1939 was the Year of the Robot! So many stories, comics, movies from 1939 to 1942 were influenced by the World’s Fair, and one exhibit, in particular, Westinghouse’s Elektro. This golden robot could talk, move his head and arms, blow up balloons and even smoke a cigarette. The Pulps and the comics had robots in them before 1939 but an explosion of new robots came after the Fair. Karl Capek’s play “R. U. R” gave us the word “robot” in 1920. It is Czech for “slave” or “worker”. But Capek’s robots are very human-looking androids. The classic Tin Robot comes from 1939. We are going to look at all the robot activity in 1939 and then a few years after as the full impact of the World’s Fair rolls on.
NB. Comics that list no author were written by unknown pen-slaves. It was too tedious to say “Written by Unknown author” so often.
1939
January
The Phantom Creeps was a 12-part serial starring Bela Lugosi. It ran from January 7 to March 25, 1939, in anticipation of the World’s Fair. Lugosi is a mad scientist, Dr. Zorka.He has an ugly, eight-foot robot. A film version was released on television in 1949.
“I, Robot” by Eando Binder premiered in Amazing Stories, January 1939. This story was the first to be told from the robot’s POV. It also furthered sympathetic robot images that most SF did not. There would be ten stories in the Adam Link series. Ray A. Palmer made sure he had plenty of robots on the cover of his Pulps.
April
The Fair opened on April 30, 1939 and ran until October 27, 1940. “The World of Tomorrow” was the theme of the World’s Fair, so Science Fiction fans most certainly were drawn to it. Elektro, the golden robot, was a must-see. Take note of that robot dog. He will make another appearance before the end.
Doc Savage Magazine offered The World’s Fair Goblin, April 1939. Lester Dent had a man distorted by glandular injections to create his goblin, not a mechanical terror. What a lost opportunity! I include it here because it was written expressly to promote the fair.
July
The first WorldCon was held on July 29, 1939. Fans and writers from all over the country went to the con and took in the Fair as well. Captain Future was created by Mort Weisinger and Leo Marguiles during the convention. Edmond Hamilton was later hired to write most of the lead novels. Weisinger was only twenty-four years old at the time. He would leave Better Publications in March 1941 to work for DC Comics. (You will see him again, too!)
Mort put this story on the cover of Startling Stories, July 1939, “Robot A-1” by future editor, Oscar J. Friend. What makes this one interesting is the dissimilar design. A-1 doesn’t look much like Elektro. For more on this story, go here.
Over at Thrilling Wonder Stories, Mort had “The Robot Nemesis” by E. E. “Doc” Smith (Thrilling Wonder Stories, June 1939). The story has an alternate title, “What a Course!” when it appeared in 1934’s Cosmos, but robots had to be in the title in 1939!
“Fantom of the Fair” premiered in Centaur’s Amazing Mystery Funnies vol. 2, #7 (July 1939). This comic takes place at the World’s Fair. It was written and drawn by Paul Gustavson.
August
The Wizard of Oz opened on August 25th with a robot-like Tin Woodsman. Here continued a Hollywood tradition that began with Metropolis (1927) and would end with Anthony Daniels bitching continuously in a gold metal suit in 1977.
Bozo the Robot premiered in Quality Comics’ Smash Comics #1 (August 1939). The first story is titled “Hugh Hazzard and His Iron Man”. By the twelfth story it was called “Bozo the Robot with Hugh Hazzard” soon to drop Hugh’s name altogether. This comic would run for forty-one issues to March 1943.
October
DC’s Movie Comics #6, September–October 1939 adapts The Phantom Creeps. The artwork in Movie Comics used photographs of the actors. DC Comics was particularly fond of robots as you will see.
December
Rex Dexter in “The Robot Solar System” (Mystery Men Comics #5, December 1939) was written and drawn by Dick Briefer.
