([April] 1939)

DC, 1939 Series
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Price
0.25 USD
Pages
100
On-sale Date
1939-04-30
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Detective Comics Inc.
Editing
Vin Sullivan [as Vincent A. Sullivan]

Issue Notes

Copyright on title page:

Theme Buildings, mural and sculpture, copyright, New York World's Fair 1939, Inc. Entire contents, copyright, 1939 by Detective Comics, Inc.

The copyright registration for this issue lists April 29, 1939 as the publication date. This was sold only at the New York World's Fair, which opened April 30.
This issue has variants:

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Vin Sullivan; Fred Guardineer (head views)
Inks
Vin Sullivan; Fred Guardineer (head views)
Colors
?
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Zatara; Butch the Pup; The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Ginger Snap
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Sullivan credit verified by the artist. Guardineer credit from Craig Delich.

Cover Thumbnail for New York World's Fair Comics (DC, 1939 series) #[1] Cover Thumbnail for New York World's Fair Comics (1939 series) #[1] [15¢]
Edit cover
Cover gallery

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

blank page(s) / 1 page (report information)

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

[New York World's Fair Comics] (Table of Contents: 2)

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Creig Flessel
Inks
Creig Flessel
Colors
?
Letters
?
Synopsis
This title page cordially welcomes visitors to the Fair.
Reprints

Superman at the World's Fair (Table of Contents: 3)

Superman / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script
Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils
Joe Shuster (signed)
Inks
Joe Shuster (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Joe Shuster ?
Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; George Taylor (unnamed); Nick Stone (villain)
Synopsis
Lois and Clark are assigned to cover the Fair, but after Lois is kidnapped, Superman has to take over, both to rescue her from a wanted criminal and make sure the Fair is covered properly for the paper.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

Fairs 1851-1939 (Table of Contents: 4)

cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Sheldon Moldoff
Inks
Sheldon Moldoff
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Synopsis
This page features Uncle Sam atop "the world" of the 1939 N.Y. World's Fair, and to the center of fifteen "worlds" depicting Fairs of the past.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The New York World's Fair covers 1,216,000 acres at a cost of $156,000,000 and expects 60,000,000 visitors.

From the Fair Corners (Table of Contents: 5)

cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Sheldon Moldoff
Inks
Sheldon Moldoff
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Synopsis
Information about the trylon and the perisphere.
Reprints

Chuck Warren Goes to the New York World's Fair (Table of Contents: 6)

Chuck Warren / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Tom Hickey (signed)
Pencils
Tom Hickey (signed)
Inks
Tom Hickey (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Tom Hickey ?
Genre
adventure
Characters
Chuck Warren
Synopsis
Chuck and his college teammates have earned the right to compete in the mile relay at the Fair, but they go through hair-raising adventures even before they arrive!
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

Hanko Goes to the World's Fair 3000 Miles on Horseback (Table of Contents: 7)

Hanko the Cowhand / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Creig Flessel [as Flessel] (signed)
Inks
Creig Flessel [as Flessel] (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
humor
Characters
Hanko
Synopsis
Hanko is awarded a key to the city and $1000 cash for riding to the Fair all the way from San Francisco on horseback.
Reprints

History of the New York World's Fair 1939 (Table of Contents: 8)

text article / 6 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Creig Flessel [as CF] (illustrations, signed)
Inks
Creig Flessel [as CF] (illustrations, signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?; some typeset
Genre
non-fiction
Synopsis
This article discusses how the theme and purpose of the Fair were conceived, how it was built, and a brief explanation of each of the different expositions showcased at the Fair.
Reprints

Would You Believe It (Table of Contents: 9)

cartoon / 2 pages (report information)

Pencils
Sheldon Moldoff
Inks
Sheldon Moldoff
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Synopsis
Seven different Fair facts: 1) snowstorms out of clear skies; 2) 1,000,000 tulips and 100,000 pansies were planted on the grounds; 3) if all the summer visitors passed through one turnstile, it would click three times each second, twenty-four hours a day; 4) there will be re-enactments of old-style prizefights on Bowling Green; 5) it features the world's tallest murals; 6) the two nautical pylons at the Maritime building stand 30' higher than the bow of the "Normandie"; and 7) if it has its expected 60,000,000 visitors, it will be the largest concentration of people in so small an area ever.
Reprints

Butch the Pup at the New York World's Fair (Table of Contents: 10)

Butch the Pup / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script
Fred Schwab (signed)
Pencils
Fred Schwab (signed)
Inks
Fred Schwab (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Fred Schwab
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Butch the Pup
Synopsis
Butch is at the World's Fair and suffers through a series of mis-adventures looking for food.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Writer and letterer credits added by Craig Delich.

