Wonder Comics #1

(May 1939)

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

Winged Wonders / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Floyd Kelly (signed) (house name)

Pencils

Floyd Kelly (signed) (house name)

Inks

Floyd Kelly (signed) (house name)

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The new Dehavilland

Genre

non-fiction; aviation

Indexer Notes

Illustrated text lettered like a comic. Inside front cover.

[The Origin of Wonder Man] (Table of Contents: 2)

Wonder Man / comic story / 14 pages (report information)

Script

Will Eisner

Pencils

Will Eisner (signed as Erwin Willis)

Inks

Will Eisner (signed as Erwin Willis)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Wonder Man (origin) (introduction); [Fred Carson]; Brenda/Nora Hastings (introduction; name changes halfway through story); Reggie "Playboy" Berold (introduction); General Attila (villain; introduction)

Synopsis

Fred Carson, timid radio engineer and inventor, was given a ring by an old Tibetan which makes him impervious and the strongest man on Earth. His boss asks him to accompany his daughter Brenda (or Nora- the text is inconsistent) as she joins the Red Cross to help in a foreign war. When they arrive, the base comes under attack. Carson becomes Wonder Man, defends the base, puts an end to the war and feeds the populace.

Reprints

• Reprinted in black & white in the fanzine Alter Ego #48 (May 2005).

Indexer Notes

DC won their suit against Fox to prevent further Wonder Man appearances.

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

Shorty Shortcake / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

S. M. Iger (signed as Jerry Williams)

Pencils

S. M. Iger (signed as Jerry Williams)

Inks

S. M. Iger (signed as Jerry Williams)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The Rio Grande, a sluggish moody river...

Genre

humor

Characters

Shorty Shortcake (introduction); Suzy (introduction); Skippy (introduction); Mr. De Welth (introduction); Weems (introduction); Tiny (villain; introduction)

Synopsis

Shorty is captured by smugglers while walking near the Rio Grande. While he tries to escape from Tiny, Suzy and her dog Skippy seek the help of Mr. De Welth, richest man in the world, and his butler Weems to find Shorty.

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

Wonders That Are True! / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Shark Killer!

Genre

non-fiction

Indexer Notes

Illustrated text, lettered like a comic.

[Fire At Sea] (Table of Contents: 5)

Patty O'Day Newsreel Reporter / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Adolphe Barreaux ?

Pencils

Adolphe Barreaux (signed)

Inks

Adolphe Barreaux (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure; spy

Characters

Patty O'Day (introduction); Ham (introduction); Lord Michael Farnsworth [Lord Mike] (introduction)

Synopsis

Reporter/camerawoman Patty O'Day parachutes onto a cruise ship to get footage of a fire. The crew doesn't want her filming, but a mysterious man calling himself Lord Farnsworth helps her escape, asking her to mail a letter for him when she returns to the shore.

Reprints

• in Rex Dexter of Mars (Fox, 1940 series) #1 (Fall 1940)

Buffalo Bill (Table of Contents: 6)

Men Who Made the West / text article / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Will Eisner

Pencils

Will Eisner

Inks

Will Eisner

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

western-frontier

Characters

William F. Cody [Buffalo Bill]

Indexer Notes

Illustrated text, lettered like a comic.

[The Oasis of Li-Wang] (Table of Contents: 7)

Dr. Fung / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Bob Powell ?

Pencils

Bob Powell (signed as Arthur Dean)

Inks

Bob Powell (signed as Arthur Dean)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure; detective-mystery

Characters

Dr. Fung (introduction); Dan Barrister (introduction); Li-Wang (villain; introduction; death)

Synopsis

Dr. Fung and his assistant Dan encounter the mad scientist Li-Wang. Dan is captured, but escapes and finds that Dr. Fung has located Wang's laboratory and come up with a plan to destroy it and thwart Wang's dreams of conquest.

