Action Comics
#381
(October 1969)
DC,
1938 Series
- Price
- 0.15 USD
- Pages
- 36
- Indicia Frequency
- monthly (semi-monthly, March)
- On-sale Date
- 1969-08-28
- Publisher's Age Guidelines
- Approved by the Comics Code Authority
- Indicia / Colophon Publisher
- National Periodical Publications Inc.
- Brand
-
Superman DC National Comics
- Editing
- Mort Weisinger (editor); E. Nelson Bridwell (assistant editor)
Issue Notes
Printed in the U.S.A. On-sale date from copyright registration.
The Dictator of Earth!
Superman / cover / 1 page
- Job Number
- W-350
- Genre
- superhero
- Characters
- Superman [Clark Kent]
- Reprints
- Keywords
- flags; United Nations
[no title indexed]
Honor House Products / advertisement / 1 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Here's a whole treasure chest of fun
- Keywords
- Joy buzzer; x-ray glasses; x-ray specs; x-ray spectacles
Indexer Notes
Nineteen small ads for novelties from Honor House Prod. Corp.
The Dictator of Earth!
Superman / comic story / 9.17 pages
- Job Number
- W-351
- Genre
- superhero
- Characters
- Superman [Clark Kent]; Superman Revenge Squad [Dorx; Krit]; Lois Lane (cameo); Perry White (cameo)
- Synopsis
- Superman decides not to expose himself to Gold Kryptonite and instead agrees to stand trial at the United Nations for his apparent misdeeds. Eventually he is able to prove his innocence and expose the guilty aliens.
- Reprints
-
in Supermann (Illustrerte Klassikere / Williams Forlag, 1969 series) #2/1970 ([januar] 1970) [2 pages removed] -
in Superman Supacomic (K. G. Murray, 1959 series) #132 (Circa August 1970) -
in Superman et Batman et Robin (Sage - Sagédition, 1969 series) #23 (novembre 1970) [Alternance de noir et blanc et de couleurs [Color pages alternate with black and white pages]] -
in Superman Extra (Egmont Ehapa, 1980 series) #4 (1981)
-
- Keywords
- Daily Planet; Fortress of Solitude; Gold Kryptonite; Red Kryptonite; United Nations
Indexer Notes
Page 6 is a 2/3-page and page 10 is a 1/2-page. Story continues from the previous issue.
The Jug
Revell Models / advertisement / 0.33 page
- Keywords
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
Indexer Notes
Ad for P-47 airplane model from Revell
[no title indexed]
Mattel Toys / advertisement / 1 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- New Toot Sweet turns yummy Tootsie Rolls into whistles.
- Characters
- Boy; girl
- Keywords
- Rebus
The Brand Rustlers
Lee Jeans [Lee Leens]; Lee Rider / comics-form advertising / 1 page
- Genre
- western-frontier
- Characters
- Lee Rider; Uncle Frank; sheriff; rustlers
- Synopsis
- Lee Rider figures out how the rustlers are altering the brands on his uncle's cattle.
- Keywords
- Cattle rustling
Indexer Notes
Ad, in comic-story form, for Lee Riders jeans.
How Can an Artist Become the World's Greatest Super Heroes?
promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page
- Characters
- Joe Kubert; Viking Prince; Superman; Vigilante [Greg Sanders]; "Cave" Carson; Johnny Quick [Johnny Chambers]; Zatara; Wildcat [Ted Grant]; Sgt. Rock; Batman; Sargon the Sorcerer; Hawkman [Katar Hol]; Flash [Barry Allen]
- Reprints
-
from DC Special (DC, 1968 series) #5 (October-December 1969)
-
Indexer Notes
house ad for DC Special (DC, 1968 series) #5, on sale August 14
[no title indexed]
Metropolis Mailbag / letters page / 1 page
- Script
- E. Nelson Bridwell
- Pencils
- Curt Swan (logo illustration)
- Inks
- George Klein (logo illustration)
- Colors
- ? (logo illustration)
- Letters
- typeset
- Job Number
- W-510
Indexer Notes
letters from: Joseph Vasil, Jack Willis, Alan Downs, David Pauley, Eve T. Spotter, James Hagler, Leonard Philip Zinna, Rand Lee
The Hapless Hero!
Legion of Super-Heroes / comic story / 11.67 pages
- Script
- Jim Shooter
- Pencils
- Jim Shooter (layouts); Win Mortimer (pencils)
- Inks
- Jack Abel
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- Milt Snapinn
- Feature Logo
Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes- Genre
- superhero
- Characters
- Legion of Super-Heroes [Shrinking Violet; Matter-Eater Lad; Karate Kid; Phantom Girl; Chemical King; Brainiac 5; Saturn Girl; Lightning Lad; Ultra Boy; Princess Projectra]; Duplicate Boy; Rall (father of Matter-Eater Lad); Mitz (mother of Matter-Eater Lad)
- Synopsis
- While other Legionnaires spend time with their families, Matter-Eater Lad has an argument with his father. He ends up back at Legion headquarters where Shrinking Violet complains about her boyfirend troubles. They go out on a date which is interrupted by the arrival of Duplicate Boy. But instead of fighting, Matter-Eater Lad teaches Duplicate Boy how to treat a lady.
