(May 1962)

Marvel, 1961 Series
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Volume
1
Price
0.12 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
monthly
On-sale Date
1962-02-01
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Atlas Magazines Inc.
Brand
MC
Editing
Stan Lee (editor)

Issue Notes

Distributed to newsstands in February 1962. This issue includes 10 pages of paid advertisements and is the first Marvel comic with a letters page.

Distribution date from Joseph Marek's Marvel Comics Group history website.
This issue has variants:
Parts of this issue are reprinted:

Living Statues!! (Table of Contents)

cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Steve Ditko
Inks
Steve Ditko
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek

Genre
science fiction
Characters
Mike Rugger
Reprints

Reward $9,985.50 for This Coin! (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Best Values Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Amazing Adult Fantasy Contents (Table of Contents: 2)

table of contents / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed as Stan Lee [early- to mid-career])
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek

Job Number
V-636
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The credits depict Stan Lee covering his face with typed pages and Steve Ditko with an inkpot for a head.

Melvin and the Martian! (Table of Contents: 3)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed as Stan Lee [early- to mid-career])
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Not many men bump into stray Martians accidentally but our friend Melvin did…to his everlasting regret!
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Melvin Burns
Synopsis
A gambling cheat encounters a Martian who offers to give him the secret of never losing if he helps the Martian locate a treasure. The crook accepts, and true to his word, the Martian puts the man under a machine that gives him the ability to know which horse will win the race and how the dice will roll. When he asks the Martian what treasure he is looking for, the Martian mocks him "Haven't you realized yet, brainless earthling? The treasure is you!" and deposits him into a Martian zoo exhibit.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Retold by Stan Lee, illustrated by Tom Palmer, as a Tales of the Watcher story in Marvel Super-Heroes (1967) issue #23.

How to 'Take Charge' of a Highly-Paid Job in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Commercial Trades Institute / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

I, the Gargoyle! (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed as Stan Lee [early- to mid-career])
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek

Job Number
V-632
First Line of Dialogue or Text
To some, he was the ugliest man alive!
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Alan Swan
Synopsis
A kind but ugly, and hence lonely, man pilots a digging machine on a one-way journey to the Earth's core where he discovers a civilization who "see with their hearts" and not their eyes in the dim light. They offer him acceptance and love.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Retold in Silver Surfer (Marvel, 1968 series) #7 (August 1969) as a Tales of the Watcher story by Stan Lee and Howard Purcell.

8mm Motion Picture Projector (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Honor House Prod. Corp. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Complete 4 Piece Matched Set of Luggage (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

Honor House Products Corp. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Something Fantastig? [sic] [Something Fantastic?] (Table of Contents: 8)

comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed as Stan Lee [early- to mid-career])
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek

Job Number
V-636
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Have you ever searched for something that was right under your nose?
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Stan Lee; Steve Ditko
Synopsis
Lee and Ditko are having a story conference stricken with writer's block when a man walks into their office and offers to discuss ideas with them. They tell him to scram and when he doesn't take the hint, Ditko boots him out the door. The man gets up in the hallway outside and dissolves into sparkles, resolving to return to the fifth dimension as no one seems to be interested in his tales. Meanwhile, as Lee and Ditko mourn the fact that nothing supernatural ever happens to them, they decide to knock off for lunch.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Unusually, this story has the same job number as the contents page. Voted best story in this issue by more than 300 votes, according to Amazing Fantasy (Marvel, 1962 series) #15 (August 1962).

Learn Radio-Television Electronics (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

National Radio Institute / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Plague! (Table of Contents: 10)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed as Stan Lee [early- to mid-career])
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek

Job Number
V-633
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Some tyrants hold the grim power of life and death in their grasping hands!
Genre
horror-suspense
Characters
Ramon Corbo
Synopsis
A dictator comes down with the plague and resolves to take everyone with him by starting a war with a nation he hates, the United States. He shoots down an American plane that crosses his border and requests permission to land. He thinks this will trigger a war, but a messenger gives him a message that causes his heart to fail and he dies. The message said the plane was bearing serum to cure the plague.
Reprints

I'll Give You the Keys to this Brand New Car… (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Mr. Ned Mason / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Look! Boys Wanted to Sell Grit (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

Grit Publishing Co. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

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

Amazing Adult Fantasy Fan Page / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
? (Amazing Adult Fantasy Fan Page logo)
Inks
? (Amazing Adult Fantasy Fan Page logo)
Colors
? (Amazing Adult Fantasy Fan Page logo); ? (background)
Letters
typeset

Reprints

Indexer Notes

A letter from "John Doe" supposedly an anonymous 16-year old from Texas asks if he broke the law by buying the book. This may be a planted letter by Lee to explain that Amazing Adult Fantasy is a title that can be read by all ages.

Letters from readers: Jeff Dullum, Helmut Walter, Sam Smith, 'John Doe', Reggie Capes, Tommy Joyce Jr., J.S.

Shop By Mail (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Living Statues! (Table of Contents: 15)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed as Stan Lee [early- to mid-career])
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek

Job Number
V-631
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Can an entire world turn to statues??
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Mike Rugger
Synopsis
A man pilots a faster than light rocket and when he returns to Earth he finds that everyone appears to be almost motionless as he is still moving faster than light.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

This story received the second most votes for best story in this issue, according to Amazing Fantasy (Marvel, 1962 series) #15 (August 1962).

Bike Bonanza of Big Buys (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

Honor House Prod. Corp. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Record Your Voice at Home (Table of Contents: 17) (Expand) /

Honor House Products Corp. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Boys! Men! My Secret New Dynaflex Method (Table of Contents: 18) (Expand) /

Mike Marvel System / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Start Your Own Business! (Table of Contents: 19) (Expand) /

Christy Trades School / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

He's Looking for People Who Like to Draw (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

Famous Artists Schools / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. Living Statues!!
  2. 1. Reward $9,985.50 for This Coin!
    Best Values Co.
  3. 2. Amazing Adult Fantasy Contents
  4. 3. Melvin and the Martian!
  5. 4. How to 'Take Charge' of a Highly-Paid Job in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
    Commercial Trades Institute
  6. 5. I, the Gargoyle!
  7. 6. 8mm Motion Picture Projector
    Honor House Prod. Corp.
  8. 7. Complete 4 Piece Matched Set of Luggage
    Honor House Products Corp.
  9. 8. Something Fantastig? [sic] [Something Fantastic?]
  10. 9. Learn Radio-Television Electronics
    National Radio Institute
  11. 10. The Plague!
  12. 11. I'll Give You the Keys to this Brand New Car…
    Mr. Ned Mason
  13. 12. Look! Boys Wanted to Sell Grit
    Grit Publishing Co.
  14. 13. [no title indexed]
    Amazing Adult Fantasy Fan Page
  15. 14. Shop By Mail
  16. 15. The Living Statues!
  17. 16. Bike Bonanza of Big Buys
    Honor House Prod. Corp.
  18. 17. Record Your Voice at Home
    Honor House Products Corp.
  19. 18. Boys! Men! My Secret New Dynaflex Method
    Mike Marvel System
  20. 19. Start Your Own Business!
    Christy Trades School
  21. 20. He's Looking for People Who Like to Draw
    Famous Artists Schools
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Jason Barkley
  • Bill Borre
  • David Bruce
  • Nick Caputo
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Merlin Haas
  • Ethan Hoddes
  • Mark Q
  • Per Sandell
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Douglas Sederberg
  • Jim Stangas
  • Jim Van Dore
  • Tom Zsolt