Holy Hell?!

DC published “Popsicle Pete” stories for a bit. He was tagged “The All-American Boy”, and the strips ran in All-American Comics in a bit of branding synergy. These weren’t ads, but multi-page stories in which Pete and his pals did such “All-American things as stop kidnappers, backpack, and go to fairs. In an adventure at an aforementioned fair, we have the following background scene.

I titled this “holy hell!?” because that’s honestly what I thought when I read it. I know it was a different time and panels like that make me glad!

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9 responses to “Holy Hell?!”

  1. Shiai Avatar
    Shiai

    This was actually a staple attraction at carnivals, county fairs and Coney Island…although usually the target wasn't sticking his head through a sheet, but rather had room to dodge and move as you tried to hit him. The appeal for black men to take up this line of work was that it traditionally allowed them to goad whites with all manner of insults (so as to infuriate them enough to pay money to throw balls at them), making it just about the only opportunity they had in the Jim Crow era to talk back to the Man and not have to worry about being lynched for it.

  2. Dierna Avatar
    Dierna

    That poor poor monkey….

  3. Naryldor Avatar
    Naryldor

    That's exactly what I thought when I first saw the panel. How the hell is he supposed to dodge anything with his head sticking through that hole? Let alone with people throwing the balls at him at point blank range.

  4. AuroraMoon Avatar
    AuroraMoon

    still doesn't change the fact that they drew a freakin' monkey there. As if Black people and monkeys were the one and the same….

    I honestly hope that they meant that the monkey was a African monkey, and not an African-American man…hence the monkey was really an “African dodger”. But of course that brings in the whole Animal abuse angle….. what with those people lining up to throw things at an defenseless monkey that clearly has no idea what's going on.

  5. ShadowWing Tronix Avatar
    ShadowWing Tronix

    I don't blame you, Typo. The goofy guy with the orange suit and asterisks is an insult to fashion, and I'm hardly fashion conscious. Plus smoking is bad for your health, and thus a bad prize.

    What?

  6. Paradox Avatar
    Paradox

    **write your own obligatory “hole in the sheet” joke** :p

  7. onion3000 Avatar
    onion3000

    Seanbaby did a re-write on some “Popsicle Pete” ads:

    http://www.cracked.com/blog/man-comics-comics-f…

    Very vulgar at times, in case anyone's concerned, but also very very funny.

  8. kevinCwalsh Avatar
    kevinCwalsh

    My first thought was OMG, and not in the form of initials!

  9. Avatar
    Anonymous

    My first thought was OMG, and not in the form of initials!

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