- Reprints
- in Superman Supacomic (K. G. Murray, 1959 series) #136 (Circa December 1970)
- in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives (DC, 1991 series) #9 (1999 [January 2000])
- in Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes (DC, 2007 series) #4 ([November] 2010)
- in Legion of Super-Heroes: The Silver Age Omnibus (DC, 2017 series) #3 ([August] 2020)
-
[no title indexed]
CBS Saturday Cartoons / advertisement / 2 pages
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Fun! Fun! And more fun!
- Characters
- Muttley; Dastardly; Klunk; Zilly; Yankee Doodle Pigeon; Penelope Pitstop; the Hooded Claw; the Any Hill Mob; Scooby-Doo; Archie; Jughead; Sabrina the teen-Age With; the Monkees
Indexer Notes
Ad for CBS Saturday morning television cartoons (1969 season)
[no title indexed]
Sea-Monkeys / advertisement / 0.5 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Grow amazing live sea-monkeys!
Indexer Notes
Ad, with order coupon, from Sales Unlimited.
Presenting Four of the Greatest Superman-Batman Mystery Epics of All Time... In One Giant Issue!
promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page
- Characters
- Superman; Batman; Robin; Clark Kent; Bruce Wayne; negative Superman
- Reprints
- from World's Finest Comics (DC, 1941 series) #188 (October-November 1969)
-
Indexer Notes
Promo for World's Finest Comics 188.
[no title indexed]
Ant Farm / advertisement / 1 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Exciting ant farm!
- Characters
- Boy; girl
- Keywords
- Ants
Indexer Notes
Ad, with order coupon, from Ant Farm
[no title indexed]
Matchbox Models / advertisement / 0.33 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- New 'Matchbox' Models of the Month
Indexer Notes
Ad for "Matchbox" toy cars from Fred Bonner Corporation
[no title indexed]
Super-Turtle / comic story / 0.5 page
- Script
- Henry Boltinoff (signed)
- Pencils
- Henry Boltinoff (signed)
- Inks
- Henry Boltinoff (signed)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- Henry Boltinoff (signed)
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- A call for Super-Turtle!
- Genre
- anthropomorphic-funny animals; superhero
- Characters
- Super-Turtle
- Synopsis
- Super-Turtle has trouble changing into his costume in the dark.
A Startling Beginning, A Shocking Ending!
Batman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page
- Genre
- superhero
- Characters
- Batman
- Reprints
- from Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #392 (October 1969)
-
Indexer Notes
house ad for Detective Comics (DC, 1938 series) #392, on sale August 28
[no title indexed]
Strat-O-Matic Baseball Game / advertisement / 1 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Baseball fans are crazy about this true-to-life baseball game
- Characters
- Batter; catcher
- Keywords
- Baseball; game
Indexer Notes
Ad, with response coupons, from Strat-O-Matic Game Co., Inc.
[no title indexed]
Revolutionary War Soldiers / advertisement / 1 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- 204 pc. Revolutionary War soldiers set
- Characters
- British soldiers; Continental Army soldiers (Americans)
- Keywords
- American Revolution; American War for Independence; game; Revolutionary War
[no title indexed]
Junior Sales Club of America Cards / advertisement / 1 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Win $1,000 college scholarship
- Characters
- Boy; girl
Indexer Notes
Ad, with response coupon, for Junior Sales Club of America
[no title indexed]
Aurora Products / advertisement / 1 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- The monsters are back, and they glow in the dark!
- Characters
- Frankenstein's monster; the Wolf Man; the Phantom of the Opera; the Mummy; Dracula; the Forgotten Prisoner of Castlemare
Indexer Notes
Ad for model kits from Aurora
Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
-
0.
The Dictator of Earth!
Superman -
1.
["Here's a whole treasure chest of fun"]
Honor House Products -
2.
The Dictator of Earth!
Superman -
3.
The Jug
Revell Models -
4.
["New Toot Sweet turns yummy Tootsie Rolls into whistles."]
Mattel Toys -
5.
The Brand Rustlers
Lee Jeans [Lee Leens]; Lee Rider -
6.
How Can an Artist Become the World's Greatest Super Heroes?
-
7.
[no title indexed]
Metropolis Mailbag -
8.
The Hapless Hero!
Legion of Super-Heroes -
9.
["Fun! Fun! And more fun!"]
CBS Saturday Cartoons -
10.
["Grow amazing live sea-monkeys!"]
Sea-Monkeys -
11.
Presenting Four of the Greatest Superman-Batman Mystery Epics of All Time... In One Giant Issue!
-
12.
["Exciting ant farm!"]
Ant Farm -
13.
["New 'Matchbox' Models of the Month"]
Matchbox Models -
14.
["A call for Super-Turtle!"]
Super-Turtle -
15.
A Startling Beginning, A Shocking Ending!
Batman -
16.
["Baseball fans are crazy about this true-to-life baseball game"]
Strat-O-Matic Baseball Game -
17.
["204 pc. Revolutionary War soldiers set"]
Revolutionary War Soldiers -
18.
["Win $1,000 college scholarship"]
Junior Sales Club of America Cards -
19.
["The monsters are back, and they glow in the dark!"]
Aurora Products
This issue was modified by, among others
- Katie
- Dwayne Best
- Ed Boner
- Gregory Fischer
- Kirk House
- Donald Dale Milne
- John Monagle
- Mike Nielsen
- Tony R. Rose
- Daniel Thingvold
- Jim Van Dore
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