Charles Villon, nicknamed “Whiffy,” was a ruthless gangster with a penchant for dressing in full drag. Whiffy also wore way too much perfume, a fact graphically indicated by wavy stink lines that emanated from his massive body. Whiffy’s prim, sour mannerisms give him the air of a stereotypical gay villain, and he was revealed to be a convincing cross-dresser who used his extensive wardrobe to pull a con (he was a smuggler of stolen European art). However, even this hoary trope gained some nuance when it was further explained that Whiffy had been a member of the French Resistance during the war, and that disguising himself as a woman had enabled him to escape the Nazis, who had had more than one reason to hunt him. He was a foe of Miss Fury. Surprisingly, the American public at the time didn’t seem to have a problem with a cross-dressing and (probably) gay character. They seemed to care more about the “skimpy” outfits Miss Fury and her female supporting cast wore.
First Appearance The Black Fury (Newspaper strip, Bell Syndicate, April 6, 1941)
First Publisher Bell Syndicate
Appearance List The Black Fury (Newspaper strip, Bell Syndicate, April 6, 1941), Miss Fury (Retitled newspaper strip, November 30, 1941), Miss Fury #1-8 (Reprints, 1942-1945), The Saint #6 (Apr 1949), Miss Fury: Sensational Sundays 1941-1944 (IDW, 2011) [Read Comic Online], Miss Fury: Sensational Sundays 1944-1949 (IDW, 2011) [Read Comic Online]
Description Charles Villon, nicknamed “Whiffy,” was a ruthless gangster with a penchant for dressing in full drag. Whiffy also wore way too much perfume, a fact graphically indicated by wavy stink lines that emanated from his massive body. Whiffy’s prim, sour mannerisms give him the air of a stereotypical gay villain, and he was revealed to be a convincing cross-dresser who used his extensive wardrobe to pull a con (he was a smuggler of stolen European art). However, even this hoary trope gained some nuance when it was further explained that Whiffy had been a member of the French Resistance during the war, and that disguising himself as a woman had enabled him to escape the Nazis, who had had more than one reason to hunt him. He was a foe of Miss Fury. Surprisingly, the American public at the time didn’t seem to have a problem with a cross-dressing and (probably) gay character. They seemed to care more about the “skimpy” outfits Miss Fury and her female supporting cast wore.
