Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #36
Published 1944
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 52
Editing ?
Notes Indicia title is "SMILIN' JACK, No. 36." No code number. Copyright 1938 by Chicago Tribune-N.Y. News Syndicate, Inc. Copyright 1939, 1940 by News Syndicate Co., Inc.

Cover Details

Characters Smilin' Jack

6 page Smilin' Jack story "Mary, you've been swell - You've nursed Dixie..."

Characters Smilin' Jack; Mary; Dixie Lee; Downwind Jaxon; Fat Stuff; Woo Woo
Synopsis Just when Jack is set to marry Mary, his former fiancee Dixie Lee returns, now widowed and blind. Downwind is chased by all the girls he's promised to marry. Fat Stuff courts fellow South Sea islander Woo Woo.
Script Zack Mosley
Pencils Zack Mosley
Inks Zack Mosley
Notes Story begins on the inside front cover in black, red, and white.
Reprinted from Smilin' Jack (Chicago Tribune-N.Y. News Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938

7 page Smilin' Jack story "Oh, Jack - I wish you and Mary wouldn't bother..."

Characters Smilin' Jack; Mary; Dixie Lee
Synopsis Mary and Jack fly Dixie to a specialist to check her eyes. On the way Dixie leaves the plane, not wanting to come between Jack and Mary. She stumbles into a building housing a wind tunnel. Jack and Mary follow and the three are caught inside when the fan motor of the tunnel is activated.
Script Zack Mosley
Pencils Zack Mosley
Inks Zack Mosley
Reprinted from Smilin' Jack (Chicago Tribune-N.Y. News Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938

7 page Smilin' Jack story "Don't worry about your burns, Jack"

Characters Smilin' Jack; Mary; Dixie Lee; Fat Stuff; Woo Woo; Downwind Jaxon; Rabbit
Synopsis While saving Dixie and Mary in the wind tunnel, Jack's legs are badly burned by a steam pipe. While he's recuperating in the hospital, his roommate is Downwind, who was roughed up by all the girls he was stringing along. Meanwhile, Fat Stuff marries Woo Woo. Dixie and Mary both disappear, each thinking Jack is in love with the other girl. To take his mind off his troubles, Downwind convinces Jack to open a pilot training school.
Script Zack Mosley
Pencils Zack Mosley
Inks Zack Mosley
Reprinted from Smilin' Jack (Chicago Tribune-N.Y. News Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938

8 page Smilin' Jack story "Me think me let-um gov-um-ment teach-um me..."

Characters Smilin' Jack; Downwind Jaxon; Fat Stuff; Woo Woo; Rabbit; Longdrink (cameo); Dove (cameo)
Synopsis Jack opens his pilot training classes for college students. One student is a problem as he is deathly afraid of planes. Jack keeps him around, but he doesn't improve.
Script Zack Mosley
Pencils Zack Mosley
Inks Zack Mosley
Reprinted from Smilin' Jack (News Syndicate Co.) newspaper strips from 1939

5 page Smilin' Jack story "Don''t be nervous Longdrink. There's nothing to..."

Characters Smilin' Jack; Rabbit; Madam Mongoose; Longdrink; Dove; Musclebound; Dribble
Synopsis Madam Mongoose gathers a group who all have had trouble with the law. She has a plot to kill pilot training instructors and demoralize their students. First, however, she must deal with a traitor from an earlier venture.
Script Zack Mosley
Pencils Zack Mosley
Inks Zack Mosley
Notes Code number "P.C. #90 438" for Popular Comics #90 is at the bottom of the first page.
Reprinted from Smilin' Jack (News Syndicate Co.) newspaper strips from 1940; from Popular Comics (Dell, 1936 series) #90 [comic book adaptation]

8 page Smilin' Jack story "O-Oh - I - I can't land it alone!"

Characters Smilin' Jack; Downwind Jaxon; Fat Stuff; Rabbit; Madam Mongoose; Longdrink; Dove; Bill
Synopsis Madam Mongoose and Longdrink sabotage Jack's plane before he demonstrates some maneuvers for his class. In a last minute switch, Jack is called away and Bill, the other instructor, takes the plane up and is killed when it crashes. Madam Mongoose's second plan is to give Jack some chewing gum laced with sleeping powder. Jack falls asleep after takeoff, but his student is able to land the plane safely.
Script Zack Mosley
Pencils Zack Mosley
Inks Zack Mosley
Notes Code number "P.C. 91-439" for Popular Comics #91 is at bottom of first page.
Reprinted from Smilin' Jack (News Syndicate Co.) newspaper strips from 1940; from Popular Comics (Dell, 1936 series) #91 [comic book adaptation]

8 page Smilin' Jack story "Honey Lamb! Uncle Theon welcomes you!"

Characters Smilin' Jack; Downwind Jaxon; Madam Mongoose; Longdrink; Musclebound; Dixie Lee; The Head (cameo); Dark Eyes
Synopsis Jack and Downwind attend the Diplomats' Ball, but so does Madam Mongoose. She has Jack and Downwind abducted and flown to her headquarters, where they find Dixie Lee busy folding leaflets, oblivious to their anti-American content. Madam Mongoose turns out to be an associate of Jack's old foe, The Head, and she plans to eliminate Jack, Downwind, and Dixie by taking them into the stratosphere in an unpressurized plane, where they will die from lack of oxygen. The plane ices up and crashes, but Jack, Downwind, Mary, and Madam Mongoose all survive. Madam Mongoose escapes while Jack is going for help.
Script Zack Mosley
Pencils Zack Mosley
Inks Zack Mosley
Notes Code number "P.C. 92-4310" for Popular Comics #92 is at bottom of first page.
Reprinted from Smilin' Jack (News Syndicate Co.) newspaper strips from 1940; from Popular Comics (Dell, 1936 series) #92 [comic book adaptation]

2 page Smilin' Jack story "If I opened up to 40 inches, no doubt this bus would..."

Characters Smilin' Jack; Downwind Jaxon; Dixie Lee; Madam Mongoose
Synopsis Madam Mongoose escapes, but can't resist watching what happens to a military plane that was sabotaged earlier. The sabotage is effective, but Madam Mongoose is killed by the careening plane when it crash-lands.
Script Zack Mosley
Pencils Zack Mosley
Inks Zack Mosley
Notes Story begins on the inside back cover in black, red, and white and concludes on the back cover in color.
Reprinted from Smilin' Jack (News Syndicate Co.) newspaper strips from 1940