([1963])

Thorpe & Porter, 1962? Series
< Previous Issue |
| Next Issue >
Price
1/- [0-1-0 GBP]
Pages
68
On-sale Date
1963 ?
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Top Sellers Ltd.

Issue Notes

Year extrapolated from advert for Race for the Moon comics in Flash (Thorpe & Porter, 1962 series) issues 1 & 2 https://www.comics.org/issue/760804/?issue_detail=2#1628535 and advert in Race for the Moon (Thorpe & Porter) issue 22 https://www.comics.org/issue/515291/?issue_detail=2#2557685 offering a set of compendium LPs with songs issued and current in 1964 - 65.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Do something quick or it will get us too...
Genre
science fiction
Keywords
spaceship

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

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

The Man Who Stole Air (Table of Contents: 2)

comic story / 7.67 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Nick Cardy (signed as NC)
Inks
Nick Cardy (signed as NC)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
What strange things did Eric Fowler see in the air around us.. which no one else saw?
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Eric Fowler; Harry (G.S.A. Agent - voice on radio only); George Croft (G.S.A. Agent)
Synopsis
Former scientist Eric Fowler is seen collecting samples of air. George Croft is assigned and tails him back to his house. Inside he sees Fowler talking to tiny aliens. Suddenly the tiny aliens are giants and they head towards the nearby army base. Fowler recovers from being stunned and tells Croft that he tried to trick the aliens into giving him their secrets by promising them helium which they need for fuel. The aliens have a magnifying device which created the giant images. Croft disables the device and the giants disappear. The aliens are given helium and leave Earth.
Reprints
Keywords
giant aliens; helium; spaceship; tiny aliens

Indexer Notes

Nick Cardy NC monogram in the lower right splash panel.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

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

The Curse of the Fire God (Table of Contents: 4)

comic story / 5.67 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Howard Purcell
Inks
Howard Purcell
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Pete Marek thought he had it made!
Genre
fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Pete Marek
Synopsis
Pete Marek has stolen a million dollars and escapes to Peru where he is pursued by detectives. He plunges into the jungle but his path is blocked by a festival to the Fire God. Told that the alternative route is 5 miles away he pushes through despite warnings the Fire God will seek him out. Further along a bolt of lightning sets fire to the track forcing him to change course. He then tries to cross a rope bridge which catches fire. He decides to go further up into the snow. The detectives see smoke coming from a hut and find Marek. His glasses have focused the sun's rays causing a fire.
Reprints
Keywords
Fire God; glasses

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5) (Expand) /

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

Museum of Worthless Inventions (Table of Contents: 6)

comic story / 5.67 pages (report information)

Script
Otto Binder
Pencils
Bernard Baily
Inks
Bernard Baily
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
All these crazy contraptions are scientifically impossible! Could this be... witchcraft?
Genre
fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Professor Amos Todd
Synopsis
Amos Todd sells tickets to his Museum of Worthless Inventions when he sees a flash of light come through the rain clouds. He shows a gold making machine and then a power pill which converts water to gasoline. He is surprised when the water suddenly bursts into flame. In the storm he helps a doctor's car with a power pill and water. He finds all inventions now work and fixes the hospital generator with a perpetual motion machine. Back at the museum criminals steal the gold making machine. Todd follows using mechanical wings which stop working as he lands. All machines return to uselessness.
Reprints
Keywords
perpetual motion; power pill

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

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

We Hunted the Forbidden Treasure (Table of Contents: 8)

comic story / 8.67 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Jim Mooney (signed)
Inks
Jim Mooney (signed)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
We had probed the murky depths of the seven seas--trekked across the scorching deserts--and invaded the frigid Arctic in the quest of buried fortunes...
Genre
fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Clyde King; Andy; Boswell (curio dealer); Antib; Parker
Synopsis
An ancient Aztec curse seems to follow an expedition that seeks to find a lost treasure.
Reprints
Keywords
Aztec; Mexico

Indexer Notes

Jim Mooney signature on left hand side of splash panel, two thirds of the way down.

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

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

Look to the Stars! (Table of Contents: 10)

public service announcement / 1 page (report information)

Script
Jack Schiff
Pencils
Lou Cameron
Inks
Lou Cameron
Letters
Ira Schnapp

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Gosh Bob, we're lost! What do we do now?
Genre
advocacy; maths & science
Characters
Bob; Ted
Synopsis
Bob and his friends are saved from being lost in the woods because Bob knows how to find Polaris, the North Star.

Indexer Notes

Appeared across a range of US DC comics in November/December 1958.

