My friend Maya is working on a 50's period story where she will be making reference to a comic book. She knows nothing about comics, let alone comics from the 1950's, but she wants any period references to be hyper-accurate. Are there any collectors on this BBS who are familiar with that era?

Specifically, she needs to be able to make accurate references to a super-hero or spy comic where the main character uses a decoder ring. This will feature prominently in the story and will even be related to the story's title.

Googling hasn't helped her yet, so I'm falling back on the BBS...

Yeah, but I'm not big into Golden Age spy comics. Lemme ask some friends.

To be honest, I don't remember any comics characters ever using a decoder ring; I only remember them as giveaways to fans.

Does it need to be the main character that users the ring or can it be a subordinate (that is, Kato instead of the Green Hornet, not that that example fits)? Can it be a strip or does it need to be a book?

We should really do a semi serious survey as to what experts we actually have on this BBS

I'm not big into Golden Age spy comics.

Could be a super-hero comic as well. She said that she was pretty sure Captain America had a decoder ring, but that book wasn't around until the 60's.

I only remember them as giveaways to fans.

In theory, the giveaway would be a product tie-in, something they used in the book as well.

Does it need to be the main character that users the ring or can it be a subordinate (that is, Kato instead of the Green Hornet, not that that example fits)?

Yes, I believe that would be fine.

Can it be a strip or does it need to be a book?

I believe it needs to be a book.

What about Captain Midnight? (Searching for a decent link...)

Hmm... More audio than comic book...

I don't remember Captain America ever having a decoder ring, but he was absolutely around before the '60s. He was created around the beginning of the US involvement in WWII.

Reference

Captain Midnight

Yeah. Radio serials are easy. Little Orphan Annie would be another good one. (Anyone with an Ovaltine relationship, really.)

I have it on some authority that Daredevil used to use one. Bear in mind that this isn't the red or yellow and red Daredevil from the 60s recently portrayed in the movies by Ben Affleck, but an earlier character from a different company. His comic, ``Daredevil Comics'' ran from '41 to '56, although he didn't appear in it apparently except for two issues (#79 and 80) after issue #69, which probably appeared in the early '50s.

There's a not-bad picture of him here. He's the guy in the red and blue suit. You can also see his weapon, the boomerang, and his arch-nemesis, the Claw (or maybe the Yellow Claw) hovering over the text in the bottom right.

I don't honestly know much about him, and I don't really know that he used a secret decoder ring, but a knowledgeable friend claims that he did. (He also mentioned that there might be some Green Hornet comics out there where a decoder ring is used, but he's not really known as a comic book character.)

Here's a summary better than any I could manage.

This is great information! Thanks, Bitt.