I’m taking a few days off from my
serialized posting of the original art pages to my uncollected 1994 graphic
novel, “The Mark In America” to post and blog about one of the highlights of my
collection, the complete set of all 9 pages of original artwork, by Lee Elias,
to “Banker’s Holiday”, starring the Black Cat. The story was first printed in
“Black Cat” #2, published by Harvey Comics in August/September 1946, reprinted
in “Black Cat” #10 (1948), and still later in “The Original Black Cat” #5,
published by Lorne-Harvey in 1991. This is page #5.
Speaking of circular motifs,
Elias does it twice on page 5, almost exactly the same size as the bank vault
on page 4. This effect would be striking whether the pages were printed across
from each other or not.
Panel 1 is especially striking, given that the open
bank vault in the BG is almost exactly the same size (and shape) as the
circular panel border and is symmetrically placed within the composition. I
also find it interesting that the circular panels are held within the rectangle
of the over-all page, framed by black, instead of being allowed to float
freely.
We get a fun close up on the angry bank robber in panel 5, the only
close up, as such, in the entire 9 pages.
What an odd storytelling choice,
especially in a story featuring a beautiful woman. Elias tends to keep her full
figure as much as possible, as shown in the fight panels 4 and 6.
This is page #5 of 9 from
“Banker’s Holiday”, starring Black Cat, from Black Cat #2, published by Harvey
Comics in 1946.
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