She's a super-heroine/spy with no secret identity...
...but she's not someone you want to mess with under any circumstances!
NOTE: may be NSFW due to dialogue about Asian stereotypes common to the era.
The threatened reprisal by Bonza's gang was never carried out since the remaining Madame Strange stories take place in locales other than Hawaii.
Though this never-reprinted tale from Great Comics #1 (1941) was created and published before the US entered World War II, most Americans knew it was only a matter of time before we would enter the war on the side of the Allies.
Madame Strange never used any other name or a disguised secret identity (not even eyeglasses).
Between her costume and (never-explained) greater-than-normal strength and speed, most fans consider her a superheroine.
"Achmed Zudella" was a pen-name for writer/artist Charles "Chuck" Winter.
It was only used on this strip.
Be here next week, when we present another tale of classic comic grrl power!
Hello! I know this blog is quite old at this point; but I just wanted to thank you for posting this comic, and for helping to keep the history of Madame Strange alive for anyone who happens to come across the character. I was recently googling (out of sheer boredom and mild curiosity) "oldest female superheroes," and was shocked to discover a multitude of heroines older than Wondie herself. Madame Strange, for whatever reason, caught my eye in particular-- and I was so happy to find each issue of the 3 issue series somewhere throughout the internet (almost like a scavenger hunt). Though the casual racism found within the dialogue-- common for the time period-- is quite unfortunate to read, and I can somewhat see why such a series might end up on the chopping block, never to return. Nevertheless, I did (generally) find Madame Strange herself to be a pretty entertaining character, surprisingly-- and the girl looked absolutely jacked (especially in the first issue)! She was also completely dominant: never really needing the help of others (men in particular) and could generally powerhouse or brainstorm her way out of any fight or situation all by herself. I'm generally all for female characters who struggle and require help and show weakness; but it is kinda cool and surprising to see such a dominant woman in a WWII comic (even Wondie ended up tied up a lot). Maybe, taking the opportunity to address the racism present in the original series, a modern day Madame Strange wouldn't be a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteMadame Strange is one I'd never heard of, but a pleasant surprise, worthy of revival, perhaps as a zero-tolerance character a'la the Spider or the Spectre.
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