Posted By Dan Greenfield on Apr 30, 2024 | 5 comments

On the eve of a world war, an optimistic look at a bright future…

Flying over the World’s Fair

By PETER BOSCH

Visitors to the New York World’s Fair in 1939 never forgot the experience. Even for jaded New Yorkers, it was a thrill of a lifetime. It opened 85 years ago on April 30, 1939, and attracted 45 million visitors by its close in October 1940.

The theme? “Dawn of a New Day” — the world of tomorrow, although a second world war was in the offing.

1939 World’s Fair poster by Albert Staehle

DC Comics published a tie-in that was available on site that first day, New York World’s Fair Comics. It featured their major heroes at the time (remember, though, that Superman had only debuted one year before so the pickings were slim; Batman just saw the light of day in Detective Comics #27 one month earlier, so he didn’t appear until the 1940 World’s Fair comic). The comic also contained a number of humor strips and features about the Fair.

DC’s New York World’s Fair Comics #1 cover by Vin Sullivan. Superman’s a blond!

Superman written by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Joe Shuster.

Zatara written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Fred Guardineer.

Scoop Scanlon drawn by Bill Ely.

Slam Bradley written by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Joe Shuster.

The Sandman written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Bert Christman.

Though no Batman, Bob Kane contributed this, with Bill Finger writing:

The 1940 New York World’s Fair had a Superman Day on July 3, 1940, that included a parade:

DC’s second New York World’s Fair Comics included new stories of returning characters, plus the addition of Batman, Robin, and Hourman:

New York World’s Fair Comics 1940 issue cover by Jack Burnley.

Batman drawn by Bob Kane and written by Bill Finger.

Hourman written by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Bernard Baily.

New York wouldn’t host another world’s fair until 1964. There was no comic book tie-in, but there is a comics connection: The very first thing shown on the 1966 Batman TV series is stock footage from the fair.

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Groovy, huh?

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— FRED RAY’s Classic WORLD’S FINEST BASEBALL COVER — Two Seconds Later! Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. He is currently at work on a sequel, about movie comics. Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.