Zip Comics #1

(February 1940)

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

Steel Sterling / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Abner J. Sundell

Pencils

Charles Biro

Inks

Charles Biro

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

When John Sterling's father was racketeered out of all his great wealth........

Genre

superhero

Characters

Steel Sterling [John Sterling] (introduction, origin]; policemen; The Black Knight (villain, introduction, death); The Black Knight's gang (villains, introduction for all)

Synopsis

John Sterling completes the chemical formula which will completely protect him from the underworld's bullets, unlike his murdered father who was killed by a group of ruthless gangsters. John bathes himself in the formula, which has been poured into a cauldron of molten steel, dives in the cauldron, and emerges as a man with the resistance, magnetism and strength of steel.

Reprints

• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #2006 - The Golden Age Firsts of MLJ Comics: Volume 1 ([June] 2018)
• in The MLJ Companion: The Complete History of the Archie Comics Super-Heroes (TwoMorrows, 2016 series) #nn (August 2016)

Keywords

Beeville

Indexer Notes

Script credit from The MLJ Companion: The Complete History of the Archie Comics Super-Heroes (TwoMorrows, 2016 series) #nn (August 2016)

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

Mugsy / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Kin Platt (signed)

Pencils

Kin Platt (signed)

Inks

Kin Platt (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Say - I want a good watch-dog!

Genre

animal

Characters

Mugsy (a dog)

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

Scarlet Avenger / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Harry Shorten

Pencils

Irv Novick (signed as Irving M. Novick)

Inks

Irv Novick (signed as Irving M. Novick)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The Scarlet Avenger in real life is Jim Kendall.

Feature Logo

The Scarlet Avenger, Gang Buster

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Scarlet Avenger [Jim Kendall] (introduction, origin); Operative No. 12 (introducion); Chief Mike Brady; Sledge Hammer (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

Jim Kendall has devoted himself to wiping out gangland since the death of his wife and child while flying in a hijacked plane, which crashed, and in which all were killed except Jim. In the accident, his face muscles were paralyzed and Jim became the man who never smiled. Kendall has a giant scientific brain, and uses that science to the aid of his crusade.

Reprints

• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #2006 - The Golden Age Firsts of MLJ Comics: Volume 1 ([June] 2018)

Indexer Notes

Kendall fashioned for himself a scarlet robe, woven from steel into a super-fine, bullet-proof steel-mesh cloak, and the flaming arrow is the emblem of Scarlet Avenger.

[The Rustlers of South Valley] (Table of Contents: 4)

Nevada Jones / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Frank Volpe

Inks

Frank Volpe

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

western-frontier

Characters

Nevada Jones (introducion); Irene Cox; A gang of Mexican rustlers (villains, introducion, most dead)

Synopsis

The Cattleman's Association has sent Nevada Jones to help Irene Cox prevent her herd being stolen by rustlers.

Indexer Notes

Art is identical to Volpe's many signed and unsigned Loop Logan stories in Blue Ribbon Comics, from #4. He can be spotted by his very realistic horses in #13, bony faces with marked cheek lines and mouth inked in two short lines. Also the small lines on each side of nose or smiling cheeks. Compare as well his signed London stories in Daredevil Comics #9 and 10 (Lev Gleason) The faces are more easy to spot a few stories later, but the horses are the same.

"Kalthar, mighty giant of the jungle........" (Table of Contents: 5)

Kalthar / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Harry Shorten (signed)

Pencils

Lin Streeter (signed as L.R. Streeter)

Inks

Lin Streeter (signed as L.R. Streeter)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

jungle

Characters

Kalthar (introduction, origin); Ta-Lo (a witch doctor, introduction); Kate Goodwill; A band of Arab slavers (villains, introduction for all)

Reprints

• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #2006 - The Golden Age Firsts of MLJ Comics: Volume 1 ([June] 2018)

Indexer Notes

This bronze jungle lord was raised by the Urganas after his father died protecting them from Arab slave traders. In addition to being able to talk to the beasts, the witch doctor Talo gave him red grains that enables him to grow to 15 feet tall and green grains to restore him to normal height which helps to make him stand out from the many other jungle lords out there. His mate is the brunette Kate Goodwill.

The Devil's Flying Twins (Table of Contents: 6)

War Eagles / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Ed Smalle

Inks

Ed Smalle

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

aviation; war

Characters

Tim and Tom Shane (introducion, the Devil's Twins); Anton Schultz (villain, introducion)

Synopsis

The Shane twins are rich Americans who join the British Air Force to continue a feud with the German sportsman, Herr Schultz.

You Can't Win! (Table of Contents: 7)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Mort Meskin (signed as Meskin) (2 spot illustrations)

Inks

Mort Meskin (signed as Meskin)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

crime

Characters

William Edward Hickman (murderer)

Synopsis

Executions are likely to be drably gruesome affairs even to the most hardened newspapermen.

[The Pirates of Ho Tsin] (Table of Contents: 8)

Captain Valor / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Abner J. Sundell

Pencils

Mort Meskin (signed)

Inks

Mort Meskin (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Characters

Captain Valor (introduction); Ronnie; Angie (Ronnie's sister); General Ho Tsin (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

Captain Valor resigns his commission in the U.S. Marine Corps to seek adventure, and, aided by Ronnie and Angie, heads to China to battle the evil Ho Tsin.

[The Eye of Oglu] (Table of Contents: 9)

Mr. Satan / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Abner J. Sundell

Pencils

Edd Ashe (signed)

Inks

Edd Ashe (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Mr. Satan [Dudley Bradshaw] (introduction); Mary Doran; Mr. Doran; Count Bodana (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

A young girl's father is missing after a series of weird happenings. She suspects foul play and contacts Dudley for help, who dons a purple costume with yellow cape and ventures out to help as Mr. Satan, international detective and soldier of fortune.

Reprints

• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #2006 - The Golden Age Firsts of MLJ Comics: Volume 1 ([June] 2018)

Lou Ambers (Table of Contents: 10)

Sport-O-Grams / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Irwin Hasen (signed as I. Hasen)

Pencils

Irwin Hasen (signed as I. Hasen)

Inks

Irwin Hasen (signed as I. Hasen)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

non-fiction; sports

Characters

Lou Anders (Lightweight boxing champion)

[The Ritania-Hundaria War] (Table of Contents: 11)

Zambini / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Joe Blair

Pencils

Elmer Wexler (signed as El Wexler)

Inks

Elmer Wexler (signed as El Wexler)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

fantasy-supernatural; superhero

Characters

Zambini the Miracle Man (introduction); King of Ritania (introduction); Mata Dari (villain, spy); Hundarian spies (villains, introduction for all)

Synopsis

The king of Ritania begs Zambini to help him win the war against Hundania. Hundanian spies place a huge and deadly cobra, whose bite means death, in Zambini's bedroom.

Reprints

• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #2006 - The Golden Age Firsts of MLJ Comics: Volume 1 ([June] 2018)

Indexer Notes

Zambini possesses some real magic ability, and also owns a "boomerang" necklace that makes evil magics return to their source, allowing him to follow. He loses his abilities when someone makes and maintains physical contact. He speaks magic spells generally by inserting "ab" into the words.