Posting Perkins' Past

Regular reader Eric (バーンズ　エリック) pointed out that Neptune Perkins only had one other Golden Age tale besides the one we ran a few days ago. It's an origin story tucked into Joe Kubert's Hawkman strip. 

That was going to nag at me and get in the way of Father Of The Inferior Five? and The Lighter Side Of Death Patrols, so let's dive right in and take a look at The Dweller In The Sea...

There. 

Now you've got the complete Golden Age Neptune Perkins. You'll have to jump ahead a few decades for Roy's Revivals to see more of the man.

page art by Joe Kubert from Flash Comics #66 (1945)

That Time Hawkman & Neptune Perkins Flew To Venus In A Light Bulb To Fight Legends

As i've mentioned before, i sometimes enjoy simply perusing the covers of Golden Age comics. They can be raw & primitive, boldly experimental, unbridled fun, and just plain strange at times.

Just under a dozen after the last issue of Flash Comics we saw yesterday, this cover hit the stands -

So, i was enjoying J.C. Kozlak's fun little cover, and my first perception was that Hawkman had picked up a caveman to take to Venus in a lightbulb. But then i saw the claws of the webbed feet and realized "Hey! That's Neptune Perkins!" 

Those who remember Perkins very likely do so from his Young All-Stars revival. He was one of many golden age characters Roy Thomas brought into the (then) modern DC Universe. His penchant for doing that, his Alter Ego fanzine, and his Kree/Skrull War were the Big 3 that initially made me a life-long fan.

And, yep - the story inside, also drawn by Kozlak (writer unknown), brings Hawkman and Neptune Perkins together for a lightbulb ride to battle mythical monsters. 
The cover does not lie -

Usually when an old Hawkman cover catches my eye it's from Shelly Moldoff or Joe Kubert. I think i'm going to have to snoop around to see what else i find from Kozlak.

page art by Jon Chester Kozlak from Flash Comics #81 (1947)