Fox (comics)

The Fox is the name of two fictional superheroes that appear in periodicals published by MLJ Comics and later Dark Circle Comics.

Publication history

The first Fox (Paul Patten) debuted in MLJ Comic's Blue Ribbon Comics #4 (June 1940), in a story written by Joe Blair and drawn by Irwin Hasen. He appeared in that title until the series ended in March 1942, in the 22nd issue. He only appeared on the cover of one title, #16, in conjunction with all the other heroes that appeared in the comic series.

He later made a guest appearance in Mighty Crusaders #4 (April 1966), as part of a crowd scene featuring nearly every superhero published by MLJ (the story, somewhat ironically, was titled "Too Many Super Heroes!"). He returned in issue #5, where he forms a team called The Ultra-Men with heroes Captain Flag and The Web. This was the sole appearance of that group. Some of the Fox stories from this period were written and illustrated by Alex Toth. The first Fox's final appearance was in Black Hood #3 (Oct. 1983).

Fox Feature Syndicate

Fox Feature Syndicate (also known as Fox Comics and Fox Publications) was a comic book publisher from early in the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Founded by entrepreneur Victor S. Fox, it produced such titles as Blue Beetle, Fantastic Comics and Mystery Men Comics.

It is unrelated to the company Fox Publications, a Colorado publisher of railroad photography books.

Background

Victor S. Fox and business associate Bob Farrell launched Fox Feature Syndicate at 480 Lexington Avenue in New York City in the late 1930s. For content, Fox contracted with comics packager Eisner & Iger, one of a handful of companies creating comic books on demand for publishers entering the field. Writer-artist Will Eisner, at Victor Fox's request for a hero to mimic the newly created hit Superman, created the superhero Wonder Man for Fox's first publication, Wonder Comics #1 (May 1939), signing his work "Willis". Eisner said in interviews throughout his later life that he had protested the derivative nature of the character and story, and that when subpoenaed after National Periodical Publications, the company that would evolve into DC Comics, sued Fox, alleging Wonder Man was an illegal copy of Superman, Eisner testified that this was so, undermining Fox's case; Eisner even depicts himself doing so in his semi-autobiographical graphic novel The Dreamer. However, a transcript of the proceeding, uncovered by comics historian Ken Quattro in 2010, indicates Eisner in fact supported Fox and claimed Wonder Man as an original Eisner creation.