Well, what do you know? I've just made my debut in television! This means the Minstrel wasn't even the star of his farewell performance! 
- — Doll Man
Feature Comics #138 is an issue of the series Feature Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1949.
Synopsis for Doll Man: "The Minstrel's Ballad of Mayhem"
The Soupseazee Company announces a sensational nationwide minstrel contest with a big cash prize and a bunch of free publicity for the winner. Several weeks of local elimination contests are held, and in his dumpy hideout, the Minstrel is doing a slow burn about it. Police in a hundred cities are looking for him, and he has to hide his amazing talent. But enough is enough, he'll show them! His twin talents are music and crime!
That night Darrel Dane and both of the Robertses are at the Golden Cage nightclub, and are very impressed with the live minstrel performance of Harry Hurl, one of the top three contenders still in the contest. Then a big cloud of knockout gas is blown into the club, followed by a squad of robbers. Darrel exerts his willpower and becomes doll sized, and the air under the table is better too. The Minstrel plays guitar and sings to boast about it as his hoods grab the valuables of the knocked-out club patrons. Doll Man gets going and takes out some henchmen, but the Minstrel has got a flame thrower built into his banjo, and inflicts a severe burn on Doll Man, then escapes. Dr. Roberts sticks Doll Man into an open can of linseed oil, making a surprisingly effective cure.
Several days later, Darrel and Martha attend a rodeo, at which Texas Slim, another of the top three contenders in the Soupseazee contest, will be singing. The Minstrel and his gang show up to rob the crowd, and they stampede a corral-ful of Brahma steers into the arena, where Texas Slim is performing. Doll Man leaps aboard the forehead of the lead steer and twists his horns until he changes direction, with the whole stampede changing course along with him. Minstrel and his boys are meanwhile robbing rhe venue's box office, and Doll Man again routs the henchmen but gets shot by the sawed-off shotgun, built into the Minstrel's new trick banjo.
Doll Man remains doll sized for some long days of painful convalescence. The contest ends, and Eddie Hanor has won, with the big victory gala broadcast scheduled for that night, at radio station WQV, and Doll Man knows that this will be the Minstrel's next target. He leaps out of bed and sprints away, while Martha and Professor Roberts tell him he shouldn't. At the radio station, the Minstrel breaks into Eddie Hanor's dressing room, head-konks him unconscious with his banjo, then makes himself up in Hanor's own heavy black make-up. He's unrecognizeable, and gets onto the stage to greet the sponsor. Doll Man, watching from the rigging above, is also fooled, at first. But when the Minstrel's gang show up and "Hanor" joins them, Doll Man jumps in and this time takes out the ringleader first, then knocks out each of the yeggs.
Appearing in Doll Man: "The Minstrel's Ballad of Mayhem"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Minstrel (Final appearance)
- four hench
Other Characters:
- Harry Hurl, minstrel
- Texas Slim, troubadour
- Eddie Hanor, black-face singer
Locations:
- New York City
- Golden Cage nightclub
- rodeo arena
- radio station WQV
Items:
- Minstrel's Trick Banjos: flame-thrower, rifle,
Synopsis for Rims: "Bear Necessities"
Appearing in Rims: "Bear Necessities"
Featured Characters
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Lala Palooza"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Lala Palooza"
Featured Characters:
- Lala Palooza
Supporting Characters:
- Vincent Palooza
Synopsis for Swing Sisson: "Music Sets Them Free"
Appearing in Swing Sisson: "Music Sets Them Free"
Featured Characters
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Officer Shenanigan: "The Sacred Lion"
Appearing in Officer Shenanigan: "The Sacred Lion"
Featured Characters
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Doll Man villain the "Minstrel" is presented as being the same character as the villain in Doll Man #23, but he looks completely different.
See Also
Links and References