Cuffnotes from the Fair (Table of Contents: 11)

cartoon / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Sheldon Moldoff
Inks
Sheldon Moldoff
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The Fair has moving chairs that take people through a building so they don't have to walk; over 10 miles of sanitary sewers, 20 miles of storm sewers, and 15 miles of water mains were laid at the Fair; the "Railroad Exhibit" features the largest working miniature railroad in the world; the Fair features a small plot of land devoted to the growing of wheat whose scientific cultivation will make it the most valuable wheat field for its size in the world; if the 7 million cubic yards of material moved from grading the Fair grounds were concrete, it would be enough to pave a highway from New York to Daytona Beach; paintings done at the Fair are destroyed every night and re-created the next day; there are 17 miles of roads on the Fair grounds; the Fair has an architectural model of New York City a city block long and the Empire State Building appears 23' high.

Ginger Snap at the New York World's Fair (Table of Contents: 12)

Ginger Snap / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Bob Kane (signed)
Pencils
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks
Bob Kane (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Bob Kane
Genre
humor
Characters
Ginger Snap; un-named Father
Synopsis
Daddy takes Ginger to the Fair, much to his chagrin.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

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

Scoop Scanlon, Five Star Reporter / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Ely (signed)
Pencils
Bill Ely (signed)
Inks
Bill Ely (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Rusty, I've interviewed celebrities today until I'm black in the face--
Genre
adventure
Characters
Scoop Scanlon; Rusty James (photographer); Bill Wesley; Jim; the Bat's Wing [Mr. Bronson] (villain)
Synopsis
Scoop must investigate and solve a threat made against a futuristic plane designer NOT to exhibit his new bomber plans at the Fair.
Reprints

Wonders at the Fair (Table of Contents: 14)

cartoon / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Sheldon Moldoff
Inks
Sheldon Moldoff
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Synopsis
Nine of the many different exhibits at the Fair are illustrated and discussed, including a Flash Gordon style rocketship that will take visitors to Mars, bobsledding in the summer, 80 different restaurants on the Fair grounds to feed visitors, and over 3000 miles of frankfurters will be sold during the Fair's run.
Reprints

A Day at the World's Fair (Table of Contents: 15)

comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Creig Flessel
Inks
Creig Flessel
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Characters
Uncle George; Jim; Jane
Synopsis
Uncle George takes Jim and Jane to many of the Fair's exhibits, giving them helpful information along the way.
Reprints

Tidbits from the Fair (Table of Contents: 16)

cartoon / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Sheldon Moldoff
Inks
Sheldon Moldoff
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Synopsis
An illustrated, informational look at nine of the strange facts about exhibits at the Fair, including a fountain that sings, murals that change color as you look at them, an orange grove on the grounds that was transported from Florida, a village inhabited entirely by midgets, and a tremendous discharge of 10 million volts of electricity.
Reprints

Slam Bradley at the World's Fair (Table of Contents: 17)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script
Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils
Joe Shuster (signed)
Inks
Joe Shuster (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Slam Bradley; Shorty Morgan; Tony Spinelli (villain)
Synopsis
After rounding up a gang of tough thugs, Slam is given a $1000 reward, so he decides that he and Shorty will visit the World's Fair as a part of a well-deserved vacation. Unfortunately for them, their vacation turns sour right away.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

In the story, Shorty mentions that Slam lives in Cleveland, Ohio, the hometown of the writer/artist team on the strip.

