In July 1934 Hugo Ball went to America for a brief holiday. Ball was a struggling part time author which made a somewhat decent living making various short stories for German magazines. He wed in May to his first wife Emma Hennings, and she with her fathers money wanted to go to America. Ball was at a newsstand outside of his hotel, he glanced down and say a brightly colored magazine with a picture of a clown on it. Ball looked through Famous Funnies, and it is said that the German comic industry was born that day. American comics began in 1934 as merely a reprinting of newspaper funnies, in a way to make them seem new, and for creators to make more money. Ball instantly saw an amazing chance for himself inside of Germany. While the German papers had various comic strips, they tended to be translated from other nations. A prime example of this was Tintin, a creation of Belgian artist Georges Remi, which had a large success inside of newspapers, as well as printed anthologies. To Ball the idea of comic books, as the Americans called them at the time, had a great deal of potential. So using help from his father-in-law, and contacting some of his fellow struggling writers, and a few artists in need of work the idea for German comic books was created. Ball decided that given the available market for entertainment, it was a very easy way to make money during the tough times of the Depression. Children had pocket money, and wanted to be entertained as much as adults, so Ball did his best to gear the writers and artists along such paths.
The first issue Abenteuererzählungen was printed in November 1935, and it had a collection of three stories spread along its twenty nine pages. Tales of the Front had the brave and daring soldier defeating British foes for the Fatherland, Johan Hoepner was a simple tale of crime and retribution, yet what is most important in this is the creation of the Overhero medium. The final tale inside of Abenteuererzählungen was about a Berlin shopkeeper who put on a mask, and used his fathers Lugar to fight a cell of local communists. This man was the Schwarzer Jäger, and it showed the leanings towards Nazism that Ball had, the hero was ruthless, spoke openly of race, and only fought enemies of Germany which ranged from Communist to Russian to French foes. It should be noted that American comic writer Jerome Siegel claims to have created the first Overhero with his own Doctor Occult which was published a clear month before its German counter part, yet this is merely a footnote in history. Much to Ball’s surprise the first printing of only 20,000 issues throughout Germany was sold out. In fact it sold out so quickly the publisher was said to be begging Ball to make more. By the end of 1935 the small publication had sold over 800,000 issues, and while in America the nation which created comics had similar success it was being looked down upon by many, while German comics were geared towards young adults. Hardly a distinction but in truth children preferred tales of criminals, masked adventurers, or war stories to reprinted American Sunday funnies, compiled with college dramas and the occasional swash buckler.
Ball decided that Abenteuererzählungen from then on would have stories that continued in the vein of adventurers, war stories, crime drama, and of course the Overheroes. Many other publications came out such as Furchterregende, and Unterwelt , but Ball had more of an edge due to his writing background which took many aspiring writers and artists and gave then a legal creative outlet. Around 1936 the real start of the Overhero began with heroes like Schmied, Fechter, and Hofnarr making regular appearances alongside other costumed heroes. Deciding it was time to expand Ball began looking to make Abenteuererzählungen a part of the Third Reich. He found this path after speaking to his brother Henrich Ball who was a Bavarian organizer for the Hitler Youth. Ball was aware that in March of 1936, membership of the Hitler Youth would become compulsory for all young German men. This meant that if Ball could get his comics into the organization he would not only have a market numbering in the millions, he would have the much coveted government sanction. Already the Abenteuererzählungen had scores of pro-Nazi heroes and tales, so to Ball it was a simple matter of getting the right people involved.
On January 17, 1936, over dinner at a posh Munich restaurant Ball handed his brother Henrich a stack of five books, and laid out his plan. Henirch decided to help his brother and looked through each one. He found the stories somewhat crude, but at the same time felt they were the perfect thing for young boys to be reading. Stories full of adventure, heroism, where the Germans always were in the right, and the evils of world always were defeated. Of course like all critics Henrich had quite a few notes. He plainly told his brother he was not going to approach any of his superiors without knowing that Ball had the perfect product to help indoctrinate the young men of Germany. So over the course of a month Ball and his small cadre of writers, and artists made a new book called Jugend. The first issue printed only for to demonstrate to the leaders of the Hitler Youth did away with many of the crime dramas, this was in an effort to make illegal acts seem less glamorous. The next was the war stories, which while popular Henrich felt in slightly poor taste, “Why listen to make believe when boys can hear tales from their fathers?” The list kept growing, and eventually included the Overheroes, as Henrich found them too much like criminals. So in the end a watered down version of Abenteuererzählungen which included little more then Police stories, and adventures in far off Africa, was presented to Henrich’s superiors in the Hitler Youth.
Such stories stuck a cord with the Hitler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach, whom Henrich Ball directly reported to once a month. From that point on Shirach took the proposal of a Nazi sponsored Abenteuererzählungen to his superior Viktor Lutze, who in turn sent the idea to Joseph Goebbels. The Propaganda Minister found the idea of such stories as the perfect book end for his ideas on propaganda. At a young age they would hear bedtimes stories of Fredrick the Great, in the Hitler Youth read Jugend, and as they grew older listen to the radio, watch films, and read novels. So with all of this information in hand Goebbels went to Adolf Hitler on March 7th.
