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Issue: Smash Comics #23 Public Domain
Publication Date: June 1941
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Disclose Detail
Issues: #23 of 85 Issues (86 Printings)
Title:
Variant: unnamed
Rating:
Publisher: FlagQuality Comics
Brand: Quality Comic GroupView Brand Images2
Indicia Publisher: E. M. Arnold
On Sale Date: 04/18/1941
Volume: none
Pages: 68
ISBN: none
UPC/EAN: none
Price: $0.10 USD
Indicia Frequency:
Content Items: 15 (14 stories, 1 cover)
Editor(s): Ed Cronin ?
Disclose Notes: The on-sale date is from the publication date recorded in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, 1941, New Series, Vol. 36, No. 3.
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Disclose Format
Publication Type: Comic Book
Color: Color
Dimensions: Standard Golden Age U.S.
Paper Stock: Glossy Cover; Newsprint Interior
Binding: Saddle-Stitched
Publishing Format: Was On-Going Series
Format Notes:  
Disclose Reprinted In0
There is currently no data for this Issue being reprinted anywhere.
Disclose Reprinted From0
There is currently no data for this Issue being reprinted from anywhere.
Disclose Images1
Cover, Front
Original Artwork
Digital Edition
Adult Image
Title Page
Indicia on this Page
 
 
Assets0
 
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Disclose Content Items (15 total)
Disclose Issue Images
[untitled]

Illustration  on  Cover, Front
Credits
Penciller(s): Gill Fox
Inker(s): Gill Fox
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: superhero
Feature(s): The Ray
Character(s): The Ray [Happy Terrill]; Bozo the Robot (inset); Espionage [Black X] (inset); The Jester [Chuck Lane] (inset); Midnight [Dave Clark] (inset)
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 1
Disclose
The Beetle and the Tongs

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): ?
Penciller(s): Lou Fine [as E. Lectron] (signed)
Inker(s): Lou Fine [as E. Lectron] (signed)
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: superhero
Feature(s): The Ray
Character(s): The Ray [Happy Terrill]; Bud; Tom Lum (introduction); The Beetle (villain, introduction); Long Woo (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis: To help out during a case involving feuds between rival clans in Chinatown, The Ray gives Bud a "ray ring" that emits a beam to blind people.
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 9
Disclose
The Hijacked War Planes

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): Vernon Henkel (signed)
Penciller(s): Vernon Henkel (signed)
Inker(s): Vernon Henkel (signed)
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: aviation
Feature(s): Wings Wendall
Character(s): Wings Wendall; Spinner; General Harrison
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 4
Disclose
Boomerang Bullets

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): ?
Penciller(s): Jack Cole
Inker(s): Jack Cole
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): Jack Cole
Subject Matter
Genres: humorous, mystery
Feature(s): Wun Cloo
Character(s): Wun Cloo (detective)
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 1
Disclose
The Hundred Grand Hobo

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): Paul Gustavson
Penciller(s): Paul Gustavson
Inker(s): Paul Gustavson
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): Paul Gustavson
Subject Matter
Genres: superhero
Feature(s): The Jester
Character(s): The Jester [Chuck Lane]; Mulligan; Limpy (introduction)
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 5
Disclose Notes: All Gustavson credits verified and courtesy of Terry Gustafson, son of Paul Gustavson.
Disclose
The Ghost Town Bandits

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): ?
Penciller(s): Alex Blum [as S. M. Regi] (signed)
Inker(s): Alex Blum [as S. M. Regi] (signed)
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: adventure
Feature(s): The Purple Trio
Character(s): The Purple Trio [Tiny Todd; Warren; Rocky Hill]; Wolf Fang (villain, introduction)
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 6
Disclose Notes: Alex Blum's gloomy faces are not to be mistaken.

S. M. Regi was a pen-name sometimes used by Jerry Iger, but also by others as a house by-line. Jerry Iger did not write this feature, but Alex Blum, under this pen-name or by-line, did draw the strip.
Disclose
[untitled]

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): John Devlin
Penciller(s): John Devlin
Inker(s): John Devlin
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: childrens, humorous
Feature(s): Archie O'Toole
Character(s): Princess Itchovitch (intro); Archie; Ivan
First Line: King O'Toole! King Itchovich of Slopolio...
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 1
Disclose
Enter: Doc Wackey

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): Jack Cole (signed)
Penciller(s): Jack Cole (signed)
Inker(s): Jack Cole (signed)
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): Jack Cole
Subject Matter
Genres: adventure, superhero
Feature(s): Midnight
Character(s): Midnight [Dave Clark]; Gabby (a monkey); Doc Mortimer Wackey (villain, introduction, reforms)
Synopsis: Midnight faces a foe who administers pills to people that regresses them to infancy, and he is even tricked to ingesting the drug as well. Gabby takes a chance with the antidote, which might kill the subject, but Dave is restored. Then, instead of turning the doctor in, Midnight gives Wackey a chance to reform, working with him and Gabby to better promote his genius.
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 5
Disclose Notes: Dr. Wackey's first name was not revealed until Smash #32. He becomes Midnight's partner by the end of this story.

