Action Comics #81

(February 1945)

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) /

Buzzy / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.67 page (report information)

Fairyland Isle! (Table of Contents: 3)

Superman / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

? [as Jerry Siegel] (signed)

Pencils

Ira Yarbrough (signed as Joe Shuster)

Inks

Ira Yarbrough (signed as Joe Shuster)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Where ther'es a will - - there are relatives and heirs!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; Jimmy Olsen (un-named); John Nicholas; Jason; Ted; Ned; Fancy Dan

Synopsis

John Nicholas' dream of building "Fairyland Isle", whose admission is absolutely free to poor kids, seems not to be ready for the Christmas season opening until Santa 'Superman' Claus steps in to make it a reality. Open it does, but the dis-inherited heirs of the man who provided their playland provide their share of sabotage.

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #2 ([December 15] 1944 ([February 1945])) [Story re-written with simplified text.]
• in Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #5 ([May] 2007)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #4 ([July] 2017)

Keywords

Christmas; holidays

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

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

The Man Who Stole Time! (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

Though folks in Sleepyside all speak in rhyme...

Genre

humor; detective-mystery

Characters

Hayfoot Henry

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #2 ([December 15] 1944 ([February 1945])) [Story re-written with simplified text.]

Indexer Notes

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

The text is written in rhyming couplets.

Race with Death! (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

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

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

Wheaties / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Nemesis of the Northland! (Table of Contents: 8)

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

Script

Whitney Ellsworth

Pencils

John Daly

Inks

John Daly

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Crime is no respecter of longitudes and latitudes...

Genre

adventure; drama; jungle

Characters

Congo Bill; Big Dutch; MacGregor

Synopsis

Bill pursues a diamond thief into wilderness country.

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #2 ([December 15] 1944 ([February 1945])) [Story re-written with simplified text.]

Keywords

Canada; diamonds; dogs; dogsleds; furs; Hudson Bay; MacGregor Trading Post; sables; snow; snowshoes; Toronto; whips

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

statement of ownership / 0.33 page (report information)

Script

?

Letters

typeset

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 10) (Expand) /

Volto from Mars; Grape-Nuts Flakes / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Ticket to Death (Table of Contents: 11)

text story / 1.67 pages (report information)

Script

Whitney Ellsworth (credited as Fred Whitby)

Letters

typeset

Genre

adventure

Indexer Notes

Second page on inside back cover.

The Chinatown Kid, Magician! (Table of Contents: 12)

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

Stuff, pal of The Vigilante. rolls up his sleeves...

Genre

adventure; superhero; western-frontier

Characters

The Vigilante [Greg Sanders]; Stuff, the Chinatown Kid; Mingo (crook); Forrester; Archie (crook)

Synopsis

Stuff is learning magic tricks. Greg takes him to the Hall of the Future, to see future 'magic' tricks such as photoelectric cells and prefabricated houses. When Mingo and his men try to steal artifacts, Vigilante and Stuff pursue them, and are captured. Stuff distracts the goon guarding them with magic tricks while Vigilante escapes his bonds.

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #2 ([December 15] 1944 ([February 1945])) [Story re-written with simplified text.]

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

Wheaties / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Sea-Going Sparklers! (Table of Contents: 14)

Zatara / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

William White ?

Inks

William White ?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Many times Zatara's run against the clever ruses of a crook!

Genre

adventure; fantasy-supernatural; superhero

Characters

Zatara [Giovanni "John" Zatara]; "Stone" Stanner (crook); Hammer (crook); Miguel

Synopsis

Zatara is called in to help uncover illegal diamonds being smuggled in from Brazil. He fails to find any evidence on a newly-docked ship, so he travels to Rio to check the situation at its source. While there he uncovers the scam set up by "Stone" Stanner and brings him to justice.

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #2 ([December 15] 1944 ([February 1945])) [Story re-written with simplified text.]

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

The Weather Man / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Not to Be Repeated! (Table of Contents: 16)

public service announcement / 0.33 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

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

Daisy Air Rifles / advertisement / 1 page (report information)