Art by L.B. Cole

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.

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.

Katie Merryweather is a short-haired brunette with hazel eyes. Diminutive in height, she has the body of a gymnast with the exception of being quite buxom.

Kitten has no powers but is a superbly trained athlete and an experienced hand to hand combatant. She’s also an excellent detective and excellent at formulating solutions to problems.