Adventure Comics #53

(August 1940)

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

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[The Minute Men of America] (Table of Contents: 2)

The Hourman / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Ken Fitch

Pencils

Bernard Baily (signed)

Inks

Bernard Baily (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Bernard Baily

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Hourman [Rex Tyler]; Jimmy Martin and the Minute-Men of America (introduction); Billy Martin (death); Mrs. Martin; Mr. Bannerman; Regina Bannerman (Mr. Bannerman's niece); Roberts; Tareff (villain, introduction); Tareff's gang (villains, introduction)

Synopsis

The Hourman investigates the suspicious deaths of twelve children who work in a factory owned by a Mr. Tareff. After rounding up the villains, Hourman meets with the brother (Jimmy Martin) of one of the dead children from the factory, and discovers that he is a ham radio operator. The Man of the Hour suggests that Jimmy enlist the aid of hams all over the nation to assist in the fight against crime with Hourman, and that they call themselves The Minute-Men of America!

Indexer Notes

Writer verified by Martin O'Hearn. Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

Rex Tyler lives in Appleton City.

Boys and Girls! Do You Like Mutt & Jeff? (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Mutt & Jeff / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Fang Gow's Daughter (Table of Contents: 4)

Barry O'Neill / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Ed Winiarski

Pencils

Ed Winiarski [as Win]

Inks

Ed Winiarski [as Win]

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Characters

Barry O'Neill; Fang Gow (villain)

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

Just for Fun / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Russell Cole [as Alger] (signed)

Pencils

Russell Cole [as Alger] (signed)

Inks

Russell Cole [as Alger] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Russell Cole [as Alger]

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Hurry, George! We must be going!

Genre

humor

[The Stegosaurus] (Table of Contents: 6)

Fantastic Facts / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

non-fiction

[The Plot of Vas Onga] (Table of Contents: 7)

Mark Lansing / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Howard Purcell

Pencils

Howard Purcell

Inks

Howard Purcell

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Characters

Mark Lansing (introduction); Koda (introduction); Kit (introduction); Tony (introduction); Jada (introduction); Vas Onga (villain, introduction, death); Vas Onga's subterraneans (villains, introduction, death)

Not So Sleepy (Table of Contents: 8)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Gordon Hall (credited)

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

adventure

[The Coast Line Limited Crackup] (Table of Contents: 9)

Federal Men / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel

Pencils

Chad Grothkopf

Inks

Chad Grothkopf

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

detective-mystery

Characters

Steve Carson; Helman (villain, introduction); Blake (villain, introduction)

Junior Federal Men Club Conducted by Steve Carson (Table of Contents: 10) (Expand) /

Junior Federal Men Club / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 11)

Jest Jokes / cartoon / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Sam -- Give Mrs. Schultz a horse with a sense of humor!

Genre

humor

Superman Is on the Radio! (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

The Adventures of Superman / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

The Women Warriors (Table of Contents: 13)

Cotton Carver / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Jack Lehti

Inks

Jack Lehti

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Characters

Cotton Carver; Lupa (guest); The Snake-Hairs (villains, introduction); Amazons (villains, introduction)

[Shanghaied] (Table of Contents: 14)

Steve Conrad Adventurer / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Jack Lehti

Inks

Jack Lehti

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure

Characters

Steve Conrad

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 15)

Sam the Porter / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Russell Cole [as Alger] (signed)

Pencils

Russell Cole [as Alger] (signed)

Inks

Russell Cole [as Alger] (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Russell Cole [as Alger]

First Line of Dialogue or Text

So you're betting on your basketball team to win today?

Genre

humor

Characters

Sam

Indexer Notes

Last appearance.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

Adventure Stamp Page / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[The Great I, Part 2] (Table of Contents: 17)

Socko Strong / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Albert Sulman

Pencils

Joseph Sulman

Inks

Joseph Sulman

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure; sports

Characters

Socko Strong; The Great I (villain); Prof. Watson (introduction)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 18)

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

Script

Bob Kane

Pencils

Bob Kane

Inks

Bob Kane

Colors

?

Letters

Bob Kane ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

If you take good care of Pudgy...

Genre

humor

Characters

Ginger Snap

Indexer Notes

Last appearance in More Fun Comics #53; only appearance in Adventure Comics; next appearance in Batman #4.

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

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

Give and Take / comic story / 0.75 page (report information)

Script

Charles Biro

Pencils

Charles Biro

Inks

Charles Biro

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Hello, John - I brought Reggie along to meet Bobby...

Genre

humor

Indexer Notes

Only appearance.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

Baby Ruth / advertisement / 0.25 page (report information)

[The Loan Sharks] (Table of Contents: 21)

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

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Creig Flessel

Inks

Creig Flessel

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Ma Jenks; Dolly; Gunny (villain); Slick Sam (villain); Gorilla Gus (villain); unnamed loan sharks (villains)

Synopsis

Sandman comes to the rescue of a man beaten up for not re-paying a loan to some loan sharks, but when murder enters the picture, it's time for Sandman to take off the kid gloves.

Reprints

• in Golden Age Sandman Archives (DC, 2004 series) #1 ([December] 2004)

Indexer Notes

Art credits by Craig Delich. We formerly suggested Chad Grothkopf as artist.

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

Johnson Smith & Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

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

The Complete Works of Shakespeare / advertisement / 1 page (report information)