Show Me, Joe!

Earlier this week we took a gander at Judo Joe, and i said we'd get back to see his 'gimmick' - well, here we are. Joe's gimmick was proclaimed on every cover (all 3 of 'em): A Complete Judo Lesson In Each Issue! -

Inside each issue we got a two-page lesson in self-defense (Only Self-Defense!) -

Of course, while Joe made it a prominent feature, he wasn't the only Judo instructor in the comics...
 

But, really - the Black Hood preferred to teach Karate...
 

I'm pretty sure this all eventually led to How To Defend Yourself The Marvel Way. But i couldn't swear to it...

page art by Paul W. Stoddard, John Rosenberger, and John Giunta for Judo Joe #s 1-3, Adventures Of The Fly #s 25, 27, & 29, and Adventures Of The Jaguar #s 12-14 (1953, 1959, 1963)

That Time Hitler & Stalin Started A Kidnapping Ring...

Back in the 1950s, Identity Theft was a very different thing...

Judo Joe had three real issues in 1953 with Dr. Barney Cosneck writing and Paul W. Stoddard supplying the artwork. It also had another single issue - one of those Revival comics - almost 35 years later. I've only seen the cover of the '80s revival, so i won't judge it. But the original Judo Joe was light and amusing. It's hard to picture an '80s reboot keeping this sort of tone...

Next time, we'll take a look at Joe's special gimmick...

page art by Paul W. Stoddard from Judo Joe #s 1 & 2 (1953)