Planetary Reef

If you were with us last time, you may recall that we were stalking the wild wandering brain as it hunted through some old familiar territory and looking at Flint Baker.

It still seems to be digging in Planet Comics, but something else now has its attentions...

Let us pause to ask "Reef"? Isn't that a rather Aquatic name for an outer space character? Not to mention the avian adversary.

This all seems rather strange. 

Tracking back to the spawning point in #13, we find that Reef Ryan's adventures take place on Neptune. 
Well, that makes sense for the name.

Here's how he got started...

Hugh Fitzhugh is a pseudonym, and we don't know who was using it. That premiere episode may have been drawn by Al Gabriele. It's more certain that he drew the follow up tale -

Reef took care of Sarku in the next couple stories, but stuck around on Neptune for the next dozen issues. His final solo strip appeared in #25, unless one counts a reprint or two in the final days of Planet Comics.

But why has the wandering brain focused on this series? What has it got to do with the path it started with Flint Baker?

Perhaps if we keep following it we will learn what it's up to...

page art by Al Gabriele from Planet Comics #s 13 & 14 (1941)