Part 51 (2/2)
”It's been strange all along,” said Sammy
She nodded Then she handed the sack of dirty linens to Joe and started down the hall Joe stood beside the couch for aat Sa to work his way backward, one at a tih the steps of the clever feat of substitution that Sammy had just pulled off
When the household woke the next , quite early, the couch had been stripped, the sheets left folded on the coffee table with the pillow balanced on top, and Saone In lieu of a note or other farewell gesture, he had left only, in the center of the kitchen table, the siven back in 1948, when he had purchased the lot on which the house now stood It rinkled and dog-eared and dyed by the stain of long years spent in Sammy's wallet When Rosa and Joe picked it up they saw that Sa down, crossed out the name of the never-more-than-theoretical family that was printed above the address, and in its place written, sealed in a neat black rectangle, knotted by the stout cord of an ampersand, the words KAVALIER CLAY
AUTHOR'S NOTE
I am indebted to Will Eisner, to Stan Lee, and in particular to the late Gil Kane for sharing their ree, and also to dick Ayers, Sheldon Moldoff, Martin ”Green Lantern” Nodell, and to Marv Wolf introductions to some of those brilliant creators Thanks also to Richard Bensaell, Kenneth Turan, Cy Voris, Roselas Stuenerosity and intelligence by reading drafts or portions of this book along the way I'old, Ricki Waldman, Kenneth Turan, and Robert Chabon for their roup rail-trip coordinator of NJ Transit; and to the past and presentList (fantastycom/ kirby-l)
I would like to thank the MacDowell Colony for providing the ifts of space, tiest Fund for its support
The research for this novel was undertaken primarily at the Doheny Mee Library, the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, the McHenry Library at UC Santa Cruz, and the New-York Historical Society
I have tried to respect history and geography wherever doing so served my purposes as a novelist, but wherever it did not I have, cheerfully or with regret, ignored them
I have relied on the prior labor of many writers here, but above all on that of the collective authors of the 1959 WPA New York City Guide New York City Guide (John Cheever and Richard Wright a them), and on the work of E J Kahn, Jr, Brendan Gill, E B White, A J Liebling, Joseph Mitchell, St Clair McKelway, and all the other great urban portraitists, many of the for their lost city in dusty old bound back issues of (John Cheever and Richard Wright a them), and on the work of E J Kahn, Jr, Brendan Gill, E B White, A J Liebling, Joseph Mitchell, St Clair McKelway, and all the other great urban portraitists, many of the for their lost city in dusty old bound back issues of The New Yorker The New Yorker Other helpful or indispensable books were: Other helpful or indispensable books were: Letters froue: 1939-1941, co, co, The Nighthtmare of Reason, by Ernst Pawel, and by Ernst Pawel, and Elder of the Jews, Elder of the Jews, by Ruth Bondy; by Ruth Bondy; The World Almanac and Book of Facts for 1941 The World Almanac and Book of Facts for 1941 edited by E Eastman Irvine, edited by E Eastman Irvine, No Ordinary Time, No Ordinary Time, by Doris Kearns Goodwin, by Doris Kearns Goodwin, The Glory and the Dream, The Glory and the Dream, by William Manchester, by William Manchester, The Lost World of the Fair, The Lost World of the Fair, by David Gelernter, and by David Gelernter, and Delivered from Evil, Delivered from Evil, by Robert Leckie; by Robert Leckie; The Secrets of Houdini, The Secrets of Houdini, by J C Cannell, by J C Cannell, Blackstone's Modern Card Tricks, Blackstone's Modern Card Tricks, by Harry Blackstone, by Harry Blackstone, Professional Magic Made Easy, Professional Magic Made Easy, by Bruce Elliott, by Bruce Elliott, Houdini on Magic, Houdini on Magic, by Harry Houdini, by Harry Houdini, Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls, Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls, by William Lindsay Gresham, and by William Lindsay Gresham, and Houdini!!!, Houdini!!!, by Kenneth Silverman; by Kenneth Silverman; Little America Little America and and Discovery, Discovery, both by Richard E Byrd, both by Richard E Byrd, A History of Antarctic Science, A History of Antarctic Science, by G E Fogg, by G E Fogg, The White Continent, The White Continent, by Thomas R Henry, by Thomas R Henry, Quest for a Continent, Quest for a Continent, by Walter Sullivan, and by Walter Sullivan, and Antarctic Night, Antarctic Night, by Jack Bursey; by Jack Bursey; New York Panorama, New York Panorama, by the Federal Writers' Project of the WPA, by the Federal Writers' Project of the WPA, The E, by John Tauranac, by John Tauranac, The Gay Metropolis, 1940-1996, The Gay Metropolis, 1940-1996, by Charles Raiser, and by Charles Raiser, and The