Funny Pages #v4#1

(January 1940)

Learn to Play Checkers! (Table of Contents)

How to Win at Checkers / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Millard F. P. Hopper?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Indexed copy is missing upper corner- the first word of the title may actually be "How" or something similar. Text claims to be by Hopper, who wrote the book that is being advertised. Ad is on the upper half of the inside front cover.

Hey Fellas! Here's the Amazing Man! (Table of Contents)

Amazing-Man Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

? [as G.P.] (signed)

Inks:

? [as G.P.] (signed)

Letters:

?

Content Information

Characters:

Amazing-Man

Indexer Notes

Amazing Man is in his pre-costume incarnation. Lower left of inside front cover.

Statement of Ownership (Table of Contents)

Funny Pages / credits / 0.17 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Joseph J. Hardie

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Synopsis:

Publisher, Joseph J. Hardie, 220 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y.;
Editor, Lloyd Jacquet, 220 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y.;
Managing Editor, None;
Business Manager, Raymond J. Kelly, 220 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y.
Owner: Centaur Publications, Inc., 220 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y.;
Raymond J. Kelly, 220 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y.;
S. J. Fried, 291 Broadway, New York, N. Y.;
Joseph J. Hardie, 220 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y.;
E. L. Angel, 220 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y.
Signed by:
Joseph J. Hardie, Publisher.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 29th day of September, 1939.
Berta M. Holcepl, Notary Public
Kings County Clerk's No. 337, Register's No. 1009? [smudged]
New York County Clerk's No. 15, Register's No. 1H11? [smudged]
Commission expires March 30, 1939
[smudged, but the "3" is clear enough even though that would put the expiration earlier than the date of this document! Perhaps a typo?]

Indexer Notes

Lower right of inside front cover. Per Frank Motler, E L. Angel is Evangeline Angel, wife of Warren Angel who was the head of Kable News. Therefore Centaur was likely distributed by Kable at this point.

["My son, the time has come for your young body to replace this ancient one's!"] (Table of Contents)

Mantoka / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jack Cole [as Richard Bruce] (signed)

Pencils:

Jack Cole [as Richard Bruce] (signed)

Inks:

Jack Cole [as Richard Bruce] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

occult

Characters:

Mantoka (introduction; origin); Mantoka's father;

Synopsis:

Mantoka's father, the tribe shaman, passes his powers on to Mantoka. When the hunters of the tribe start to go missing, Mantoka finds that they have been captured by a white man who is forcing them to work in his mines.

["Hey Pinky- How about a ride, huh?"] (Table of Contents)

Egbert / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Art Pinajian

Pencils:

Art Pinajian

Inks:

Art Pinajian

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

humor

Characters:

Egbert; Pinky

Synopsis:

Egbert gets a sled ride from Pinky.

["Hello Hans!!"] (Table of Contents)

The Arrow / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Pencils:

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Inks:

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Arrow [Ralph Payne]

Synopsis:

The Arrow captures some murdering racketeers.

["Margo has come to Renee again..."] (Table of Contents)

The Circus and Sue / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Claire S. Moe (signed)

Pencils:

Claire S. Moe (signed)

Inks:

Claire S. Moe (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

soap opera

Characters:

Sue; Margo; Renee; Andre; Jacques; the Maestro

["The boss says to git some of you boys and go out to the buryin' with him..."] (Table of Contents)

Phantom Rider / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jack Cole ?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

western

Characters:

Phantom Rider; Sherrif Warder; Blarsted

Synopsis:

When Blarsted, the most powerful man in Mesquite, drives out the Sherrif, the Phantom Rider comes to his aid.

Indexer Notes

Art previously attributed to Martin Filchock, but Jim Amash of the Timely-Atlas list spoke with Filchock and confirmed that he never worked on the Phantom Rider nor with Jack Cole. This arguably calls into question the Cole credit as well, which was from the same source (Henry Andrews 2009-03-16).

["Make magic your hobby!"] (Table of Contents)

Magic Made Easy / activity / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

["Changed"] (Table of Contents)

Uncle Joe's Joke Page / filler / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Martin Filchock (signed)

Inks:

Martin Filchock (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

Text jokes, two with illustrations.

["G-Man Gene matches wits with Wu Chang, the Mad Ming"] (Table of Contents)

Mad Ming / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Harold DeLay (signed)

Inks:

Harold DeLay (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Mad Ming [Wu Chang] (introduction); Gene (introduction); Jinny (introduction); Stubs (introduction); Lee (introduction); Sergeant Stone (introduction)

Synopsis:

G-Man Gene is called in when Stubs finds a body he thinks is a federal man. Jinny insists on going with him, and they discover an opium smuggling operation. After tracing it to Wu Chang, Jinny steals his papers for evidence. Furious, Wu Chang kidnaps her, but Gene calls in Sgt. Stone and rescues her during a raid.

["This is your page- so use it!"] (Table of Contents)

Your Page / activity / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?; Rose Marie Imes; Claude Cook; John Choffey; Roland Santurri Cranston; Thomas Harris; Ethel Arnold; Larry McVay; Thomas Main; Carolton Burchet; Harry Powell; Raymond Fielding; Edwin Jones; Stephen Eugene Piles; Morty Rothenburg; Armstead Hudnell; Meyer Roiter; Jack Grau; Teresa Bilotta; Lenore Hutchings; H. Lasseter; Ann Oustod; Emile Hamel; Jack Malott; Uphouse Tatarunis; Tommy Tomlinson; Joe Miller

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Synopsis:

Numerous drawings sent in by readers.

Indexer Notes

Readers are invited to send their drawings to Ed Wood, Centaur Publ. Co. 220 Fifth Ave., New York City.

Lesson #13 (Table of Contents)

Cartooning The Perfect Hobby! / activity / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

White Goddess [conclusion] (Table of Contents)

Diana Deane in Hollywood / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Tarpe Mills (signed)

Pencils:

Tarpe Mills (signed)

Inks:

Tarpe Mills (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Ora [Joan Trevor]; Briny Bill (death); Gary Hale; Zuma (villain; death)

Synopsis:

Zuma shoots and kills Briny Bill from a hiding place, cutting short his reunion with Ora. However he falls from his perch and is killed by a gorilla. Gary begins to take Ora, now Joan Trever once more, back to England as Bill wished. But the two have fallen in love, and Joan agrees to go with Gary to America as his bride.

Indexer Notes

From a movie produced by Allan Dorne, directed by Lee Barton and starring Diana Deane as Ora [Joan Trevor].

["When crime breaks out, The Owl prowls..."] (Table of Contents)

The Owl / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Martin Filchock (signed)

Inks:

Martin Filchock (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Owl; The Owl's father; Zeb Hale (death)

Synopsis:

The fastidious librarian in a large southern city is secretly The Owl, who lives with his father in the nearby swamp. The Owl's father lost his legs because of a racketeer, and spent his life designing the Owl's flying suit. They track down a kidnapping gang to Zeb's farm and the Owl runs their car off a cliff.

Indexer Notes

Neither the Owl nor his father are named in the story. While Filchock generally wrote the stories he illustrated, Jerry Bails' Who's Who specifically lists him as only the artist here (Henry Andrews 2009-03-10).

["This beautiful desk for only $1.00"] (Table of Contents)

Remington Noiseless Deluxe Portable Typewriter / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Indexer Notes

inside back cover

["Boys, Girls! Select new & unusual gifts..."] (Table of Contents)

Johnson Smith & Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Synopsis:

Numerous small advertisements for goods from Johnson Smith & Co.

Indexer Notes

Back cover