#sterling morris

[windybluebelles]

I want Mr Morris to have personal beef with Perry White on account of the fact that several of his employees are close with the Marvel Family. Give him back his babies

[puppetwoman17]

When your friends are talking about how Perry White and Jonah Jameson are “great bosses, actually”, but you know that your animal-obsessed-sucker-for-his-niece-and-nephew-boss Mr. Morris would kill for his workers:

[chernobog13]

WHIZ COMICS (vol. 1) #7, August, 1940. Cover by C.C. Beck.

In this story the Big Red Cheese displays a cold bloodedness that would surprise many people. Cap kills off all the villains either by dropping them from planes at great heights, in airborne collisions, or by dumping them into a huge hole in the ground that then exploded.

This is the Captain Marvel that would blithely use a machine gun to mow down marauders on horseback, as he did the next year on the big screen in the Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) serial from Republic Pictures.

And then there's this gem, where Sterling Morris earns the award of Employer of the Year:

"Child endangerment? Poppycock! The lad's 12 years-old, he can take care of himself!"

[tzigone]

WHIZ-TV - what was it?

Billy, of course, worked for WHIZ radio. By 1950, he also had programming on WHIZ-TV (simulcast?).

There was also Amalgamated Broadcasting that owned them (can't recall if that was back during the radio-only days or after the tv station was introduced).

Did you get the impression that Morris owned only one radio and tv station or owned a chain of them? Sometimes he was referred to as a president of the company - would that be like nationwide network like NBC (Red and Blue, with the Blue network later being ABC)? Just trying to figure out what he owned.

I do recall that Billy Batson was famous nation-wide. And did many very dangerous stories that a reporter, especially a child reporter, should not be doing. But it must have made for great self-insertion/wish-fullfillment for the kids reading the title.

I know Billy said he only makes a living and is not rich (right before Uncle Ebenezer tries to rob him), but I do wonder how much someone with his level of fame should earn. Especially after he gains some experience and is just a famous reporter instead of famous boy reporter (whose appeal could theoretically wear off once he's grown). It's for my headcanon version of the Marvels set in the 1940s and Billy's adulthood. Will he end up his universe's version of Walter Cronkite?

[kenandeliza]

Fawcett's Xmas comic 1

Mr Morris hugged Billy after knowing he's safe

[kalelsonofkrypton]

On this date, October 14th, the birthday of Sterling Morris, owner of station WHIZ. (Art and comic book panel by C.C. Beck.)

Sterling Morris

Sterling Morris is a businessman and a supporting figure to Captain Marvel. He is the owner of WHIZ Radio, living in Fawcett City. This make

[wolfsbanesparks]

You know, Captain Marvel may have been warned to stay out of politics, but Billy "not threatened by gods" Batson wasn't. I think the little dude would rant about corrupt politicians as Whiz Kid on Whiz Radio and not get punished for it because who's going to tell off a kid? Anything Captain Marvel can't say, Billy will yell into a mic!

Oh for sure!

Billy has opinions and he's going to let people know about them! He was given a microphone and an audience and by the gods he's going to use them! Captain Marvel has to play nice with the local politicians but Billy doesn't! And he has always been more politically aware than most kids his age.

(A certain golden age comic of Billy trying to use Captain Marvel to commit voter fraud because he was too young to vote but was highly invested in local politics comes to mind)

I can see Mr Morris telling him to document evidence and cite his sources when he gets heated just to avoid people suing WHIZ radio for slander and keep up his journalistic intergrity, but the second Billy has the smallest shred of proof, Mr Morris sits back and eagerly listens to Billy tear into whatever corrupt official has caught his eye.

[nerds-yearbook]

The anthology comic Whiz Comic started with issue 2# and was published with a cover date of February 1940. In the Captain Marvel segment, Captain Marvel/Billy Batson, SHAZAM, Dr Sivana, Ebenezer Batson, Sterling Morris, and Eternity Subway Car were introduced, created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. Orphan child Billy Batson was chosen by SHAZAM to become Captain Marvel. Batson used his new powers to stop Dr Sivana's radio silencer and gain himself the position of radio reporter. In the Ibis the Invincible segment, Ibis the Invincible and Taia were introduced, created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. In the Golden Arrow segment, Golden Arrow (Roger Parsons), White Wind, Brand Braddock, and Brute Braddock were introduced, created by Bill Parker and Pete Costanza. In the Spy Smasher segment, Spy Spasher, Admiral Corby, Eve Corby, the Mask, Zambo, and Gyrosub, created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. In the Scoop Smith segment, Scoop Smith, Blimp Black, Bruce Lane, and Doctor Death were introduced, created by Bill Parker and Greg Duncan. In the Lance O'Casey segment, Lance O'Casy and Mr Hogan were introduced, created Bill Parker and Bob Kingett. In the Dan Dare segment (not to be confused with the same named Dan Dare from Eagle Comics), Dan Dare and Carol Clews were introduced created by Bill Parker and Greg Duncan. ("Captain Marvel: Introducing Captain Marvel" "Ibis the Invincible: Ibis Lives Again" "Golden Arrow: The Origin of Golden Arrow" "Spy Smasher: The Coming of Spy Smasher" "Scoop Smith: The Radium Theft of Dr Death" "Lance O'Casey: Incident at Maloana" "Dan Dare: Seals of Doom" Whiz Comics 2, Fawcett Comics/DC Comic Event)