Showcase #78
(November 1968)

DC, 1956 Series
< Previous Issue |
| Next Issue >
Price
0.12 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
Monthly, with the exception of Jan., Mar., Apr., July and October
On-sale Date
1968-09-12
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
National Periodical Publications Inc.
Brand
Superman DC National Comics
Editing
Dick Giordano

Issue Notes

Only Jonny Double tryout issue. Created by Len Wein and Marv Wolfman. Marv Wolfman in Alter-Ego #113 (October 2012) says that originally Johnny Double was to disguise himself as a potential victim of assignation or murder. That concept later became the Human Target.

On-sale date from copyright registration.

Born to Trouble... Jonny Double (Table of Contents)

Jonny Double / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Dick Giordano; Jack Sparling (see notes)
Inks
Dick Giordano; Jack Sparling (see notes)
Colors
?
Letters
Gaspar Saladino ? (logo)

Genre
detective-mystery
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The central drawing of Johnny Double was drawn by Jack Sparling. It first appeared as a promo piece (signed by Sparling) in On The Drawing Board Vol 3, No 4 (aka The Comic Reader #68 [July 1968]). Info per Nick Caputo.

[Meet Jonny Double!..] Prologue: (Table of Contents: 1)

Jonny Double / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Marv Wolfman (story); Joe Gill (dialogue)
Pencils
Jack Sparling
Inks
Jack Sparling
Colors
?
Letters
Milt Snapinn ?

Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Wilson Twain
Synopsis
In San Francisco, a rich man is beaten in his own house. The goons leave a picture - of Twain dead!
Reprints

Meet Jonny Double!.. Chapter 1 (Table of Contents: 2)

Jonny Double / comic story / 7.67 pages (report information)

Script
Marv Wolfman (story); Joe Gill (dialogue)
Pencils
Jack Sparling
Inks
Jack Sparling
Colors
?
Letters
Milt Snapinn ?

Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Jonny Double [Jonathan Sebastian Double] (first appearance); landlord; sign painter; Lt. Branigan; goons; Sandy (female cop)
Synopsis
"A down-beat Don Quixote... a once-white knight in counterfeit armor, the poor man's Peter Pan!" Jonny Double, ex-cop and now PI, is awoken only to be ejected by his landlord. Relocating, he gets a call. Mr. Twain has the picture of his twin brother, a syndicate man who was murdered. Jonny demands $200/day, settles for $50, then bums cigarettes and bullets from his contacts asking about the syndicate. He's jumped by goons and pounded, and paid off with a quarter!
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Angel and the Ape / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

The Adventures of Tigerboy and His Real Tiger Paws (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Tiger Paw Tires / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

[Meet Jonny Double!..] Chapter 2 (Table of Contents: 5)

Jonny Double / comic story / 6.5 pages (report information)

Script
Marv Wolfman (story); Joe Gill (dialogue)
Pencils
Jack Sparling
Inks
Jack Sparling
Colors
?
Letters
Milt Snapinn ?

Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Crystal "Crys" Cross (a waitress); Piker (a syndicate man); more goons
Synopsis
Beaten, Jonny gets sympathy from "Crys" Cross, a blonde waitress. Mr. Twain's brother dealt with Piker and Glass, respectable businessmen. Jonny goes to their office, is turned away, but disguises as a janitor to slip in. He eavesdrops on (Piker or Glass) ordering Mr. Twain's death. As for the "peeper", Jonny Double has only "stupid, dumb luck". Then he's spotted, beaten again, and dragged to the roof to be pitched over!
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Brother Power the Geek / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Joe Kubert Is a Grand Old Name! (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

The Wonderful World of Comics / in-house column / 1 page (report information)

[Meet Jonny Double!..] Chapter 3 (Table of Contents: 8)

Jonny Double / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Marv Wolfman (story); Joe Gill (dialogue)
Pencils
Jack Sparling
Inks
Jack Sparling
Colors
?
Letters
Milt Snapinn ?

Genre
detective-mystery
Synopsis
Jonny kicks back, and the goon goes over the rail to a fatal fall. More goons pursue. Jonny runs into an amusement park, then the House of Horrors. Running past horror masks, Jonny is trapped in the Hall of Mirrors. The goon shoots wild. "I'll get ya, Double!" Jonny moves in and pounds the goon flat. The barker even shows him automatic pictures taken inside. "Send a set to Lt. Branigan C.O.D, with love and kisses from Jonny Double." The End
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

Justice League / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[Meet Jonny Double!..] The End.. Plus One... (Table of Contents: 10)

Jonny Double / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Marv Wolfman (story); Joe Gill (dialogue)
Pencils
Jack Sparling
Inks
Jack Sparling
Colors
?
Letters
Milt Snapinn ?

Genre
detective-mystery
Synopsis
Jonny calls Mr. Twain to collect his fee. "Have to wait until Monday." "Aahh, beans!" And the sign painter demands to get paid, or he'll "take the door with me." Jonny narrates, "I'll show [them]... I won't be a loser all my life! This isn't... The End!
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Dolphin / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

The Creeper / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

Batman; Superman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. Born to Trouble... Jonny Double
    Jonny Double
  2. 1. [Meet Jonny Double!..] Prologue:
    Jonny Double
  3. 2. Meet Jonny Double!.. Chapter 1
    Jonny Double
  4. 3. ["Everybody's go-going ape for... Angel and the Ape"]
    Angel and the Ape
  5. 4. The Adventures of Tigerboy and His Real Tiger Paws
    Tiger Paw Tires
  6. 5. [Meet Jonny Double!..] Chapter 2
    Jonny Double
  7. 6. ["A magazine about today. Make the scene with The Geek..."]
    Brother Power the Geek
  8. 7. Joe Kubert Is a Grand Old Name!
    The Wonderful World of Comics
  9. 8. [Meet Jonny Double!..] Chapter 3
    Jonny Double
  10. 9. ["The magic number is 3!"]
    Justice League
  11. 10. [Meet Jonny Double!..] The End.. Plus One...
    Jonny Double
  12. 11. ["Webster says: A dolphin is..."]
    Dolphin
  13. 12. ["It's no laughing matter!"]
    The Creeper
  14. 13. ["Two heroes, Batman and Superman -- become two victims in these issues!"]
    Batman; Superman
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Chris Boyko
  • Nick Caputo
  • Clayton Emery
  • Matthew Head
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Thomas Johnson
  • Edgar Loftin
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Jim Van Dore