([circa October] 1933)

Eastern Color, 1933 Series
Published in English (United States) United States
 
Price
0.00 FREE
Pages
36
On-sale Date
1933-10
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
[none printed]
Editing
M. C. Gaines ? (editor); Harry Wildenberg ? (editor)
Color
color
Dimensions
standard Golden Age U.S.
Binding
saddle-stitched
Publishing Format
one-shot; giveaway

Issue Notes

The comic has no publisher information, date, or issue number listed.

Eastern Color salesperson Maxwell Gaines and sales manager Harry I. Wildenberg collaborated with Dell Publishing to publish this 36-page one-shot, considered by some historians to be the first or second "true" American comic book.

It was long conventional wisdom that this comic book was distributed through the Woolworth's department store chain, unknown whether it was sold or given away. The cover displays no price, but comic book historian Ron Goulart referred, either metaphorically or literally, to Gaines "sticking a ten-cent pricetag on the comic books".

What is known is that advertisements for this comic book appeared in Sunday comics sections, earliest known was in the Chicago Tribune on October 1, 1933. In this earliest advertisement, a different cover than what was actually printed is shown. The cover image reprinted included Mama Katzenjammer, indicating that the publication originally intended to include either the Katzenjammer Kids or The Captain and the Kids comic strips, but neither ended up appearing in the issue. The newspaper advertisements for the comic book appeared throughout October and early November. By the end of October, the actual cover which would be published was reproduced in the advertisements. The comic book would continue to be mentioned in newspaper advertisements until March 1934.

In the earliest advertisements, the comic book was available as a giveaway premium available through the purchase of Wheatena breakfast cereal. The comic was free with the purchase of the cereal and sending the box top along with filling out the coupon in the advertisement and mailing it to The Wheatena Corporation in Chicago. By the time of the March advertisements, they were mentioned as giveaway premiums available at specific supermarkets with the purchase of Wheatena cereal.

There are no known advertisements found to date that mention this comic book and Woolworth department stores. It is possible that copies left over from the promotion with Wheatena cereal were later distributed through that department store in 1934.

The copies that were purchased through the mail came in a mailing envelope, of which some copies survived as well.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

cover / 2 pages (report information)

Pencils
various
Inks
various
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor

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

Hairbreadth Harry / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
F. O. Alexander
Pencils
F. O. Alexander
Inks
F. O. Alexander
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
adventure; drama; humor
Characters
Harry Hollingsworth; Rudolph Rassendale; Belinda Blinks

Indexer Notes

Copyright Ledger Syndicate. Inside front cover.

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

High-Gear Homer / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
F. O. Alexander
Pencils
F. O. Alexander
Inks
F. O. Alexander
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor

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

Good Deed Dotty / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
J. P. McEvoy
Pencils
John Striebel
Inks
John Striebel
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; children

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

Dixie Dugan / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
J. P. McEvoy
Pencils
John Striebel
Inks
John Striebel
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor

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

Reg'lar Fellers / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Gene Byrnes
Pencils
Gene Byrnes
Inks
Gene Byrnes
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; children

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

Fisher's History of Boxing / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
Ham Fisher
Pencils
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Inks
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
sports; non-fiction; biography; history

Indexer Notes

Copyright McNaught Syndicate.

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

Joe Palooka / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
Ham Fisher
Pencils
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Inks
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
sports
Characters
Joe Palooka; Nobby

Indexer Notes

Copyright McNaught Syndicate.

The Cure For Sadness (Table of Contents: 8)

Mutt and Jeff / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Bud Fisher (credited) (signed as Fisher); Al Smith (ghost)
Pencils
Bud Fisher (credited) (signed as Fisher); Al Smith (ghost)
Inks
Bud Fisher (credited) (signed as Fisher); Al Smith (ghost)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Ouch!
Feature Logo
Mutt and Jeff [Sunday comics plain text]
Genre
humor
Reprints
  • from Mutt and Jeff Sunday (Bell Syndicate) 1933-08-13

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

Nipper / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Pencils
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Inks
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Colors
?
Letters
?

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

Footprints on the Sands of Time / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Pencils
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Inks
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Colors
?
Letters
?

[Magic Tricks] (Table of Contents: 11)

activity / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

[Puzzles] (Table of Contents: 12)

activity / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

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

Holly of Hollywood / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
Pop Mormand
Pencils
Pop Mormand
Inks
Pop Mormand
Colors
?
Letters
?

Just Eddie's Luck (Table of Contents: 14)

Keeping Up With the Joneses / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
Pop Mormand
Pencils
Pop Mormand
Inks
Pop Mormand
Colors
?
Letters
?

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

Holly of Hollywood / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
Pop Mormand
Pencils
Pop Mormand
Inks
Pop Mormand
Colors
?
Letters
?

