Super Duck
Encyclopedia
Super Duck was a comic book
character created in 1943 for what was then MLJ Comics (now Archie Comics
) by staff artist Al Fagaly (1909-1963).
His first appearance came in Jolly Jingles #10 (Summer, 1943). As his name implied, Super Duck (nicknamed "Supe") was a parody of Superman
, even down to a red and blue costume. He got his powers from a prescription for vitamin
s, much in the manner of Hourman
, the Blue Beetle
and others. He soon switched to a green and red suit, presumably to avoid legal action, but his time as a superhero was short, and by Jolly Jingles #16 (the last issue) his stories became more conventional, in the Carl Barks
mode. By this time (late 1944) he had gotten his own book, fully titled Super Duck, the Cockeyed Wonder and his most familiar attire: a black shirt, red lederhosen
and often an Alpine hat.
Supe now had a temperamental girlfriend Uwanna, a rival Dapper, a bratty nephew Fauntleroy (sometimes called Fluke or Faunt, sometimes identified as his younger brother), and a burly derelict friend named Mushnoggin.
Stories from this period of Super Duck's run involved Supe getting into hapless situations, such as:
The Super Duck comic book ended its run at 94 issues in 1960. His escapades would be reprinted in Archie Comics' digest series, Jughead Jones (at least as late as 1979), Laugh
and Madhouse.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character created in 1943 for what was then MLJ Comics (now Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
) by staff artist Al Fagaly (1909-1963).
His first appearance came in Jolly Jingles #10 (Summer, 1943). As his name implied, Super Duck (nicknamed "Supe") was a parody of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, even down to a red and blue costume. He got his powers from a prescription for vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
s, much in the manner of Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
, the Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes that appear in American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939.-Publication history:...
and others. He soon switched to a green and red suit, presumably to avoid legal action, but his time as a superhero was short, and by Jolly Jingles #16 (the last issue) his stories became more conventional, in the Carl Barks
Carl Barks
Carl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
mode. By this time (late 1944) he had gotten his own book, fully titled Super Duck, the Cockeyed Wonder and his most familiar attire: a black shirt, red lederhosen
Lederhosen
Lederhosen are breeches made of leather; they may be either short or knee-length. The longer ones are generally called Bundhosen....
and often an Alpine hat.
Supe now had a temperamental girlfriend Uwanna, a rival Dapper, a bratty nephew Fauntleroy (sometimes called Fluke or Faunt, sometimes identified as his younger brother), and a burly derelict friend named Mushnoggin.
Stories from this period of Super Duck's run involved Supe getting into hapless situations, such as:
- "Mopy Duck" - Supe yells at Faunt for thinking that someone could actually live inside a whaleWhaleWhale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
after reading the story of JonahJonahJonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
. Supe then accidentally falls off a cruise ship and, in short order, gets swallowed by a whale, meets someone living inside it, gets tossed around inside the whale, and manages to get out and land back on the ship after the whale throws him up in the air with his water spout. When Faunt sees that he's all wet and tells him so, Supe takes Faunt's book on Jonah and says, "Faunt, I'm all wet about a lot of things."
- "The Nifty Thifty Trip" - Supe and Faunt go camping in the country to save money, but Supe - against Faunt's advice - tries to steal apples and milk from farmers, and camps on private property. He is forced to spend money to pay for damages, pays exorbitantly when he and Faunt hitch a ride home in what turns out to be a taxiTaxicabA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
, and ends up with the worst case of poison ivyPoison ivyToxicodendron radicans, better known as poison ivy , is a poisonous North American plant that is well known for its production of urushiol, a clear liquid compound found within the sap of the plant that causes an itching rash in most people who touch it...
his doctor has ever seen. Even though he never wanted to hear about milk or the country ever again, Supe is forced to live on milk for month per doctor's orders and then has to go to the country for a long rest.
- "Cool Water" - Supe ricochets himself across a farm in attempt to pull a bucket of water from a well to drink. He gets the water and starts drinking it only to find frogs and insects in the water.
- Supe and Faunt advertise that they'll travel anywhere for money. A huckster with a Southern accent takes them to "The great state of Textucky." There, he tricks them into boarding a three-stage rocketRocketA rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
. In outer space, when the rocket breaks up, they drift around until they meet an extraterrestrial used-spacecraft salesman, who sells them a flying saucer (for Supe's glassGlassGlass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
marbles; glass is unknown on his home planet). They fly the saucer back to "Textucky," where the conman pays then the 50 grand--in Confederate money! It's worthless! Faunt says, "Aw heck! We won't be able to spend it anywhere except here in ol' Textucky!" Supe thinks about this. So that's what they do!
The Super Duck comic book ended its run at 94 issues in 1960. His escapades would be reprinted in Archie Comics' digest series, Jughead Jones (at least as late as 1979), Laugh
Laugh Comics Digest
Laugh Comics Digest was a publication of Archie Comics that lasted for 200 issues from August 1974 through April 2005. The title was noteworthy because it was not restricted to any character — it often included reprints of stories featuring the popular spinoff character Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,...
and Madhouse.