Sensation Comics (1942) 2

October ended in a gluttony of a sugar-saturated reign of cosplay. There will be more sweets ahead as ovens bake a mixture of apples and pumpkins surrounded by dough and confectionary goodness. But, there’s still a day set aside specifically for the dieter’s downfall: National Candy Day.

Short of finding someone twirling a pole, we’re calling on Wonder Woman’s Golden Age sidekick Candy. Etta Candy.

Sensation Comics (1942) 2

Miss Candy debuted in the pages of Sensation Comics issue two during the winter of 1942. The baby daddies were William Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter.

Candy was drawn more with a compass than ruler. Marston gave her an oversized sweet tooth that led to an oversized waistline. She was also given a quick wit and sharp tongue as part of her sassy demeanor.

Candy’s father and mother were, get this, Hard Candy and Sugar Candy, respectively. They resided on the Bar-L Ranch in Brazos County, Texas. Brother Mint Candy served in the armed forces during World War II.

Etta became a sidekick of sorts. She and fellow sorority members at Holiday College teamed with the amazon throughout the Golden Age of comic books in various adventures.

With a new writer, Robert Kanigher, during the Silver Age, Etta’s page count dwindled. Not until the 1980s did she return as the weight-conscious whiner Kanigher created.

George Perez and Greg Potter were much kinder following the original DC Crisis. Etta became romantically involved with Steve Trevor, even marrying Wonder Woman’s former love interest.

With The New 52, Etta was relegated to a secretarial role that lasted through DC’s Rebirth. She was also given a makeover as an African-American.

At present the origins of National Candy Day are unknown. However, if you need an excuse for that guilty confectionary pleasure, use Nov. 4 to indulge. This is a holiday for everyone.

Which, was not always the case. Until the industrial revolution, candy was a costly indulgence due to the price of sugar. Since 1979, the world as produced more sugar than it can sell.