Action Comics #79

(December 1944)

Editorial Advisory Board (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

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

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

Batman; The Boy Commandos; Superman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.67 page (report information)

The Golden Fleece! (Table of Contents: 3)

Superman / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Don C. Cameron (signed as Jerry Siegel)

Pencils

Ira Yarbrough (signed as Joe Shuster)

Inks

George Roussos (signed as Joe Shuster)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; Perry White; J. Wilbur Wolfingham

Synopsis

When Wilbur Wolfingham brings his crooked "rags to riches" scheme to Metropolis, Lois decides to reveal his antics and prove to him that "in the end, his schemes only hurt himself"!

Reprints

• in Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #5 ([May] 2007)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #4 ([July] 2017)

Indexer Notes

Credits from Siegel's records: Siegel and Shuster v. National Comics Publications, Inc. et al., case no. 1099 (Westchester Cty. Sup. Ct. 1947).

Capturing the Counterfeiters (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Adventures of "R. C." and Quickie; Royal Crown Cola / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Taming of the Tiger! (Table of Contents: 5)

Hayfoot Henry / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Thurston Harper

Inks

Thurston Harper

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Some crooks reform and some get pardons...

Genre

humor; detective-mystery

Characters

Hayfoot Henry

Indexer Notes

Art credits verified by Jerry Bails. Alvin Schwartz script credit removed by Craig Delich. The Who's Who states Schwartz only wrote this strip from 1946-48.

The text is written in rhyming couplets.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Wheaties / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Birds of Ill Omen! (Table of Contents: 7)

Vigilante [Western hero] / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

Joe Samachson

Pencils

Mort Meskin (signed as Mort Morton Jr.)

Inks

Mort Meskin (signed as Mort Morton Jr.)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The low wail of mournfully vibrating strings...

Genre

adventure; superhero; western-frontier

Characters

The Vigilante [Greg Sanders]; Stuff, the Chinatown Kid; The Fiddler (villain); Fiddler's gang [Sailor; Droop; Spike] (villains)

Synopsis

The Fiddler teaches birds to sing such songs as "Yankee Doodle Dandy". Rich patrons visit his shop to buy these singing marvels. The Fiddler attends their homes under the pretext of improving the bird's vocal education, but is, in reality, "casing the joint" for future robberies.

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

Chief Hot Foot / comic story / 0.67 page (report information)

Script

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Pencils

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Inks

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Heap good idea - This thing called scarecrow!

Genre

humor

Characters

Chief Hot Foot

Indexer Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

Superman's Secret Message (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

Supermen of America / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page (report information)

Capt. Tootsie and the Toy Cannon (Table of Contents: 10) (Expand) /

Captain Tootsie; Tootsie Roll / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

Kid Brother (Table of Contents: 11)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Joseph Greene (credited)

Letters

typeset

Genre

adventure

Indexer Notes

Second page on inside back cover.

High in the Andes! (Table of Contents: 12)

Congo Bill / comic story / 5.67 pages (report information)

Script

Whitney Ellsworth

Pencils

Ed Smalle

Inks

Ed Smalle

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The molds and casts of crime are many...

Genre

adventure; drama; jungle

Characters

Congo Bill; Drake; Trigger Garson; Blackie; Taltec

Synopsis

Bill is dispatched to investigate the disappearance of an archaeological expedition in Peru. He finds a gang of treasure hunters working to extract sacred Aztec gold.

Keywords

Andes Mountains; decoys; Peru

Indexer Notes

Aztecs are mistakenly located in Peru.

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

The Adventures of Superman; Hop Harrigan / advertisement / 0.33 page (report information)

Flying Models of Famous Fighter Planes (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

Wheaties / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

When Magic Fails! (Table of Contents: 15)

Zatara / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

William White

Inks

William White

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

You thought it could never happen...

Genre

adventure; fantasy-supernatural; superhero

Characters

Zatara [Giovanni "John" Zatara]; Peter Paunch

Synopsis

Noted confidence trickster Peter Paunch sells a gang of crooks on the notion he can nullify Zatara's magic. The seemingly impossible happens, and Zatara is knocked unconscious. He discovers Paunch's trick to be no more than a pair of earplugs.

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

Metro Publications / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 17) (Expand) /

Lighter Moments with Fresh Eveready Batteries / advertisement / 1 page (report information)