Master Comics #1

(March 1940)

Attention! Boys and Girls (Table of Contents: 1)

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

? (ad copy)

Pencils

? (photograph)

Inks

? (photograph)

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

Master Comics contest for two Rollfast bicycles.

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

Master Man / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Newt Alfred

Inks

Newt Alfred

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Introduction to the readers of the world's biggest comic book - the world's greatest hero!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Master Man (first appearance; origin); unnamed doctor; unnamed nurse; unnamed orphan boy; unnamed orphan girl; gangsters (villains); Mayor Dole; unnamed Mayor's daughter

Synopsis

Growing up as a weak child, an unnamed doctor introduced him to Vitacap, a capsule of vitamins and all forms of energy to become the world's strongest man. As an adult he builds an all rock castle on the world's tallest mountain. He dedicates to help people, first by rescuing a nurse and two orphans from a fire at an apartment complex caused by gangsters. Mayor Dole asked Master Man to save his daughter from those same gangsters which he does. Master Man turns down the Mayor's offer to stay in the city, and returns to his castle.

The Jeweled Crown of Ramistan (Table of Contents: 3)

White Rajah / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure; jungle

Characters

White Rajah [David Scott] (introduction, origin); Sin-Gee (a white elephant); Father Scott (David's Father); Old Rajah of Ramistan; unnamed heade hunters;

Synopsis

David and his father come his plantation in India. One day while on a stroll, David's pony is spooked by Sin-Gee. Sin-Gee saves David from a fall but he becomes lost in the forest. Unable to find his son, David's father leaves India in grief, forcing David to learns to live on his own. He learns how to protect himself and become a great peacemaker for throughout the jungle. On a visit to Ramistan, David and Sin-Gee helps the Old Rajah retrieve the Jeweled Crown of Ramistan from head hunters.

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

Devil's Dagger / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Ken Battefield

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The city of Carterville is dominated by two mysterious figures....

Genre

superhero

Characters

Devil's Dagger [Ken Wyman] (introduction); Jeff Marlowe (villain, introduction); Marlowe's gangsters; Burton; Sandra Cole; Simon Craig; Pat Gleason

Synopsis

Jeff Marlowe, underworld boss of Carterville wanted to steal from the scientist Simon Craig his diamond making machine. Burton, city editor for the Daily Blade sends his reporter, Ken Wyman (son of a wealthy family) to cover Craig. On the way Wyman saves Sandra Cole from some of Marlowe's gangsters. Meeting with Craig, he saves the scientist from Marlowe's gangsters as well. With his chauffeur Pat Gleason, Wyman decides to challenge them and stop their plans as the Devil's Dagger.

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

Morton Murch, the Hillbilly Hero / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Newt Alfred

Inks

Newt Alfred

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Fears like Mort's dreamin'...

Genre

science fiction; humor

Characters

Morton Murch (introduction, origin); Mrs. Murch; Lem; Queen Silva

Synopsis

Morton makes a homemade balloon and ends up traveling from his town in Hoopieville, West Virginia and discovers the floating island of Felicia in the South Atlantic. There he meets Queen Silva, who is impressed with his ability to fly. When an enemy air force threatens to attack the island, Morton helps make a large net to snare the places from his balloon, capturing the enemy forces.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 6)

Shipwreck Roberts / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Mike Suchorsky

Inks

Mike Suchorsky

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Shipwreck Roberts, adventurous free-lance diver, who searches the ocean for sunken treasures...

Genre

adventure

Characters

Shipwreck Roberts (introduction); Doctor Drown (villain, introduction); Romez (Drown's hunchback henchman); Mr. Jones; Deep Sea Doodle; Drown's beasts [Giantocrab; two brontosauruses; Colostopus]

Synopsis

Shipwreck Roberts is contracted by Mr. Jones to find out why so much shipping has sunk in the same area of the ocean. Together with his partner, Deep Sea Doodle, they discover that Doctor Drown has been using an experimental yacht that he sank to the ocean's floor to direct sea beasts of his creation to sink ships and steal their cargo. Roberts and Doodle overpower Drown and his henchmen Romez to bring them to justice before they sink a passenger ship.

