(December 1938)
DC,
1938 Series
- Price
- 0.10 USD
- Pages
- 68
- Indicia Frequency
- monthly
- On-sale Date
- 1938-10-25
- Indicia / Colophon Publisher
- Detective Comics Inc.
- Editing
- Vin Sullivan (editor)
Issue Notes
The on-sale date is the publication date reported in the U. S. Copyright Office filing.
[no title indexed]
Superman / cover / 1 page
- Genre
- superhero
- Characters
- Superman [Clark Kent]
- Reprints
-
in Superman Comics [ashcan] (DC, 1939 series) #[nn] (1939) - in The Golden Age of Comic Books (Random House, 1977 series) (April 1977)
- in Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties (Crown Publishers, 1983 series) (1983)
- in Superman in Action Comics (Abbeville Press, 1993 series) #1 (1993)
- in Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #1 (1997 [February 1998]), #1 (1997 [February 1998]) [back cover; 1/4 page]
-
in Clásicos DC (NORMA Editorial, 2004 series) #6 - Los Archivos de Superman en Action Comics Volumen 1 (Marzo 2005) - in The Superman Chronicles (DC, 2006 series) #1 ([April] 2006)
- in Action! Mystery! Thrills! Comic Book Covers of the Golden Age: 1933-45 (Fantagraphics, 2011 series) (December 2011)
- in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #1 ([August] 2013)
- in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #1 ([May] 2016)
-
You're Missing Somethin'
Detective Comics; Adventure Comics; More Fun Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page
Indexer Notes
Inside front cover.
[Superman Joins the Circus]
Superman / comic story / 13 pages
- Script
- Jerry Siegel (credited as Jerome Siegel)
- Pencils
- Wayne Boring (ghosted for Joe Shuster)
- Inks
- Wayne Boring (ghosted for Joe Shuster); Joe Shuster (credited)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- Paul Lauretta
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Friend of the helpless and oppressed is Superman...
- Genre
- superhero
- Characters
- Superman [Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; Curly; George Taylor (editor, unnamed); Jordan; Derek Niles (villain); Trigger
- Synopsis
- The Jordan Circus is having a rough go of it and the promissory notes are coming due, so Superman decides to join the circus to help it pay off those notes and get it back into the black.
- Reprints
- in Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #1 (1997 [February 1998])
- in Clásicos DC (NORMA Editorial, 2004 series) #6 - Los Archivos de Superman en Action Comics Volumen 1 (Marzo 2005)
- in The Superman Chronicles (DC, 2006 series) #1 ([April] 2006)
- in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #1 ([August] 2013)
- in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #1 ([May] 2016)
-
Indexer Notes
Wears yellow boots, "S" symbol is all yellow; synopsis added by Craig Delich.
This looks like Boring throughout with partial inks by Shuster himself.
Paul Lauretta was previously suggested as partial inker, but by comparison with a signed story in Marvel Mystery #3 there is no similarity.
[no title indexed]
"Chuck" Dawson / comic story / 6 pages
- Script
- ?
- Pencils
- Homer Fleming (signed as
H. FLEMING [currved H]) - Inks
- Homer Fleming (signed as H. FLEMING [currved H])
- Letters
- ?
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Chuck learns that the 4-G-Gunmen...
- Genre
- adventure; western-frontier
- Characters
- Chuck Dawson; Virginia; Zebe
- Synopsis
- Chuck learns that the 4-G-Gunmen are planning to attack a small ranch, and he is determined to warn them.
Indexer Notes
The strip is in black, white and red.
[The County Football Championship]
Pep Morgan / comic story / 4 pages
- Script
- Gardner Fox
- Pencils
- Fred Guardineer (credited as Gene Baxter)
- Inks
- Fred Guardineer (credited as Gene Baxter)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- ?
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- With Pep Morgan at quarterback...
