Archival and out-of-print publisher Canton Street Press has announced plans to release two hardcover collections of classic Golden Age comics featuring Valkyrie, Airboy, and Canteen Kate.First up is The Complete Golden Age Airboy & Valkyrie. Inspired by Milton Caniff's Terry & the Pirates, which debuted in 1934 for the New York Daily News, Airboy and Valkyrie's adventures originally ran in Hillman Publication's Air Fighter Comics from 1941-1945.
Airboy was Davy Nelson, a young aviator who uses his piloting skills to fight the Axis during World War Two. Created by Charles Biro, Dick Wood, and Al Camy, Airboy provided an artistic platform for many Golden Age writers and artists, including Carmine Infantino; however, artist Fred Kida is perhaps the most recognizable illustrator attached to the property. Valkyrie, the Nazi aviatrix and vamp, played both Airboy's greatest foe and love interest.
The Complete Golden Age Airboy & Valkyrie is digitally restored in full color, 136 pages, and will retail for $24.99. It will be released on September 18. It will collect Air Fighter Comics volume 1 #12 and volume 2 #2 and #7, as well as stories from Airboy Comics volume 2 #12, volume 3 #6 and #12, volume 4 #10, and volume 9 #2. A trade paperback collection, Valkyrie: Golden Age, was released in 2004 from Verotik, but it was an incomplete edition. Canton Street's edition also includes an introduction by Timothy Truman.
Often cited as a major influence on illustrator Alex Toth, Airboy was also the source of inspiration and imitation for many other Golden Age strips (see "Review: 'Johnny Hazard the Newspaper Dailies Volume: 1944-1946'").
Another collection of Baker's work was recently released by Hermes (see "Hermes Collects 'Brenda Starr' Comics"), and the artist was featured in a biography (see "TwoMorrows' Matt Baker Biography").
--Nathan Wilson