We Were 20th Century Cavemen (Table of Contents: 11)

comic story / 7.67 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ruben Moreira
Inks
Ruben Moreira
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
There on that deserted island, we were ready to pull back the dark veil suurounding one of the greatest mysteries of life --the secret of eternal youth!
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Dr. Cooper; Nora; Jim
Synopsis
A scientific experiment gone wrong revives the prehistoric world in the present.
Reprints
Keywords
dinosaurs; pterodactyl; rejuva-ray

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

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

Flying Dutchman (Table of Contents: 13)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Jack Oleck
Pencils
Steve Ditko
Inks
Steve Ditko
Letters
Jon D'Agostino

Job Number
S1421
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Perhaps it was all a dream!
Genre
fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Carl Adams; Frank Sawyer
Synopsis
The American Destroyer Jeffries is torpedoed. Adams and Sawyer float for six days in a lifeboat until they see an old sailing ship. They climb aboard carefully as the ropes and wood are rotten. They walk the decks without the crew seeing them. They find a book written in Dutch - they are on board the Flying Dutchman. They decide to escape and fall in to sea when a railing breaks away. They float for days clutching the railing. They are picked up by a Navy cruiser. Their papers show they were crew on the Jeffries which sank in WWI! So, where have they been since 1918?
Reprints
Keywords
Flying Dutchman; torpedo

The Fantastic Wishing Well (Table of Contents: 14)

comic story / 5.67 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Mort Meskin (signed as Meskin)
Inks
George Roussos; Mort Meskin ?
Letters
Artie Simek

First Line of Dialogue or Text
If you'd have told me some time ago I'd find a wishing well that actually worked, I'd have laughed at you.
Genre
crime; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Brad Horton
Synopsis
Brad Horton has stolen $150,000 in marked money. He jumps from a train into some woods looking for a place to bury the money until it is safe to spend. He trips and falls into an old well. He wishes he never left the train and suddenly finds himself back there. Leaving the train again he finds his way back to the well where a stone tells him that wishes cost a nickel. He wishes for a million dollars and uses this to buy up the well and surrounding land. Officials visit and want to know the source of his wealth. He makes a wish to escape but the nickel is fake and he is arrested.
Reprints
Keywords
marked money; nickel; wishing well

Indexer Notes

Signature (Meskin) on lower edge of splash panel.

Following discussion on GCD Main, inker changed from Mort Meskin to George Roussos with a query on Meskin as inker. Meskin and Roussos had a collaborative relationship from the 1940s onwards (information from Lambiek).

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

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

I Was Earth's First Exile (Table of Contents: 16)

comic story / 7.67 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Lee Elias
Inks
Lee Elias
Letters
Stan Starkman ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
In one moment, I was the first man to pilot a rocket into orbit--and soon after I found myself engaged in a strange battle on an alien world!
Genre
science fiction
Characters
Captain "Ferg" Ferguson; Dzuga (dictator)
Synopsis
An astronaut on a test flight is transported to a distant planet where he gains super-powers and helps defeat a dictator.
Reprints
Keywords
dictator; spaceship; superpowers

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

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

The Swami of Broadway (Table of Contents: 18)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Bill Ely
Inks
Bill Ely
Letters
Pat Gordon

First Line of Dialogue or Text
From the mysterious jungles of Bengal to the glittering lights of an American city came the Swami--bringing with him a magic emerald possessing the power to unlock the forbidden secrets of the future!
Genre
fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Dean Hall; Orry Kane; swami [Jones]
Synopsis
Dean Hall and Orry Kane are on a trip in Bengal. Kane tries again to persuade Hall to sell him his theater, Hall again refuses. They enter a village and see a swami who predicts an elephant stampede. The square is emptied just in time. A month later Hall auditions acts for his theater when the swami appears on stage. He makes two predictions which comes true. Later the swami is asked to appear at the theater and he says he will not enter as it will be struck by a meteor. Hall sells the theatre to Kane and leaves. The swami is then revealed to be a fake. Then a meteor hits the theatre.
Reprints
Keywords
swami

Don't Be Half A Man! (Table of Contents: 19) (Expand) /

Charles Atlas / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

For the best in Western reading select a novel from our exciting new range! (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

Top Sellers Ltd. / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. ["Do something quick or it will get us too..."]
  2. 1. ["The world's finest Children's Publications"]
    Classics Illustrated
  3. 2. The Man Who Stole Air
  4. 3. ["Look out for Fantastic Tales"]
    Fantastic Tales
  5. 4. The Curse of the Fire God
  6. 5. ["Don't miss the adventures of"]
    Mike Shayne
  7. 6. Museum of Worthless Inventions
  8. 7. ["You get the best detective - action - comics in"]
  9. 8. We Hunted the Forbidden Treasure
  10. 9. ["Thrills in space-supersonic adventure and mystery every month"]
  11. 10. Look to the Stars!
  12. 11. We Were 20th Century Cavemen
  13. 12. ["Coming soon-The Saint"]
    The Saint
  14. 13. Flying Dutchman
  15. 14. The Fantastic Wishing Well
  16. 15. ["For thrills and fantasy this comic is the tops"]
    Fantastic Tales
  17. 16. I Was Earth's First Exile
  18. 17. ["Thrills in space-supersonic adventure and mystery every month"]
  19. 18. The Swami of Broadway
  20. 19. Don't Be Half A Man!
    Charles Atlas
  21. 20. For the best in Western reading select a novel from our exciting new range!
    Top Sellers Ltd.
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Paul Robinson
  • Richard Thomson