Crack Comics #3

(July 1940)

[The Black Condor In America] (Table of Contents: 1)

The Black Condor / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script:

Will Eisner [as Kenneth Lewis] (signed)

Pencils:

Lou Fine

Inks:

Lou Fine

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Black Condor [Richard Grey, Jr.]; the Princess of Singat (introduction); Ras Gyn (villain, introduction)

Synopsis:

On his first trip to America, the Condor serves as protector to a friend's daughter.

Indexer Notes

Pencil and ink credits from Mr. Kelly Izaj (2008-3-19). Original indexer credited the work to Lou Fine. Art credits revised from Charles Sultan to Fine verified by Jim Amash in The Quality Companion (TwoMorrows, 2011 series) #1 (November, 2011), page 93. Richard Grey Jr. eventually assumes the identity of Senator Thomas Wright.

["Come on! A bunch of Standish players over at the chocolate shop are looking for trouble!"] (Table of Contents: 2)

Ned Brant / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script:

Bob Zuppke

Pencils:

Walt DePew [as B. W. DePew] (signed)

Inks:

Walt DePew [as B. W. DePew] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

sports

Reprints:

• From newspaper strips.

Thomas Andrews Kidnapped By the Spider (Table of Contents: 3)

Alias the Spider / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script:

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Pencils:

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Inks:

Paul Gustavson (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Paul Gustavson

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Spider [Tom Hallaway]; Harry (the Spider's chauffeur) (introduction); Thomas Andrews (villain, introduction); Mrs. Andrews (villain, introduction)

Indexer Notes

All Gustavson credits verified and courtesy of Terry Gustafson, son of Paul Gustavson.

["What's your boyfriend like, Molly?"] (Table of Contents: 4)

Molly the Model / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script:

John Devlin

Pencils:

John Devlin

Inks:

John Devlin

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

humor

["Your piano has a nice tone, neighbor- May I try something on it?"] (Table of Contents: 5)

Off the Record / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script:

Ed Reed

Pencils:

Ed Reed

Inks:

Ed Reed

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

humor

[The Pirate Subs] (Table of Contents: 6)

The Red Torpedo / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script:

Henry Kiefer ? [as Drew Allen] (signed)

Pencils:

Henry Kiefer [as Drew Allen] (signed)

Inks:

Henry Kiefer [as Drew Allen] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

The Red Topedo [Captain Jim Lockhart]; X-1 [William Wotan] (villain, introduction); Wotan's submarine pirates (villains, introduction for all)

Indexer Notes

The Who's Who verifies, as do Mike Kooiman and Jim Amash in the Quality Companion, that Kiefer, not only created this feature, but did the art for it through the strip's entire run. However, the Who's Who does not specify a writer for the strip (although Kiefer is usually considered to have written it) so a ? has been placed after his name as writer.

Drew Allen is Kiefer's pen-name used on the strip.

In Double Trouble (Table of Contents: 7)

Slap Happy Pappy / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

Gill Fox (signed)

Pencils:

Gill Fox (signed)

Inks:

Gill Fox

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

humor

Indexer Notes

Cameo: Gill Fox (or at least his hand)

[Captured By Kiroto] (Table of Contents: 8)

Lee Preston of the Red Cross / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script:

Bob Powell [as Terrence Macauley]

Pencils:

Bob Powell

Inks:

Bob Powell

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Characters:

Lee Preston; Major Kiroto (villain, introduction); Kip (introduction)

Gang Czar's Right Hand Man Arrested (Table of Contents: 9)

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

Script:

George Brenner [as George E. Brenner] (signed)

Pencils:

George Brenner [as George E. Brenner] (signed)

Inks:

George Brenner [as George E. Brenner] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

detective-mystery; superhero

Characters:

The Clock [Brian O'Brien]; Pat "Pug" Brady; Lieutenant Foxx; Scar Sizza (villain, introduction); Sparks (villain, introduction, death); Mack (villain, introduction, death)

Synopsis:

When O'Brien is framed and arrested on the testimony of gangster Scar Sizza, Pug disguises himself as the Clock and shoots to death Sparks and Mack.

Indexer Notes

The fact that Pug and Brian were the spitting image of one another served well in future stories to protect the identity of the Clock, since the Clock and Brian could appear together.

Glenna Collett's Greatest Uphill Fight to Win (Table of Contents: 10)

They're Still Talking / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script:

Bob Zupke ?

Pencils:

B. W. Depew

Inks:

B. W. Depew

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

A Way to Mark Husbands (Table of Contents: 11)

Rube Goldberg's Side Show / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script:

Rube Goldberg

Pencils:

Rube Goldberg

Inks:

Rube Goldberg

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

humor

Reprints:

• From newspaper strips.

The Death-Ray Decoy (Table of Contents: 12)

Wizard Wells / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script:

Harry Francis Campbell (signed)

Pencils:

Harry Francis Campbell (signed)

Inks:

Harry Francis Campbell (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

adventure

Characters:

Wizard Wells; Tug; Mary Perry; Smythe (introduction); Hitlin (villain, introduction); foreign spies (villain, introduction)

Scourge of the Skies (Table of Contents: 13)

Eric Vale / text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

Larry Spain

Letters:

typeset

Characters:

Eric Vale

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (Table of Contents: 14)

Screen Snapshots / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script:

Gill Fox

Pencils:

Gill Fox

Inks:

Gill Fox

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

biography

[Mystery At Windward Castle] (Table of Contents: 15)

Madam Fatal / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script:

Art Pinajian (signed)

Pencils:

Art Pinajian (signed)

Inks:

Art Pinajian (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Madam Fatal [Richard Stanton]; John Gordon (introduction); Betty Gordon (introduction); Jack Dale (introduction); Ross (villain, introduction, death); Slade (villain, introduction); Max (villain, introduction)

["After Alice Furze gets rid of the man who helped tie up Jane..."] (Table of Contents: 16)

Jane Arden / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

Monte Barrett

Pencils:

Russell Ross [as Russell E. Ross]

Inks:

Russell Ross [as Russell E. Ross]

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

drama

Reprints:

• from Jane Arden Sundays (Tribune) xxxx-xx-xx - xxxx-xx-xx

["Oh, Dan'l! You're wounded!"] (Table of Contents: 17)

Lena Pry / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

Monte Barrett

Pencils:

Russell Ross [as Russell E. Ross]

Inks:

Russell Ross [as Russell E. Ross]

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

humor

Reprints:

• from Lena Pry Sundays (Tribune) xxxx-xx-xx - xxxx-xx-xx

Indexer Notes

appears on bottom half of Jane Arden pages.

[The Escape of Lucky Largo] (Table of Contents: 18)

Space Legion / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script:

Vernon Henkel [as Vern]

Pencils:

Vernon Henkel [as Vern]

Inks:

Vernon Henkel

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

science fiction

Characters:

Space Legion; Rock Braddon; Lucky Largo (villain, introduction)