Encyclopedia of New York City, The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T Jackson; edited by Kenneth T Jackson; The Great Comic Book Heroes, The Great Comic Book Heroes, by Jules Feiffer, by Jules Feiffer, All in Color for a Dime, All in Color for a Dime, by dick Lupoff and Don Thompson, by dick Lupoff and Don Thompson, The Great Comic Book Artists The Great Comic Book Artists and and Great History of Comic Books, Great History of Comic Books, both by Ron Goulart, both by Ron Goulart, Superhero Coe: The Illustrated History, Superhero Coe: The Illustrated History, by Mike Benton, by Mike Benton, The Art of the Comic Book, The Art of the Comic Book, by Robert C Harvey, and by Robert C Harvey, and The Comic Book Makers, The Comic Book Makers, by Joe Simon with Jim Simon; by Joe Simon with Jim Simon; On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism, On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism, by Gershom Scholem, and by Gershom Scholem, and Gates to the Old City, Gates to the Old City, by Raphael Patai; by Raphael Patai; The Big Broadcast, The Big Broadcast, by Frank Buxton and Bill Owen, by Frank Buxton and Bill Owen, Don't Touch That Dial, Don't Touch That Dial, by J Fred MacDonald, and by J Fred MacDonald, and The Book of Practical Radio, The Book of Practical Radio, by John Scott-Taggart; as well as the following sites on the World Wide Web: Michael Norwitz's by John Scott-Taggart; as well as the following sites on the World Wide Web: Michael Norwitz's Lev Gleason's Coelfirecoelfireco's Houdini Tribute Houdini Tribute ( houdinitributecom), and Peter Bacon Hales's ( houdinitributecom), and Peter Bacon Hales's Levittown: Documents of an Ideal American Suburb Levittown: Documents of an Ideal American Suburb (uicedu/~pbhales/Levittown/ indexhtml) (uicedu/~pbhales/Levittown/ indexhth standards of the a Mary Evans for nearly fifteen years, and only to the extent that it meets them can I be satisfied with this work Kate Medina blessed this voyage when I had no more than a fictitious map to steer by, and lashed rateful to Scott Rudin, for his patience and faith, to Tanya McKinnon, Benjahan Rady, Frankie Jones, Alexa Cassanos, and Paula Shuster And, everlastingly, to Ayelet Wald, in a thousand ways, every single word of this novel, down to the very last period
Finally, I want to acknowledge the deep debt I owe in this and everything else I've ever written to the work of the late Jack Kirby, the Ring of Comics
[1][1] The still-fresh memory of Harry Houdini in the American mind thirteen years after his death-of his myth, his mysterious abilities, his physique, his feats, his dedicated hunting down and exposure of frauds and cheats - is a neglected source of the superhero idea in general; an argument in its favor, as it were The still-fresh memory of Harry Houdini in the American mind thirteen years after his death-of his myth, his mysterious abilities, his physique, his feats, his dedicated hunting down and exposure of frauds and cheats - is a neglected source of the superhero idea in general; an argument in its favor, as it were
[2][2] In 1998, the New York branch of Sotheby's offered a rare copy of In 1998, the New York branch of Sotheby's offered a rare copy of Aet Radio Comics 1 in Very Good condition The minimum bid was fixed at ten thousand dollars Its staples were shi+ny, its corners sharp, its pages white as piano keys The cover had a long transverse crease, but after enerations removed now from that jittery year in that brutal yet innocent city-the joy and rage incarnate in the knockout Kavalier punch still startled It sold, after lively bidding, for 42,200 1 in Very Good condition The minimum bid was fixed at ten thousand dollars Its staples were shi+ny, its corners sharp, its pages white as piano keys The cover had a long transverse crease, but after enerations removed now from that jittery year in that brutal yet innocent city-the joy and rage incarnate in the knockout Kavalier punch still startled It sold, after lively bidding, for 42,200
[3][3] ”Fighting Fascis Fascisust 17, 1940
[4][4] Frege, a socialist, an alpine skier, and, like Love, a Rhodes scholar (they had e), was stripped of his title as German national downhill cha an act of depravity” in the Munich Frege, a socialist, an alpine skier, and, like Love, a Rhodes scholar (they had e), was stripped of his title as German national downhill cha an act of depravity” in the Munich Bahnhof Bahnhof
[5][5] This legendary library of self-mortification was lost, and widely considered apocryphal, until 1993, when one of its voluendary library of self-mortification was lost, and widely considered apocryphal, until 1993, when one of its volumes, Racy Attorney Racy Attorney 23, turned up at an IKEA store in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where it was e property on a floor-ned by the author and bears the probably spurious but fascinating inscription 23, turned up at an IKEA store in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where it was e property on a floor-ned by the author and bears the probably spurious but fascinating inscription To my pal dick Nixon To my pal dick Nixon
