The Rocklopedia Fakebandica now has a podcast.
Listen now!
The Great Pagini
Tenor opera singer from The Hangman story of MLJ comic book Pep Comics #32 (October 1942). This former opera great has ruined his voice and career drinking. When producer Jay Clark wants to give him a chance for a comeback and gives him a small role in a new opera La Sandra. But Pagini blows it, singing drunkenly off-key. His temper flares and he lashes out at everybody, and tries to strangle a props guy to death.
Superhero The Hangman saves the day, but Pagini runs off and finds a bullfrog costume and becomes The Bullfrog. He poisons his understudy's throat spray, and later attacks another rising opera star, Desi Lesco, who the press is calling "better than Pagini." The Hangman saves the day.
The story was reused, slightly re-written/redrawn as "Death--The Crow Strikes Again" in Black Hood Comics #14 (Spring 1945)- the names Pagini and Desi Lesco are left the same.
Pagini's first name is never given. His name is likely a play on real violinist/composer Niccolò Paganini and the opera character Pagliacci.
