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<HEAD><TITLE>Don Markstein's Toonopedia: The Press Guardian </TITLE> <script language="JavaScript"></script> <META name = "author" content = "Donald D. Markstein"> <META name = "description" content = "Hypertext encyclopedia of comics and animation"> <META name = "subject" content = "Hypertext encyclopedia of comics and animation"> <META name = "keywords" content = "comic books animated cartoons animation comics comix syndicated comic strips"> <META name = "publisher" content = "Donald D. Markstein"> <META name = "format" content = "text/html"> <META name = "language" content = "EN"> </HEAD><BODY> <body onload="if (self!= top) top.location = self.location"></body> <BODY BGCOLOR="FFFFFF" TEXT="000000" LINK="0000EE" VLINK="551A8B"> <TABLE><TR><TD WIDTH=310 VALIGN="CENTER"><IMG GALLERYIMG="NO" ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT=336 WIDTH=300 ALT="The Press Guardian makes his first appearance. Artist: Jack Binder." SRC="presguar.jpg"> <TD VALIGN="CENTER"> <H1>THE PRESS GUARDIAN (aka THE FALCON)</H1><FONT SIZE=4> <B>Medium:</B> Comic Books <BR><B>Published by:</B> MLJ/Archie Comics <BR><B>First Appeared:</B> 1939 <BR><B>Creator:</B> Jack Binder<FONT SIZE=3> <! BEGIN DONATION CODE> <HR><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="993366"><CENTER> If this site is enjoyable or useful to you, <BR>Please contribute to its necessary financial support. <BR><A HREF="http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/pay/T1237L0BCY25QA" TARGET="_blank">Amazon.com</A> or <A HREF="https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=don%40toonopedia.com&no_note=1&tax=0&currency_cod e=USD" TARGET="_blank">PayPal</A> </FONT></CENTER><HR> <! END DONATION CODE> <P><A NAME="cont"> By the end of 1939, less than two years after <A HREF="superman.htm">Superman</A> debuted, establishing <A HREF="glossary.htm#superhero">superheroes</A> as the dominant genre of American comic books, the trend was already firmly established. So firmly that when <A HREF="mlj_arch.htm">MLJ Comics</A> launched <I>Pep Comics</I> with a cover date  <P ALIGN="RIGHT"><A HREF="#cont"><FONT SIZE=2><I>continued below</A></FONT> </TABLE> <CENTER><! BEGIN ADSENSE "LEADERBOARD" CODE> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <! END ADSENSE CODE></CENTER> <P><TABLE><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP"> of January, 1940, they introduced no less than three of the gaudily-costumed good guys — <A HREF="shield1.htm">The Shield,</A> <A HREF="comet.htm">The Comet</A> and The Press Guardian. <P> The latter was a sign that superheroes were already getting specialized. From the name, it's apparent that The Press Guardian, who was also called The Falcon (<A HREF="falcon.htm">no relation</A>), at least at first, was mostly concerned with First Amendment issues. He was just a beat-'em-up guy when you get right down to it, but his plots were always generated by the unrestricted pursuit of news. <P> At first, he dressed just like the average superhero, only more so, with prominent elements of blue, green, red and orange in his outfit, and that's just above the waist. He first showed up on a news-gathering adventure of intrepid young <I>Daily Express</I> crime reporter Flash Calvert, but Flash (<A HREF="flash1.htm">no relation,</A> tho they debuted simultaneously) wasn't who he actually was. That was a secret even from the readers. But in the second issue of <I>Pep,</I> it all changed. <P> That issue's story started with Perry Chase, the <I>Express</I> publisher's apparently wimpy, not-too-bright son, begging his father for a chance to prove himself on an important story. Dad told him to stick to his assigned role, reporting on high society's doings, and leave the real stories to the real men. But Perry tackled it anyway, doing an outstanding job, because he was secretly The Press Guardian. He also discarded the eyesore he'd been wearing, opting instead for <A HREF="spirit.htm">The Spirit's</A> look, only his suit, hat and mask were green. <P> Another thing he discarded was the alter-alter ego, leaving the "Falcon" name open for exploitation by another company. <A HREF="marvel.htm">Marvel,</A> in what is perhaps the first example of its penchant for unauthorized use of another publisher's defunct character name (e.g., <A HREF="daredevl.htm">Daredevil,</A> <A HREF="capmarv2.htm">Captain Marvel</A>), soon expropriated it. Their first Falcon character (also unrelated to <A HREF="capamer.htm">Captain America's</A> later partner) began (and ended) in the back pages of <I><A HREF="torch1.htm">Human Torch</A></I> #2 (Fall, 1940). <P> The first version was created by <A HREF="glossary.htm#cartoonist">cartoonist</A> Jack Binder, whose other credits include <A HREF="whizzer.htm">The Whizzer</A> and <A HREF="buletman.htm">Bulletman.</A> The second was done by writer Abner Sundell (<A HREF="madam_s.htm">Madam Satan,</A> <A HREF="sgtboyle.htm">Sgt. Boyle</A>) and artist Mort Meskin (<A HREF="vig-1.htm">Vigilante,</A> <A HREF="sheena.htm">Sheena</A>). <P> If Marvel had wanted the name "Press Guardian", it only had to wait a year or so — <I>Pep</I> was pepped up with its 12th issue (February, 1941), and one of the features ousted was The Press Guardian. His replacement was a superhero with a less subtle mission, <A HREF="fireball.htm">Fireball.</A> The Press Guardian was never seen again — not even in <I><A HREF="mightycr.htm">Mighty Crusaders</A></I> #4, where practically all of the MLJ crew showed up. <P ALIGN = "RIGHT">— DDM <P><A HREF="index.htm">BACK</A> to <I>Don Markstein's Toonopedia</I> Home Page <BR><A HREF="today.htm">Today in Toons:</A> Every day's an anniversary! <P><! BEGIN ADSENSE BANNER CODE><CENTER> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </CENTER><! END ADSENSE CODE> <TD WIDTH=10><TD WIDTH=180 VALIGN="TOP"> <! BEGIN ADLINKS CODE><script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><! END ADLINKS CODE> <P><! 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