautiful young woman named Janet Dale, an heiress who just inherited $10,000 from her uncle's estate but her ship went down in a hurricane. A storm comes up and the schooner scrapes into reef, damaging the craft. Lance successfully lands his damaged craft at a nearby island and they look for help.
Lance and Janet find a village and armed natives confront them, brandishing spears. Lance draws his pistol to ward them off but the confrontation is ended by the arrival of Simon Rudd, the "master" of these islanders. Dressed in a full tuxedo, he seems pretty out-of-place on the jungle island. Simon takes Janet into his home so she can rest and reveals he loves to play chess. When Simon tries to steal Janet's $10,000 Lance socks him in the jaw. However, the natives surround Lance and Janet to keep them from leaving.
To save his life, Lance suggests he and Simon play a game of chess for the money and their lives. Simon agrees but informs Lance it will be a game of "human chess." If Lance can survive on the island for ten hours he'll win the game but if Simon and his followers find him first, he'll die. To throw Simon off their trail Lance puts his shoes on Mr. Hogan's feet to create a false path. Frustrated by his inability to locate his quarry, Simon begins burning down the forest but Lance and Janet leap over a cliff to evade death.
Simon is just starting to gloat to the natives about his victory when Lance reappears. Simon draws a gun to kill him but Mr. Hogan spoils his aim. When the natives see Simon's defeat they declare from now on he'll be their slave instead of the other way around. Repairing his schooner, Lance transports Janet to another ship and she continues on her way home. "I can't thank you enough for saving my life - and the money, Lance." Our hero came out ahead of the money!
All scans from Digital Comic Museum
Summing Up: Once again we have a female sidekick for the hero as in the 1932 film of The Most Dangerous Game; as Lance is a solo hero, that means first introducing the woman to the cast, then writing her out after the climax. There's not much reason for her to be present other than copying elements from the movie.
This one is much less on-the-nose than the Gypsy Johnson story - in fact, Lance comes up with the idea of a challenge against Rudd to save his life and Rudd only comes up with the notion of hunting him in the spur of the moment.
The Hunter:
- A
Russiannobleman (1/4 points) Who is a big game hunter(0/4 points)But is no longer challenged by big game(0/4 points)- So he hunts
menLance and Janet on his secluded island (1/4 points) Justifying this through a eugenics/Darwinian philosophy(0/4 points)- He is aided by his servants
, including a disfigured mute(2/4 points) And his vicious hunting dogs(0/4 points)- He obtains his prey by scuttling nearby ships [or rather, he takes advantage of the same] (1/4 points)
- His victims are given a time limit of
3 daysten hours; if they are alive at the deadline, they win the hunt (3/4 points) As a further example of his sense of "sportsmanship", he will deliberately prolong the hunt if he finds it interesting(0/4 points)His victims are placed on display in his trophy room(0/4 points)
The Hunted:
A famous big game hunter(0/4 points)Who philosophizes about what (if anything) animals sense while being hunted(0/4 points)- He is
cast overboardstopped for repairs and finds himself on the hunter's island, alonewith a woman (2/4 points) The hunter knows him because of his reputation(0/4 points)When he learns the hunter's scheme he refuses to hunt alongside him(0/4 points)- Hunted by the hunter, he flees into the wilderness trying to avoid detection (4/4 points)
His only tool is a knife which the hunter gave him(0/4 points)In time he constructs traps to kill the hunter or his servants(0/4 points)- He survives the ordeal by leaping over a cliff (4/4 points)
Although the hunt is over,he confronts the hunter andduels him to the deathhas a fistfight (2/4 points)
The Island:
- Is a tropical island in the
CaribbeanPacific (3/4 points) - Surrounded by dangerous reefs which wreck ships (4/4 points)
- The island has a dangerous swamp (4/4 points)
- And high cliffs (4/4 points)
Final score 35/100!
More hunting coming soon!
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