On her way back from interviewing Dr. Albert Schweitzer in Africa, Lois Lane’s small plane develops engine trouble.
Bailing out, she strikes her head on a rock upon landing and develops amnesia. And that’s how the Daily Planet’s star reporter became The Leopard Girl of the Jungle (Lois Lane 11, Aug. 1959).
So maybe a subplot involving a jungle girl novel written by Lana Lang made little sense. And maybe writer Bill Finger had to perform logical backflips to “explain” why Superman didn’t simply rescue Lois, but let her knock about for weeks with wildlife while secretly helping her.
But all that really didn’t matter. We wanted to see Lois as a jungle girl, with all that gorgeous Kurt Schaffenberger art. And that’s what we got.
“The end result is an homage strategically placed in the jungle girl history,” observed G.W. Thomas. “Most of the jungle comics and movies were done by the early ’50s. The only significant one was in 1959 with Audrey Hepburn playing Rima the Jungle Girl in Green Mansions. That premiered around the same time this issue of Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane appeared. Coincidence? Probably not.
“DC had no jungle comics in 1959. Bill Finger’s tale is a swan song to an era of liana-swinging gals in leopard bikinis. The 1960s would be the decade that gave us Ron Ely on TV, Jack Benny and Gilligan parodies, George of the Jungle and Ray Stevens singing ‘Guitarzan.’ We had become too sophisticated for Nyoka serials or Irish McCalla as Sheena.”
As usual, Jimmy Olsen had macheted a trail through the jungle before Lois, in this case three years before (Jungle Jimmy Olsen!, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 10, Feb. 1956).
Because Lois’s title began four years later than Jimmy’s, the kinds of things that had happened to him tended also to happen to her later. So he became Elastic Lad and she Elastic Lass. Both moonlighted as werewolves. And both tried the Tarzan life.
John Galligan:
ReplyDeleteIf somehow the genre got revived and DC decided to do a jungle girl comic in the silver age, Kurt Schaffenberger would have to be the prime penciler, no argument.
Nils Osmar:
ReplyDeleteThis was a wonderfully ridiculous story - one of my favorite Silver age Lois Lane comics. And I have a memory related to it that I've always gotten a kick out of.
I had a girlfriend years ago who read this story and totally lost it... she was almost rolling on the floor laughing. I asked her what was so funny.
She pointed to a panel in which Lana told Lois she had written a novel which she was afraid a publisher would reject for being "too fantastic."
What premise for a novel could possibly be too fantastic, in a world in which the characters routinely turned into babies, flew off to other planets, encountered their Bizarro duplicates, and jumped out of skyscraper windows expecting Superman would save them?! 🙂
Vincent Mariani:
ReplyDeleteI didn't care for Schaffenberger's artwork back then. I've become an admirer.
I replied:
His Superman looked more like Superman than Boring's or Swan's to me. It also looked, oddly enough, like Chris Reeve.
Vincent Mariani:
ReplyDeleteBut there was a jungle series at DC in 1959, when Congorilla "replaced" Congo Bill (Seamlessly?).
Anthony S. Picco:
ReplyDeleteThat they managed to create two or three stories an issue about second bananas like Jimmy & Lois is stunning writing. Not great, but damn impressive.
Clayton Emery:
ReplyDeleteLove that she picks up a "fallen leopard skin", as if they shed their skins like snakes, not have to be killed and ripped off their bodies. Looks good on her, though.
Johnny Williams:
ReplyDeleteHere’s my response Dan.
Dan - On her way back from interviewing Dr. Albert Schweitzer in Africa, Lois Lane’s small plane develops engine trouble.
Me - For once they used a real person/celebrity instead of a made up but similar one for the interviewee.
Dan - Bailing out, she strikes her head on a rock upon landing and develops amnesia. And that’s how the Daily Planet’s star reporter became The Leopard Girl of the Jungle (Lois Lane 11, Aug. 1959).
Me - I hate it when that happens. Lol.
