Golden Age comic artist Matt Baker’s South Sea Girl takes center stage in Seven Seas Comics #4, a comic that pays homage to the South Sea Island films of the 1930s and 1940s. These films, featuring stunning South Sea Island girls in sarongs, created their own genre during that decade. The inspiration for Baker’s South Sea Girl character can be traced back to actress Dorothy Lamour, who was so closely associated with these films that she was nicknamed “The Sarong Girl.” Some of Lamour’s notable films include The Hurricane (1937), Her Jungle Love (1938), Typhoon (1940), Aloma of the South Seas (1941), and Rainbow Island (1944).
Seven Seas Comics #4 revolves around a movie producer who plans to film a movie on the character South Sea Girl’s home, the volcanic Vanishing Isles. The Vanishing Isles, shrouded in mist and challenging to locate, share similarities with Skull Island from the renowned King Kong franchise. Just like the difficulty in finding Seven Seas Comics #4, an exceptionally rare CGC 9.2 Davis Crippen copy sold for $81,000.00 earlier this year.
If you’re a fan of Matt Baker’s work, you’ll be delighted to know that an attractive CGC FN- 5.5 Off-white pages copy of Seven Seas Comics #4 is currently up for auction in the 2023 August 17 The Matt Baker Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40233 at Heritage Auctions. This issue showcases Baker’s signature “good girl” art style, flawlessly blending whimsy and danger.
Interestingly, Manning Lee Stokes, the writer of the South Sea Girl stories in the Seven Seas Comics series, only wrote one other known comic called The Case of the Winking Buddha, published by St. John in 1950. This digest-size graphic novel, like the famous It Rhymes with Lust, demonstrates how Stokes, Leslie Waller (author of It Rhymes with Lust), and Matt Baker all embarked on successful careers beyond comics.
Seven Seas Comics marked a turning point in Matt Baker’s career. It was released around a year and a half after his debut on Sheena in Jumbo Comics, and it showcased the evolution of his artistic style that would eventually make him a legend in the comic industry. His exquisite illustrations of South Sea Girl in all six issues of the series, as well as on the covers of the final four issues, further solidified his reputation as a master of the “good girl” aesthetic. As Seven Seas Comics was concluding, Baker’s work for Fox Feature Syndicate was gaining significant attention.
While Seven Seas Comics was initially published by Samuel “Jerry” Iger’s Universal Phoenix Features, issue #4 lists Leader Enterprises as the publisher in the indicia. Leader Enterprises, primarily focused on trade-focused newspaper publications, had ties to Jerry Finkelstein, who later founded The Hill, a renowned political news outlet. This arrangement during the World War II era possibly aimed to secure Leader’s paper quota, as paper shortages continued for several years after the war.
N.H. Mager, listed as the general manager in Seven Seas Comics #4, may have served as the connection between Universal Phoenix Features and Leader Enterprises. Mager’s experience in newspaper syndication and affiliation with Martin B. Iger, possibly Jerry Iger’s relative, points to a potential link between these two endeavors.
For collectors, Seven Seas Comics #4 has become highly coveted in recent years. If you’re interested, you can find a stunning copy of Seven Seas Comics #4 (Universal Phoenix Features, 1947) CGC FN- 5.5 Off-white pages up for auction in the 2023 August 17 The Matt Baker Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40233 at Heritage Auctions. This issue represents a significant milestone in Matt Baker’s career and is a must-have for any serious collector.
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Basant Kasayap is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Bollywood to regional cinema, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
