Indie Squid Kid

What happens to the poor fish of the seven seas who become injured or ill? Are they left to float and flounder on the choppy waters, unattended and uncared for? Not if Aquaman can help it! For the Sea Sovereign operates an unusual underwater shelter and clinic for his finny friends—and they get all the medical attention they need by…CALLING DR. AQUAMAN!

The above panel (and quote) is from Adventure Comics #188, published by DC Comics in May, 1953. This injured octopus is probably Topo, Aquaman’s constant cephalopod companion during the Golden Age. (One day I’ll write up a full profile on Topo…one day). I’m not sure what kind of injury he could have sustained that would require treatment with splint, but he sure doesn’t look happy!

I can relate, actually. It is one month today since I had surgery on my thumb, and I am still unable to use my right hand for much of anything. Sure, there has been some improvement over the past four weeks—for example, I was able to tie my shoes last week!—but I don’t even have all the stitches out yet. It can barely bend at the knuckle, and I can’t grasp or pick anything up with that hand. And, worst of all, I have to type left-handed! Maybe it is time to call Dr. Aquaman…

Adventure Comics #227 (August, 1956)

ISK will be taking the rest of the week off as we recover from the Fabulous Festival of Food that is the American Thanksgiving holiday. If you celebrate, I hope it’s not alone on some fishy reality show like our pal Aquaman here.

Also, an octopus wearing a bow tie…not something you see every day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome to the first installment of Wednesday Comics, the newest Indie Squid Kid weekly(ish?) theme day! You may not know this, but all across this great land of ours, Wednesday is New Comic Book Day—the day that comic shops get their weekly shipments of new titles. Cephalopods have been a mainstay of comic books pretty much since the beginning of the genre, as demonstrated in the following images from DC Comics’ Golden Age that all feature classic superheroes battling giant octopuses.

The Flash vs. octopus: Flash Comics #44 (1943)

Via Poulpe Pulps, an impressive archive of vintage covers of comics, pulp magazines, and sci-fi novels that all feature cephalopods.

Captain Marvel vs. octopus: Whiz Comics #115 (1949)

Via Everyday Is Like Wednesday, the home of the occasional Monday Morning Man vs. Cephalopod.

Starman vs. octopus: Adventure Comics #65 (1941)

Via The Absorbascon, your online source for sweet, sweet octopus love.