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 everal,
supposedly, Crackajack-stories found their way into
foreign comic compilations
(not for the last time) . This
was the case in 1944 where Ellery was featured in the Spanish "Pato
Donald" together with other comicbook heroes of which "Donald
Duck" was the most famous.
 
 Although
Dannay once recalled there was talk of an EQ newspaper comic
strip it is said nothing came of it. In
the late 40s again "House of Darkness" was again published in a daily
newspaper.This time around the art was done by Paul Norris and the feature
was syndicated by King Features Syndicate. Nor the exact date of
publication nor the newspaper is known to us at this point. But Norris,
famous for launching Aquaman with Mort Weisinger, started to work for King
Features after he returned from World War II.
everal
ads for Superman (and spin-offs) comic books sometimes included the phrase
"Challenge to the Reader!" to predict mystery plots inside.
We have to agree with Michael E. Grost who stated that
more than one aspect
of the mystery plots in Superman resemble Ellery Queen or Van Dine for that matter. Brainy amateur
detectives usually solve the case by pure logic. Use of disguise and impersonation recalls
Drury Lane. The showbiz settings, the many scholarly and intellectual characters also
recall the Van Dine School. As do the
museums; the private collections of Jimmy Olsen's Superman souvenirs and Superman's
Fortress of Solitude recall the many private museums in Van Dine school books. Metropolis
is a thinly disguised version of New York City and there
is a consistent liberal politic about the stories.
   
In 1949 Ellery appeared for four issues in Superior Comics.
(there were also
Canadian editions of these comics).
Despite the artwork by Jack Kamen,
 Matt Baker, L.B. Cole (#1),
John Forte and the S.M. Iger studio, the series
was essentially forgettable -- appearing bimonthly from May through
November. Written by Ruth Ann Roche. The fifth issue was in the works when
the title was canceled and the name of Ellery
was changed to Edmond Blake and Nikki to Nola.
The names were pasted over the original lettering.
To make things more confusing, Edmond Blake poses as Tim Keene in the story
(Ellery Queen posing as Tim Keene).
The story appeared in Our
Secret #7 (April, 1950). Some of these comics were translated in foreign pulp magazines e.g. 'Pistas' in Argentina
around 1950. The 4 EQ-stories were reprinted in Haunted Thrills
#'s 1 and 2 a few years later (6/52 and 7/52).
 n 1952 Ziff-Davis (the latter later becoming publisher of EQMM)
which was producing
comic books then, chose to issue an Ellery Queen book in conjunction with
the Dumont television serie. The four
stories where drawn by two artists one of the signed with 'R.Kay'. Some of the stories
broke with the usual format by being just action-crime adventures instead of whodunits.
Although topped of by great Norman Saunders painted covers, the book lasted just two
issues (Spring and Summer of 1952), becoming more obscure than the Superior title
that had preceded it. And although Ellery appeared in a several forms on television from
1954 through at least 1959, comics publishers avoided making the mistakes of their
predecessors.
Ellery's next appearance in comics was brought about by the same
company that
introduced him. Dell Publishing gave us "Ellery Queen
(Detective)" for three issues of their Four Color series (1165, 1243, and 1289),
dating 3-5/61, 11/61-1/62 and 4/62. This rendition of Ellery was somewhat modernized for
the 60's but still carried the same basic plot concepts as earlier comics versions.
Artwork was done by the late Mike Sekowsky and his Ellery differs from the rest by wearing
glasses.
Despite all this Ellery again disappeared from the comics scene.
Or did he? He actually did return in a spoof, in a comic called "New
Inferior 5" (Nr.7 March-April 1968) the five
'heroes' encounter "Allergy Queen" the sleuth for a criminal mastermind.
Right before his great revelation Allergy is reduced to dust...
 Until
1976 when Marty Pasko wrote the script for a
12 page Batmanstory called "A Clue Before Dying"
(Detective Comics Nr.
459 - May 1976) It involved the work of artist Jose Luis
Garcia-Lopez. Batman
tries to find the man who killed mystery writer Elliot Quinn, and who may
be the same man who killed an architect in Quinn's home years ago. On
the cover one can clearly make out Alfred Pennyworth, the police, Batman
unmasking, and Elliot Quinn's corpse. Not only an homage to Queen but in
the story also "a" Lt. Dannay appeared!
(continued...)
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