The Enchanted Dagger

Once I began looking into the Golden Age Characters I realized that there were a ton of wacky characters, many of whom were worthy of creative appropriation, but it wasn’t until I discovered Nightmare & Sleepy, who debuted in 1943’s Clue Comics #1, that I thought people were really sleeping on the old school.  I think they were played pretty straight back in the day.  By day, wrestler Bob White would don a tuxedo and fight in the ring… but by night he would don a purple costume with a phosphorescent skeleton painted on it and fight crime.  The skull was just a purple skull mask.  The skull didn’t have, phosphorescent paint.  it was just purple.  Terrifying.

I couldn’t believe no one had stumbled on these two before.  A lot like when I discovered The Enchanted Dagger, I was immediately inspired.  Luckily I was not so inspired that I felt the need to write 9 issues worth of story.  I’ll add that the Nightmare costume might have been a little too scary for 1943.  The powers that be would eventually change his look.  He’d end up with pointy ears…like Batman…emphasis on the NightMARE, as opposed to the existential….