{"product_id":"black-cat-comics-volume-1-hardcover","title":"BLACK CAT COMICS Volume 1 Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis collection stars Hollywood stunt woman turned sexy costumed crime fighter, Linda Turner -- better known as the daring Black Cat! Watch as she takes on gangsters, spies, and villains with her acrobatic skills, sharp wit, and fearless determination. A true gem of 1940s comic book history, our heroine starred in 30 issues of her own title and dozens of other appearances before the title switched to horror. She was revived in the 60s for another run. \u003cem\u003eFun, light-hearted stories starring a vivacious, sexy, and unique leading lady. I love the motocycle cover on #1, which they've used on the cover here: that's pure iconic Black Cat! - Bud\u003c\/em\u003e\n\n\"Linda Turner is the daughter of silent film Western actor Tim Turner, and a former Hollywood stunt woman. Linda has successfully made the transition from stunt woman to lead actress. During the filming of an unnamed picture, Linda suspects the film's director, Garboil (no first name given), of being a Nazi spy or at the very least an American Bund member. In order to follow him and gain corroborating evidence, she disguises herself in a backless blue blouse, red shorts, blue flared gloves, red buccaneer boots and a blue opera mask and calls herself the Black Cat.\"\n\nBack-up stories are drawn by \u003cstrong\u003eJoe Kubert, Joe Simon, Al Avison, Art Helfant, Arturo Casaneuve, Bob Powell,\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eJill Elgin. \u003c\/strong\u003eThese are pretty wild too, with some early horror themes. Titles include \"Swamp Gold,\" \"Dance Macabre\" (by Kubert), \"Cross and Double Cross\" (also by Kubert), \"Gamble with Death,\" etc.\n\n\u003cem\u003eThis collects the first four big 52 page issues. She started her career with a lower cut, even sexier outfit more like The Phantom Lady. That era runs right up and into issue #1 here; but with #2, her character takes on much more personality and is more fully realized; \u003cstrong\u003eLee Elias\u003c\/strong\u003e takes over the art and she becomes the still quite sexy, but more feisty girl-next-door, less serious, more hip character that fans (like myself) most care about. She has a charm about her, often talking directly to the reader in one page \"how to fight\" features. I find her one of the most charming female heroines of the 1940s. Of course, the Black Cat name is now part of the Marvel Universe too. - Bud\u003c\/em\u003e\n\n\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication History\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e: The Black Cat debuted in \u003cem\u003ePocket Comics\u003c\/em\u003e #1 (August 1941), an experimental digest-sized comic book published by Harvey and was illustrated by artist Al Gabriele.\n\nAfter the demise of \u003cem\u003ePocket\u003c\/em\u003e, the Black Cat became one of the features in the anthology title \u003cem\u003eSpeed Comics\u003c\/em\u003e, lasting until that title's demise in 1947.  By 1946, Black Cat had also gained her own title, which lasted 29 issues until 1951 before changing its content to horror stories (the title was subsequently known as \u003cem\u003eBlack Cat Western Comics, Black Cat Mystery Comics, Black Cat Western Mystery, Black Cat Western Comics,\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBlack Cat Mystic\u003c\/em\u003e, before reverting to back to reprints of the original Black Cat\/Linda Turner stories for the final three issues, #63–65).\n\nBlack Cat also appeared in a separate Harvey anthology, \u003cem\u003eAll-New Comics\u003c\/em\u003e, in issues #6, 9, and 15. Writers on the Black Cat series are not positively known. Artists who worked on the feature after Al Gabriele include \u003cstrong\u003ePierce Rice, Arturo Casaneuve, Bob Powell, Jill Elgin\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eJoe Kubert\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003eLee Elias\u003c\/strong\u003e, occasionally inked by \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Belfi,\u003c\/strong\u003e provided the art from nearly every Black Cat\/Linda Turner story from 1946 until the feature's end in 1951.\n\nAccording to \u003ci\u003eJess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes\u003c\/i\u003e, most of the Black Cat's opponents are ordinary criminals and Axis agents, but she does fight a female mad scientist, the criminal brothers known as the Three Black Cats, a vampire, and after the war Russians in Afghanistan.\u003csup id=\"cite_ref-8\" class=\"reference\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\n\nIn 1944, The Black Cat's costume was modified slightly, becoming a one piece blue bathing suit with buccaneer boots, flared gloves and opera mask, all in blue, and a red belt. This look would remain for the rest of her career.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PS Artbooks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59643741929758,"sku":"BLACC01H","price":52.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/0684\/7006\/files\/blacc01h-black-cat-comics-vol-1-book.jpg?v=1784518654","url":"https:\/\/shop.budsartbooks.com\/products\/black-cat-comics-volume-1-hardcover","provider":"Bud's Art Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}