Showcase #36
(January-February 1962)

DC, 1956 Series
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Price
0.12 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
Bi-Monthly
On-sale Date
1961-11-30
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
National Periodical Publications Inc.
Brand
Superman DC National Comics
Editing
Julius Schwartz (editor)

Issue Notes

3rd Silver Age Atom.

On-sale date from copyright registration.

Prisoner in a Test Tube! (Table of Contents)

The Atom / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Gil Kane
Inks
Murphy Anderson
Colors
?
Letters
Ira Schnapp

Genre
superhero
Characters
Atom [Ray Palmer]
Reprints
Keywords
forceps; test tube

Treasure Chest of Fun (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Honor House Products / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Prisoner in a Test Tube! (Table of Contents: 2)

The Atom / comic story / 11.33 pages (report information)

Script
Gardner Fox (credited)
Pencils
Gil Kane (credited)
Inks
Murphy Anderson (credited)
Colors
?
Letters
Gaspar Saladino

First Line of Dialogue or Text
When Professor Anton Kraft came to the United States to help build a strange new weapon for the...
Genre
superhero
Characters
Atom [Ray Palmer]; unnamed secret agent; Professor Anton Kraft; Professor Loring; Jean Loring; enemy agents; FBI and CIA agents
Synopsis
A master spy assumes the identity of a scientist to get close to Professor Loring, who builds "super weapons". Jean checks his fingerprints and finds a fraud. Ray Palmer offers to contact "our friend, The Atom." The Atom telephone-ports to Budapest and finds the real Professor Kraft. Escaping a test tube and flypaper, he jump-punches and weight-changes the spies into submission.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

A Cold War story. Pages 8 and 12 are only 0.67 story (0.33 house ads).

For the Very Best in Comics Reading (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

The Flash; Green Lantern / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

A Mesa and a Butte?... (Table of Contents: 4)

What's the Difference Between / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
non-fiction; math & science
Synopsis
Educational info, mesas vs. buttes.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

On the page immediately following page 8 of the previous story sequence.

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

Jaro Stamps; Maxim Stamps / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Watch for the Fourth Superman Annual! (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

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

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

Adam Strange / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

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

Inside the Atom / letters page / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Julius Schwartz
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Dear Editor: In eight years of comic book reading, I've never seen anything like the first Showcase issue of The Atom.
Synopsis
Letters on the first Showcase appearance of The Atom from Harold L. Nussdorf, Richard C. West, Woodrow Harano, John H. Fahey, Frederick Norwood, Mike Price, Shern Gilbe, Paul Seydor, Jerry Bails, Steve Umstead. The Editor notes, "don't pay any attention to the coincidence... with Ray Palmer, former editor of Amazing Stories [who] happens to be of short stature."

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

Strange Realm of the Atom / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
If the entire atomic energy in a single kernel of corn...
Genre
non-fiction; math & science
Synopsis
Educational info about atomic energy and atoms.
Reprints

The "Disappearing Act" Robberies! (Table of Contents: 10)

The Atom / comic story / 12.67 pages (report information)

Script
Gardner Fox (credited)
Pencils
Gil Kane (credited)
Inks
Murphy Anderson (credited)
Colors
?
Letters
Gaspar Saladino ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Some mysterious force propelling me upward!
Genre
superhero
Characters
Atom [Ray Palmer]; Jean Loring; Alma Wilson Barnes; Jim Barnes; Greg Phillips (villain); Mayor Andrews; Jason Saunders (flashback)
Synopsis
Ray once again proposes to Jean, but she's distracted by "invisible robberies" of jewelry all over town. The Atom attends a chess match with a platinum chess set and hides in a rook. The entire set is whisked up and away "invisibly". Greg Philips, feature writer for the Ivytown Herald, has gained "mind over matter" with pills invented by a deceased scientist. The Atom escapes a poison-fumed box, telephones to the crime in progress, and scotches Philips. But Jean still won't marry him!
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Series continues in Atom (DC, 1962 series) #1.

For the Very Best in Comics Reading (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Strange Adventures; Justice League of America / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Another Giant Batman Collection! (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

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

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

Best Values Coins and Currency / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

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

100 Toy Soldiers / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

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

Jowett Institute of Physical Training / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

Daisy Air Rifles / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. Prisoner in a Test Tube!
    The Atom
  2. 1. Treasure Chest of Fun
    Honor House Products
  3. 2. Prisoner in a Test Tube!
    The Atom
  4. 3. For the Very Best in Comics Reading
    The Flash; Green Lantern
  5. 4. A Mesa and a Butte?...
    What's the Difference Between
  6. 5. [no title indexed]
    Jaro Stamps; Maxim Stamps
  7. 6. Watch for the Fourth Superman Annual!
    Superman
  8. 7. ["Roam the black gulfs of interplanetary space..."]
    Adam Strange
  9. 8. ["Dear Editor: In eight years of comic book reading, I've never seen anything like the first Showcase issue of The Atom."]
    Inside the Atom
  10. 9. ["If the entire atomic energy in a single kernel of corn..."]
    Strange Realm of the Atom
  11. 10. The "Disappearing Act" Robberies!
    The Atom
  12. 11. For the Very Best in Comics Reading
    Strange Adventures; Justice League of America
  13. 12. Another Giant Batman Collection!
    Batman
  14. 13. [no title indexed]
    Best Values Coins and Currency
  15. 14. [no title indexed]
    100 Toy Soldiers
  16. 15. [no title indexed]
    Jowett Institute of Physical Training
  17. 16. [no title indexed]
    Daisy Air Rifles
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Chris Boyko
  • Nick Caputo
  • Clayton Emery
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Del Gruber
  • Merlin Haas
  • Matthew Head
  • Donald Dale Milne
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Daniel Thingvold
  • Jim Van Dore