Flash Comics #1

History

Flash Comics #1 was published on November 20, 1939 (carrying a January 1940 cover date) by All-American Publications, the company Maxwell 'M.C.' Gaines had founded with backing from Harry Donenfeld, whose National Allied and Detective Comics companies were already in the superhero business. Gaines served as managing editor with Sheldon Mayer as assistant editor, and the cover — depicting the Flash in dynamic action — was penciled by Sheldon Moldoff, though early reprints misattributed it before corrections in the Golden Age Flash Archives confirmed Moldoff's hand. The Flash feature was written by prolific scripter Gardner Fox and drawn by Harry Lampert, a former Fleischer Studios animator who modeled Jay Garrick's silhouette on classical depictions of the Roman god Mercury; Lampert would draw only the first two Flash stories before returning to his preferred humorous cartooning. Hawkman was likewise written by Fox and drawn by Dennis Neville (a former Joe Shuster studio assistant), while Johnny Thunder was handled by writer John Wentworth and artist Stan Aschmeier — making issue #1 a genuine workshop of Golden Age talent assembled under the All-American banner.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First appearance and origin of Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Harry Lampert — Garrick gains super-speed by accidentally inhaling hard water vapors in a university laboratory.
• First appearance and origin of Hawkman (Carter Hall), written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Dennis Neville — Carter Hall is established as the reincarnation of the Egyptian prince Khufu, with his love interest Shiera Sanders (later Hawkgirl) and villain Dr. Hastor (reincarnation of Hath-Set) also introduced in the same story.
• First appearance and origin of Johnny Thunder and his magical Thunderbolt, written by John Wentworth and drawn by Stan Aschmeier.
• First appearance of the Whip (Rod Gaynor), written by John Wentworth with art by George Storm, and Cliff Cornwall, Special Agent, created by Sheldon Moldoff — two additional features rounding out the six-strip anthology.
• Published by All-American Publications under managing editor M.C. Gaines and assistant editor Sheldon Mayer; the cover was penciled by Sheldon Moldoff (attribution was disputed in some early reprints before being confirmed in the Golden Age Flash Archives).
• The issue hit newsstands November 20, 1939, nearly two months before its January 1940 cover date; it ran 68 full-color pages at a cover price of ten cents.
• All three debut features (Flash, Hawkman, Johnny Thunder) eventually became founding members of the Justice Society of America when that team was formed in All-Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940/41), making this issue the origin point of comics' first superhero team.
• The entire issue has been reprinted multiple times: in DC's oversized Famous First Edition #F-8 (1970s), the Millennium Edition: Flash Comics #1 (2000), and most recently a full Facsimile Edition (December 2024); individual stories have appeared in the Golden Age Flash Archives Vol. 1, the Golden Age Hawkman Archives Vol. 1, and The Flash: 80 Years of the Fastest Man Alive.