LEGENDARY HEROES #21

DON WINSLOW OF THE NAVY

Frank V. Martinek (USNR) was a fingerprint, handwriting and crime detection expert, a former Naval intelligence officer in WWI, and a Chicago-based agent of the Department of Justice, when an Admiral complained to Martinek about the lack of naval recruiting in the midwestern states.  Martinek came up with a solution...a comic strip that focused on the Navy's tradition and courage that would entice America's youth.  Frank Knox, later Secretary of the Navy, helped sell the idea to the Bell-McClure Syndicate.  Leon Beroth and Carl Hammond shared the art duties while Martinek supplied the stories.  The stories centered around a single principle - Don Winslow was approved of by the Navy and could not do anything contrary to the ideals, motives and traditions of the Navy.  The strip debuted on March 5, 1934 as a daily with a Sunday page following a year later on April 21, 1935.  The strip was carried in 75 American newspapers by 1940, and when the Bell Syndicate dropped the strip in 1953 the comic was picked up immediately by General Features.  The last comic appeared on July 30, 1955.

Don's best friend throughout the history of the strip was Red Pennington, and their commanding officer was Admiral Colby.  The Admiral's daughter, Mercedes, became Don's romantic interest.  After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Don Winslow went off to fight the Japanese while Mercedes became a war nurse stationed in the Pacific and was sent back to the states in 1944 suffering from "war trauma".  Don Winslow, the handsome, honorable, and intrepid hero of the comic strip was a Lieutenant Commander in Naval Intelligence and his main nemesis was The Scorpion, the leader of a global, multi-national organization of spies & saboteurs.  The Scorpion had a daughter, Madame Mask, who was just as evil.  The Scorpion surrounded himself with beautiful femme fatales with exotic names like Lotus and Tasmia, and evil henchmen to fight Don Winslow like the Crocodile, Dr. Thor, and Red Vulture.

Don's newspaper adventures were reprinted in the popular Big Little Books and in Dell Comics Crackajack Funnies comic book from 1937-1942.  When that title ceased publication Popular Comics began carrying the reprints, as did Four Color Comics and Famous Feature Stories.  Winslow was given his own comic book with original content in 1943 by Fawcett Comics and the cover of the first issue featured Captain Marvel introducing Don.  The series ran until 1948 for a total of 69 issues.  Charlton Comics briefly ran the comic book series in 1955.  The comic Naval commander made the jump to radio on the Blue Network on October 19, 1937 in 15-minute episodes. The radio drama ran until May 26, 1939.  But with the beginning of the Second World War his adventures returned to radio from October 5, 1942 until January 1, 1943.  The radio shows carried a message of patriotism.  Each episode began with a big build-up of airplane motors roaring, with the announcer shouting, "Stand by for action and adventure!  All hands on deck for Don Winslow!"  Then the theme music would swell (Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean) followed by the shrill sound of a bowman's whistle, and another adventure would begin with Don Winslow as the guardian of liberty, truth and righteousness.

Creator Frank Martinek had a simple philosophy about war - "War does not pay.  It costs, and keeps on costing years after the roar of the cannon is stilled".  His war experiences led to his sentiments of peace, and in 1939 as war clouds were building upon the horizon the radio show launched Don Winslow's Squadron of Peace.  The announcer stated, "Boys and girls, Don wants you - YES YOU! - to join him in fighting the forces that would undermine our country's democratic way of life.  We want you to join our new organization, Don Winslow's Squadron of Peace."  Kellogg's Wheat Krispies sponsored the show and for a single box top and a dime young listeners could join and receive a packet that made them bona fide members.  Included in the packet was a serial numbered membership card signed by Don Winslow, a silver badge bearing the likeness of Don, and a hallowed Squadron of Peace certificate and creed.  The creed began with "I consecrate my life to Peace and the protecting of my Countrymen wherever they may be" and ended with the lines "Love your country, its' flag and all the things for which it stands.  Follow the advice of your parents and supervisors and help someone every day."

In 1942 "Don Winslow of the Navy" came to movie theaters as a 12-chapter Universal Studios movie serial.  Don Terry appeared as Don Winslow with Walter Sande as Red Pennington, Claire Dodd as Mercedes Colby, and Kurt Katch as The Scorpion.  Lots of WWII intrigue centered around a secret base in the Pacific.  Don Terry returned in 1943 in Universal's "Don Winslow of the Coast Guard".  Though this seemed to be a demotion for our hero, he gained an extra chapter over the earlier serial.  Ironically, the youths who thrilled to Don Winslow in newspapers, comic books, radio and movies would soon find themselves fighting a real life battle of Good vs. Evil in the approaching war that spread across the globe.  Although created primarily as a Navy recruitment and propaganda tool, Don Winslow of the Navy received high marks for it's suspenseful, ingenious, spine-tingling adventures.