ShareThisBy ANDREW A. SMITH
Scripps Howard News Service
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
One of the oldest, most famous and most-copied properties in comic books makes its return in June: Sheena, Queen of the Jungle!
Many are unaware that Sheena was originally a comic-book character -- she hasn't had a regular title since 1953, after all. And in the meantime there was a 34-episode TV series (starring Gena Lee Nolin) in 2000-02, a movie (starring Tanya Roberts) in 1984 and a 26-episode TV series (starring Irish McCalla) in 1955-56.
But she began in comics, and the four-color page is where she became a legend.
She was created by the legendary Will Eisner ("The Spirit," "Blackhawk") and his then-partner S.M. "Jerry" Iger in 1937 for the British magazine Wags.
She was obviously a distaff Tarzan knock-off, but had a distinct sales advantage in the eyes of the target market (young men and boys): She really filled out a fur bikini. Sheena quickly found her way stateside to "Jumbo Comics" (Fiction House) in 1938, just a few months after Superman debuted and transformed comics from a fad to an industry.
And Sheena herself became an industry of a sort. She became the permanent cover girl on "Jumbo" by its 18th issue, and was the first female to have her own eponymous comic book in early 1942 (a few months before Wonder Woman graduated from "Sensation Comics" to her own title). She was so popular that vine-swinging chicks began springing up all over the newsstands -- including Camilla and Tiger Girl at Fiction House itself, plus Cave Girl (Magazine Enterprises), Nyoka the Jungle Girl (Fawcett), Princess Pantha (Nedor), Rulah the Jungle Goddess (Fox), Tygra (Nedor) and Vooda (sometimes Voodah, Golfling/McCombs).
Leopard Girl and Lorna the Jungle Girl ruled the '50s (Atlas Comics), another Tiger Girl appeared in the '60s (Gold Key), the '70s gave us Rima the Jungle Girl (DC Comics) and Shanna the She-Devil (Marvel Comics) and Cavewoman updated the concept in the '90s (Budd Root).
But the first and best was Sheena, who ruled the jungle with knife, bow and spear, until the Comics Code of 1954 deemed her too risque and essentially put Fiction House out of business. Which, happily, isn't a problem any more -- and Sheena's back, this time at Devil's Due Publishing.
Written by novelist and comic-book author Robert Rodi ("What They Did to Princess Paragon," "Rogue") and illustrated by Matt Merhoff ("Witchblade"), "Sheena" No. 1 (of five) debuts June 27. And despite her prowess, the original jungle girl will have her hands full in the fictional equatorial country of Val Verde, which is beset by environmental problems, political dissent and financial woes.
That sounds like a mess. But my money's on the girl in the fur bikini.
Elsewhere in June:
_ "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" premieres June 15, and you can catch up on the Sentinel of the Spaceways in the hardcover "Silver Surfer Omnibus," the trade paperback "Marvel Essentials: Silver Surfer" Vol. 2 and a new four-issue miniseries, "Silver Surfer: Requiem," which launched a few weeks ago.
_ The "Transformers" movie debuts in early July, and IDW will whet your appetite in June with two new graphic novels, a film adaptation and a prequel. Plus assorted other Transformers comics and trade paperbacks, too many to list here.
_ The summer crossover event that pits the Jade Giant against virtually every Marvel superhero in the world begins in earnest June 13 with "World War Hulk" No. 1 (of 5). Hulk also smashes puny humans in this month's "Incredible Hulk," "Iron Man," "Ghost Rider," "Heroes for Hire," "World War Hulk: X-Men" No. 1 (of 3) and "World War Hulk: Front Line" No. 1 (of 6). And ol' Greenskin's just gettin' warmed up!
_ If you remember Richie Rich and Wendy the Good Little Witch with fondness, then "Harvey Comics Classics Vol. 1: Casper the Friendly Ghost" is for you. It's the original stories, from 1949-56.
_ Papercutz is reviving the famous EC comic, "Tales From the Crypt," with a new ongoing series this month. And don't forget the original; Gemstone continues its reprints from the '50s with the hardcover "EC Archives: Tales From the Crypt" Vol. 2.
_ Marvel celebrates "X-Men" No. 200 with one of the team getting dead. Well, as dead as X-people get, which is usually temporary. But it launches a storyline that continues in the "X-Men: Endangered Species" one-shot.
(Contact Andrew Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics(at)aol.com or visit www.captaincomics.us/)