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

Frontier Marshall / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Pipe th' dude.

Genre

western-frontier

Characters

Frontier Marshall [Bill Crane] (introduction, origin); Ned Crane; Marshall Whipple; Helen Wright; unnamed rustlers; unnamed fugitives from justice; unnamed bandits; Jim Trask; unnamed Trask's men; Mesquite Mike; unnamed robbers

Synopsis

Bill's father Ned, the Marshall for Big Savage, is gunned down by bandits. Bill assumes his father's role as Marshall and has to fight off challenges from a potential rival, Marshall Whipple. He then faces down a string of criminals, lead by Jim Trask before finally defeating Trask, with the help of one of Trask's men, Mesquite Mike. Mike accepts Crane's offer to become a deputy.

Sooner or Later (Table of Contents: 8)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

? (illustration)

Inks

? (illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

adventure

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

Master Puzzlers / activity / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

? (illustrations)

Inks

? (illustrations)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Indexer Notes

Answers for the puzzles at the bottom of the page upside down.

If You Want a Whale of a Time for a Dime (Table of Contents: 10) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Introducing Mr. Clue (Table of Contents: 11)

Mr. Clue / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Mr. Clue (introduction); Mayor Roger Brett (death); Police Chief Flynn; Tony Terror; Tommy; Bill

Synopsis

Mr. Clue is brought up to a city where its mayor, Roger Brett, is assassinated. Digging around for leads to find answers for the clues he found at the shooting scene, he discovers that the murderer was Police Chief Flynn, saving Tony Terror from the electric chair.

Boy Newsreel Reporter (Table of Contents: 12)

Streak Sloan / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Marty Nodell

Inks

Marty Nodell

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Characters

Streak Sloan (introduction); Cap Wabash; Black Jack Bannon (villain)

Synopsis

Newsreel cameraman Streak Sloan, while in Alaska on a whale oil ship, comes across a pirate named Jack Bannon and his crew. Bannon is raiding and stealing ships' cargos using a submarine stationed in a secret harbor in the Arctic. Streak and the crew are overpowered and taken captive by Bannon and his crew. The Coast Guard arrives to take on Bannon's men and Streak himself captures Bannon aboard his submarine.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 13)

El Carim / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Carl Formes ?

Pencils

Sven Elven

Inks

Sven Elven

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Relaxing after his last performance, El Carim listens to the radio.

Genre

superhero

Characters

El Carim (introduction); Jane Grey; Harrington Grey

Synopsis

El Carim comes to the aid of Jane Grey to help find her father, Harrington, who was kidnapped. In their efforts to free him, they too are captured by the kidnappers. Awaking from being knocked out, El Carim breaks free, tricks the kidnap leader with a false magic command which results in their capture.

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

Rick O'Shay / comic story / 6.8 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Henry Kiefer ?; Jack Binder ? (see notes)

Inks

Henry Kiefer ?; Jack Binder ? (see notes)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Reports of a blood curdling native revolt bring Rick O'Shay...

Genre

adventure; humor; western-frontier

Characters

Rick O'Shay (introduction); Sidi-Ahmed; Mekki; unnamed Franconian soldiers; unnamed Sidi-Ahmed Arab rebels

Synopsis

Rick O'Shay is contacted by Franconian troops to investigate a potential rebellion led by Sidi-Ahmed. Rick and Mekki track Sidi-Ahmed down only to be captured by Sidi-Ahmed. They escape and return with Franconian troops and overpower Sidi-Ahmed's forces, with Rick himself capturing Sidi-Ahmed.

Indexer Notes

Heritage Auctions identified the artist of this story as Jack Binder in 2018.

Hey, Kids! (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.2 page (report information)

Here's How You Can Win Master Comics' World's Biggest Contest! (Table of Contents: 16)

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

? (photograph)

Inks

? (photograph)

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

Continuation of contest on inside front cover with submission coupon to enter the contest.

You're Sure to Get a Prize If You Buy the April Whiz Comics (Table of Contents: 17) (Expand) /

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