Holyoke published the adventures of Cat-Man and Kitten in 34 stories between
1940 and 1946. Cat-Man, a.k.a. David Merryweather, began in Crash Comics
Adventures No. 4 and was partially created by Irwin Hasen. In these early
stories he wore a green, yellow, and orange costume. He appeared again in
Crash Comics Adventures No. 5 before getting his own title in May 1941. David
was raised by a tigress after his parents were killed in Burma and acquired
great cat-like abilities such as night vision, greath strength, and the legendary
9 lives. He joined the army and at the beginning of the series was a Lieutenant.
Cat-Man Comics ran for 32 issues and in Issue 5 David acquired a ward, a
young orphan girl named Katie Conn, who donned the now orange and red costume
and joined him in fighting crime as "The Kitten." By the end of the series,
Katie had matured and David had been promoted to the rank of Captain. With
art by the likes of Charles M. Quinlan (who also wrote many stories for Holyoke),
the aforementioned Irwin Hasen, and the legendary Bob Fujitani, and with
covers by L. B. Cole, Cat-Man stood out artistically for the era. Information
taken from "The Official Golden Age Hero and Heroine Directory" by Bill Black,
ISBN 1-56225-017-5. |
Art by L.B. Cole
 |
|
|
Cat-Man and Kitten
 |
|
Introduced to the AC Universe after having been revived from the Vault of
Heroes, Cat-Man and Kitten have quickly become fan favorites. Altering their
Holyoke history, readers learned that the 20-year-old Katie Conn met Lt.
David Merryweather at a USO dance during World War II and that after a few
months of dating he revealed to her that he was actually Cat-Man. Her interest
in the young Lieutenant was piqued even more with this revelation and she
aided him from the sidelines for a few months before fashioning herself a
costume and joining him on patrol. The duo married after many years of courtship
and later made the decision to enter the Vault. Since being revived they
have adapted well to life in the present. However, they continue to be reminded
of their past as their arch-enemy, Dr. Macabre, was also revived from suspended
animation and continues to pose a sinister threat to the couple's life together. |
|