ROMANCES OF NURSE HELEN GRANT "Unmasked Heart!"

Unlike Our Previous Nurse Soap Opera...

...the long-running Private Diary of Mary Robin R.N." this series ran only one issue!
We'll go into the likely reasons at the end of this story!

A series about a totally-loyal, lovestruck nurse obsessed with a Handsome Young Doctor whom every female who walks through the Emergency Room doors lusts after!

Unlike Nurse Mary Robin who wavered in her loyalty to her Dr Love Object, eventually ending up with a different doctor, Helen Grant seems determined to be by Dr Brian Clark's side...obviously as close as possible, until Death Do Them Part!
Was that the reason there wasn't an issue #2?
We'd have to ask plotter/editor Stan Lee, inker Vince Colletta, and the likely "ghost" penciler, Matt Baker, what they had in mind after this premiere issue of Atlas' Romances of Nurse Helen Grant #1 (1957).
But since they've all passed away, we'll never know!

PATSY WALKER "Great Idea!"

There used to be lots more to teen humor comics than just Archie and his friends...

...with every comics publisher from the late 1940s through the early 1970s doing them! 

Created by writer Stuart Little (no, he's not a talking mouse) and artist Ruth Atkinson, Patsy Walker first appeared in Timely's Miss America Magazine #2 (1944).

Redheaded Patsy Walker, parents Stanley and Betty, boyfriend Robert "Buzz" Baxter, and insanely-rich, raven-haired friendly rival Hedy Wolfe appeared from the 1944 through 1967 in various teen humor anthologies as well as several self-titled comics.

Trivia: Patsy Walker (along with Millie the Model and Kid Colt: Outlaw) were the only titles published continuously by Marvel from Timely in the Golden Age, through Atlas in the 1950s, to Marvel in the  Silver Age!

Patsy, Buzz and Hedy are all part of the Marvel Universe from Marvel's Fantastic Four Annual #3 (1965) when Patsy and Hedy attended the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm!

Patsy later became the superheroine HellCat, and Buzz was revealed to be the supervillain Mad-Dog!

Patsy (and HellCat) appeared on the NetFlix series Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Defenders, played (at various ages from child to adulthood) by Rachael Taylor, Catherine Blades, and Audrey Grace Marshall, making her part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

(Note: she's called "Trish", not "Patsy" in the MCU)

Written and illustrated by the versatile Al Jaffee (before he moved over to MAD Magazine), this never-reprinted story from Atlas' Patsy Walker #36 (1951) promoted contributing to the charity created in 1946 by newsman Walter Winchell (best known today as the narrator of the 1960s TV show Untouchables) to honor his friend, writer Damon Runyon, who died of cancer!

The charity, now called Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, still exists!

Military Medicine BATTLE ACTION "Unarmed"

A soldier is supposed to be brave when in combat...

...but is he as brave as someone who's on the battlefield without any weapon?

This never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Battle Action #2 (1952) was part of the effort by the comics industry to be as gung-ho about the Korean War as it had been about World War II.

The plot about someone who may have failed earlier in life and being underrated/misunderstood by others, only to succeed in the cauldron of combat...even to the point of sacrificing his life...is a familiar trope, but this retelling of it works well, especially with the narrator's own words showing how wrong he was about the medic!

Note: the fact that prolific writer Hank Chapman scripted this melancholy story has been confirmed by access to his personal files.
But, since Atlas Comics' (now Marvel Comics') records from this period are (to put it politely) incomplete,  the question of who drew it is in doubt as the art matches the style of both George Tuska and Pete Morisi, both of whom were freelancing for Atlas (among other companies) during this period!

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Our Artists at War

Best of the Best American War Comics

Featuring tales from DC, Timely/Atlas/Marvel, EC, Harvey, Fawcett, Quality, Warren, etc.

Paid Link

Halloween Hospital Horrors CRAZY "Wolf Man"

It's Almost Halloween!
Is it gonna be trick or treat for...

...in this never-reprinted story from one of Atlas' numerous MAD-clones, Crazy #5 (1954)

Artist Dick Ayers rendered this tale in a style quite dissimilar from his usual Western or horror material.

The writer, though, is unknown, but may be Stan Lee, who was the editor of the line, and wrote a lot of the comic's stories.
BTW, we're returning to bi-weekly status for the next month.
If the viewer count remains high, we'll go back to weekly from December onward.

