Action Comics #84

(May 1945)

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

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

You Don't Need a Telescope! (Table of Contents: 2) (Expand) /

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

Tommy Gets a Zero! (Table of Contents: 3)

Superman / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Joseph Greene (signed as Jerry Siegel)

Pencils

John Sikela (signed as Joe Shuster)

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Most public schools are fundamentally alike.

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; Tommy Allen; Miss Mentor; Lame Brain Looie; Dapper; Mr. Kimberley

Synopsis

Tommy's teacher assigns a Saturday essay for each class member, although Tommy believes his will be the most boring in class because nothing in his life ever happens that is exciting. That is, until he meets Superman!

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #6 ([April 18] 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)

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

Wheaties / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Sign That Wasn't There! (Table of Contents: 5)

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

Script

?

Pencils

Stan Kaye ?

Inks

Stan Kaye ?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Of the rhyming town and its rhyming cop...

Genre

humor; detective-mystery

Characters

Hayfoot Henry

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #6 ([April 18] 1945) [Story re-written with simplified text.]

Indexer Notes

Possible Alvin Schwartz script credit removed by Craig Delich. The Who's Who states that Schwartz only wrote the strip 1946-48. The Kaye art credits were also added by Craig Delich, as Kaye did do art for this strip in 1945.

The text is written in rhyming couplets.

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

Kellogg's Pep / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Jackals of the Jungle! (Table of Contents: 7)

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

Many and strange are nature's mysteries...

Genre

adventure; jungle

Characters

Congo Bill; Harper; Red Butch; Zukogie

Synopsis

Bill captures a gang stealing ambergris from a beach controlled by his friend Harper.

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #6 ([April 18] 1945) [Story re-written with simplified text.]

Keywords

ambergris; rhinoceroses

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

public service announcement / 0.33 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

No kidding, kids...

Genre

advocacy

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

Shorty / cartoon / 0.5 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

Hello Shorty!

Genre

humor

Indexer Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

Superman's Secret Message (Table of Contents: 10) (Expand) /

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

Dark Guilt (Table of Contents: 11)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Murray Boltinoff (credited as Blair Bolton)

Letters

typeset

Genre

adventure

Tree's a Crowd! (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

In the shade of the young maple tree...

Genre

adventure; superhero; western-frontier

Characters

The Vigilante [Greg Sanders]; Stuff, the Chinatown Kid; Bundy; Swaffer

Synopsis

The city corporation has apparently planted rows of trees in a quiet suburb. Nearby is a factory which manufactures a miracle plant-growing substance, more valuable than platinum. A gang of crooks surreptitiously lifts a tree from its hole in order to burrow underground towards the factory. Greg reports that no trees have been planted by the corporation during the past year. As The Vigilante, he and Stuff go to the factory in time to see the gang making their escape. In their wake the stolen chemical causes grasses and other seeds to grow to an enormous size.

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #6 ([April 18] 1945) [Story re-written with simplified text.]

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

Wheaties / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Day of Wishes! (Table of Contents: 14)

Zatara / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Joe Samachson

Pencils

William White

Inks

William White

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Do you want anything?

Genre

adventure; fantasy-supernatural; superhero

Characters

Zatara [Giovanni "John" Zatara]; Jerry

Synopsis

Zatara helps his friend Jerry by preventing a fur robbery. Jerry feels guilty that he alone should benefit from Zatara's powers and suggests everyone with small wishes ought to also. Zatara explains that people's small wishes might not always be what they really want. So, a man wishing to be as calm as a vow actually turns into one. Another who laments not being able to retain all that he reads is changed into a walking, talking volume.

Reprints

• in Special Edition, Action Comics (DC, 1944 series) #6 ([April 18] 1945) [Story re-written with simplified text.]

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

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

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

Illinois Merchandise Mart / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

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

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