Rev. Danny Fisher

Over at the Tricycle Editors’ Blog, Aaron Lackowski points us to a ScrippsNews article about the “fascinating, Buddhist-inspired 1940s American comic strip called ‘The Green Lama.’” ScrippsNews writer Andrew A. Smith first points out the character’s similarities with other superheroes (such as Superman and Batman), and then notes:

But in other ways, the Lama was unique. For one thing, despite his regrettable name, Tsarong often acted more as an adviser than a sidekick — despite not being white. Plus, the Lama was drawn by the remarkable Mac Raboy (“Captain Marvel Jr.”), who was revered then and now for his graceful figures, clean embellishment, storytelling skills and breathtaking mastery of anatomy, foreshortening, design, perspective and rendering. Also, as his name implies, the Green Lama’s powers didn’t derive from the scientific and industrial prowess of the West — they came from, and practically idolized, Tibet and its Buddhist tenets.

But most importantly, “Green Lama” may be the most enlightened comic book I’ve read from the ’40s. For example, a full-page house ad in “Green Lama” No. 2 (February 1945) makes a plea — no, a demand — for tolerance. Under a stark image of a U.S. helmet next to a battlefield grave marker with no name, the text reads in part, “Let’s put an end to the foul prejudice fanned by our enemies … When you find anyone — yourself included — thinking, speaking, acting with racial or religious prejudice — STOP IT! If Smith, Kelly, Cohen or Svoboda is good enough to die for us, he’s good enough to live with us … as an equal. Be American!”

You’re not going to read that in “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle” in the 1940s!

Believe it or not, there are even more amazing stories about the comic book series’ progressive quality. Read the whole article here.

You can also order both volumes of The Complete Green Lama from Dark Horse Comics here and here. And you can read a past Tricycle article about the comic book character here.