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Sincerest Form of Parody

WILD "Florence Nightgown"

Almost everyone in medical practice (especially nursing) knows of, and is inspired by...

...the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, OM/RRC/DStJ.

However, our tale today sure as heck ain't about her...

Illustrated by Al Hartley, this never-reprinted story from Atlas' Wild #3 (1954) was typical of the four MAD comic clones (Riot/Snafu/Crazy/Wild) the company had out at the same time!

Each one had a parody of a historical figure, a spoof of a current movie/tv/radio show, a humorous look at a genre like horror/Western/romance/crime, and a couple of 1-2 page features about almost anything!

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Sincerest Form of Parody

Before Doctor Strange Was...Doctor Droom!

Before any other heroes (including Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four)...

...this MD-turned sorcerer protected the Silver Age Marvel Universe from mystical menaces!*

BTW, note the guy in panel 3 is the guy in the first panel...but that ain't mascara around his eyes!

Keep reading...

Wait a second...

"My Eyes! They're becoming slanted!"

"I have given you an appearance suitable to your new role!"

What sort of "reverse racism" is this?

Did writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby, or inker Steve Ditko theorize only an Asian-looking person could manipulate magic?
At least they didn't give him any sort of cliched Chinese/Japanese speech pattern...

The good Doctor's strip lasted five issues, including this one from Atlas' Amazing Adventures #1 (1961)

Many of the elements were reused in the origin of Dr Strange, (who was created by the guy who inked this tale, writer/artist Steve Ditko!)

Perhaps Steve looked at this concept and said "Well, this part works, but this one sure as hell doesn't!" and reworked the concept.

At any rate, "Doctor Droom 2.0" aka Doctor Strange turned out to be one of the longest-lasting characters at Marvel, and Droom disappeared, never to be seen again.

Hah!

Fooled you!

In the mid-1970s, reprint editor Roger Stern decided to revive the character to host a horror anthology, but with some modifications, like a costume (Droom always wore street clothes), eliminating the whole "asian look" aspect, and making him a descendant of Druids (hence the name change)!

Here's his revamped reintroduction from Marvel's Weird Wonder Tales #19 (1976)

Dr Druid became an ongoing guest-star in the Marvel Universe, even briefly leading the Avengers, and helming his own miniseries....where he was killed off!
But, with Marvel rebooting their entire multiverse several times over the past decade, the good Doctor is, in fact, alive again, and living in retirement, assisting Doctor Strange upon occasion.

Medical Trivia: Though Droom's medical credentials were never specified, Druid received his MD from Harvard and completed a residency in psychiatry.
Note: We were caught by the Dreaded Deadline Doom due to preparing for our nephew's nuptuals this weekend, so we're re-presenting this feature about one of Marvel's less-known medicos because we didn't want to disappoint our fans...who are increasing in number again!
*Note: this doesn't count Timely/Atlas/Marvel's Golden Age characters, none of whom were being published in 1961!

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories

Visit Amazon and Order...

Hellstorm

by Warren Ellis

(TPB which contains the complete 1990s Doctor Druid miniseries where he dies)

UNCANNY TALES "Cure"

Sometimes solving the puzzle of a pandemic is worse than the disease itself...

...as this never-reprinted tale set in the then-future year of 1976 from Atlas' Uncanny Tales #45 (1956) demonstrates!

It should be pointed out that the "common cold" virus, though known to mankind since 1600 BC, has never been known to affect any other, non-human, species!

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories

Visit Amazon and Order...

Ten-Cent Plague

Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America

CAUGHT "Man Who Followed"

Would a doctor betray the Hippocratic Oath and allow someone to die...

...or fulfill the oath...even at the cost of his career?

Rather...convenient...that the would-be blackmailer just dies, eh?

Sadly, we don't know who scripted this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Caught #4 (1957), but the art (both pencils and inks) is by Don Heck, who, a few years later, would be one of the primary artists at Marvel Comics in the Silver Age, co-creating Iron Man, The Black Widow, Hawkeye, and The Wasp!

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories!
Visit Amazon and Order...

M.D.
Volume 1
The First Newsstand Comic Dedicated to the Medical Profession!