Poke Bancroft

A scrappy piece of Golden Age Americana, Poke Bancroft made his debut in the pages of Mr. Risk #7 in 1950, brought to life by artist Frank Giusto for Ace Magazines during that publisher's lively postwar run. With appearances spread across both Mr. Risk and Penalty, Poke kept company with the likes of Kirk Mason and the daring Mr. Risk himself — a roster that speaks to the punchy, action-driven world these Ace titles inhabited. Rare in the catalog with only three recorded appearances, he's exactly the kind of elusive Golden Age find that makes digging through mid-century back issues such a rewarding adventure.