Mysterious Doctor Satan was a 15-part serial released beginning on December 13, 1939. It starred Edward Ciannelli as the mad doctor.
1940
1940 say the release of the short film, Leave It to Roll-Oh! with an overview of robots and other inventions from the World’s Fair.
January
Captain Future premiered with Grag the robot and Otho the android for companions. The Pulp lasted until Spring 1944 when Cap and his buddies went over to Startling Stories well into the 1950s. For more on Captain Future, go here.
Landor, Maker of Monsters in “Mad Men Raze N. Y. City” in (Speed Comics #4, January 1940)
February
Timely/Marvel Comics introduced “Electro” in Marvel Mystery Comics #4, February 1940. The comic was written and drawn by Steve Dahlman. It ran for fifteen installments.
April
Timely/Marvel Comics introduced “Marvex” in Daring Mystery Comics #3, April 1940. It ran for three installments. I guess his batteries weren’t as good as Electro’s.
Major Mars in “The Beast Plague From Jupiter” (Exciting Comics #1, April 1940) has a robot friend named Grag. Hmmm….
May
The Shudder Pulps were at the peak of their popularity in 1939, and they didn’t want to miss out on the robots either. “Master of the Silver Giants” (Thrilling Mystery, May 1940) by Robert Bloch offer some mechanical villains to be explained away by the end of the story. For more, go here.
June
The Space Rovers in “The Robot Masters of Venus” (Exciting Comics #3, April 1940) was drawn by Max Plaisted. Plaisted was the perfect artist for these comics, having done space comics for Thrilling Wonder Stories.
“The Origin of Captain Future” in Startling Comics #1, June 1940. Sadly this isn’t an adaptation of the Pulp character, though Startling Comics was owned by Ned Pines as well. I think the editors wanted to steal some of the Pulp legends flame without having to work that hard.
“Birth of a Robot” was a two-part text story from Target Comics #5 and 6 (June-July 1940). It was written by Stockbridge Winslow. The story features The White Streak.
“Three Companions” (Thrilling Comics #5, June 1940) was written by Richard Hughes.
July
“Inspector Dayton” (Jumbo Comics #17, July 1940)
August
DC’s The Hourman in “The Black Ray” (Adventure Comics #65, August 1940)
Power Nelson in “The Robot Invasion From Argus” (Prize Comics #6, August 1940)
September
Captain Nelson Cole of the Solar Force in “Robot Raiders of Mars” (Planet Comics #8, September 1940) For more on Planet Comics space heroes like Capt. Cole, go here.
“Strange Playfellow” (aka “Robbie”) by Isaac Asimov appeared in Super Science Stories, September 1940. The first in his famous robot series that would give us The Three Laws of Robotics. The title was courtesy of Frederik Pohl, the editor.
October
“Farewell to the Master” by Harry Bates appeared in Astounding Science-Fiction, October 1940. The robot is the master! Robert Wise would turn this into a film in 1951. The Westinghouse exec standing with Elektro must have inspired this scene.
The World’s Fair closed on October 27, 1940, but the robotmania didn’t end with the Fair. It flowed into comic books and Pulp magazines everywhere. Let’s keep going and see what other reactions creators had to the golden robot.
November
Superman comic strip ran “The Robot Bandits of Metropolis” on November 3 to December 22, 1940. The strip was written by Superman creator, Jerry Siegel. For more on robots in Superman comics, go here.
All-American Comics #20-25 (November 1940-April 1941) adapted Carl H. Claudy’s first Adventures into the Unknown novel as “The Mystery Men of Mars”. For more on Claudy and this series, go here.
December
Tom Kerry District Attorney in “The Killer Robot” (Big Shot Comics #8, December 1940) written by Gardner F. Fox.
“Tommy Tinkle” (Hit Comics #6, December 1940) written by “Sandy Klauz”.
1941
“John Carter and the Robots of Mars” by John Coleman Burroughs (ERB’s son) appeared as a Sunday page from 1941 to 1943. Even old John Carter could use a little robot help it seems! For more, go here.
