In Meta-Messages, I explore the context behind (using reader danjack's term) "meta-messages." A meta-message is where a comic book creator comments on/references the work of another comic book/comic book creator (or sometimes even themselves) in their comic. Each time around, I'll give you the context behind one such "meta-message."

Today, basically based on a suggestion from my pal Sam (in the sense that he reminded me that I have not, in fact, done this as a Meta-Messages yet), we look at Robert Kanigher's bloody return to Wonder Woman.

I covered a lot of the groundwork for this one in a recent Meta-Messages, but here's the basics...

Kanigher took over writing Wonder Woman in 1947 with Wonder Woman #22 (and the Sensation Comics Wonder Woman feature, of course).

Kanigher worked with original Wonder Woman artist H.G. Peter until Peter retired (he passed away soon after he retired) and Ross Andru and Mike Esposito took over art duties with Wonder Woman #98.

The creative team of Kanigher, Andru and Esposito worked together for the next decade plus.

Finally, though, in the late 1960s, DC decided to go in a new direction. Mike Sewkosky took over the book as writer/penciler/editor.

Sekowksy's Wonder Woman aggressively broke free from the previous version of Wonder Woman, with Diana losing her powers and dropping her costume and becoming a street level adventurer, fighting crime with her martial arts skills and her mentor, I-Ching, who taught her martial arts.

So, ten issues into his run on Wonder Woman, Sekowsky wrote a special two-issue back up story in Wonder Woman #188 (with inks by Dick Giordano, who did wonders with Sekowsky's pencils) in which Diana apprehends a shoplifter...

and then runs into the shoplifter's partner, who is disguised as a woman. Diana apprehends that guy, too...

And sure enough, Sekowsky just drew Kanigher as the shoplifter dressed as a woman, and even named the character CREEPY CANIGUH! He wasn't even TRYING to hide that it was Kaniger!

Sekowsky was the editor at the time, so I guess there was no one to say "That's a bit much."

Sekowsky was then replaced as editor by Dorothy Woolfolk in Wonder Woman #197...

Woolfolk was only on the book for TWO issues before she was replaced by Denny O'Neil...

Which is funny, considering O'Neil then did a special "Women's Lib" issue (I'll write about that monstrosity in the future)...

Kanigher then returned to the book as its writer/editor with Wonder Woman #204 and his way of getting things back to normal was have a sniper show up, kill I-Ching and give Wonder Woman amnesia, which was resolved by just writing this section of her life out of her memory and giving her her powers and costume back...

Crazy, right? But take another look at the first page. The first person the sniper kills is "Dottie Cottonman," a stand-in for Dorothy Woolfolk. How twisted is that? She wasn't even the editor of the book when Kanigher took it over!

Thanks to Sam for suggesting this one.

Okay, that's it for this Meta-Messages. If anyone else has a suggestion for a good Meta-Messages, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!