Dan - So maybe a subplot involving a jungle girl novel written by Lana Lang made little sense. And maybe writer Bill Finger had to perform logical backflips to “explain” why Superman didn’t simply rescue Lois, but let her knock about for weeks with wildlife while secretly helping her.
Me - It was the ‘Silver Age’. Explanation established. Lmao. 😂
Dan - But all that really didn’t matter. We wanted to see Lois as a jungle girl, with all that gorgeous Kurt Schaffenberger art. And that’s what we got.
Me - Never underestimate the lure of a beautiful woman thusly clad. As a member of (probably) the Last generation that appreciated ‘Dorothy Lamour’s’ many sarongs I was all-in for her ‘Leopard Girl’ look/role. Even as a kid I had a keen awareness of and an appreciation for feminine beauty.
Dan - “The end result is an homage strategically placed in the jungle girl history,” observed G.W. Thomas. “Most of the jungle comics and movies were done by the early ’50s. The only significant one was in 1959 with Audrey Hepburn playing Rima the Jungle Girl in Green Mansions. That premiered around the same time this issue of Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane appeared. Coincidence? Probably not.
Me - Here’s what G.W. Thomas Didn’t say. While most of the jungle movies were done by the early 50’s ‘at the Movie Theaters’ they found new lives and new audiences On Television. There’s where me and my friends and family watched them. Sure, Mom and her Sisters, my Aunties, Had seen them in the movie theaters, but that didn’t stop them from enjoying them again on the TV, and in fact I truly believe that they received vicarious enjoyment from Our (the children’s) delight at the jungle adventures.
So, at least through the early 60’s that trope still had some legs to it. Same content, different medium.
Johnny Williams:
ReplyDeleteDan - “DC had no jungle comics in 1959. Bill Finger’s tale is a swan song to an era of liana-swinging gals in leopard bikinis. The 1960s would be the decade that gave us Ron Ely on TV, Jack Benny and Gilligan parodies, George of the Jungle and Ray Stevens singing ‘Guitarzan.’ We had become too sophisticated for Nyoka serials or Irish McCalla as Sheena.”
Me - From Wikipedia -
“Congo Bill encountered the legendary golden gorilla in Action Comics #224 (January 1957). He also encountered the similarly named Kongorilla in Action Comics #228 (May 1957). In issue #248 (January 1959), Bill was transformed into Congorilla and the title of the strip was likewise changed. The Congorilla series ran in Action Comics until issue #261 (February 1960), after which it was transferred to Adventure Comics from issues #270 (March 1960) to #283 (April 1961).”
So, maybe no jungle Titled books but certainly at least One jungle themed feature. And let’s just get one thing straight here, ‘I’ Never became ‘too sophisticated’ for Nyoka (whose comics I’d encountered thanks to my Mom and Mr. Green’s neighborhood corner store), nor for Irish McCalla’s Sheena (viewed by me on TV as Saturday afternoon matinées). Especially not Irish. 💛🧡🤎
Dan - As usual, Jimmy Olsen had macheted a trail through the jungle before Lois, in this case three years before (Jungle Jimmy Olsen!, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 10, Feb. 1956).
Me - Silver Age Jimmy was a force unto himself. One could write a Masters thesis about his stories or maybe even a Doctoral dissertation. His adventures were broad across a wide spectrum of tropes and themes. Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen was a lot of things as a comic book but two things that it wasn’t are dull or boring.
Dan - Because Lois’s title began four years later than Jimmy’s, the kinds of things that had happened to him tended also to happen to her later. So he became Elastic Lad and she Elastic Lass. Both moonlighted as werewolves. And both tried the Tarzan life.
Me - Because of where the writers’ heads and the culture were at that time Lois got the lion’s share of ‘romantic fare’ between her and Jimmy’s title. Still, he did make some ventures in that arena - ‘The Girl With Green Hair’ for example, and the above reviewed Leopard Girl Lois story is one of Her forays into the adventure world/genre.
Sam Kujava:
ReplyDeleteThese early issues of LOIS LANE were so wonderful to read and behold. I can understand why this title was one of DC's best sellers in the 1960s!