"Nisei Hero", Comic Celebrating Japanese American War Hero Ben Kuroki in 1946

Nisei Hero

First Editions & Books

[Japanese American] [World War II] [Comics] “Nisei Hero.” Published in True Comics, 1946. Original disbound comic section, complete in six pages (three leaves). Color-printed on newsprint. A remarkable wartime comic documenting the story of Ben Kuroki (1917–2015), the first Japanese American gunner in the U.S. Army Air Forces and among the most decorated Nisei servicemen of World War II. Titled “Nisei Hero,” this short graphic biography dramatizes Kuroki’s patriotic struggle to enlist despite racial restrictions, his service as a turret gunner over Europe, and his eventual campaign for racial tolerance upon returning home. The comic opens with the line, “Daring death on fifty-eight missions was Nisei Ben Kuroki’s way of fighting for a square deal for all Americans,” situating the narrative as both military valor and moral parable. Early panels depict his rejection from the Air Corps and the prejudice faced at Sheppard Field, Texas, before turning to his record-setting combat missions, heroism in the European and Pacific theaters, and the culminating message of equality: “Boys of all colors, creeds, and races won the war. Please, America, don’t let them down now!”

“Nisei Hero” forms part of the U.S. military’s broader campaign to counter anti-Asian prejudice, following mass incarceration under Executive Order 9066. This mainstream educational magazine for American youth stands as one of the earliest mass-media depictions of a Japanese American war hero. Light age toning consistent with wartime pulp paper, faint handling wear but no significant losses; colors remain vivid and well-preserved. Overall very good condition. A scarce and culturally important artifact of Japanese American representation during World War II, combining graphic storytelling and racial history in a period of national reckoning.

Item #22778

Price: $2,500.00

Status: On Hold