Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Matt Baker, Mountain Dew, St. John Publications
Authentic Police Cases #3 captivates with its striking cover by Matt Baker and a gripping story titled “Mountain Dew Murder.”
Originating from a Scottish slang term for whiskey, “mountain dew” appeared in London newspapers as early as 1818 and gained popularity in the United States by the 1820s. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it became synonymous with moonshine, illicitly produced and distributed whiskey. Drinks known as “Mountain Dew Drop” were marketed as both alcoholic beverages and mineral spring water from the 1870s to 1890s.
According to Dick Bridgforth’s exceptional book, “Mountain Dew: The History,” Tri-City Beverage of Johnson City, Tennessee, introduced the first iteration of the Mountain Dew soft drink in December 1954. They obtained the rights from Barney and Ally Hartman, Knoxville bottlers who originally developed the drink as a mixer but had not publicly sold it. Therefore, when St. John’s Authentic Police Cases #33 was released in early 1954, “mountain dew” still carried its association with bootlegging, which is precisely the focus of the “Mountain Dew Murder” story featured in the issue.
The story’s illustrations were skillfully created by artist Antonio Canale. Matt Baker’s cover for this issue drew loose inspiration from “Murder, Inc.’s #1 Boy,” a story illustrated by Gene Colan. Notably, “Authentic Police Cases” rarely featured real-life gangsters, but “Murder, Inc.’s #1 Boy” depicted Harry Maione, an infamous hitman for the notorious Murder, Inc. syndicate, who was sentenced to death by electric chair in 1942.
For fans of Matt Baker, his cover for this issue stands out among a series of exceptional covers. The “Mountain Dew Murder” story adds a unique perspective that was not often explored in crime comics of that period. An auction for a copy of Authentic Police Cases #33 (St. John, 1954) in GD/VG condition is currently underway at the 2023 August 17 The Matt Baker Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction.
Affiliates of Bleeding Cool frequently purchase from and consign to Heritage Auctions.
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