Action Comics #83

(April 1945)

Editorial Advisory Board (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

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

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.67 page (report information)

Hocus & Pocus...Magicians by Accident! (Table of Contents: 3)

Superman / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils

Joe Shuster (signed)

Inks

Joe Shuster (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Abracadabra...Alacazam...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; Hocus [Doc]; Pocus [Flannelhead]; Hijack Dorley

Synopsis

A pair of would-be magicians believe they have magical powers, and a crime boss sees them "perform," intending on using those abilities for make him some quick illegal cash!

Reprints

• in Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #5 ([May] 2007)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #4 ([July] 2017)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Lighter Moments with Fresh Eveready Batteries / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Custom Tailored Crime! (Table of Contents: 5)

Hayfoot Henry / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Thurston Harper

Inks

Thurston Harper

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

In Sleepyside where all the folks...

Genre

humor; detective-mystery

Characters

Hayfoot Henry; Count Tenn

Indexer Notes

Art credits by Jerry Bails. Schwartz script credit removed by Craig Delich. The Who's Who states that Schwartz wrote this strip from 1946-48.

The text is written in rhyming couplets.

Circus Terror! (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Adventures of "R. C." and Quickie; Royal Crown Cola / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Wild Horses! (Table of Contents: 7)

Congo Bill / comic story / 5.67 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

John Daly

Inks

John Daly

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Even in our own West, there's no rest for Congo Bill...

Genre

adventure; drama; jungle

Characters

Congo Bill; Jim Traden; Bricker; Clanner; Bradley; Jumper (horse)

Synopsis

Bill exposes a pair of con-men's plan to buy horses at well below market price by inducing the horses to mad behavior.

Keywords

horses; loco-weed; ranching

Indexer Notes

Daly art credits by Craig Delich. We formerly suggested Howard Sherman as a possibility.

Superman's Secret Message (Table of Contents: 8) (Expand) /

Supermen of America / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Want to Be a Champion? (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

Wheaties / advertisement / 2 pages (report information)

In the Soup (Table of Contents: 10)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Ted Udall (credited as Ted Loury)

Letters

typeset

Genre

adventure

Indexer Notes

Second page on inside back cover.

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

The Boners / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

Lit-Win

Pencils

Lit-Win

Inks

Lit-Win

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Oh oh I'm catching a cold...

Genre

humor

Look, Fellows... (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

Ranger Helmet Co. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

A Fortune for a Fossil! (Table of Contents: 13)

Vigilante / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

Joe Samachson

Pencils

Mort Meskin (signed as Mort Morton Jr.)

Inks

Mort Meskin (signed as Mort Morton Jr.)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

In this corner, ladies and gentlemen, Professor Higgins...

Genre

western-frontier; superhero

Characters

The Vigilante [Greg Sanders]; Stuff, the Chinatown Kid; Professor Higgins; Professor Watling; Big Time Bennie (crook)

Synopsis

A fossil bone which could change the interpretation of human development is unearthed. Greg and Stuff go to the museum to look at old remains. While there, an attempt to steal the fossil is made, but is prevented by The Vigilante.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

Volto from Mars; Grape-Nuts Flakes / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Innocent Thief! (Table of Contents: 15)

Zatara / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

William White

Inks

William White

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Is a condemned crook really an honest man...

Genre

adventure; fantasy-supernatural; superhero

Characters

Zatara [Giovanni "John" Zatara]; Gerald Miller; J.D. Gorgon

Synopsis

Zatara's friend Gerald Miller is, according to strong evidence, apparently guilty of theft. Zatara investigates and uncovers the set-up. He finds himself trapped in a timed bank vault with no obvious way out, until he magically brings to life the figures on the coins. Amazon women and buffalos charge at the vault door and break it open. He then exposes the bank owner Gorgon and the man hired to impersonate Miller, who is exonerated.

Speedy Energy (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

Baby Ruth / advertisement / 1 page (report information)