Congratulations on the Promotion. Now Get Out.

What happens when a member of a comic book super team becomes incredibly popular with readers?

Well, in addition to getting a solo series, modern marketing wisdom dictates the character should not only remain in the team book, but should also get as much of the spotlight as possible. The more prominent the character's role in stories and on covers, the more comics are sold....or so the thinking goes.

However, back at the very beginning of superhero comic books, that wasn't the case. In the early 1940's, the rules for superhero team books were still being written in the pages of All-Star Comics, home of the very first superhero team: The Justice Society of America. As such, newly popular characters were handled in a very different manner from what we're used to now.

As a melding of two different publishing lines (Detective Comics and All-American Comics), the All-Star Comics title was a showcase for both publishers' superhero characters, all of whom regularly appeared in other titles (usually in multi-feature anthology books). The initial criteria for the JSA's roster was that any All-Star character popular enough to carry a solo title was classified as an "Honorary Member", removed from the title and replaced with a lesser-known superhero character. So, unlike an actual "All-Star" sports team featuring the most popular and talented players, All-Star Comics operated more like a minor league farm team that worked to promote "up and comers" into major leaguers with their own solo titles.

The first time this bizarre "promotion policy" was put into effect was after the Flash was awarded his solo All-Flash title in 1941. On the opening page of All-Star Comics #6 (1941), readers were informed that the Flash had been "called to other duties" and, like Superman and Batman before him (who already had their own titles) would now enjoy Honorary Member status.

Making Flash's departure even more bizarre was how he and the other JSAer's seemed vaguely aware of the publishing policy behind his exit, as the Spectre's comment implied. Plus, you'd think the other guys should have been a little less happy about losing the talents of the Fastest Man Alive!

The "promotion" of Flash also left an opening for a new JSA chairman, which was then filled by fellow heavy-hitter Green Lantern.  Unfortunately, GL's term as chairman lasted only a single issue. Although a retroactive excuse for his short tenure was offered up in All-Star Squadron Annual #3 (1984), it was actually a new Green Lantern solo series that catapulted the original ring-slinger to Honorary Membership. So, in the space of two issues, the JSA had lost two of its most powerful and popular members, only to be replaced by addle-brained Johnny Thunder and the non-powered Dr. Mid-Nite. 

Bending the Honorary Member rule was Wonder Woman, who (despite having her own title) was allowed to stick around in a semi-active role as the JSA's "secretary" (an odd and demeaning role for one of the most powerful beings on the planet)!

Thankfully, the Honorary Member policy was abandoned in 1945 as both the Flash and Green Lantern returned to active duty in All-Star Comics #25...though Wonder Woman remained the team's "secretary" for several more issues before the distinction was finally dropped for good.

Comments

[Pat Curley]

The funny thing was with the JLA they tried to have the exact opposite qualification; you couldn't be in it until you graduated to your own magazine. Of course, they violated that rule with two of the original members (Martian Manhunter never had his own magazine in the Silver Age and Aquaman didn't have one until a few years later), and the first new inductee (Green Arrow).

[Mark Engblom]

Thanks, Pat. I wasn't aware of the JLA's policy. I figured that if they let a nitwit like Snapper Carr hang around, they'd let in just about anyone.

[suedenim]

This post reminds me how much I loathe Golden Age Johnny Thunder.

In later eras, he's (somewhat) more tolerable, but in the Golden Age? Yeesh....

[ShadowWing Tronix]

"Hotcha" is one of those slang terms that deserves it's space in the grammar grave.

I'm wondering which game plan makes more sense? On the one hand, you do avoid overusing the character, or making some of the mistakes currently made (just how many comics is Wolverine showing up in this month?). On the other hand, I'm sure having Superman and Batman in the JLA comics improves sales.

[Richard]

Snapper Carr is in the running with Paste-Pot-Pete for worst character name.

[Pat Curley]

I am pretty sure that Schwartz mentioned it in a letter column, which explains (for example) why Hawkman didn't get into the JLA until years after the Atom; while Carter debuted earlier (Feb-Mar 1961 versus Sept-Oct 1961), Ray got his mag almost immediately. Hawkman took another tryout trio of issues in B&B plus four issues as a backup to Adam Strange in Mystery in Space before he finally "earned his wings" and was inducted into the JLA three months after his debut issue. Metamorpho also got the offer shortly after his mag appeared on the stands, although he memorably said no.