(February 1940)

Fiction House, 1940 Series
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Volume
1
Price
0.10 USD
Pages
68
Indicia Frequency
every month
On-sale Date
1940-01-10
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Glen Kel Publishing Co. Inc.
Brand
Fiction House Magazines
Editing
Malcolm Reiss (editor); S. M. Iger (feature editor); Will Eisner (art director)

Issue Notes

On sale date from the publication date reported to the U.S. Copyright Office found in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, New Series, Volume 35, January-December 1940, Numbers 1-4. Class B periodical. Copyright number B 440632.

In contrast to issues before and after it, this issue was published by Glen Kel rather than Love Romances.

Cave of the Demons (Table of Contents)

Flint Baker / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Will Eisner
Inks
Will Eisner
Colors
?

Genre
science fiction
Characters
Flint Baker
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Art credits verified by Roy Thomas.

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

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

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

Planet Payson / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Herman Bolstein (signed) (credited as Morley Starr)
Pencils
George Tuska
Inks
George Tuska
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Several miles above sea level towers Prof. Sandow's observatory:
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Planet Payson (introduction); Professor Sandow (astronomer, introduction); Roland (introduction); The Hawkmen (introduction); Buzzlark (villain, introduction, death); Buzzlark's men (villains, introduction for all, many die)
Synopsis
Professor Sandow detects strange flashes among the clouds. Payson and Roland investigate and discover a castle on a cloud, where they discover eerie Hawkmen who seek help in ending a war between the clouds.
Reprints
Keywords
Electro Tubes; Sea Level Towers; Sting Ray Gun

Indexer Notes

Scripter's identity suggested by the Who's Who.

Cave of the Demons (Table of Contents: 3)

The Adventures on Mars of ... Flint Baker / comic story / 15 pages (report information)

Script
Herman Bolstein (signed) (credited as Stari Gayza)
Pencils
Art Peddy ?; Bob Powell ?
Inks
Art Peddy ?; Bob Powell ?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Flint Baker, Mimi, and his two aids plan...
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Fletcher "Flint" Baker; Mimi Wilson; Princess Viga; unnamed Martian scientist (villain, introduction, death); the scientist's monster (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis
Planning to return to Earth after their adventures on Mars, Flint and Mimi are approached by Princess Viga, who begs them to stay and help defend her people from a terrifying monster.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The story title is taken from the cover blurb.

Scripter's identity suggested by the Who's Who.

Peddy credit suggested by the Who's Who.

The Dashing, Slashing Adventure of the Great Solinoor Diamond (Table of Contents: 4)

Tiger Hart of Crossbone Castle on the Planet Saturn / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Fletcher Hanks (signed)
Pencils
Fletcher Hanks (signed)
Inks
Fletcher Hanks (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Fletcher Hanks

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The Great Solinoor was the largest diamond ever known.
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Tiger Hart (introduction); Zip (introduction); Queen Hilda (introduction); Turk the Terrible (villain, introduction); Talon (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis
Tiger Hart rescues the captive Queen Hilda from the clutches of Turk the Terrible, who is holding her in exchange for the Great Solinoor diamond.
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5)

Spurt Hammond, Planet Flyer / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Henry Kiefer
Inks
Henry Kiefer
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
A pound of coal is insignificant, but a...
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Lieutenant Spurt Hammond; Amoura (Queen of Venus, introduction); Prince Khangiz (villain, Red Master of Mars, introduction)
Synopsis
Spurt is sent to the planet Venus in order to obtain a supply of Radia-Tronite crystal which is needed to supply power to America's generators, leading to a war between America and Mars.
Reprints
Keywords
Mars; Radia-Tronite; Venus; year 40000

The Earth Queen's Last Refuge (Table of Contents: 6)

text story / 1.5 pages (report information)

Script
? [as Don Varick] (credited)
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
As magnificent and steady as Venus, in her orbit, the great, gray, battered space-ship...
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Queen Lais; Commander Lothain; Ma'Gloon (villain, traitor to Earth, death); Betelgeuzians (villains)
Synopsis
The Queen and Commander land on a little known planetoid known as Cathoid after escaping from the Red Fleet of Betelgeux, whose mission is to wipe out all Earth craetures in the universe!
Reprints
Keywords
Brorsens Comet; Defiance III (a spaceship)

Indexer Notes

Story is continued from the previous issue.

