Howard Purcell (1918-1981) created Johnny Peril almost by accident. “Just a Story” was a strip that had no real continuing character until Johnny stumbled along. Even with his first appearance in Comic Cavalcade #22 (August-September 1947), Johnny was more like an introducing character, like The Spirit who told the story. But over time he would become the lead character, a hard-hitting reporter and hero who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
This change became evident when Johnny moved to All-Star Comics where he worked alongside superheroes like Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. He later moved to Sensation Comics (retitled Sensation Mystery) to be written by Robert Kanigher. That might have been the end for Mr. Peril but he was revived in 1968 for the Horror anthology comic, The Unexpected. Purcell came back to do the first one (an expanded version of an earlier piece) before handing the character off to George Kashdan. Twenty-two years later, Johnny finally hung up his shoes for retirement in August-September 1969. (Thanks to Don Markstein.)
Phase One: Comic Cavalcade
“The Kid By the Side of the Road” (Comic Cavalcade #22, August-September 1947) Johnny gets help from a kid ten years dead.
“A Very Honorable Guy” (Comic Cavalcade #23, October-November 1947) tells of Johnny’s experience in World War II.
“The Story of Professor Kendle” (Comic Cavalcade #24, December 1947-January 1948) has Johnny take up the job of reporter. He explains to his editor about the professor and the gangsters and Mars… Shades of Kolchak.
“The Talking Dog” (Comic Cavalcade #25, February-March 1948) has Johnny trying to figure out if Donald is nuts. Was that dog really talking?
In “The Doorway Into Time” (Comic Cavalcade #26, April-May 1948) Johnny finds a man who has traveled in time. And his doorway looks like it was taken right out of Star Trek. No Joan Collins, but this story will get a second try in 1968.
No more telling other people’s stories. Johnny is now the hero. In “The Island of Little People” (Comic Cavalcade #27, June-July 1948) Johnny tells his incredible story to Professor Rome about an island of tiny people.
“The Treasure of Diaz” (Comic Cavalcade #28, August-September 1948) has Johnny travel in time to battle the Spanish in the African jungle.
“The Lovely Lady” (Comic Cavalcade #29, October-November 1948) has Johnny tell anothe tale of WWII, this time in the navy.
Phase Two: All-Star Comics
In “Johnny Peril’s Surprise Story: When the Moon Fell” (All-Star Comics #44, December 1948-January 1949) Johnny has a vision of the end of the earth. Mad scientist and plot are right out of an Edmond Hamilton story.
“Aladdin’s Lamp” (All-Star Comics #45, February-March 1949) has Johnny buy the famous lamp of Aladdin and the return of stolen art. It begins as a fantasy then becomes a crime drama.
“Collossus” (All-Star Comics #46, April-May 1949) Having been to an island of tiny people, why not one where the people are giants?
With Issue #48, Howard takes on another artist for the first time with veteran John Celardo inking. “The Littlest Planet” (All-Star Comics #48, August-September 1949)has Johnny and Professor Rome discover a miniature world that Johnny explores. Very Flash Gordon!
“Larry Minter Was Innocent” (All-Star Comics #49, October-November 1949) had pencils by Howard Purcell. A crime drama with no supernatural or fantastic elements.
“The Ice Queen” (All-Star Comics #51, February-March 1950) with pencils by Howard Purcell. Johnny and his explorer pals find a prehistoric woman frozen in the ice.
“The Last Man on Earth” (All-Star Comics #52, April-May 1950) was written by Howard Purcell with art by Purcell and Frank Giacoia. Back to the storyteller mode, as Johnny relates the tale of Dr. Gordon Star who travels to the future when robots rule the earth.
“The Dark Horseman” (All-Star Comics #54, August-September 1950) had art by Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia. A Texas oil rig is threatened by ghostly riders. The author is not known for sure. Several of the following stories are of unknown authorship.
“The Disappearance of Susan Duval” (All-Star Comics #55, October-November 1950) had art by Howard Purcell. Another crime drama, this time on a ship.
“The Girl From Aquaterra” (All-Star Comics #56, December 1950-January 1951) The author is unknown with art by Gil Kane. Reporter Peril tells of Phil’s adventure to the bottom of the sea and its beautiful hostess.
“The Lady of Mars” (All-Star Comics #57, February-March 1951) The author is not known but the art was provided by Joe Kubert. Using the projectiviso, Johnny and friends visit a very Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars. The best story for artwork and as close as we got to a John Carter series by Kubert.
Phase Three: Danger Trail
With “Rendezvous in Rio” (Danger Trail #5, March-April 1951), Purcell stepped away from the strip completely. It was written by Robert Kanigher with art by Frank Giacoia. Finally, Johnny got the cover. Johnny quits his newspaper job to live a quieter life but adventure won’t leave him alone.