- Genre
- adventure; sports
- Characters
- Pep Morgan; his coach
- Synopsis
- Pep is kidnapped in order for his team to play without him, and so win big money for a crooked gambler. He overpowers his captors, appears on the field with only a minute to go, scores the final touchdown and kick, and gives his team a 14-10 victory.
Indexer Notes
Writer credit added by Craig Delich.
[no title indexed]
Sport-Data / cartoon / 1 page
- Script
- George Papp (signed as GEP)
- Pencils
- George Papp (signed as GEP)
- Inks
- George Papp (signed as GEP)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- ?
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- He must be crazy throwin' the ball away...
- Genre
- non-fiction; sports
- Characters
- Babe Ruth; Red Grange
Indexer Notes
Writer credit added by Craig Delich.
[no title indexed]
Coyote Canyon Bill / comic story / 0.67 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Hey Zeke! Zeke! Someone's tearing down your house - Zeke!
- Genre
- humor; western-frontier
- Characters
- Bill
Indexer Notes
Writer credit added by Craig Delich.
[no title indexed]
The Adventures of Marco Polo / comic story / 4 pages
- Script
- ?
- Pencils
- Sven Elven (credited)
- Inks
- Sven Elven (credited)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- Sven Elven
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Marco Polo rescues a beautiful girl...
- Genre
- adventure; historical
- Characters
- Marco Polo; his father; The Chief
- Synopsis
- Marco rescues a girl from bandits who are opposed to her father. He disguises himself as one of them and tides to the girl's castle for reinforcements.
Indexer Notes
Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.
[no title indexed]
The Diddle Family / comic story / 2 pages
- Script
- Paul Gustavson (signed as P. Gustavson)
- Pencils
- Paul Gustavson (signed as P. Gustavson)
- Inks
- Paul Gustavson (signed as P. Gustavson)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- Paul Gustavson
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- All right - I'll be ready at eight-thirty!
- Genre
- humor; domestic
- Characters
- The Diddle Family [Jimmy; Grandpa; Sis]; George
- Synopsis
- Sis arranges a date after promising to take Jimmy and Grandpa for a ride. While Jimmy stalls, Grandpa paints the rear window of George's roadster black. He and Jimmy then get into the trunk for their promised trip.
Indexer Notes
Script credit added by Craig Delich. Letterer credit courtesy of Terry Gustafson, son of Paul Gustavson.
Jungle Episode
text story / 1.56 pages
- Script
- Richard Martin (credited)
- Pencils
- ? (illustrations)
- Inks
- ? (illustrations)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- typeset
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Early that morning Dick and Ted left the small outpost, in the deep Congo jungle, for the...
- Genre
- jungle
- Characters
- Dick; Ted; a group of Kantu tribesmen
[no title indexed]
advertisement / 0.11 page
Indexer Notes
Two small ads on the first page of the text story.
Double Trouble [Part 2]
Tex Thomson / comic story / 10 pages
- Script
- Ken Fitch ?
- Pencils
- Bernard Baily (credited, signed)
- Inks
- Bernard Baily (credited, signed)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- Bernard Baily
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- While flying over the Trysolian Mountains...
- Genre
- adventure; aviation; detective-mystery
- Characters
- Tex Thomson; Captain Diablo; Bob Daley
- Synopsis
- Tex's plane is forced down by that of Captain Diablo, who is an exact double for Tex. Escaping in Diablo's plane, Tex flies to Governmental Headquarters, but is arrested as Diablo. In order to capture Diablo and dispel any suspicion on himself (fingerprints don't lie), Tex joins the government forces.
Indexer Notes
Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.
[The Walking Pawnshop]
Now You Know / cartoon / 1 page
- Script
- ?
- Pencils
- Sheldon Moldoff (signed)
- Inks
- Sheldon Moldoff (signed)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- ?
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Dogs usually develop a mania for indigestible objects.
- Genre
- non-fiction
- Characters
- Albert Orwin; Robert Collins Hoffman
Indexer Notes
Six unrelated fact panels.