Reprints

• in Blue Beetle (Fox, 1940 series) #5 (November-December 1940)

The Wrath of Allah (Table of Contents: 8)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Will Eisner (signed as William E. Eisner)

Pencils

? (illustration)

Inks

? (illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

adventure

Indexer Notes

Text story with illustration.

Lone Hand (Table of Contents: 9)

"Wild Tex" Dawson / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

Will Eisner ?

Pencils

Will Eisner ? (signed as Leon Spuds)

Inks

Will Eisner ?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

western-frontier

Characters

Tex Dawson (introduction; origin); Cactus Kirby (villain; introduction)

Synopsis

Tex finds a wanted criminal masquerading as the town Sheriff when he takes a new job on a cattle ranch.

Reprints

• in The Flame (Fox, 1940 series) #3 (Winter 1940)

Indexer Notes

Only appearance of the "'Wild Tex' Dawson" feature

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 10)

Sport Album / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Charles Wilson (signed)

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Gar Wood

Genre

non-fiction; sports

Characters

Gar Wood; Fred Jacoby; Lefty Grove

Indexer Notes

Signed twice- once as "by Chuck Wilson" in cursive but consistent lettering, once (at the bottom) as "Willson" [sic] looking more like a signature.

1000 Prizes Given Away Free! (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Wonder Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

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

Movie Memos / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Bernard Baily (signed) (illustrations)

Inks

Bernard Baily (signed) (illustrations)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

non-fiction

Characters

Oliver Hardy; Stan Laurel; Deanna Durbin; Wallace Beery; Joe E. Brown

Indexer Notes

Text with illustrations, lettered like a comic.

[The Menace of the Mask] (Table of Contents: 13)

K-51 Spies at War / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Will Eisner (signed as Ned Coe)

Pencils

Will Eisner (signed as Ned Coe)

Inks

Will Eisner (signed as Ned Coe)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Feature Logo

K-5 Spies at War

Genre

spy; war; adventure

Characters

K-5 (introduction); Rick Anthony (introduction; death); The Mask [Sen. Stanley] (villain; introduction; death)

Synopsis

K-5 is sent to find out who's behind a group of gun runners in a foreign war.

Reprints

• in The Flame (Fox, 1940 series) #2 (Fall 1940)

Gang-Buster Appointed By Gov. Harmon (Table of Contents: 14)

Mob-Buster Robinson / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Harold Vance (signed)

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Feature Logo

Gang-Buster Robinson

Genre

crime; detective-mystery

Characters

Richard G. Robinson ["Gang-Buster" Robinson] (introduction; origin); Spike McGinty (villain; introduction)

Synopsis

Robinson is hired to rid Capital City of crime. On his first case he busts a gang that killed a city cop.

Reprints

• in The Green Mask (Fox, 1940 series) #3 (Winter 1940)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 15)

Some Fun / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Mr. Jones, take a letter

Genre

humor

[The Hijacked Pocket Battleship] (Table of Contents: 16)

"Spark" Stevens of the Navy / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Bob Kane (signed as Rob't Kane)

Pencils

Bob Kane (signed as Rob't Kane)

Inks

Bob Kane (signed as Rob't Kane)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure; military; war

Characters

"Spark" Stevens (introduction); Chuck Lawton (introduction)

Synopsis

"Spark" Stevens and Chuck Lawton, two Navy sailors who are friends but constantly squabble, are instrumental in recovering their ship when it is captured by criminals.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 17)

Prof. Penpusher's Cartooning Class / activity / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

? [as Heza Nutt] (signed)

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Wonder Stamp Club (Table of Contents: 18)

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Letters

typeset

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 19)

Belly Busters / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script

Bob Kane ? (signed as Kane Roberts)

Pencils

Bob Kane ? (signed as Kane Roberts)

Inks

Bob Kane ? (signed as Kane Roberts)

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

What do you think of the President's foreign policy?

Genre

humor

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover. Credit is speculation based on the signed name.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

advertisement / 1 page (report information)