Super Duck Comics #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeSuper Duck Comics #1 (Fall 1944) marks the solo debut of Al Fagaly's anthropomorphic Superman parody, giving MLJ/Archie one of the Golden Age's most durable funny-animal properties — a series that would run 94 issues through 1960. The cover, depicting Super Duck literally holding Adolf Hitler and Hirohito in his hands, is a vivid artifact of wartime comic-book propaganda-by-comedy, placing the title squarely within a broad mid-war tradition of using superhero satire to lampoon Axis leaders. Crucially, the series began its rapid editorial pivot with this very issue: the superhero framing that had defined the character in Jolly Jingles gave way to a Disney/Carl Barks-style funny-animal template that would define the book for the remainder of its run, making issue #1 both an opening statement and an immediate turning point.
In "The Cockeyed Wonder," Hotfoot Hobo pulls off a fast one by pretending to be a circus lion tamer to avoid being thrown out of town, only to find himself unexpectedly in demand—despite already being on the lam. Written, drawn, and inked by Red Holmdale, this 1944 gem from Super Duck Comics #1 delivers a classic misadventure with a side of barnyard bravado. The cover by Dave Higgins and Theresa Woik captures the chaos perfectly.
In "The Cockeyed Wonder," Super Duck—armed with his trusty A-Z Pills and a heart full of heroics—races to rescue his friend Porky from the clutches of the sinister magician Mysto, whose latest scheme threatens to turn the day into a very messy meal. With a mix of wits, whimsy, and a whole lot of duck-sized daring, Super Duck takes flight to stop Mysto’s bizarre crime spree before it’s too late.
In this 1944 gem from *Super Duck Comics #1*, Hotfoot Hobo spins a wild lie to avoid being kicked out of town—claiming he’s a circus lion tamer. His bluff lands him in the lion’s cage, where his unorthodox charm and quick thinking impress even the big cat. Suddenly, the circus wants him on contract—but Hotfoot Hobo’s already running from trouble, and this time, he might just be stuck in the spotlight he never asked for.
In "null," Flash The Fox lands a surprising gig after a chaotic audition to become Ima Artist's new comic strip model, all while dodging his furious landlady over unpaid rent. With a cash advance in hand and a promise to return tomorrow, Flash’s day takes a turn no one saw coming.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Super Duck was conceived in 1943 by Al Fagaly (January 5, 1909 – April 23, 1963) while he was a staff artist at MLJ Comics, first debuting in Jolly Jingles #10 (Summer 1943). Fagaly, who had previously worked at Timely Comics — sharing an apartment with Mickey Spillane — brought the character to MLJ, where managing editor Harry Shorten oversaw the line. By Fall 1944 the character's popularity was sufficient to support a standalone quarterly title published under the MLJ Magazine brand imprint, with the indicia listing the publisher as M.L.J. Magazines Inc. The issue was a 52-page, full-color anthology, with interior backup strips scripted and drawn by Red Holmdale and Joe Edwards alongside Fagaly's lead Super Duck story.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First solo title for Super Duck (the Cockeyed Wonder), published Fall 1944 by MLJ/Archie as a quarterly, 52-page, full-color anthology.
- Character created by staff artist Al Fagaly (1909–1963), who had his roots at Timely Comics before joining MLJ in 1943.
- Super Duck's first-ever appearance predates this issue — it was Jolly Jingles #10 (Summer 1943); Super Duck Comics #1 is his solo title launch, not his absolute first appearance.
- The cover features Super Duck holding both Adolf Hitler and Hirohito, aligning the book with the widespread wartime Axis-villain cover tradition common across Golden Age publishers.
- The lead story has Super Duck using his 'A-Z Pills' to defeat the villain Mysto, who has kidnapped Super Duck's friend Porky to sell as food.
- The book includes anthology backup strips: a Hotfoot Hobo story (script and art by Red Holmdale) and a Flash The Fox story (script and art by Joe Edwards), demonstrating the issue's multi-feature format.
- Despite its superhero-parody origins, the series quickly retooled into a Barks-style funny-animal comedy; this issue sits at that exact transition point.
- The series ran for 94 issues until December 1960, and stories were later reprinted in Archie digest titles including Jughead Jones and Laugh as late as 1979. Robert Crumb also produced an adult-oriented parody of the character in Mystic Funnies #3 (Fantagraphics, 2002).
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