Page 36 - JOA-Sept-2021

Fortifying Ideals In A Hostile Environment

Text of the 1942 Junior Justice Society Certificate
This Certifies that: [Name, Age, Address] has been duly elected a
charter member of this organization upon his or her pledge to help keep
our country united in the face of enemy attempts to make us think we
Americans are all different, because we are rich or poor; employer or
worker; native or foreign-born; Gentile or Jew, Protestant or Catholic.
And makes the further pledge to defeat this Axis propaganda, seeking to
get us to fight among ourselves, so we cannot successfully fight our ene-
mies - knowing that are all AMERICANS believing in DEMOCRACY
and are resolved to do everything possible to help win the war!

It’s next to impossible to understand the historic significance of the
Junior Justice Society of America without placing it in its proper his-
toric context. Rather than espousing a generic—albeit genuine —
patriotism of many of their contemporaries, the JJSA certificate asked a
few specifics of its members. Also from the 1942 version of the club kit, M.C. Gaines’
Just six months after the first class of Tuskegee Airmen “Youth And The War Effort” brochure, and the “School Defensive Clubs For
graduated and six years before President Harry Truman ordered the Victory” letter along with a War Savings Bond Stamp Album (and a small
“Keep ‘Em Flying” sticker adhered inside the brochure).
integration of the U.S. military, writers, editors, marketing men, and
Image courtesy of Hake’s Auctions.
their publishers all made a small but very significant stand. Half a year
before race riots broke out in Detroit and more than two years before The Club Kits
American troops came face-to-face with the realities of Hitler’s “final Over the years the kits themselves have been documented and
solution” as they liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp, the redocumented, researched, photocopied, theorized upon, and written
folks behind the JJSC not only wrapped themselves in the spirit of about. They’ve been the subject of many “definitive” articles and much
the flag, the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence, they discussion amongst comic book fans and other collectors. Each of the
asked America’s kids kits had differences, some distinct, some subtle. While it’s relatively
to do the same. easy to theorize about the reasons behind the changes in each of the
What All-American editions, one thing is certain: There were five of them.
Comics and DC did While it’s been common to report otherwise, there were at least five
with the Junior Justice distinct JJSA kits.
Society changed what The original 1942 kit was issued for just two months before the
could have been membership badge fell victim to wartime metal shortages. It was
perceived as a cynical replaced by a cloth patch featuring the JSA shield emblem. The original
promotional ploy into certificate was also modified.
something far more The phrase “White or Negro” was added to the pledge after
altruistic. And in “employer or worker” and before “native or foreign-born.” It might not
doing so they took at seem so huge today, but that was cutting edge stuff in pre-Jackie
least some risk, if not a Robinson America.
great deal of it. The letter was also changed to correspond with the membership
At that time and items. Both versions distinctly mention Axis propaganda, and both
for decades to come it were produced with DC’s 480 Lexington Avenue return address.
would not have been The third variation of the JJSA kit was produced in 1945. On May
a prudent business 7, Germany had surrendered, but the Allies remained at war with
decision in many parts Japan. In addition to the substitution of “enemy” for “Axis” in the
of the country to wording, the certificate, letter, and mailer from this kit are easily
suggest that “rich or distinguishable because they used All-American’s 225 Lafayette Street
poor; employer or return address. There have been numerous theories postulated about
worker; native or the ins and outs of the relationship between DC and All-American,
The Junior Justice Society’s 8.5” x 11” certificate foreign-born; Gentile ranging from the wild to the entirely plausible (including Gaines’
from the 1941 original offering of the club kit has or Jew, Protestant or ownership of vital paper contracts during the wartime rationing years
13 superhero images including Superman, Batman, Catholic” would be on
Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern making him an attractive partner to any publisher). While vagaries of the
and “Diana Prince” facsimile signature. the same team. In an business dealings may be unproven, their effects can definitely be seen.
Stamped member number can be seen at bottom. age when many of the With the first 1945 kit, it’s clear that All-American had pulled back
men who created All from their close relationship with DC. The use of the All-American
Image courtesy of Hake’s Auctions.
Star Comics could not return addresses on the certificate, mailer, and letter, and the
gain access to a country club on Long Island, New York, let alone one All-American logo on the comics themselves are readily apparent.
in Mobile, Alabama, they decided that in order to “provide for the Later that year, following Japan’s surrender on August 14, another
common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the version of the kit was produced. Among other considerable changes, the
Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,” we had to be better certificate’s text about winning the war was replaced by the phrase “win
than what was being thrown at us from across the Atlantic and Pacific the peace,” and DC’s 480 Lexington Avenue address reappeared for the
oceans. In the form of this simple certificate intended for children, they remainder of the kits. In 1946 Gaines sold All-American to Donnefeld,
held that “with liberty and justice for all” meant something, even if we and what had been one company in the public perception became one
as a nation hadn’t quite worked out exactly what it meant. in reality.
They had a roadmap, a great one, in the guise of Supermen of Advertised in late 1947, the last documented rendering of the JJSA
America. They went another direction. Thousands of kids joined. The club kit was issued in 1948 and remained in use until the club was
Junior Justice Society of America was a smash hit. discontinued in 1951. For this version the certificate’s text was

34 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles