Showcase #65
(November-December 1966)

DC, 1956 Series
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Price
0.12 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
bi-monthly
On-sale Date
1966-09-22
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
National Periodical Publications Inc.
Brand
Superman DC National Comics
Editing
Jack Miller (editor)

Issue Notes

Third appearance of the Inferior Five.

On-sale date from copyright registration.

Academy for Super-Heroes! (Table of Contents)

Inferior Five / cover / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Mike Sekowsky
Inks
Mike Esposito
Colors
?
Letters
Gaspar Saladino

Genre
satire-parody; superhero; humor
Characters
Inferior Five [Awkwardman; The Blimp; White Feather; Dumb Bunny; Merryman]; Egg's Men [The Ape; Icarus; Winter Wonderland]
Reprints

"Agony at the Academy or "A Scrap'll Floor the Teacher!" (Table of Contents: 1)

Inferior Five / comic story / 10.67 pages (report information)

Script
E. Nelson Bridwell (credited)
Pencils
Mike Sekowsky (credited)
Inks
Mike Esposito (credited)
Colors
?
Letters
Joe Letterese ?

Genre
satire-parody; superhero; humor
Characters
Inferior Five [Merryman; Dumb Bunny; The Blimp; Awkwardman; White Feather]; Dean Egghead; Egg's Men [The Ape (Harry McElhinney); Basilisk (Irish Autumns); Icarus (Melvin Murgatroyd XIV); Winter Wonderland (Billy Gander); Levitation Lass (Penelope Pink)]; Fraternity of Atavistic No-Goodnicks/FAN [Dr. Dinosaur; Frog Man; Angel Fish; Mr. Amoeba; Pterano Don Juan]
Synopsis
At Dean Egghead's Academy for Super-Heroes, the staff quits. The JLA, Metal Men, Doom Patrol, Metamorpho, and even Super-Hip turn him down, so the dean is reduced to hiring the Inferior Five as teachers. They bumble through lessons, getting zapped to stone, doused, iced, and otherwise damaged. But Dean Egghead has hope. A fan club is coming to visit. Except it's really the Fraternity of Atavistic No-Goodnicks (FAN) bent on destruction!
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The Egg's Men are parodies of the X-Men: Dean Egghead = Professor X; The Ape (Harry McElhinney) = The Beast (Hank McCoy); Basilisk (Irish Autumns) = Cyclops (Scott Summers); Icarus (Melvin Murgatroyd XIV) = Angel (Warren Worthington III); Winter Wonderland (Billy Gander) = Iceman (Bobby Drake); Levitation Lass (Penelope Pink) = Marvel Girl (Jean Grey). The Fraternity of Atavistic No-Goodnicks/FAN somewhat matches The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants: Frog Man = Toad; Mr. Amoeba might be the Blob.

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

Plastic Man / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Second Super-Smash Issue of the Ultimate Utmost in Comic Magazines -- (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Justice League of America / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

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

The Inferior Five Dead Letter Office / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Script
Jack Miller ?
Pencils
? (illustration)
Inks
? (illustration)
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Synopsis
Editorial Letters on the debut of the Inferior Five. Despite that "millions" wanted this issue to feature Batman teamed with Fox & Crow, here's the I5 again. Includes letters like, "The Inferior Five will definitely go down in history - and the sooner the better!" from Charmaine Missleto from Wake Island. Includes praise from Joe Orlando, Mike Esposito, and Nelson Bridwell (the creators). And an actual letter from Bill Smith of Bangor, ME.

Indexer Notes

Letters of comment from readers.

Part II: "Two Brains Are Better Than One!" (Table of Contents: 5)

Inferior Five / comic story / 6.67 pages (report information)

Script
E. Nelson Bridwell
Pencils
Mike Sekowsky
Inks
Mike Esposito
Colors
?
Letters
Joe Letterese ?

Genre
satire-parody; superhero; humor
Synopsis
Dr. Dinosaur boasts two brains (one in his tail), so plans to destroy the Egg's Men. And the I5? "Them, too." The I5 aren't having much luck with the "high-spirited students", so go on a field trip to demonstrate super power use, destroying property willy-nilly, if accidentally. Arriving back at school, they're ambushed by the FAN! "Attack, Nogoodniks!""
Reprints

For the Most in Thrills... Go- Go- Go- (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Teen Titans; Metamorpho / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Lost -- A Free Education! (Table of Contents: 7)

Binky / public service announcement / 1 page (report information)

Script
Jack Schiff
Pencils
Bob Oksner
Inks
Bob Oksner
Colors
?
Letters
Ira Schnapp

Genre
advocacy; teen
Characters
Tim; Binky; unnamed former student
Synopsis
Binky chides Tim for skipping school, and a grocery boy warns him he needs an education. "Go back to school!"

Indexer Notes

Anti-dropout message.

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

Direct Currents / in-house column / 0.5 page (report information)

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

Cap's Hobby Hints / activity / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks
Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

Job Number
6450
First Line of Dialogue or Text
I'm making some stone fences...
Genre
non-fiction
Synopsis
Wood slathered with plaster and sprinkled with pebbles makes a "real stone fence."
Keywords
hobby

Indexer Notes

Idea from Leonard Botting, Hanover, Ontario.

Part III: "Some Throwbacks Should Be Thrown Back!" or "But Some Shouldn't!" (Table of Contents: 10)

Inferior Five / comic story / 5.67 pages (report information)

Script
E. Nelson Bridwell
Pencils
Mike Sekowsky
Inks
Mike Esposito
Colors
?
Letters
Joe Letterese ?

Genre
satire-parody; superhero; humor
Characters
Freedom Brigade [The Patriot; Lady Liberty; Capt. Swift; The Bowman; Princess Power; Mr. Might; The Mermaid]
Synopsis
Awkwardman crashes into the pool - and meets Angel Fish, a mermaid! The I5 pound on FAN with vacuum cleaners, barrage arrows, and a swift kick in the pants for Dr. Dinosaur. The Egg's Men help, and the FAN is rounded up. The I5 are "not quite up to teaching school", so call in their parents, the retired Freedom Brigade! They'll train the "super-heroes of tomorrow", who lament "the picnic is over". And Awkwardman pines for Angel Fish.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The Freedom Brigade = more or less other DC heroes. The Patriot = Uncle Sam. Capt. Swift = The Flash. The Bowman = Green Arrow. Princess Power = Wonder Woman. Mr. Might = Superman. The Mermaid and Lady Liberty have no direct equivalents.

Feature continued in The Inferior Five (DC, 1967 series).

Holy Partnership! (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

The Adventure of Jerry Lewis / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

New Man Joins Platoon! (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

The Adventures of Andy and George; G.I. Joe / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

Build These 4 Great New Aurora Hobby Kits! (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

Aurora Products / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. Academy for Super-Heroes!
    Inferior Five
  2. 1. "Agony at the Academy or "A Scrap'll Floor the Teacher!"
    Inferior Five
  3. 2. ["He's not: as strong as Superman..."]
    Plastic Man
  4. 3. Second Super-Smash Issue of the Ultimate Utmost in Comic Magazines --
    Justice League of America
  5. 4. [no title indexed]
    The Inferior Five Dead Letter Office
  6. 5. Part II: "Two Brains Are Better Than One!"
    Inferior Five
  7. 6. For the Most in Thrills... Go- Go- Go-
    Teen Titans; Metamorpho
  8. 7. Lost -- A Free Education!
    Binky
  9. 8. [no title indexed]
    Direct Currents
  10. 9. ["I'm making some stone fences..."]
    Cap's Hobby Hints
  11. 10. Part III: "Some Throwbacks Should Be Thrown Back!" or "But Some Shouldn't!"
    Inferior Five
  12. 11. Holy Partnership!
    The Adventure of Jerry Lewis
  13. 12. New Man Joins Platoon!
    The Adventures of Andy and George; G.I. Joe
  14. 13. Build These 4 Great New Aurora Hobby Kits!
    Aurora Products
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Dwayne Best
  • Nick Caputo
  • Clayton Emery
  • Merlin Haas
  • Donald Dale Milne
  • Allen Ross
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Jim Stangas
  • Jim Van Dore