The last half-page of the story features an illustrated advertisement from the Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, encouraging readers to sell just three magazines for their company, and earn money and prizes for doing so.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 8)

Buzz Crandall of the Space Patrol / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
? [as Bob Jordan] (credited)
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
While at the bottom of the seas that cover...
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Buzz Crandall; Dr. Coran [aka Curan] (scientist); Sandra Coran [aka Curan] (the doctor's daughter); Sinfo (villain, scientist, introduction, death); the Crab-Men (villains, introduction for all)
Synopsis
Buzz, the doctor and his daughter are attacked by mysterious Crab-Men at the bottom of the seas covering Neptune, are captured and taken to the lair of the evil Sinfo, who controls the creatures, and who intends to use his captaives as guinea pigs.
Reprints
Keywords
Neptune

Indexer Notes

Possible artists for this strip in 1940 include Nick Cardy, Gene Fawcette, and Charles Sultan.

Oddity: In this story, the spelling of the doctor and his daughter's last names are alternately known as "Coran" and "Curan", and the daughter's name is now Sandra (it was Nancy in issue #1).

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

Captain Nelson Cole of the Solar Force / comic story / 15 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Malcolm Kildale (pages 10-15); ? (pages 1-9)
Inks
Malcolm Kildale (pages 10-15); ? (pages 1-9)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Captain Cole, I want you to take a...
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Captain Nelson Cole [becomes "Torro" in this story only with magic clothing and whip]; Z-X (Cole's boss); Berton (member of Cole's crew); Ruler of Zog (introduction); a two-headed giant (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis
Cole is ordered to take a large fleet to the Planet Zog to take on a giant who is extracting tribute from Zog's poor people.
Reprints
Keywords
Dwight Field; Planet Zog; Washington D.C.

Indexer Notes

The giant's heads are of "husband and wife".

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

Auro Lord of Jupiter / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Herman Bolstein
Pencils
R. Louis Golden (signed as RLG)
Inks
R. Louis Golden (signed as RLG)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Auro is giving one of his frequent monster banquets for the poverty-stricken, when...
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Auro [Lord of Jupiter]; Ava (introduction); Agra (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis
At one of his famed gigantic banquets, Auro is pulled aside by one of the servants, Ava, and told that he must flee before the murderer of her parents, Agra, arrives to kill him.
Reprints
Keywords
Jupiter

Indexer Notes

Script credit suggested by the Who's Who.

HS notes that, despite the Golden credit, the art looks more like Malcolm Kildale than Golden.

The final panel blurb provides the title to next issue's story, "The Dragon God".

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

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

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

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. Cave of the Demons
    Flint Baker
  2. 1. [no title indexed]
  3. 2. ["Several miles above sea level towers Prof. Sandow's observatory:"]
    Planet Payson
  4. 3. Cave of the Demons
    The Adventures on Mars of ... Flint Baker
  5. 4. The Dashing, Slashing Adventure of the Great Solinoor Diamond
    Tiger Hart of Crossbone Castle on the Planet Saturn
  6. 5. ["A pound of coal is insignificant, but a..."]
    Spurt Hammond, Planet Flyer
  7. 6. The Earth Queen's Last Refuge
  8. 7. [no title indexed]
  9. 8. ["While at the bottom of the seas that cover..."]
    Buzz Crandall of the Space Patrol
  10. 9. ["Captain Cole, I want you to take a..."]
    Captain Nelson Cole of the Solar Force
  11. 10. ["Auro is giving one of his frequent monster banquets for the poverty-stricken, when..."]
    Auro Lord of Jupiter
  12. 11. [no title indexed]
  13. 12. [no title indexed]
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Henry Andrews
  • Ray Bottorff Jr
  • Craig Delich
  • Del Gruber
  • Michael Hoskin
  • Daniel Martinez
  • Lou Mazzella
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Mark Q
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Patrick Shaughnessy
  • Jim Van Dore