Blackhawk (comics)
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Blackhawk is a long-running comic book series published first by Quality Comics and later by National Periodical Publications, the primary company of those that evolved to become DC Comics. The series was created by Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera (Charles Nicholas), and Bob Powell, but the artist most associated with the feature is Reed Crandall. Future Justice League of America artist Dick Dillin succeeded him in the 1950s, continuing on through DC's acquisition of the series.
The Blackhawks are a small team of World War II-era ace pilots of varied nationalities:
- Janos Prohaska (Blackhawk) is their leader, variously shown to be Polish and/or born in the United States.
- Andre Blanc-Dumont is French.
- Olaf Friedricksen is Swedish.
- Carlos "Chuck" Sirianni is a Texas-born American.
- Ritter Hendrickson is a Dutchman.
- Stanislaus Drozdowski is Polish.
- Weng Chan (Chop-Chop) , by far the most controversial of the lot, is Chinese.
- Natalie Reed (Lady Blackhawk) is Russian-american.
Supporting cast included Zinda Blake (Lady Blackhawk), who was since time-displaced due to another DC event, Zero Hour, and who became a regular character in comics starring the character Guy Gardner. As of 2006 she is the supporting-character pilot for the costumed crimefighters depicted in the series Birds of Prey.
Publication history
The Blackhawks debuted in Quality Comics' Military Comics #1 (August 1941), and were published in that title as well as in their own book for a long while. Military Comics was renamed "Modern Comics" and eventually cancelled with #102 (October 1950), but their self-named book (which debuted in 1944) continued to be published by Quality up until #107 in 1956. Quality itself had folded by then, but the title kept being published by DC Comics, with little or no disruption at all. It was integrated with the DC Universe and published continuously until #243 (November 1968), by which time its genre had become too anachronistic to compete with the rising superhero books.
Time itself also played a role in the cancellation. The Blackhawks as a concept were heavily tied to World War II, and as the years passed by it became more and more difficult to suspend disbelief about their continuous adventuring up to present days. There was a disastious attempt to turn them into superheroes (#230-241), before they were restored to the original roots for 2 issues before they were cancelled in 1968. A short run from #244 to #250 was published in the 1970s tried to update them, but since then nearly all Blackhawk sightings (few and far between) are of a flashback nature. A well received series in the 80s which was written by Mark Evanier and illustrated by Dan Spiegle (#251-273) were set in World War II. In the '80s a mini-series by Howard Chaykin reimagined the WWII team (notably in reinventing the title character as a Pole rather than American), with their adventures continuing in post-war stories in Action Comics Weekly and then their own short-lived ongoing series in the early '90s.
Since then, only modern hints of the team have appeared, usually with 'Blackhawk Express' or the time-displaced Lady Blackhawk. One of the best examples of this is the 1990s appearance of Chop-Chop in a few issues of DC's Hawkworld series, which naturally enough depict him as an aged, resourceful and respectable man, long rid of his racial stereotype trappings.
However, other Blackhawk air pilot groups have been shown during present time or alternate future events such as Our Worlds At War and Kingdom Come. It is unknown which connection beyond homage and inspiration, if any, those groups have to the classic Blackhawks.
International Incarnations
The Blackhawk concept and characters proved to be popular on the international market as well as in the United States. Quality licensed the rights to Blackhawk, as well as many of their other characters, to London's Boardman Books which used them in a series of three-color reprints from 1948 to 1954. Boardman also reprinted Blackhawk stories in their Adventure Annual series of hardcover Christmas publications. Many of the British Blackhawk reprints were repackaged by Boardman's art director, Denis McLoughlin. McLoughlin created at least one British original Blackhawk story as well as the illustrations for several Blackhawk text stories. After Boardman's contract lapsed, Strato Publications launched a square-bound 68-page Blackhawk series which ran for 36 issues between 1956 and 1958.
Aircraft
- PZL P.50a Jastrzab This is the plane that Blackhawk Flew in Poland during the Nazi invasion of 1939
- Grumman XF5F-1 "Skyrocket" - This airplane is the fighter that is most identified with the Blackhawks. They flew this plane during World War Two and well onto the post-war years.
- Republic F-84 Thunderjet By the early 1950s, the Blackhawks converted the squadron to jets. This was the Blackhawk Squadrons first Jet aircraft.
- Lockheed F-90B The Blackhawks flew this plane from 1950 to 1955.
- Lockheed F-90C THe Blackhaws were flying this model by 1957.
- Republic F-105 Thunderchief The Blackhawks modified this plane with VTOL capability.
- Lockheed F-94 Starfire This is the plane that Lady Blackhawk flew.
Trivia
Blackhawk was involved in one of the very earliest examples of fictional crossovers, when Kid Eternity summoned him in his very second appearance (1942's Hit Comics #26).Other media
- Blackhawk: Fearless Champion of Freedom was a 15 part 1952 film serial based on the comic book, produced by Sam Katzman and starring Kirk Alyn as Blackhawk.
- A now hard to find Blackhawk novel by John Rotsler was published in 1982, apparently due to hopes of a Blackhawk movie that never materialized.
- "The Savage Time", the first-season finale of the Justice League animated series featured appearances by many of DC's best-known World War II-era heroes, including the Blackhawks. Blackhawk was voiced by Robert Picardo.
- "I Am Legion", the third-season premiere of Justice League Unlimited (or the fifth-season premiere of Justice League, depending on how you look at it), featured a now-elderly Chuck, voiced by Seymour Cassel. According to Chuck, he was the only Blackhawk still living, and he was married to Marzey, as the character was in the comic books. It was not revealed how the others died. The episode focused around Lex Luthor, The Key, and Dr. Polaris raiding the decomissioned Blackhawk Island in order to steal the advanced technology the Blackhawks had acquired on various missions and stored there. During a chase through the museum on the island, a statue or mannequin of Lady Blackhawk can be seen.
- A Blackhawk G.I. Joe action figure was produced in limited edition in the late 1990s. The figure wore the classic black flight uniform from World War Two. Two uniform accessories were produced The first was Blackhawks red and green uniform from the mid to late 60s. The other had a special arctic survival uniform in sky blue.
Awards
The 1989 series of comics was nominated for the Squiddy Award for New Continuing Series in 1989.See also
- PZL.37 Łoś bomber
- PZL P-11 fighter
- No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron
- The history of the Polish Air Force
- Polish contribution to World War II
- Seven Soldiers of Victory
External links
- [The Unofficial Blackhawk comics website]
- [Toonopedia: Blackhawk]
- [DC Cosmic Teams: The Blackhawks]
- [Panel that discusses Blackhawk's creation (in two parts)]
- [Satirical yet informative page on the Blackhawks (part 1)]
- [A tongue-in-cheek review of the short-lived period of "Blackhawks as superheroes" (parts 2 through 5)]
- [Comic Book Awards Almanac]
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