Zip Comics #4

(May 1940)

[The Radium Robbers] (Table of Contents)

Steel Sterling / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Charles Biro?

Pencils:

Charles Biro (signed)

Inks:

Charles Biro (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

Superhero

Characters:

Steel Sterling [John Sterling]; Walter Cummings (scientist); Dora Cummings (daughter); Black Knight (Villain)

Synopsis:

Cummings is suspected of stealing all the radium from his own hospital, and his daughter gets the help of detective Sterling.

["You're a nice dog..."] (Table of Contents)

Mugsy / filler / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Kin Platt [as Quincy]

Pencils:

Kin Platt [as Quincy]

Inks:

Kin Platt [as Quincy]

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

Humor

Characters:

Mugsy (dog)

Reprinted:

• in Free Weekly Comic Magazine (Archie, 1940 series) #[nn]

[Death To the Scarlet Avenger: Part 2] (Table of Contents)

Scarlet Avenger / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Harry Shorten

Pencils:

Irv Novick (signed)

Inks:

Irv Novick (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

Superhero

Characters:

The Scarlet Avenger (Jim Kendall); Texa (Villain); President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Synopsis:

The Scarlet Avenger has come to grips with Texa, a beautiful Amazon, the queen of crime. She will use his powerfull brains in her next crime, to snatch the president.

[Slade Bowman's Boast] (Table of Contents)

Nevada Jones / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Frank Volp

Inks:

Frank Volp

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

Western

Characters:

Nevada Jones; Little Joe (sidekick); Slade Bowman (train bandit); Bud Jones (undercover man)

Synopsis:

Nevada Jones is ordered by the governor to catch the train robber, Slade Bowman.

Reprinted:

• in Free Weekly Comic Magazine (Archie, 1940 series) #[nn]

Indexer Notes

Art is identical to Volp's many signed and unsigned Loop Logan stories in Blue Ribbon Comics, from #4. He can be spotted by his very realistic horses in #13, bony faces with marked cheek lines and mouth inked in two short lines. Also the small lines on each side of nose or smiling cheeks. Compare as well his signed London stories in Daredevil Comics #9 and 10 (Lev Gleason)

[The Hordes of Shem] (Table of Contents)

Kalthar / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Harry Shorten

Pencils:

Robert Pious

Inks:

Robert Pious

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

Jungle

Characters:

Kalthar; Bwonga (hunter); Pharoah (King); Bogdu (ape)

Synopsis:

Kalthar is taken prisoner by the Tribe of Shem and taken to their king, Pharoah.

Indexer Notes

Originally credited to Lin Streeter. Pious is also credited on this feature by Jerry Bails' Who's Who, and the art is identical to his signed story in #2.

[The Munitions Works Mission] (Table of Contents)

War Eagles / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Ed Smalle

Inks:

Ed Smalle

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

War

Characters:

Tim Shane (pilot); Tom Shane (pilot); Kermit (pilot); Herr Schultz (Villain)

Synopsis:

The Eagles blow up a German munitions works, but must ditch their planes.

Indexer Notes

Originally credited to Ed Wexler, but the art is identical to the other signed Smalle stories in this feature.

Frontier Tamers (Table of Contents)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

Typeset

Content Information

Genre:

Western; Fact

Characters:

Wanglin (gunman); Tom Smith; Racoon (mascot)

Synopsis:

A two-gun devastator meets his match in a prairie racoon.

Indexer Notes

Two illustrations that has nothing to do with the story.

[Yat Sing's Poison Plot] (Table of Contents)

Captain Valor / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Abner Sundell (signed)

Pencils:

Mort Meskin (signed)

Inks:

Mort Meskin (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

Adventure

Characters:

Captain Valor; Ronnie; his sister Angie; Big Dip; Yat Sing (Villain); Tania (Villain)

Synopsis:

Captain Valor and Big Dip are led into a trap by a girl named Tania, and fall into the hands of Yat Sing, who prepares to execute them.

Reprinted:

• in Free Weekly Comic Magazine (Archie, 1940 series) #[nn]

[The Diamond Cattle Smugglers] (Table of Contents)

Mr. Satan / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Ed Ashe

Pencils:

Ed Ashe

Inks:

Ed Ashe

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

Superhero

Characters:

Mr. Satan (Dudley Bradshaw); Doris O'Day (rancher)

Synopsis:

Corn cobs are used to smugglle diamonds.

[The Daughter of the Mermen] (Table of Contents)

Zambini / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Joe Blair

Pencils:

Ed Wexler (signed)

Inks:

Ed Wexler (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

Occult; Superhero

Characters:

Zambini (magician); Magi (Villain; Intro)

Synopsis:

The mermen beneath the sea, have sent their great wizard, Magi, to America, to bring back a young girl who is their last descendant on earth.