Zip Comics #16

(July 1941)

[The Return of the Puppet Master] (Table of Contents: 1)

Steel Sterling / comic story / 14 pages (report information)

Script

Joe Blair (signed)

Pencils

Irv Novick

Inks

Irv Novick

Colors

?

Letters

?

Characters

Steel Sterling [John Sterling]; Clancy McGinty (Police); Dora Cummings; The Puppet Master [Gargulio] (villain)

Synopsis

The Puppet Master has escaped from prison and sets his plan of living puppets into operation.

Indexer Notes

Steinar Ådland and Keith Chandler agree that this is Irv Novick. Original indexer credited Charles Biro.

[The Sack of the Giant] (Table of Contents: 2)

Dicky in the Magic Forest / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Louis Golden [as L. Golden] (signed)

Pencils

Louis Golden [as L. Golden] (signed)

Inks

Louis Golden [as L. Golden] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

fantasy-supernatural

Characters

Dicky Farenwell; Farenwell (Dicky's father); A giant (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

A giant has entered Panora and collects human beings to eat.

[The Bar-X Ranch War] (Table of Contents: 3)

Nevada Jones, Quick-Trigger Man / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Frank Volp

Inks

Frank Volp

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

western-frontier

Characters

Nevada Jones; Little Joe (sidekick); Hank Mills (villain, introduction, death); Tony (villain, introduction, death); Charlie (villain, introduction, death); several others (villains, introduction)

Synopsis

A crooked rancher is fencing off water in public domain.

Indexer Notes

Faces and very realistic horses identical to Volp's credited Loop Logan story in Blue Ribbon Comics #13, but the inking here seems a bit hastier than in the previous stories.

[The Devil-Devil Doctor] (Table of Contents: 4)

Red Reagan / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Joe Blair (signed)

Pencils

Sam Cooper [as Cooper] (signed)

Inks

Sam Cooper [as Cooper] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Red Reagan (Police Detective); Bertie Randolph (assistent); The Devil-Devil Doctor [Bob Rixon] (villain, introduction); Thaddeus Rixon (introduction, death); Dr. Schwartz (introduction); Al Faltz (introduction); Bob Rixon (introduction); Hugo Rixon (introduction) Bernard Rixon (introduction); Pamela Rixon

Synopsis

Old Rixon is murdered in his bed by a hooded figure before he could change his last will.

[Swen Olson's Maiden Flight] (Table of Contents: 5)

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

Script

Joe Blair

Pencils

Ed Smalle (signed)

Inks

Ed Smalle (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

aviation; war

Characters

Tim Shane (pilot); Tom Shane (pilot); Swen Olsen (gunner); The Nazis (villains); Gen. Vosh (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

Swen Olsen is ready for action as a gunner in R.A.F.

Indexer Notes

Swen is called a big crazy Swede at the end panel, but he was a Norwegian agent in the previous episode.

[Valor On the Slave Block] (Table of Contents: 6)

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

Script

Joe Blair ?

Pencils

Mort Meskin [as Meskin] (signed)

Inks

Mort Meskin [as Meskin] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure; war

Characters

Captain Valor; Angie; Ronnie; Dallas; Big Dip; Ab-Ah-Ner (villain); company (guest-star); Marty Martin

Synopsis

Captain Valor and his friends have taken command of the village of the Chinese lord, but he gets in contact with Mongol horsemen who attack the village to help him.

Indexer Notes

There is no writer credit.

[The Framing of a Photographer] (Table of Contents: 7)

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

Script

Harry Shorten ?

Pencils

Carl Hubbell [as HUB] (signed)

Inks

Carl Hubbell [as HUB] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Scarlet Avenger [Jim Kendall]; Inez Courtney [Operative No.1]; Joe Adams (introduction); Joe Devlin (introduction, death); Hal Ates (villain, introduction); Mayor Sikes (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

A news photographer is framed for killing a friend.

Indexer Notes

There is no writer credit.

[Scrambling the Gambling Joint] (Table of Contents: 8)

Zambini the Miracle Man / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Joe Blair

Pencils

Paul Reinman

Inks

Paul Reinman

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Happy (villain, introduction); his gang (villain, introduction); Stacey (introduction)

Synopsis

Zambini visits a crooked gambling house.

Indexer Notes

Originally credited to Streeter, but the wedge shaped heads with narrow, pointed ears are like Reinman's signed Scarlet Avenger story in #17.