Tommy Tomorrow was a character who began as something else — in this case as an example in a one-off “future facts” feature in Real Fact Comics 6 (Jan. 1947).
“(I)n fact, Tommy was obviously designed simply as a stereotyped hero to represent the sort of man who might pilot the first rocket to Mars,” noted comics historian Don Markstein. “Even his name was chosen to project the ‘generic future man’ image.”
Although he was originally described as a 20th century graduate of the Space Port “West Point,” Tommy’s era was later pushed back to the mid-21st century.
These days, Tommy can come off as kind of an old-fashioned “future man,” though.
In a 1957 exploit, for example, writer Otto Binder and artist Jim Mooney confronted the hero with the threat of The Girl Planeteer. Essentially under orders from his commander to fail a (gasp!) female cadet, Tommy finds that difficult to do because of the girl’s considerable competence.
Illustrated by Mooney’s capable, workmanlike art and written by Jack Miller, the tale The Robot Raiders featured Tommy and his partner Captain Brent Wood tackling space pirates armed with giant robot lobsters and hovering eyes — the kind of intriguing mechanical menaces that Blackhawk specialized in combating.
In 1962-63, Tommy was launched toward his own comic in four issues of DC’s tryout title Showcase, but he failed to achieve orbit. Less vivid a character than Adam Strange or even Space Ranger, Tommy’s generic origins worked against him.
But bland though he might have been, Tommy was positively electrifying compared to Johnny DC, the singularly tedious stick-figure company mascot seen introducing him here.
This particular effort at giving the company an appealing brand identity didn’t last long. Stan Lee was light years ahead of DC Comics on that score, over at the upstart rival publisher that was just about to begin calling itself “Marvel.”
Paul Zuckerman wrote: Poor Tommy. I used to like the strip and the character but it and he really was a back of the book feature, sadly. They could have done much more with Tommy! As you note, the stories reflect the prevailing sexual prejudices of the day. I don't remember how that particular story came out, but it is true, though, that usually the heroes finally grudgingly came around to recognize the woman's worth, such as Lady Blackhawk, Batwoman and Bat Girl (the original). I don't think, though, that June in the Challengers ever faced such prejudice and Hawkgirl was always an equal partner with Hawkman, as was RIta Farr in Doom Patrol. Iris West was a crackerjack reporter from the first--never throwing herself out of the window to be saved unlike her fellow newshound Lois Lane! :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't care much for the Showcase issues of Tommy Tomorrow when they came out. There were a number of reasons. I was used to the version that appeared in Action and World's Finest, the one you describe so well, Dan. I liked Mooney's art on the original strip. Lee Elias' art on the Showcase issues was too different for me at the time, and I was disappointed that they axed Brent for Lon, an alien who became his close friend at the academy. I don't think they ever told us what happened to Lon later on. And the stories were set at the academy instead of later on when Tommy was an accomplished colonel. But they did get rid of the shorts!