January
Dell’s War Comics #1 (January 1940) featured “Sikandur the Robot Master” by an unknown author.
February
Magic Comics starring Mandrake comic strip reprints, February 1941.
Doc Strong in “The Isle of Right” in Blue Ribbon Comics #9-12, February-May 1941 was written by Joe Blair.
The Great Voodini in “Hohito’s Robot” (Prize Comics #9, February 1941) may have been written by Fred Guardineer.
March
DC’s The Crimson Avenger in “The Echo” in Detective Comics #49, March 1941 was written by Jack Lehti. Note the color of the bot!
Sky Wizard in “The Robot Terror” (Miracle Comics #4, March 1941) was written by Emile C. Schurmacher.
April
Dick Cole in “The Rampaging Robot” in Blue Bolt #11, April 1941 was written and drawn by Bob Davis.
Edison Bell in “The Photography Lesson” in Blue Bolt #11, April 1941.
July
Dr. Diamond in “Quest For the Black Diamond” (Cat-Man #3, July 1941) was written and drawn by Allen Ulmer. The story features a giant robot named Najar.
“The Robot God” by Ray Cummings appeared in Weird Tales, July 1941. Robots had not been on the cover of Weird Tales since 1926 and Edmond Hamilton. Dorothy McIlwraith knew what she was doing, being a New York editor. The story is not great, with humans being captured by large, aggressive robots ruled by a Robot God. He turns out to be a human dwarf in disguise. Rather like a Shudder Pulp in many ways. For more on this story and other robots in Weird Tales, go here.
August
“The Space Legion” in Crack Comics #15, August 1941 was written and drawn by Vern Henkel.
September
Dickie Dean in “The Robot Robberies” (Silver Streak Comics #14, September 1941) was written by Dick Wood. Art probably by Ken Battlefield singed Batt.
November
Robots finally came to the cartoons with Superman and “The Mechanical Monsters“. It premiered on November 28, 1941
DC’s Johnny Quick in “The Black Knight” (More Fun Comics #73, November 1941) was written by Mort Weisinger. (Told you he went to DC!) Weisinger has a suit of armor that is a robot. I could probably do another whole post on that idea! Maybe this was the first time (but I doubt it)? It does show that writers were beginning to move away from the simple tin robot, trying to find some new gimmick to keep the robot love going.
1942
Mighty Mouse faces off against a cat turned robot in “Frankenstein’s Cat” (1942)
April
“Robotman” premiered at DC’s Star-Spangled Comics #7, April 1942. The comic was created by Jerry Siegel. By April 1944, Robotman is joined by his dog, Robbie. (Remember Elektro and his dog?) The strip started in Star-Spangled Comics but leapt over to Detective Comics with Issue #137 (dropping Robbie for a more serious tone). The entire saga ran for a total of 141 stories, making it the longest running of the Golden Age robot characters. Robot dogs would re-emerge on Doctor Who in 1977.
Captain Marvel got into the robot-bashing game in September 1942. For more on the Big Red Cheese, go here.
Conclusion
We could chase the after-effects of 1939’s World Fair for decades but let’s leave it there. There will more books, cartoons, comic books, movies and eventually TV shows with robots. Think of the robot in Forbidden Planet (1956) or on Lost in Space (1965-1968). The tin toy robot was really a creature of the 1950s and 1960s after the exploration of space became a reality but they take their design from Elektro and all that followed. The 1970s will rebirth all this stuff again after Star War, giving us Droids, Cylons, Tweekie the annoying robot, etc. Saturn 3, The Black Hole, and later The Terminator, will build whole movies around robots and androids. Buck Rogers Stuff is here to stay, and that includes robots.
Frank Belknap Long wrote a robot novel in 1963 called It Was the Day of the Robot but I think you’d have to agree, 1939 was the real Year of the Robot!