Phase Four: Sensation Comics
Kanigher would continue as writer for the rest of the Sensation phase, weaving back and forth on artists.
“Queen of the Snows” (Sensation Comics #107, January-February 1952) had art by Alex Toth and Sy Barry. Johnny goes up against Subara, the Queen of the Snows,
“I Was the King of the Moths” (Sensation Comics #108, March-April 1952) also had art by Alex Toth and Sy Barry Discovering a race of giant moths, Johnny must become their master.
“The Demon in the Mirror” (Sensation Comics #109, June-July 1952) Art by Alex Toth and Sy Barry. Don Domingo “The Clay Figure Killer” can manipulate mirrors and attack from them.
“Horror in the Lake” (Sensation Mystery #110, July-August 1952) Art by Frank Giacoia and Sy Barry. Johnny takes on a weird snaky creature at a ski lodge.
“The Screaming Death” (Sensation Mystery #111, September-October 1952) Art by Frank Giacoia and Sy Barry. A clock is the calling card of a crazed killer.
“Death Has Five Guesses” (Sensation Mystery #112, November-December 1952) Art by Frank Giacoia and Sy Barry. Johnny and gal pal go to the haunted house of the Eternal Man and experience the terrors of soul switching.
“The End of Death” (Sensation Mystery #113, January-February 1953) Art by Jerry Grandenetti and Frank Giacoia. Mad men and amusement parks are not a good combo.
“The Haunted Diamond” (Sensation Mystery #114, March-April 1953) Art by Jerry Grandenetti and Frank Giacoia. The Bahara diamond transports Johnny to a strange crystal world.
“The Phantom Castle” (Sensation Mystery #115, May-June 1953) Art by Jerry Grandenetti and Sy Barry. A haunted castle right out of a Scooby-Doo adventure.
“The Toy Assassins” (Sensation Mystery #116, July-August 1953) Art by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. Killer toys or human robbers? You decide.
Phase Five: The Unexpected
DC decided to revive Johnny for The Unexpected. Howard Pucell still worked for them so he was asked to do the first one. He moved over to Marvel shortly after so this was his farewell to the character. “The Doorway Into Time” (The Unexpected #106, April-May 1968) Art by Howard Purcell and George Roussos. This story is just an expanded version of the same comic from Comic Cavalcade #26, April-May 1948.
With #107 George Kashdan wrote the final stories, mostly with art by Jack Sparling. “The Whip of Fear” (The Unexpected #107, June-July 1968) is a longer comic than previous incarnations. There is also a four-issue continued story-line with the villain. Johnny foils a plot out of a Fu Manchu novel.
“Journey to a Nightmare” (The Unexpected #108, August-September 1968) Illusions cloud an earthly mystery around a lighthouse.
“Baptism By Starfire” (The Unexpected #109, October-November 1968) The power of the Starfire projector is used against Johnny Peril.
“Death Town, USA” (The Unexpected #110, December 1968-January 1969) Nazis take over a town on the edge of a volcano.
“Mission Into Eternity” (The Unexpected #111, February-March 1969) Johnny gets caught up in a feud between ancient gods.
“The Brain Robbers” (The Unexpected #112, April-May 1969) Johnny is sent on a mission to stop a mad scientist with a brain-stealing ray. A very strong James Bond vibe has now taken over the strip.
“The Shriek of Vengeance” (The Unexpected #113, June-July 1969) Art by Jack Sparling and Vince Colletta Johnny is taken captive by a weird psychedelic judge.
“My Self–My Enemy” (The Unexpected #114, August-September 1969) Art by Ed Robbins and Vince Colleta. A golem is sent to destroy Johnny Peril.
Johnny had one more return left in him. As a way to celebrate the 200th issue of The Unexpected, Johnny Peril came back for one last adventure. (Shout out to Craig Hunter!) “House on the Edge of Eternity” (The Unexpected #200, July 1980) was scripted by Mike W. Barr, with art by George Tuska and Bob Smith. James Phillips mysteriously vanishes right in front of his family. Johnny is called in to navigate a family feud at the same time he searches for Mr. Phillips. A seance and a trap and Johnny proves the butler did it. Only the butler is an alien scientist. Phillips is rescued and Johnny is left wondering about time and other dimensions.
And so Johnny Peril’s adventures ended with 40 stories, ranging from the supernatural to crime drama to Science Fiction to spy adventure. The ride is thrilling if not very consistent. Johnny never overtly calls himself an occult detective but he certainly falls into that niche over time. I enjoy a ghostbreaker who is ready for anything, not overtly academic or stuffy. Like John Thunstone and other ass-kickers before him, Johnny Peril is of a breed closer to Indiana Jones than Dr. van Helsing.
Worthy of a collected volume. Fine and comprehensive overview