Interestingly enough Hitler took one look at the issue of Jugend and decided on a single course of action. “Adopt the books for the children, but I enjoyed the heroes in the masks.” As historians would point to Hitler having a portrait of Henry Ford in his office, others would point to the similar image of a man dressed in all purple, a fedora upon his head, mask over his eyes, a green cape and Lugar in hand stalking criminals in Berlin which Hitler would keep throughout his life. The image of Schwarzer Jäger was drawn by Fritz Hugenberg who worked for Abenteuererzählungen. Along with the picture was note which explained how Hugenberg saw Hitler as a hero ready to strike at the evils of the world, just as the Overheroes do. This was said to have struck a cord with Hitler, but at the same time the man’s explanation that he was an artist who was denied entry into art school makes many others think of Hitler as feeling a slight connection to another failed artist.
When it was announced that Jugend would be considered official entertainment of the Hitler Youth it was said a nation of boys cheered, while their mothers wept. To Hugo Ball it meant a new office, more money, and a free hand to do whatever he wanted. It had to stay in side of guidelines, but despite what many think of Nazi Germany entertainment was geared to be entertaining. As such the first official issue of Jugend in May 1936 had not a single Swastika in it, it mentioned Hitler once, and when it spoke of the Nazi Party it was in a passing reference. Instead over 2 million young men read of Hofnarr defeating a group of bank robbers who froze innocents with an experimental gun, they marveled at a white clad Prince of Atlantis defeating a massive monster off the coast of the North Sea, and they eagerly awaited what would happen to the Schwarzer Jäger who was tied to a ticking bomb atop a Zeppelin.
The United States seeing such popularity attempted to make its own comics industry match that of the Germans. However by this point comics began to have a rather negative light. It was the tool to brainwash children, it was nothing but stories of criminals, thugs, and murders. It was fit for a dictator across the ocean, but not the Red, White and Blue children of the USA. While comics would make a reappearence in the 1970’s, alongside that of British comics, the industry was effectively stagnate. A few independent publishers made what they could but not Overheroes, instead American comics had teenage lovers, funny animals, and a hint of mystery every now and then.
The self described Glorious Age of Comics began around 1937 and ended in 1944 when the printing was canceled by the government for need of war materials. When a larger group of writers, and artists were gathered by Hugo Ball the stories of Jugend took on a very interesting feel. Science Fiction, Crime Drama, Horror, and many others remained but the core of it and the birth of modern comic books began when a series of superheroes one after another came out. They were more popular, and as their popularity grew so did their abilities. And where the most popular, yet writers were finding more and more demand for characters like Feuern Sie Zorn who could fly and shoot fire from his hands, and Funke who controlled electricity. Ball in fact found so much demand he created five separate publications to meet demand, and allow his staff creative flexibility without being limited by thirty seven pages every month. Beside Jugend, there was Wissenschafterzählung which featured Funke, Schnell with Feuern Sie Zorn , Alarm, and Fremde Geschichte. As Germany was moving closer and closer to war Hugo Ball found many new conscripts wanting to read his books, so after a brief discussion he was permitted to expand his operations and from 1938 to1944 he was making around seven million issues per comic per month.
While few looked to comics when the war was away during WWII comics grew in popularity. Erwin Rommel was quoted as saying “Jugend is good for morale. It is cheap, portable, and easily read stories of good triumphing over evil.” In most cases the evil was the Allied Powers. The British Spitfighter who flew through the sky shooting up innocent civilians, The GI a comically misshapen American infantrymen who never seemed to win the day, and of course the Sickle who was a murderous Russian Overvillian. Hugo Ball never felt the Overvillians worked as much of the symbols and ideas came from limited knowledge about the enemy, and “it just seems silly you’d dress up to fight in a war.”
In October 18, 1944 Hugo Ball decided on a grand idea, he would have a hundred and twenty page issue broken up into two parts. It was simple tale of all major Overheroes fighting the combined might of the Allies. Ball decided to forgo the comical styles and had the Overvillians drawn just as the Overheroes were. The first issue ended with the deaths of many German soldiers by a strange Allied super weapon. The next issue would be the Overheroes seeking revenge, but the censors only say the first one. On November 3rd Ball was given a small memo which ordered him to cease production of his comics, await the dismantling of his printing presses, and accept that his staff may be required for the frontlines. Ball, who by this time was on his second wife Carin, did everything in his power to avoid being forced to the front. Using his savings he smuggled himself, his wife, brother and his mother-in-law into Switzerland where he waited out the war. By 1945 he was imprisoned for three months on charges of being a Nazi Party member. While Ball was in fact a full member, he denied the charges he aided in the war. After Allied authorities decided he was not a major Nazi party member he was released. Strangely he did learn while under arrest just how popular he was not just with German infantry but with Americans, and British, who had quite the stockpiles of German comics. In fact the final issue which so angered Hitler, was seen as proof that Ball was not in fact a Nazi.
Ball was allowed to continue publishing after the war, but found little market for it, or materials until 1955. Lucky for Ball he technically owned all characters made during the war. So the popular heroes returned to war torn West Germany and Austria in March of 1955. It was mostly the same as before, the Schwarzer Jäger fought crime, Funke defeated monsters, yet Overheroes started to loose their appeal so science fiction, romance, horror, and crime stories returned. The occupation forces set down a rather strict set of guidelines for German comics. Ball was starting to feel his fifty-three years as he found the ideals which made him famous no longer in style.