My father used to complain about “Hollywood’s version of war.”
And he also used to complain about funny books – which is what comic books were called back when the most popular titles were not about superheroes but funny characters: Donald Duck, Bullwinkle, Little Lulu, Richie Rich, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, Pink Panther, Casper, and all the Archie titles.
Well, today, Archie is a bit MOR serious.
And comics have caught up to what they once were before the Comics Code existed. Comics, such as EC, were viewed as causing ‘juvenile delinquency’ and many were wiped out in the 1950s in favor of MOR wholesome entertainment. EC’s only surviving title – MAD – was moved to a magazine format, since that didn’t fall under Comics Code Authority approval.
And buried in one of EC’s original comics – TWO-FISTED TALES No. 21 May-June 1951 – is a pretty accurate account of a ship plowing thru the deadly Murmansk Run.
Murmansk consisted of Merchant Marine convoys delivering supplies to the Soviet Union – begun as part of Lend/Lease before the US was in the war – while dodging German submarines. It was a math game: How many supplies can get through while the percentage sunk was viewed as acceptable losses.
Stopping for casualties after a ship went down was a waste of time and simply didn’t happen. And all it took was one torpedo.
My dad was there. And he actually knew how to dodge torpedoes, though his take was that he was surprised he was ever able to pull it off the few times he had to do so.
The melodramatic story below – written by EC legend Harvey Kurtzman and illustrated by other legend Wally Wood – synced with a bunch of the tales dad eventually told me, including tough sailors totally losing it. He was quiet most of his life, but after the Merchant Marines got veterans status in 1988, he really opened up. Tho I’d heard about the potato thing most of my childhood.
Later in the war, my dad helped put out a fire started by a Navy officer who loved to chuck his used cigarettes into the hold. In this case, they were carrying high test aviation gasoline, just like the S.S. Bunker Hill below.
The Navy officer eventually claimed credit for putting out the fire. My dad figured that out while going through declassified papers sometime around 2003.
In the 1990s, dad was awarded a medal from Russia for his part in Murmansk. That meant a lot to him.
—steve mehallo
Flommist Steve Mehallo is a graphic designer, illustrator, font designer, educator, foodie and gadfly. He is the creator and founder of FLOMM!
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