H is for the Hand

Some comic book heroes are left on the ash-heap of discarded pop culture for good reason. One of these is the mysterious, supernatural crime-fighting entity known only as the Hand. Where he (it?) came by that name is obvious.

Talk to the Hand. Art  and Writing by Bill Flinton & Bill O'Connor

I love the Golden Age of Comics, because the "rules" of what made for good story telling in the medium were still being established. All sorts of fun and crazy stories were being thrown out there for public approval, and many of the flash-in-the-pans that only appeared a few times were crazier and more fun than most/

And then there are ones like the Hand. What's more amazing than someone thinking this was a good idea is that the Hand appeared twice during 1941, in issues 12 and 13 of Harvey's Speed Comics. The same team of Bill Flinton and Bill O'Connor delivered both of the Hand's crime-smashing adventures, so they probably came up with the strip... and maybe they had pictures of the editor's mother performing unnatural acts on a water buffalo.

I suppose the Hand is remarkable because it is such a strange notion for a comic book hero. L.L. Hundal, the main editor here at NUELOW Games earmarked the two Hand stories for a future issue of Complete Golden Age Oddballs. I think she may have to get around me first, but if enough of you out there wants to give her a hand by showing support for her idea that the Hand needs to be added to the line-up or NUELOW Heroes & Villains, I may have to give in. You won't even need to acquire pictures of my mother performing unnatural acts with a water buffalo. It doesn't take much to get me to agree to something... if people want to see the Hand, I'll give them the Hand.