DIAL B for BLOG - THE WORLD'S GREATEST COMIC BLOGAZINE

THE SEA DEVILS
The subject for this issue of DIAL B for BLOG was chosen by "KIng Dong," the winner of our "Showcase" contest. Hope you enjoy it, KD! Let's dive right in...

The name "SEA DEVILS" didn't start in comics -- it originally began in films. Following the 1937 film SEA DEVILS starring Victor McLaglen and Ida Lupino (poster seen left), came the 1952 film SEA DEVILS (poster seen right), starring Rock Hudson and Yvonne De Carlo (aka Lily Munster of "The Munsters" TV show).

DC Comics didn't jump into the SEA DEVILS water right away. First, they decided to stick their toe in the water by test-marketing an underwater adventure tale in Showcase #3, cover-dated August 1956.

This aquatic action story, set during WWII, starred a group of men called The Frogmen, a special team of underwater operatives. Pictured below is Russ Heath's cover for the issue:

Russ Heath would later become famous for his ultra-realistic war comic stories, but his wet suits weren't too shabby either! BELOW: A Heath page from Frogmen:

Following the Frogmen came the SEA DEVILS, a team of underwater adventurers: Dane Dorrance, Biff Bailey, Judy Walton, and Judy's younger brother Nicky Walton. In structure as well as uniforms, the team resembles both the Challengers of the Unknown and the Fantastic Four. Here's the rarely-seen DC house ad announcing the SEA DEVIL's premiere dive into the deep six, complete with a great new Ira Schnapp logo:

The ad seen above uses interior art from the Showcase story, but doesn't show its actual cover. The actual cover, seen below, featured another memorable shot by Russ Heath (signed by the artist. lower left -- a rarity!):

The Sea Devils three-issue tryout ran in Showcase #27-29. The Devils met on a treasure hunt. Their name derives from a movie that Judy, an aspiring actress, was trying out for. Here' s a close-up look at some classic Russ Heath original art from their debut story: