Showcase #73

(March-April 1968)

The Coming of the Creeper!! (Table of Contents: 1)

The Creeper / comic story / 22 pages (report information)

Script

Steve Ditko (credited) (plot); Don Segall (credited) (dialogue)

Pencils

Steve Ditko (credited)

Inks

Steve Ditko (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

Charlotte Jetter (uncredited)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The world has more than its share of troublemakers, tormentors, and terrorists! And perhaps not quite enough forces of courage, strength, and justice to combat them.

Feature Logo

The Creeper

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Creeper (origin) (introduction); Professor Yatz (death); gangsters; Communist agents; Dr. Clayton Wetley; TV Station Manager; Bill Brane (Chief of Network Security); Major Smej; costume shop owner; Angel Devilin; policemen; Mr. Pell (sponsor)

Synopsis

Professor Yatz is kidnapped by "Reds". Jack Ryder, mouthy TV host, is fired, then hired as a security investigator. He buys odds and ends for a bizarre costume for mob boss Angel Devilin’s society ball. He's stabbed and enters Yatz’s cell, locking the door behind him. Yatz hides his inventions: a molecular transmitter goes in the wound, and a healing serum in his veins. But Yatz is shot dead. The new "Creeper" goes wild on the villains - and accidentally, cops - laughing like a maniac to scare them. He exposes Devilin, then learns the moleculizer has healed inside. The Creeper will be back.

Reprints

• in Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #443 (October-November 1974)
• in Kamandi (Arédit-Artima, 1975 series) #5 (3ème trimestre 1976) [N&B et recadré [B&W and reframed]]
• in The Creeper by Steve Ditko (DC, 2010 series) ([May] 2010)

Keywords

communists; costume party; first appearance of recurring character(s); gangsters; hero origin; TV journalism; undercover mission

Indexer Notes

Story across 23 pages, but pages 12 and 23 are 1/2-pages. Story continues in Beware the Creeper #1.
Writing and art credits taken from text article.

Subtle Touch: Much of this story takes place at a costume party at the home of underworld gang boss "Angel Devlin". His costume at the party is a mask and suit that "split him down the middle" as an "angel" and a "devil" (evoking Batman's Two Face) nicely playing on the name "Angel Devlin".

A Strange Tale Told by the Creeper (Table of Contents: 2)

comic story / 0.67 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Morris Waldinger (uncredited)

Inks

Morris Waldinger (uncredited)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

It was late October when John Greenley returned from abroad to his old home in Sussex, England, several decades ago.

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

John Greenley

Synopsis

In Old England, a man sees his ancestor's portrait sometimes varies from holding a wine glass to a dagger, foretelling death in the household.

Reprints

• from House of Mystery (DC, 1951 series) #25 (April 1954) [retitled and modified]

Keywords

dagger; deleted or edited scenes; England; foretelling of death; mystery; painting; portrait; title or logo modification; wine glass

Indexer Notes

This version has been heavily edited. Panels 3 and 5 of the original version have been omitted. This story appears between pages 4 and 5 of the main story.

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Table of Contents: 3)

statement of ownership / 0.33 page (report information)

Script

Irwin Donenfeld (business manager)

Letters

typeset

Keywords

government reporting; regulations

Indexer Notes

Statement of Ownership for October 1st, 1967. Paid circulation: 188,000 (average); 195,000 (nearest). Lower third of page.

You Too Can Play the "Game" (Table of Contents: 4)

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

Pencils

Curt Swan (uncredited)

Inks

George Klein (uncredited)

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino ? (uncredited)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Starting Jan 9th at your newsdealer

Genre

superhero

Characters

Supergirl [Kara Zor-El]; Superman [Clark Kent / Kal-El]

Synopsis

Op Art ad for Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #360 (March-April 1968), an 80-Page Giant featuring Supergirl.

Keywords

comic book house ads

Order by Mail Specials (Table of Contents: 5)

Dollar Bargains Novelty Items / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Editing

?

Keywords

mail order marketing; novelty items

Indexer Notes

Ad for various novelty items from Dollar Bargains. Between pages 12 and 13 of previous story. Lower half of page.

Meet the Men Behind the Creeper (Table of Contents: 6)

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

Murray Boltinoff ? (uncredited)

Letters

Gaspar Saladino (uncredited); typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Two men of vast and varied experience combine their best efforts to bring you The Creeper.

Genre

non-fiction

Synopsis

Bios of Steve Ditko and Don Segall, although Ditko refrained from providing personal information, explaining: "I never talk about myself. My work is me. I do my best, and if I like it, I hope somebody else likes it too." The editor also requests letters for future publication. The piece is uncredited but from the editor’s note is most certainly written by Boltinoff.

Keywords

background information; editorial feature

Indexer Notes

Between pages 12 and 13 of previous story.

Returning to the Savage Battle Skies of 1918 -- The Hammer of Hell -- Enemy Ace (Table of Contents: 7)

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

Script

? (promo copy)

Pencils

Joe Kubert (uncredited)

Inks

Joe Kubert (uncredited)

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino (uncredited)

Genre

war

Characters

Enemy Ace [Hans von Hammer]

Synopsis

House ad for the Enemy Ace.

Keywords

comic book house ads

Indexer Notes

Between pages 12 and 13 of previous story.

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

Direct Currents / in-house column / 1 page (report information)

Script

E. Nelson Bridwell (uncredited)

Pencils

Irv Novick (cover reproduction, uncredited); Mike Sekowsky (cover reproduction, uncredited)

Inks

Irv Novick ? (cover reproduction, uncredited); Jack Abel (cover reproduction, uncredited)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Meet the new Barry (Flash) Allen, as he trumpets to the world news of his sheer genius and unequaled brilliance!

Feature Logo

Direct Currents

Keywords

issue previews

Indexer Notes

In-house promotional feature highlighting the DC comic books on sale January 16 thru January 30, 1968.
January 16: The Spectre #3.
January 18: The Flash #177.
January 25: Justice League of America #61, World's Finest #174.
January 30: Detective Comics #373, Strange Adventures #210, Adventure Comics #366.

The covers of Justice League of America #61 and Detective Comics #373 are reproduced.
Between pages 15 and 16 of previous story.

Steve Ditko... Like Lightning -- Strikes Again! The Hawk and the Dove (Table of Contents: 9)

The Hawk and the Dove / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

? (promo copy)

Colors

?

Letters

Gaspar Saladino ? (uncredited)

Genre

superhero

Synopsis

Ad for Ditko's upcoming The Hawk and the Dove (DC, 1968 series).

Keywords

comic book house ads

100 pc. Toy Soldiers Set $1.25 (Table of Contents: 10)

100 Toy Soldiers / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Editing

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Made of durable plastic, each with its own base.

Feature Logo

100 Pc. Toy Soldier Set

Keywords

mail order marketing; toy soldiers; toys

Indexer Notes

Lucky Products ad for 100 plastic toy soldiers, packed in a footlocker-styled storage box. On final interior page of the comic.