Zip Comics #4

(May 1940)

[The Radium Robbers] (Table of Contents: 1)

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

Script

Charles Biro ?

Pencils

Charles Biro (signed as Biro)

Inks

Charles Biro (signed as Biro)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Steel Sterling [John Sterling]; Walter Cummings (scientist); Dora Cummings (daughter); Black Knight (villain)

Synopsis

Cummings is suspected of stealing all the radium from his own hospital, and his daughter gets the help of detective Sterling.

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

Mugsy / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Kin Platt (signed as Quincy)

Pencils

Kin Platt (signed as Quincy)

Inks

Kin Platt (signed as Quincy)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

You're a nice dog...

Genre

humor; animal

Characters

Mugsy (dog)

Reprints

• in Free Weekly Comic Magazine (Archie, 1940 series) #3 ([May 12, 1940])

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

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

Script

Harry Shorten (credited)

Pencils

Irv Novick (signed as Irving Novick)

Inks

Irv Novick (signed as Irving Novick)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The Scarlet Avenger, the nemesis of gangland, has come to grips with Texa, a beautiful Amazon, the queen of crime.

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Scarlet Avenger (Jim Kendall); Texa (Villain); President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Synopsis

The Scarlet Avenger has come to grips with Texa, a beautiful Amazon, the queen of crime. She will use his powerfull brains in her next crime, to snatch the president.

[Slade Bowman's Boast] (Table of Contents: 4)

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

Script

?

Pencils

Frank Volpe

Inks

Frank Volpe

Colors

?

Letters

?

Feature Logo

Nevada Jones, Quick-Trigger Man

Genre

western-frontier

Characters

Nevada Jones; Little Joe (sidekick); Slade Bowman (train bandit); Bud Jones (undercover man)

Synopsis

Nevada Jones is ordered by the governor to catch the train robber, Slade Bowman.

Reprints

• in Free Weekly Comic Magazine (Archie, 1940 series) #3 ([May 12, 1940])

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)

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

Kalthar / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Harry Shorten

Pencils

Robert Pious

Inks

Robert Pious

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

One day the Urganas return from the hunt [sic]

Genre

jungle

Characters

Kalthar; Bwonga; Pharoah; Bogdu (ape)

Synopsis

Kalthar is taken prisoner by the tribe of Shem and taken to their king, Pharoah.

Indexer Notes

The art is identical to Pious's signed story in #2.

[The Munitions Works Mission] (Table of Contents: 6)

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

Script

?

Pencils

Ed Smalle

Inks

Ed Smalle

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

war; aviation

Characters

Tim Shane (pilot); Tom Shane (pilot); Kermit (pilot); Herr Schultz (Villain)

Synopsis

The Eagles blow up a German munitions works but must ditch their planes.

Indexer Notes

Originally credited to Ed Wexler, but the art is identical to the other signed Smalle stories in this feature.

Frontier Tamers (Table of Contents: 7)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

? [as D.H.M.] (signed) (2 spot illustrations)

Inks

? [as D.H.M.] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

non-fiction; western-frontier

Characters

Wanglin (gunman); Tom Smith; Raccoon (mascot)

Synopsis

A two-gun devastator meets his match in a prairie raccoon.

Indexer Notes

Two illustrations that have nothing to do with the story.

[Yat Sing's Poison Plot] (Table of Contents: 8)

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

Script

Abner J. Sundell (credited as Sundall)

Pencils

Mort Meskin (signed as Meskin)

Inks

Mort Meskin (signed as Meskin)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Characters

Captain Valor; Ronnie; his sister Angie; Big Dip; Yat Sing (Villain); Tania (Villain)

Synopsis

Captain Valor and Big Dip are led into a trap by a girl named Tania and fall into the hands of Yat Sing, who prepares to execute them.

Reprints

• in Free Weekly Comic Magazine (Archie, 1940 series) #3 ([May 12, 1940])

[The Diamond Cattle Smugglers] (Table of Contents: 9)

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

Script

Edd Ashe

Pencils

Edd Ashe

Inks

Edd Ashe

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Mr. Satan (Dudley Bradshaw); Doris O'Day (rancher)

Synopsis

Corn cobs are used to smugglle diamonds.

[The Daughter of the Mermen] (Table of Contents: 10)

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

?

Feature Logo

Zambini the 'Miracle Man'

Genre

superhero

Characters

Zambini (magician); Magi (Villain; Introduction)

Synopsis

The mermen beneath the sea have sent their great wizard, Magi, to America to bring back a young girl who is their last descendant on earth.