Curiosities from the Fair (Table of Contents: 18)

cartoon / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Sheldon Moldoff
Inks
Sheldon Moldoff
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Synopsis
Through text and illustration, eight more of the little known facts about the Fair are revealed, including the fact that the Fair has a separate telephone exchange with 8000 lines installed, that 8000 benches were placed on the grounds, the Rocketship Exhibit can take visitors to Venus, that 10,000 trees & 250,000 shrubs were planted on the Fair grounds, and more.
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 19)

The Sandman / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
Gardner Fox [as Larry Dean] (signed)
Pencils
Bert Christman
Inks
Bert Christman
Colors
?
Letters
?
First Line of Dialogue or Text
A high executive of the Dodds-Bessing Steel Corporation--
Genre
superhero
Characters
The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; George Henry (Secret Service agent); Mr. Evarts (villain, President of the Dodds-Bessing Steel Corporation); Boris Leland (villain)
Synopsis
Wes and one of the executive officers at the Dodds-Bessing Steel Corporation are to meet several government agents at the Fair and turn over to them plans for a new raygun.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

First Sandman story to appear in print, before Adventure Comics #40.

Wonders at the Fair (Table of Contents: 20)

cartoon / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Sheldon Moldoff
Inks
Sheldon Moldoff
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Characters
J. H. Ozum
Synopsis
Eight more fascinating facts about the Fair are revealed, to include the fact that the original Consitution of the United States will be on display, J. H. Ozum is driving his 1900 automobile to the Fair from California and the parking lots there will hold all of the registered cars in the State of New York, and the Fair features a parachute jumping ride for visitors.
Reprints

The World's Fair Exhibit (Table of Contents: 21)

Zatara, the Master Magician / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script
Gardner Fox
Pencils
Fred Guardineer (signed)
Inks
Fred Guardineer (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Fred Guardineer
Genre
adventure
Characters
Zatara; Tong; Elmer Gordon; Hu Song (villain); Rodgers (villain)
Synopsis
Zatara and Tong are ordered to go to inner Mongolia to obtain a fabled jade necklace of the Princess Ti-Lo and get it to the Fair for exhibit.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit by Craig Delich.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 22)

illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Creig Flessel (signed)
Inks
Creig Flessel (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
typeset
First Line of Dialogue or Text
We trust this book will serve to remind you...
Synopsis
Closing page to the Fair attendee, hoping that this comic would remind them of the great things they experienced, and hoping that it, in some small way, would help strengthen and promote peace and friendship among the nations of the world.
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 23)

blank page(s) / 1 page (report information)

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

[New York World's Fair Comics] (Table of Contents: 24)

illustration / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Worth B. Carnahan
Inks
Worth B. Carnahan
Colors
?
Letters
typeset
Characters
Father Knickerbocker
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Artist credit per Craig Delich; we previously credited Raymond Perry. Found on the back cover.

Editing
Issue at my.comics.org
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
  2. 1. [no title indexed]
  3. 2. [New York World's Fair Comics]
  4. 3. Superman at the World's Fair
    Superman
  5. 4. Fairs 1851-1939
  6. 5. From the Fair Corners
  7. 6. Chuck Warren Goes to the New York World's Fair
    Chuck Warren
  8. 7. Hanko Goes to the World's Fair 3000 Miles on Horseback
    Hanko the Cowhand
  9. 8. History of the New York World's Fair 1939
  10. 9. Would You Believe It
  11. 10. Butch the Pup at the New York World's Fair
    Butch the Pup
  12. 11. Cuffnotes from the Fair
  13. 12. Ginger Snap at the New York World's Fair
    Ginger Snap
  14. 13. ["Rusty, I've interviewed celebrities today until I'm black in the face--"]
    Scoop Scanlon, Five Star Reporter
  15. 14. Wonders at the Fair
  16. 15. A Day at the World's Fair
  17. 16. Tidbits from the Fair
  18. 17. Slam Bradley at the World's Fair
    Slam Bradley
  19. 18. Curiosities from the Fair
  20. 19. ["A high executive of the Dodds-Bessing Steel Corporation--"]
    The Sandman
  21. 20. Wonders at the Fair
  22. 21. The World's Fair Exhibit
    Zatara, the Master Magician
  23. 22. ["We trust this book will serve to remind you..."]
  24. 23. [no title indexed]
  25. 24. [New York World's Fair Comics]
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Pat Conolly
  • Steve Dasinger
  • Craig Delich
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Katy Hayhurst
  • Bob Hughes
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Per Sandell
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Daniel Thingvold
  • Jim Van Dore
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