If you missed the first invasion…
The Pulps gave us the tin metal robot. (Actually you could find them on movie screens as well.) But the Pulps solidified the Science Fiction Horror tale of the Frankensteinian invention that kills with steely hands. Those metal monsters found their way quickly into comic books.
Marvel and DC Comics (along with other big publishers like Fawcett and Dell) had plenty of robots, both killers and cuties. Think of Doom Patrol, Ultron, Weird War Tales with their robot G. I., The Metal Men, X-Men‘s Sentinels and many, many others. Most of these were creations of the Silver and Bronze Age. But the Golden Age had plenty of robots before that.
Last time I stuck to the 1950s. Let’s scroll back ten years and see what was going on in the 1940s. Remember the 1940s saw such mechanization as Henry Ford’s assembly line as well as other scientific advances in production. The Second World War was very much a military conflict soaked in invention. Bigger, faster, more powerful weapons culminating in the atomic bomb. Readers of the 1940s were used to new gadgets and sudden technological jumps. In their comic books, metal men were not a hard concept to juggle.
1941
“Revolt of the Robots” (Planet Comics #11, March 1941) was written by an unknown author as as Starr Gayza. On Mars, the robot slaves who do all the labor, revolt against their Martian masters. The trope of exploitation of robots goes back to at least to Carl Kapek’s 1920 play R. U. R. We will see it several times here. It’s not surprising it is in Planet Comics, an SF magazine.
1946
“Mysta of the Moon” (Planet Comics #40, January 1946) was written by an unknown author as as Ross Gallun. Another Planet Comics tale, Mysta has a loyal robot servant named Robot. He will appear in other Mysta stories. I have to wonder if that writer’s pseudonym was meant to sound like Raymond Z. Gallun?
“The Dress Suit Murders” (Dollman #9, Summer 1946) was written by an unknown author. A headless man runs around stabbing people to death in this superhero tale. Of course, the killer is a–wait for it!— a robot.
“Hopalong Cassidy versus the Tin Cowboy” (Hopalong Cassidy #2, Summer 1946) was written by an unknown author. Hopalong and his deputy, Mesquite Jenkins, face off against a gunman who can’t be killed. Because he was never alive. Odd to find this in a Western comic.
“Revolt of the Robots” (Wonderland Comics #5, June-July 1946) was written and drawn by Howie Post. Lemuel the Wonder Robot, a creation of the magician Max, creates two new robots. These bruisers are rude and nasty. They go on a rampage of assault until Lemuel remembers the frequency to tune out their bad behavior. In response, Max zaps Lemuel out of existence.
1947
“Robert Robot” (Ding Dong #5, 1947) was written by an unknown author. The funny books were basically cartoons on paper. Many of them featured a robot in them for comical purposes. Robots would do things regular living folks wouldn’t. In the Robert Robot stories, the hero stumbles into trouble. He doesn’t use any amazing robotic abilities, making him little different than the other funny animals.
“The Pixies” (Tick Tock Comics #16, April 1947) was written by an unknown author. Fantasy meets Science Fiction with the magical Pixies finding a robot. This clockwork giant resembles both Gulliver and Tik Tok from Oz. He defends the Pixies against their arch-enemy, The Spider. (Not that Pulp guy with the guns.)
“Robot Land” (Feature Comics #114, September 1947) was written and drawn by Gill Fox. Perky flies to Robot Land and sees how the mechanical half lives. He ends his visit with an explosion before flying off to another thrilling adventure.
“Revolt of the Robots” (Cosmo Cat #10, October 1947) was written by Pat Adams. The Titanians have slave robots too. When they revolt it takes Cosmo Cat to think of unplugging them. We never quite learn what the folks on Titan do afterwards, now having no workers.
1948
“A Shock to the System” (Plastic Man #10, Winter 1947-1948) was written by Jack Cole. Here is another 1940s trope, the sexy robot woman who kills. Electra is a gorgeous red-head who can see burning coals but she is tough on men.
“The Kute Knockout” (Funnyman #2, March 1948) was written by Jerry Siegel. The team that gave us Superman also created Funnyman. He, too, has a femme fatale to deal with. Doc Gimmick is kidnapping men when they approach the Kutie and get a sledge hammer in the head. Funnyman defeats her by wearing a metal skull cap under his hair.
“Mysta of the Moon” (Planet Comics #54, May 1948) was written by an unknown author as as Ross Gallun. Mysta is back again with her robot sidekick. She send him to fetch a bad guy then he later flies her spaceship. Good robot!
1949
“The Case of the Robbing Robot” (Phantom Lady #22, February 1949) was written by Ruth Roche as Gregory Page. The Phantom Lady is up against gangsters who have a robot to do their computing and fighting.
“Blunderbunny” (Funny Films #1, September-October 1949) was written by an unknown author. Another funny animal comic with Blunderbunny inventing a robot that goes on a rampage.
All of these comics are available free at DCM
Other Comics
Robots in the 1940s Golden Age seem less scary than what appeared ten years later. The Horror comics have yet to get a hold on the metal men. Super heroes, funny animals and space comics were the order of the day.
For more robots check out the Silver Age!
