Research Assistance Requested - P-51D "The Deacon" - 21st FG (Iwo Jima)

[Vraciu]

Best theory yet in terms of a figure.

What are the white blobs over his head?

[lyric1]

Best theory yet in terms of a figure.

What are the white blobs over his head?

Eyes.

I think Waltz41's colour image is as good as its going to get at this point in time. So the question remains what is the nose art all about? I think your idea (was "The Deacon" a comic book?) that you found is the right one. Could the figure in the foreground be a news paper boy? Could just as well be "The Deacon" with a brown Bible in one hand and a page tore out of the Bible in the other? Who knows? I dont think its a demon on the nose art because in the comic book they dealt with actual demons.

They dont look like the nose art. 



http://fourcolorshadows.blogspot.com/2011/06/deacon-and-mickey-jack-alderman-1943.html



Brief History of "The Deacon" cartoon.

https://www.markcarlson-ghost.com/index.php/2018/04/30/golden-age-holyoke-superheroes-1940-1948/

As you can see in the above link they have all of "The Deacons" regular nemesis are listed and #1 is "Mr Death". Just a side note "The Deacon" was not even a deacon he was a gang member who donned the clothes.

So why do I think "Mr Death is in that image? The colour photo that Waltz41 provided has one thing that I can see that possibly matches the comic image of "Mr Death".
So here is a shadowy image of "Mr Death" Prominent eyes rounded head and the ace of spades emblem on his forehead.



Now on the nose art they have created a two tone blue figure to represent "Mr Death" this would give the image structure rather than a black blob.
When you take the colour image right on its forehead there is a shape that looks to be in the right place for the ace of spades logo when you follow the image down between his eyes there is a splash of pink there like the handle of the spade.





Sadly Charles G Pfost the pilot of the P-51"The Deacon" died in his mid air collision so we most likely wont be able to find the answers there.
His crew chief Emil Klein who is in the video of the plane taxing has passed away as well.
I say finish the skin with the colour image as is. Maybe one day we may get what we want and resubmit it it with the updated information.

[whiteman]

Just looking at it in color I think the blue cloud is just there so the white of the character stands out on the metal finish. It also looks like it might be smoking with a cigarette in its right hand and smoke trailing off. Or possibly holding some sort of object, but the poisoning is weird.

[Mister Fork]

Here’s what I found. “The Deacon & Mickey” were a comic series insert into the Cat-Man graphic novel series from the late 30-40’s. There were 32 novels - here https://graphitecomics.com/comic/GOLDEN-AGE-CLASSICS/Cat-Man-Comics/Cat-Man-Comics-32-volume-1-issue-32/2

Hazza! Now we need to figure out where that image came from in the 32 novels. The Deacon is usually the second comic in the book.

[lyric1]

Here’s what I found. “The Deacon & Mickey” were a comic series insert into the Cat-Man graphic novel series from the late 30-40’s. There were 32 novels - here https://graphitecomics.com/comic/GOLDEN-AGE-CLASSICS/Cat-Man-Comics/Cat-Man-Comics-32-volume-1-issue-32/2

Hazza! Now we need to figure out where that image came from in the 32 novels. The Deacon is usually the second comic in the book.

This is what I failed to find no matter what I did. 
Good catch and low and behold a newspaper boy copy for "The Deacon"comic.

https://graphitecomics.com/issue/GOLDEN-AGE-CLASSICS/Cat-Man-Comics/Cat-Man-Comics-10-volume-1-issue-10/17

[Vraciu]

Dang.   This is getting weirder by the day.   

[lyric1]

Dang.   This is getting weirder by the day.   

Looks like there was only 32 made from 1941-46.

Also after looking at all of them no "Mr Death in any of them?

Says he is in 26B per the link.

https://www.markcarlson-ghost.com/index.php/2018/04/30/golden-age-holyoke-superheroes-1940-1948/

No 26B listed?

https://graphitecomics.com/issue/GOLDEN-AGE-CLASSICS/Cat-Man-Comics/Cat-Man-Comics-26-volume-1-issue-26/40

[lyric1]

Looks like there was only 32 made from 1941-46.

Also after looking at all of them no "Mr Death in any of them?

Says he is in 26B per the link.

https://www.markcarlson-ghost.com/index.php/2018/04/30/golden-age-holyoke-superheroes-1940-1948/

No 26B listed?

https://graphitecomics.com/issue/GOLDEN-AGE-CLASSICS/Cat-Man-Comics/Cat-Man-Comics-26-volume-1-issue-26/40

Well one thing is for certain there is no panel in any of the comic books that match the nose art so I would say the comic inspired the nose art work. Also "The Deacon" gets the job done in his comics no villain gets to come back at all in a second comic.

Looking at the colour image again anyone think its coincidental that a light coloured triangle shape appears under the left arm of the figure?



Also #26 came out in November 1944 so #26B had to be shortly after because #27 was April 1945. So the pilot Charles G Pfost would have seen the "Mr Death" #26B comic as his death was in July 1945.

[Vraciu]

What are the two white things above his head?

[lyric1]

What are the two white things above his head?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWj8nBdwuFw 

[Mister Fork]

This is what I failed to find no matter what I did. 
Good catch and low and behold a newspaper boy copy for "The Deacon"comic.

https://graphitecomics.com/issue/GOLDEN-AGE-CLASSICS/Cat-Man-Comics/Cat-Man-Comics-10-volume-1-issue-10/17

Now we have a copy of the image of the newspaper boy...We’re both thinking the boy is the one on bottom the right with the crutch as Lyric pointed out above.  And then Death behind in the background?  As Lyric said, I'm guessing it was inspired by The Deacon. Yeah, I couldn't find 26B.

[Mister Fork]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWj8nBdwuFw 

 

[Mister Fork]

I've found a different #26 that was on the other comic strip.

https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=29853

This series has #26 and #26A... #26A has the Deacon in it, were the other link I provided does not. #26A has the tiger/human villan. So, the first one in ComicBookPlus calls it 26 and 26A, where comic.org call its 26A and 26B. So we now have 26B found. But no image that relates.

[Mister Fork]

The question now V, do you have enough to reproduce what you need for "The Deacon" P-51D?

[Devil 505]

I question why some of you think the image is of the paperboy? Makes no sense if "The Deacon" is indeed a reference to the comic. That would be like someone naming their plane "Batman" and having a drawing of Alfred.