[Colony Honored by Finns]
World of Stamps / text article / 1 page
- Genre
- non-fiction
Indexer Notes
Sequence added with information from Barry Sandoval.
Page includes several small ads for stamps dealers.
[The Five Point Bank Holdup]
Scoop Scanlon / comic story / 6 pages
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Boy! Look at this guy come!
- Genre
- adventure; detective-mystery
- Characters
- Scoop Scanlon; Rusty
- Synopsis
- A speeding car passes Scoop and Rusty, and a short way along the road they find a dead man riddled with bullets.
The Zulu Diamond Mine
Zatara / comic story / 12 pages
- Script
- Fred Guardineer ?
- Pencils
- Fred Guardineer (credited)
- Inks
- Fred Guardineer (credited)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- ?
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- We are fast approaching British South Africa where the most famous diamond mines are...
- Genre
- adventure; fantasy-supernatural; superhero
- Characters
- Zatara [Giovanni "John" Zatara]; Tong; The Tigress (villain); Harold Foames (villain); Bill Coxe; Father Dingaan the Mighty
- Synopsis
- Zatara and Tong are in South Africa, and magically assist the police in unravelling a case of diamond smuggling, discovering that his old arch enemy The Tigress is behind the scheme.
[no title indexed]
WesThrills! / cartoon / 0.67 page
- Script
- ?
- Pencils
- Terry Gilkison (credited as Gill Kesson)
- Inks
- Terry Gilkison (credited as Gill Kesson)
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- ?
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- Young 'Buffalo Bill', who joined the Pony Express when he was only 14 years of age, made a record run...
- Genre
- non-fiction; western-frontier
- Characters
- Buffalo Bill; John Slaughter; Wild Bill Hickok
Indexer Notes
Some facts about western heroes.
[no title indexed]
promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page
- First Line of Dialogue or Text
- The following are the winners...
Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
-
0.
[no title indexed]
Superman -
1.
You're Missing Somethin'
Detective Comics; Adventure Comics; More Fun Comics -
2.
[Superman Joins the Circus]
Superman -
3.
["Chuck learns that the 4-G-Gunmen..."]
"Chuck" Dawson -
4.
[The County Football Championship]
Pep Morgan -
5.
["He must be crazy throwin' the ball away..."]
Sport-Data -
6.
["Hey Zeke! Zeke! Someone's tearing down your house - Zeke!"]
Coyote Canyon Bill -
7.
How to Be Funny
Siegel-Shuster School of Humor -
8.
Buddha Money Mystery
Reliable Sales Co. -
9.
Electric Unloading
Lionel Trains -
10.
["Marco Polo rescues a beautiful girl..."]
The Adventures of Marco Polo -
11.
["All right - I'll be ready at eight-thirty!"]
The Diddle Family -
12.
Jungle Episode
-
13.
[no title indexed]
-
14.
Bob Showed Them How Spies Work!
Chemcraft -
15.
Double Trouble [Part 2]
Tex Thomson -
16.
[The Walking Pawnshop]
Now You Know -
17.
[Colony Honored by Finns]
World of Stamps -
18.
[The Five Point Bank Holdup]
Scoop Scanlon -
19.
The Zulu Diamond Mine
Zatara -
20.
["Young 'Buffalo Bill', who joined the Pony Express when he was only 14 years of age, made a record run..."]
WesThrills! -
21.
["The following are the winners..."]
-
22.
Be a Movie King
Johnson Smith & Co. -
23.
[no title indexed]
Johnson Smith & Co.
This issue was modified by, among others
- Katie
- Keith Chandler
- Steve Dasinger
- Craig Delich
- Del Gruber
- Matthew Head
- Bob Hughes
- R. S. Martin
- Donald Dale Milne
- Mike Nielsen
- Allen Ross
- Jim Stangas
- Jim Van Dore
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