A diagram of Midnight's Vacuum Gun is shown in this story.
Disclose
The Temple of Mars

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): Lane French [as Will Erwin] (signed)
Penciller(s): Witmer Williams
Inker(s): Witmer Williams
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: espionage
Feature(s): Espionage Starring Black X
Character(s): Espionage [Black X]; Sandra Sanders (introduction), Luigi Piscato (death); Madam Doom (villain)
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 6
Disclose Notes: Williams is credited on drawing this feature.

Will Eisner created the Espionage feature, and Will Erwin was a pen name used by Will Eisner (Erwin was Eisner's middle name), but it also became a house by-line after Eisner's tenure after 1940. Lane French wrote the feature in 1941, followed by Toni Blum (1942) and Otto Binder (1942-43).
Disclose
The Blue Death

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): ?
Penciller(s): Art Pinajian [as Art Gordon] (signed)
Inker(s): Art Pinajian [as Art Gordon] (signed)
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: superhero
Feature(s): Invisible Justice
Character(s): The Invisible Hood [Kent Thurston]; The Crystal Queen (villain, death); Caglio (villain, a magician, introduction, death)
Synopsis: Caglio and the Crystal Queen squabble over a mystical and lethal blue gem, which ends when the magician kiils the Queen and later succumbs to an explosion.
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 5
Disclose Notes: Art Gordon is a pen name for Art Pinajian, and he is credited as writer and artist on this feature by Jerry Bails' Who's Who.
Disclose
The Human Bronzes

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): Harry Francis Campbell [as Duane Byrd Monroe] (signed)
Penciller(s): Harry Francis Campbell [as Duane Byrd Monroe] (signed)
Inker(s): Harry Francis Campbell [as Duane Byrd Monroe] (signed)
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: mystery
Feature(s): The Scarlet Seal
Character(s): The Scarlet Seal [Barry Moore]; Captain Tim Moore; Bernice Fonda (introduction, death); Morta (villain, embalmer, introduction)
Synopsis: The Seal takes the law into his own hands to stop a murderous embalmer who is killing young women and posing them as life-like sculptures.
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 5
Disclose Notes: This feature was created by Manning de Villeneuve Lee, an accomplished fine artist and book illustrator who specialized in historical subjects. His by-line only appears on the first story in #16....after that, the strip was signed "Duane Byrd Monroe", a pen name for which no reference can be found.

The Who's Who lists Campbell as writer and artist in 1940-41.......Lee (called Lee Manning in the Who's Who) wrote and drew the strip in 1940, and Henry Taylor drew the strip in 1941. I'll leave it to other writer/art experts that have access to all the stories (from Smash #2-24) to determine who did what stories story and artwise.
Disclose
Beeskrieg

Text Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): Robert M. Hyatt?
Penciller(s): ?
Inker(s): ?
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): typeset
Subject Matter
Genres: adventure
Feature(s): Jimmy Christian
Character(s): Jimmy Christian
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 2
Disclose Notes: next story "The Hunted Castle"
Disclose
The Capture of Princess Bardia

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): Bob Powell [as Powell Roberts] (signed)
Penciller(s): Bob Powell [as Powell Roberts] (signed)
Inker(s): Bob Powell [as Powell Roberts] (signed)
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: adventure
Feature(s): Abdul the Arab
Character(s): Abdul; Hassan; Pooch (intro,a girl), Princess Bardia; Kibur (Intro, Dies)
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 4
Disclose Notes: Powell is credited as writer and artist on this feature, and his pen name was Powell Roberts, all by Jerry Bails' Who's Who.
Disclose
The Black Death

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): Vernon Henkel
Penciller(s): Vernon Henkel
Inker(s): Vernon Henkel
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: mystery
Feature(s): Chic Carter
Character(s): Chic Carter; Monahan; The Black Death (Intro; Holt); Foster (intro, dies), Worthington (intro, dies); Dr. Parker
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 4
Disclose Notes: Originally credited to Klaus Nordling, but this is Henkel, who is credited on this feature by Jerry Bails' Who's Who. Compare the grinning face with bright eyes with his signed Wings Wendell story.
Disclose
Karl Zoff's Double

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Writer(s): George Brenner ?
Penciller(s): George Brenner [as Wayne Reid] (signed)
Inker(s): George Brenner [as Wayne Reid] (signed)
Colorist(s): ?
Letterer(s): ?
Subject Matter
Genres: science fiction
Feature(s): Bozo the Robot
Character(s): Hugh Hazzard; Bozo; Karl Zoff; Kurtz (Intro for both); Fox (intro)
Reprinting
Reprint Notes:  
Miscellaneous
Pages: 7
Disclose Notes: Wayne Reid is a pen name for Brenner, and he is only credited as artist on this feature by Jerry Bails' Who's Who.

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