[6][6] Teeks after Kahn's piece appeared in Teeks after Kahn's piece appeared in The New Yorker, The New Yorker, giving soht, Kahn forwarded to Joe a check for twelve dollars, one for ten, and a letter fro to feed him a home-cooked meal of schnitzel and knodelen It is probable that Joe never took her up on the offer Records indicate, however, that the checks were cashed giving soht, Kahn forwarded to Joe a check for twelve dollars, one for ten, and a letter fro to feed him a home-cooked meal of schnitzel and knodelen It is probable that Joe never took her up on the offer Records indicate, however, that the checks were cashed
[7][7] It was probably just as well The man was Max Ernst, not merely an artist whose work Joe admired but a committed anti-fascist, public enemy of the nazis, and fellow exile It was probably just as well The man was Max Ernst, not merely an artist whose work Joe admired but a committed anti-fascist, public enemy of the nazis, and fellow exile
[8][8] Radio, All Doll, Radio, All Doll, and and Freedo the war years, cae boys, Kid Einstein, Knuckleduster (known affectionately as ”Knuck”) O'Toole, Toans” who had abandoned street fighting and pinked derbies in favor of the Axisunderwear The Freedo the war years, cae boys, Kid Einstein, Knuckleduster (known affectionately as ”Knuck”) O'Toole, Toans” who had abandoned street fighting and pinked derbies in favor of the Axisunderwear
[10][10] Thirty years later, when this as first reprinted, Thirty years later, when this as first reprinted, The Weird Worlds of Luna Moth The Weird Worlds of Luna Moth (Nostalgia Press, 1970; second edition, Pure Iination, 1996) quickly becaia Press, 1970; second edition, Pure Iination, 1996) quickly became a head-shop bestseller
[11][11] Lost Lost
[12][12] Gargantua and Pantagruel, Gargantua and Pantagruel, and possibly and possibly Vathek Vathek
[13][13] Sa artist named Roy Lichtenstein who had once wandered into his office at Pharaoh looking for a job There is no evidence, however, that the story is true Sa artist named Roy Lichtenstein who had once wandered into his office at Pharaoh looking for a job There is no evidence, however, that the story is true
[14][14] The Paris Bridge-Leap of 1921: A Mee-Leap of 1921: A Memoir of Hardeen, New York; privately printed, 1935 Now in the collection of Prof Kenneth Silverman New York; privately printed, 1935 Now in the collection of Prof Kenneth Silveranes du Facteur moved to Fifty-seventh Street after the war, three doors down froie Hall, an inexorable journey uptown and into cultural irrelevance in the lasttribes of Action, Beat, and Pop Les Organes du Facteur moved to Fifty-seventh Street after the war, three doors down froie Hall, an inexorable journey uptown and into cultural irrelevance in the lasttribes of Action, Beat, and Pop
[16][16] In his excellent In his excellent The Art of the Comic Book: An Aesthetic History The Art of the Co some dozen she is believed to have e some dozen she is believed to have employed over the years
[18][18] ”A person of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest” ”A person of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest”
[19][19] The Escapist, The Escapist, starring a young Peter Graves in the title role, 1951-53 starring a young Peter Graves in the title role, 1951-53
[20][20] At this time in the history of comic books, it was a mark of only the most successful heroes that they had a secret lair Superman had his Fortress of Solitude, Batman his Batcave, the Blackhawks their ept Blackhawk Island, and the Escapist his posh digs under the boards of the Empire Palace These redoubts would be depicted, frorams of the secret lair, each 3-D Televisor Screen, Retractable Helipad, Trophy Rooue's Gallery carefully labeled with arrows Only one of these cross-section plans was ever published for the Keyhole, a special two-page drawing in the centerfold of At this time in the history of comic books, it was a mark of only the most successful heroes that they had a secret lair Superman had his Fortress of Solitude, Batman his Batcave, the Blackhawks their ept Blackhawk Island, and the Escapist his posh digs under the boards of the Empire Palace These redoubts would be depicted, frorams of the secret lair, each 3-D Televisor Screen, Retractable Helipad, Trophy Rooue's Gallery carefully labeled with arrows Only one of these cross-section plans was ever published for the Keyhole, a special two-page drawing in the centerfold of Escapist Adventures Escapist Adventures 46 46