World's Finest Tree

I came across this image while reading as many comics as I could that were published in the month of December, 1941. This image was the back cover of World's Finest comics number 4 and features many of the characters that appeared in the book.



The image took me completely by surprise. I didn't know about it, had never seen it before, and wasn't expecting it. There was nothing particularly Christmas themed about the issue of World's Finest I had just read. And it wasn't part of my current efforts to celebrate Christmas this year. It was an accidental find. And that doesn't happen for me a whole lot anymore.

Several things strike me about this image. First, usually the back cover of comics was devoted to advertising space. This issue of World's Finest cost fifteen cents as opposed to the normal ten cents for comics of the day. It also held many more stories than the normal comic and it was only published quarterly. So maybe the extra 'oomph' of these factors made them think they can give the readers an extra treat.

Also... what an image! So simple and straight forward. Each figure in the ornaments is drawn by their originally artist in the book. Let me clarify, this was probably a copy editor's effort. Someone lifted images of the characters from elsewhere, dropped them in the little ornaments, and then drew a Christmas tree and a bucket. Nothing to it! There's your back cover pin-up, kiddies.

Today's comics are so art-centric and rife with detail, almost overwhelming in busy-ness and action. Every pin-up we get is a highly detailed work of art. Effort went into composition and character choice. In fact, several thumbnails were probably submitted to the editor for his choice of composition before effort went in the actual art.

Something like this would never have gotten through the initial stages of today's comic publishers.

I love it so much it makes me tingle!

Thanks,
DCD