Fightin' Marines #17

(January 1956)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1)

"Tripoli" Shores Fighting Marine / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

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Pencils

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Inks

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Colors

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Letters

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First Line of Dialogue or Text

Steel nerves were as important as steel helmets..

Genre

war

Reprints

• from Fightin' Marines (St. John, 1951 series) #15 (August 1951)

Indexer Notes

This story is a reprint, but it was edited by Charlton for compliance with the Comics Code, removing elements that the censors found objectionable. For example, on page 3 in the original St. John version, Tripoli Shores and Arkansaw Woods come across the body of a American Marine in a ditch. The Marine has had his hands tied behind him before being shot in the back of the head. In the Charlton reprint all the dialogue is kept the same, but the dead Marine disappears and the two characters are now standing over a ditch filled with rocks talking about a dead Marine who isn't there.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 2)

Canteen Kate / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Matt Baker

Inks

Matt Baker ?

Colors

?

Letters

John Duffy

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Digging foxholes in this rocky ground will certainly toughen them up, Major.

Genre

war

Reprints

• from Fightin' Marines (St. John, 1951 series) #7 (August 1952)

Indexer Notes

The original St. John version of this story was heavily edited by Charlton (Dick Giordano most likely) in order to make it conform to the sensibilities of Comics Code censors. In the splash panel on page 1, where Canteen Kate was originally skinny dipping, a discrete swimsuit top has been added, and her bare legs sticking out of the water have been replaced by a large boulder. When Kate gets dressed, the rolled-up shorts that were always her "uniform" are replaced with capri pants that come down to her calves, and instead of a tight-fitting blouse bursting with Matt Baker's carefully drawn cleavage, she now sports a T-shirt under the blouse to eliminate that distraction. In at least all profile shots where it was technically possible, Kate's breast size has been significantly reduced.

Credits per Nick Caputo, January 2015.

Danger in Disguise (Table of Contents: 3)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

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Pencils

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Inks

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Colors

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Letters

typeset

Genre

war

Reprints

• from Soldier Comics (Fawcett, 1952 series) #2 (March 1952)

Flying High (Table of Contents: 4)

Biff Barnes and Smokey Walsh / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

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Inks

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Colors

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Letters

John Duffy

Genre

war

Reprints

• from Fightin' Marines (St. John, 1951 series) #7 (August 1952)

The Big Blast (Table of Contents: 5)

Leatherneck Jack / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Gene Colan

Inks

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Colors

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Letters

?

Genre

war

Reprints

• from Fightin' Marines (St. John, 1951 series) #7 (August 1952)

Indexer Notes

This story was heavily edited from the St. John original prior to being reprinted by Charlton. The original story length was 41 panels over seven pages; as published by Charlton the story consisted of 34 panels over six pages. Most of the panel eliminations seem to have been made primarily to condense the story, and in order for the narrative to keep making even basic sense some of the remaining panels have been shuffled about in position. Some of the changes, however, both by omission and editing, were obviously made to satisfy Comics Code censors. For example, on page 2, where Leatherneck Jack and his sidekick are firing at and killing Chinese soldiers, the Chinese soldiers have been removed from the panel, leaving only the smoke from their rifles. Other small changes of this nature were made throughout, including (bizarrely) the elimination of all sound-effect words like "BLOOM!" from explosions.

Colan pencils per Nick Caputo, January 2015.