Eddie Is a Success, All Right (Table of Contents: 16)

Keeping Up With the Joneses / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
Pop Mormand
Pencils
Pop Mormand
Inks
Pop Mormand
Colors
?
Letters
?

[Puzzles] (Table of Contents: 17)

activity / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

[Magic Tricks] (Table of Contents: 18)

activity / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

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

Somebody's Stenog / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
A. E. Hayward
Pencils
A. E. Hayward
Inks
A. E. Hayward
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; drama

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

The Back-Seat Driver / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
A. E. Hayward
Pencils
A. E. Hayward
Inks
A. E. Hayward
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 21)

Strange as It Seems / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
John Hix
Pencils
John Hix
Inks
John Hix
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
non-fiction

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 22)

Little Brother / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
H. J. Tuthill
Pencils
H. J. Tuthill
Inks
H. J. Tuthill
Colors
?
Letters
?

Safety Last (Table of Contents: 23)

The Bungle Family / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
H. J. Tuthill
Pencils
H. J. Tuthill
Inks
H. J. Tuthill
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; domestic

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 24)

Simp O'Dill / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
Sol Hess
Pencils
Wallace Carlson
Inks
Wallace Carlson
Colors
?
Letters
?

Gambling With Fate (Table of Contents: 25)

The Nebbs / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
Sol Hess
Pencils
Wallace Carlson
Inks
Wallace Carlson
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; domestic

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 26)

Hairbreadth Harry / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
F. O. Alexander
Pencils
F. O. Alexander
Inks
F. O. Alexander
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
adventure; drama; humor
Characters
Harry Hollingsworth; Rudolph Rassendale; Belinda Blinks

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 27)

High-Gear Homer / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
F. O. Alexander
Pencils
F. O. Alexander
Inks
F. O. Alexander
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 28)

Hairbreadth Harry / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
F. O. Alexander
Pencils
F. O. Alexander
Inks
F. O. Alexander
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
adventure; drama; humor

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 29)

High-Gear Homer / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
F. O. Alexander
Pencils
F. O. Alexander
Inks
F. O. Alexander
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 30)

Reg'lar Fellers / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Gene Byrnes
Pencils
Gene Byrnes
Inks
Gene Byrnes
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; children

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 31)

Fisher's Foolish History / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
Ham Fisher
Pencils
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Inks
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
history

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 32)

Joe Palooka / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
Ham Fisher
Pencils
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Inks
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
sports

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 33)

S'matter Pop? / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Charles Payne
Pencils
Charles Payne
Inks
Charles Payne
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; children; domestic

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 34)

Honeybunch's Hubby / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Charles Payne (credited as C. M. Payne)
Pencils
Charles Payne (credited as C. M. Payne)
Inks
Charles Payne (credited as C. M. Payne)
Colors
?
Letters
?

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 35)

Somebody's Stenog / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
A. E. Hayward
Pencils
A. E. Hayward
Inks
A. E. Hayward
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; drama

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 36)

The Back-Seat Driver / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
A. E. Hayward
Pencils
A. E. Hayward
Inks
A. E. Hayward
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor

[Magic Tricks] (Table of Contents: 37)

activity / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

[Puzzles] (Table of Contents: 38)

activity / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 39)

S'matter Pop? / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Charles Payne
Pencils
Charles Payne
Inks
Charles Payne
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
children; domestic

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 40)

Honeybunch's Hubby / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Charles Payne
Pencils
Charles Payne
Inks
Charles Payne
Colors
?
Letters
?

Foolishness! (Table of Contents: 41)

Mutt and Jeff / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Bud Fisher (credited) (signed as Fisher); Al Smith (ghost)
Pencils
Bud Fisher (credited) (signed as Fisher); Al Smith (ghost)
Inks
Bud Fisher (credited) (signed as Fisher); Al Smith (ghost)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Mutt, I know something you don't know
Feature Logo
Mutt and Jeff [Sunday comics plain text]
Genre
humor
Reprints
  • from Mutt and Jeff Sunday (Bell Syndicate) 1933-08-20

[Magic Tricks] (Table of Contents: 42)

activity / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 43)

Nipper / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Pencils
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Inks
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Colors
?
Letters
?

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 44)

Footprints on the Sands of Time / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Pencils
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Inks
Clare Victor Dwiggins
Colors
?
Letters
?

