Exciting Comics #v2#1 (4)
(July 1940)

Pines, 1940 Series
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Volume
2
Price
0.10 USD
Pages
68
Indicia Frequency
monthly
On-sale Date
1940-06-25
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Better Publications Inc.
Editing
Ned Pines [as N. L. Pines] (president)

Issue Notes

Some info verified using a DCM scan (http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/)

The on-sale date is from the publication date recorded in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, 1940, New Series, Vol. 35, No. 3.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

The Space Rovers / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Max Plaisted
Inks
Max Plaisted
Colors
?

Genre
adventure; science fiction
Characters
The Space Rovers [Ted Hunt; Jane Martin]
Keywords
jodhpurs; sea monsters; space helmets

[The Lost Valley of Mars] (Table of Contents: 1)

The Space Rovers / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Max Plaisted (signed)
Inks
Max Plaisted (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
We're almost home, Ted!
Genre
science fiction
Characters
The Space Rovers [Ted Hunt; Jane Martin]; Mara (introduction); Martians; Xark (villain, introduction)
Synopsis
A mishap on their way back to Earth causes Ted and Jane to pass by Mars where they spy a damsel in distress.
Keywords
Cuth; Lost Valley of Mars; Mars; Martian mammoth; sea monsters; Thurn

Ted Crane and the Voice from the Flames (Table of Contents: 2)

Ted Crane / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
George Mandel
Inks
George Mandel
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Ted Crane, Prof. Hawkins and his daughter, Betty, returning from their adventures in the city of gold, decide to camp for the night near an ancient temple.
Genre
adventure
Characters
An evil scientist (villain, introduction, death); Takima (introduction); Ted Crane; Prof. Hawkins; Betty Hawkins
Synopsis
Betty has been kidnapped by an evil scientist and Ted Crane comes to her rescue.

[The Phony Mask] (Table of Contents: 3)

The Mask / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ray Thayer
Inks
Ray Thayer
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Sandra Cummings, Broadway star, is found a suicide!
Genre
crime; superhero
Characters
The Mask [Tony Colby] (District Attorney); Sandra Cummings (Broadway star, death); Dr. Lawrence Reid (villain, introduction, death); Slug Custon (villain); Pat O'Rooney; Bill Kallem; Butch; Dick Granville; Jim Boughton; Carol Smith
Synopsis
The Mask is on the trail of a criminal commiting crimes who is posing as the Mask.

[The Theft of the Tank Plans] (Table of Contents: 4)

Son of the Gods / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
George Mandel
Pencils
George Mandel
Inks
George Mandel
Colors
George Mandel
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
After saving Europe from the deadly red blight, Thesson leaves for the United States!
Genre
superhero
Characters
Dr. John Thesson [Son of the Gods]; Daggett (villain, introduction); Mr. Wheeler; Jane Wheeler
Keywords
Ring of Poseidon

[The Bootleggers] (Table of Contents: 5)

Dan Williams, Private Investigator / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ray Thayer (signed as Ray Thayer)
Inks
Ray Thayer (signed as Ray Thayer)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Racketeers open a new offensive!
Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Dan Williams, Private Investigator; Chris Toomey (villain, introduction); Gail Parker
Synopsis
Dan Williams and Gail Parker break up a bootleg enterprise.
Keywords
Fayette; moonshine

Outlaw Ransom (Table of Contents: 6)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Jackson Cole (credited) (house name)
Pencils
? (2 spot illustrations)
Inks
? (2 spot illustrations)
Colors
? (2 spot illustrations)
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Buck Sanders thought it was fun playing that he was a real prospector going home with a load of gold.
Genre
western-frontier
Characters
Buck Sanders; Joe Marsh; Bill Smith; Chuck Wilson; Tom Jones; Mr. Sanders

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

Sergeant Bill King / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Leonard Sansone (signed as Leonard)
Inks
Leonard Sansone (signed as Leonard)
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Sergeant Bill King and his men are under heavy fire!
Genre
war
Characters
Nazis (villain); Sgt. Bill King; Schmidt; Herman
Synopsis
Sgt. King is sent undercover to retrieve the formula for a new bomb created by the Nazis.
Keywords
freezing bomb; Schmidt Laboratories

[The Firebugs] (Table of Contents: 8)

The Sphinx / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ray Thayer ?
Inks
Ray Thayer ?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Firebugs terrorize the business district!
Genre
superhero
Characters
The Sphinx [Ellsworth Forrester]; Twist (villain, introduction); Hoppy Moran (villain, introduction); Ann Neville; Cochrane

Indexer Notes

Art credits revised from Kin Platt ? to Thayer ?, per Alter Ego #111 (July 2012).

Sergeant Tommy (Table of Contents: 9)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script
John Easterly (credited)
Pencils
? (spot illustration)
Inks
? (spot illustration)
Colors
? (spot illustration)
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Tommy Harper liked living at the fort way off in the African jungle.
Genre
military
Characters
Tommy Harper; Capt. Harper; Lt. Gray; Mrs. Gray
Synopsis
Tommy Harper thinks of a way to save the fort that is under attack by local inhabitants while most of its regiment is away.
Keywords
Africa; bugle

[The Corpse in the Cave] (Table of Contents: 10)

Jim Hatfield, Texas Ranger / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Sylvia and Rodney Field hear startling news!
Genre
western-frontier
Characters
Sylvia Field; Rodney Field; Jake Norris; Capt. McDowell; Jim Hatfield; Bradley; Pete Jones; Texas Rangers
Synopsis
Jake Norris, utilizing underhanded methods, tries to take the Circle 3 ranch.
Keywords
Circle 3 ranch; Reddingville

[Mickey wins!] (Table of Contents: 11)

Make-Believe Mickey / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Klaus Nordling (signed as Nord)
Pencils
Klaus Nordling (signed as Nord)
Inks
Klaus Nordling (signed as Nord)
Colors
Klaus Nordling (signed as Nord)
Letters
?

Genre
humor
Characters
Make-Believe Mickey
Synopsis
Mickey daydreams that he is a great horse rider; reality proves differently.
Keywords
horseback riding

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

Make-Believe Mickey / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Klaus Nordling (signed as Nord)
Pencils
Klaus Nordling (signed as Nord)
Inks
Klaus Nordling (signed as Nord)
Colors
Klaus Nordling ?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Gee! Wish I could do that!
Genre
humor
Characters
Make-Believe Mickey
Synopsis
Mickey imagines himself as a great juggler.
Keywords
juggling
Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    The Space Rovers
  2. 1. [The Lost Valley of Mars]
    The Space Rovers
  3. 2. Ted Crane and the Voice from the Flames
    Ted Crane
  4. 3. [The Phony Mask]
    The Mask
  5. 4. [The Theft of the Tank Plans]
    Son of the Gods
  6. 5. [The Bootleggers]
    Dan Williams, Private Investigator
  7. 6. Outlaw Ransom
  8. 7. ["Sergeant Bill King and his men are under heavy fire!"]
    Sergeant Bill King
  9. 8. [The Firebugs]
    The Sphinx
  10. 9. Sergeant Tommy
  11. 10. [The Corpse in the Cave]
    Jim Hatfield, Texas Ranger
  12. 11. [Mickey wins!]
    Make-Believe Mickey
  13. 12. ["Gee! Wish I could do that!"]
    Make-Believe Mickey
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Keith Chandler
  • Craig Delich
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Del Gruber
  • Dan Kocher
  • Jean-Francois Masse
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Jim Van Dore