#jumbo comics

This is a shout-out for Jumbo Comics, the flagship title of Fiction House publishing, whose stable of titles unashamedly featured some of the best and most empowered comic book heroines of the Golden Age. Jumbo Comics’ first issue came out in September 1938 and its run lasted over fourteen years until March 1953. Its lead character, who appeared on virtually all its covers was, appropriately enough, Sheena Queen of the Jungle, the defining “jungle woman” and an absolute pioneer for strong female characters, elbowing her way to notice and acceptance by a 1930s and 1940s comic book audience used to seeing women characters as winsome damsels continually in need of male rescue, or sexualised airheads whom male characters never considered seriously beyond their physical attributes.

Throughout its long career, Jumbo hosted some of the best contemporary comic artists, including Bob Kane, Bob Powell, Matt Baker and Lily Renée. In truth, Sheena was almost unique as a proto-feminist character in Jumbo, although the title did feature the more obviously sexy Sky Girl, although she was no less a tough independent female, and written and illustrated by the extraordinary Matt Baker. When Jumbo Comics finally stopped publishing, the pro-heroine heart rather went out of Fiction House, and it folded in 1955. With Fiction House’s demise, so departed strong female comic book characters’ greatest champion of the Golden Age.

From "Puzzle Phun" by Don DeConn in Jumbo Comics #1, September 1938.

‘Sky Girl’ (1944)