When Brick Meets "Brick" (Table of Contents: 45)

Mutt and Jeff / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Bud Fisher (credited) (signed as Fisher); Al Smith (ghost)
Pencils
Bud Fisher (credited) (signed as Fisher); Al Smith (ghost)
Inks
Bud Fisher (credited) (signed as Fisher); Al Smith (ghost)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Jeff, I want you to try one of my special brand cigars.
Feature Logo
Mutt and Jeff [Sunday comics plain text]
Genre
humor
Reprints
  • from Mutt and Jeff Sunday (Bell Syndicate) 1933-08-27

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 46)

Fisher's History of Boxing / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
Ham Fisher
Pencils
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Inks
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
sports; non-fiction; biography; history

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 47)

Joe Palooka / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
Ham Fisher
Pencils
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Inks
Ham Fisher (credited); Al Capp (ghost)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
sports
Characters
Joe Palooka; Nobby

Indexer Notes

Copyright McNaught Syndicate.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 48)

Reg'lar Fellers / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Gene Byrnes
Pencils
Gene Byrnes
Inks
Gene Byrnes
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; children

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 49)

Little Brother / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
H. J. Tuthill
Pencils
H. J. Tuthill
Inks
H. J. Tuthill
Colors
?
Letters
?

Another Mental Test (Table of Contents: 50)

The Bungle Family / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
H. J. Tuthill
Pencils
H. J. Tuthill
Inks
H. J. Tuthill
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; domestic

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 51)

Connie / comic story / 0.8 page (report information)

Script
Frank Godwin
Pencils
Frank Godwin
Inks
Frank Godwin
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
adventure

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 52)

The Wet Blanket / comic story / 0.2 page (report information)

Script
Frank Godwin
Pencils
Frank Godwin
Inks
Frank Godwin
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
humor; domestic

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

Editing
Related Scans
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
  2. 1. [no title indexed]
    Hairbreadth Harry
  3. 2. [no title indexed]
    High-Gear Homer
  4. 3. [no title indexed]
    Good Deed Dotty
  5. 4. [no title indexed]
    Dixie Dugan
  6. 5. [no title indexed]
    Reg'lar Fellers
  7. 6. [no title indexed]
    Fisher's History of Boxing
  8. 7. [no title indexed]
    Joe Palooka
  9. 8. The Cure For Sadness
    Mutt and Jeff
  10. 9. [no title indexed]
    Nipper
  11. 10. [no title indexed]
    Footprints on the Sands of Time
  12. 11. [Magic Tricks]
  13. 12. [Puzzles]
  14. 13. [no title indexed]
    Holly of Hollywood
  15. 14. Just Eddie's Luck
    Keeping Up With the Joneses
  16. 15. [no title indexed]
    Holly of Hollywood
  17. 16. Eddie Is a Success, All Right
    Keeping Up With the Joneses
  18. 17. [Puzzles]
  19. 18. [Magic Tricks]
  20. 19. [no title indexed]
    Somebody's Stenog
  21. 20. [no title indexed]
    The Back-Seat Driver
  22. 21. [no title indexed]
    Strange as It Seems
  23. 22. [no title indexed]
    Little Brother
  24. 23. Safety Last
    The Bungle Family
  25. 24. [no title indexed]
    Simp O'Dill
  26. 25. Gambling With Fate
    The Nebbs
  27. 26. [no title indexed]
    Hairbreadth Harry
  28. 27. [no title indexed]
    High-Gear Homer
  29. 28. [no title indexed]
    Hairbreadth Harry
  30. 29. [no title indexed]
    High-Gear Homer
  31. 30. [no title indexed]
    Reg'lar Fellers
  32. 31. [no title indexed]
    Fisher's Foolish History
  33. 32. [no title indexed]
    Joe Palooka
  34. 33. [no title indexed]
    S'matter Pop?
  35. 34. [no title indexed]
    Honeybunch's Hubby
  36. 35. [no title indexed]
    Somebody's Stenog
  37. 36. [no title indexed]
    The Back-Seat Driver
  38. 37. [Magic Tricks]
  39. 38. [Puzzles]
  40. 39. [no title indexed]
    S'matter Pop?
  41. 40. [no title indexed]
    Honeybunch's Hubby
  42. 41. Foolishness!
    Mutt and Jeff
  43. 42. [Magic Tricks]
  44. 43. [no title indexed]
    Nipper
  45. 44. [no title indexed]
    Footprints on the Sands of Time
  46. 45. When Brick Meets "Brick"
    Mutt and Jeff
  47. 46. [no title indexed]
    Fisher's History of Boxing
  48. 47. [no title indexed]
    Joe Palooka
  49. 48. [no title indexed]
    Reg'lar Fellers
  50. 49. [no title indexed]
    Little Brother
  51. 50. Another Mental Test
    The Bungle Family
  52. 51. [no title indexed]
    Connie
  53. 52. [no title indexed]
    The Wet Blanket
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Ray Bottorff Jr
  • Peter Croome
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Bob Hughes
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Jim Van Dore