Adventure Comics #61

(April 1941)

[The Amazing Starman] (Table of Contents)

Starman / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Gardner F. Fox?; Jack Burnley (see notes section)

Pencils:

Jack Burnley (signed)

Inks:

Jack Burnley (signed); Ray Burnley (backgrounds)

Colors:

Raymond Perry

Letters:

Betty Bentley

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Starman [Ted Knight](1st appearance and origin); Doris Lee (introduction); Woodley Allen (FBI trouble-shooter, introduction); Professor Davis; Dr. Doog (villain, introduction, death); Nelson (villain, death)

Synopsis:

Starman is called in to battle the "Secret Brotherhood of the Electron", which is sabotaging America's communication and light system.

Reprints:

• in Justice League of America (DC, 1960 series) #94 (November 1971)
• in All Star Adventure Comic (K. G. Murray, 1959 series) #89 ([October 1974] ?)
• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)
• in Golden Age Starman Archives (DC, 2000 series) #1 (April 2000)

Indexer Notes

Jack Burnley recalls someone other than Fox doing the first story, but the writing style does look like Fox's. Burnley does state that he re-wrote the last part of this story, introducing a villain that he called Dr. Doom, but whom the editors changed to Dr. Doog. Burnley has at different times recalled his letterer as his sister Betty Bentley and the backgrounds done by his brother Ray. The cover for this issue reappears as the last panel in the Starman story in Adventure #63. Information here related to Craig Delich by Burnley at his home in Charotteville, Virgina in 1989.

Lishak the Gladiator (Table of Contents)

Mark Lansing / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Howard Purcell (signed)

Pencils:

Howard Purcell (signed)

Inks:

Howard Purcell (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Mark Lansing; Kit; King Talon; Costa (villain); Lishak (villain, death)

Synopsis:

King Talon hopes to save Mark from being tortured and to save Kit before ending Costa's evil reign.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Indexer Notes

Writer credit verified by Jerry Bails and entered by Craig Delich 2010-1-10.

none (Table of Contents)

filler / 0.5 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Henry Boltinoff

Pencils:

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Inks:

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Henry Boltinoff

Content Information

Genre:

fact

Synopsis:

Two fact quickies are featured: that approximately 100 million chickens are produced and marketed in the U.S. each year, AND that it takes more than one million tons of coal a day to supply this nation's demand for heat, light and power.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Indexer Notes

Sequence added by Craig Delich 2008-2-9. Writer and letterer credits verified by Jerry Bails and entered by Craig Delich 2010-1-10.

[The Ghost Plane] (Table of Contents)

Federal Men / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils:

Chad Grothkopf [as Chad] (signed)

Inks:

Chad Grothkopf [as Chad] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Chad Grothkopf

Content Information

Genre:

detective

Characters:

Steve Carson; Blitz Merkel

Synopsis:

Steve Carson of the FBI is called in to deal with the loss of five border policemen engaged by the Border Business Association to prevent gun running across the border.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

[Treachery Off Singapore] (Table of Contents)

Steve Conrad Adventurer / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jack Lehti (signed)

Pencils:

Jack Lehti (signed)

Inks:

Jack Lehti (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Steve Conrad; Chang; Sparky Watts (death); Blubber (villain)

Synopsis:

Steve begins to investigate the situation when his old pal Sparky is spouting off about a fabulous treasure he has uncovered, and then is murdered.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

none (Table of Contents)

Peter and His Pup / filler / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Ray McGill (signed)

Pencils:

Ray McGill (signed)

Inks:

Ray McGill (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Ray McGill

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Characters:

Peter; his dog

Synopsis:

When Peter and his pup go fishing and have no luck, the dog figures out a better way to do the fishing.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Indexer Notes

Sequence added by Craig Delich 2008-2-9.

none (Table of Contents)

The Quiz Page / activity / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Henry Boltinoff [as Bolty] (signed)

Pencils:

Henry Boltinoff [as Bolty] (signed)

Inks:

Henry Boltinoff [as Bolty] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Henry Boltinoff

Content Information

Synopsis:

Six questions are asked: 1) How did Death Valley get its name?; 2) What does SOS mean?; 3) When is Groundhog Day?; 4) Do bulls actually see red?; 5) How large is an acre?; and 6) What does the olive branch symbolize?

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Indexer Notes

Sequence added by Craig Delich 2008-2-9. Letterer credit verified by Jerry Bails and entered by Craig Delich 2010-1-10.

[The Runaway Dinosaurs] (Table of Contents)

The Hourman / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Ken Fitch

Pencils:

Bernard Baily (signed)

Inks:

Bernard Baily (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Bernard Baily

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Hourman [Rex Tyler]; Mr. Bannerman; un-named Professor; Jimmy Martin; Thorndyke; Minute Men of America; Mr. Whistler (villain)

Synopsis:

The Hourman, blamed for stealing animated mechanical prehistoric beasts from a museum, finds he has to battle them in order to save Thorndyke from kidnappers.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich 2008-2-9. Writer credit verified by Martin O'Hearn 2010-1-5. The last panel of the story is an illustrated ad for The Spectre by Jerry Siegel, starring in More Fun Comics.

[Too Many Suspects] (Table of Contents)

Paul Kirk, Manhunter / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Ed Moore (signed)

Pencils:

Ed Moore (signed)

Inks:

Ed Moore (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Ed Moore

Content Information

Genre:

Detective

Characters:

Paul Kirk; Andrew Kallan (villain)

Synopsis:

A noted banker fakes his death in order to abscond with bank funds and place the blame on other employees.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich 2010-1-10.

Defender of Barlunda (Table of Contents)

Cotton Carver / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jack Lehti

Pencils:

Jack Lehti

Inks:

Jack Lehti

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Cotton Carver; Deela; Nardak; Orko (villain)

Synopsis:

Cotton saves Deela from being kidnapped by Orko, then they find themselves stranded in the ancient city of Dorgo, armed only with the Ring Machine to fight off another onslaught by Orko.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Case of the Black Cat (Table of Contents)

text story / 1.5 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

T. C. O'Neil (signed)

Pencils:

Fred Ray [as Ray] (signed) (spot illustration)

Inks:

Fred Ray [as Ray] (signed) (spot illustration)

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Jimmy Owen; Minerva [a cat]; Hilda

Synopsis:

Jimmy Owen, a private detective from the Quick Service Agency, is hired to protect the life of a cat, which is the recipient of $250,000 from her deceased owner.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Indexer Notes

Sequence added by Craig Delich 2008-2-9.

Superman Is on the Radio (Table of Contents)

Superman / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Indexer Notes

Ad for Superman radio program.

The Menace of the Metal Gun (Table of Contents)

The Sandman / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Creig Flessel

Inks:

Creig Flessel

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Dian Belmont; D.A. Belmont; Ivan Borloff (villain)

Synopsis:

Sandman must battle a scientist, in the pay of a foreign government, who has invented a mysterious Cylindecraft, whose purple ray can eat its way through metal.

Reprints:

• in Millennium Edition: Adventure Comics 61 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000)

Indexer Notes

Sandman uses his new Wirepoon in this story.