Send In The Clown!

The first post on this blog, on March 15th, copied an image from the comic book below. It is the first issue of Green Hornet Comics published by Harvey Comics in early 1942.

Taking the time for a longer look at the issue reveals what appears to be an attempt to build an arch-nemesis of sorts who is very reminiscent of a Batman villain created about two years earlier. Prepare yourself for...The Clown! 🤡

 

 

The story begins with an image of the front page of The Sentinel announcing that The Clown is still at large. The police finally manage to corner him in his hideout though, however. Direct from the scene, Sentinel reporter Michael Axford keeps publisher Britt Reid updated on the situation. 

The Clown is jailed but manages to escape by impersonating a particularly stupid warden. He abducts Britt Reid with the goal of getting revenge for Reid bringing heat on The Clown through articles in The Sentinel newspaper. 

Reid figures, accurately, that The Clown will direct his anger towards other Sentinel staff members as well, Axford included. As the Green Hornet, he hauls ass to the newspaper, barely arrives in time to save Lenore Case, and manages to gas The Clown into unconsciousness. 

Can he indeed?? 

There is a second Hornet story in this book, then a couple of the other features displayed on the cover. About two thirds into the book, we're provided a prequel to the story above.

That seems like a lot of attention to give to a character if you hadn't planned on using him again.

So does The Clown return, as hinted at the bottom of the last panel of the comic book story?

Of course! Merely three issues later. 

I'm not sure that he makes an appearance beyond that book, however. Judging from covers alone, the book's direction seems to move toward fighting Nazis rather than violent clowns. But it was interesting to come across an attempt to create a villainous recurring character, even if said characters was somewhat...derivative.