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

Issue Details

Issue #88
Published September 1961
Frequency monthly
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 36
Editing Stan Lee
Notes Distributed to newstands in June 1961. This issue includes 10 pages of paid advertisements. Some information on this issue supplied by Tom Lammers, Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, and others via the Atlas/Timely discussion group. Distribution date from Joseph Marek's Marvel Comics Group history website.

Cover Details - "Zzutak!"

Characters Zzutak
Genre monsters
Pencils Jack Kirby
Inks Steve Ditko

13 page story "Zzutak: The Thing That Shouldn't Exist!!"

Characters Frank Johnson (introduction); Yucoya-Tzin (introduction, not named); Zzutak (introduction, origin)
Synopsis An American comic book artist is forced by an Aztec priest to make a monster with magic paints. The artist creates another monster to fight the first, causing the temple to collapse on both monsters, giving the priest amnesia and ending the threat.
Genre monsters
Pencils Jack Kirby
Inks Steve Ditko
Notes Narrated in the first person. Frank Johnson, Yucoya-Tzin and all next appear in Fantastic Four Unlimited (Marvel, 1993 series) #7 (September 1994). This story is divided into two parts: an untitled part one (6 pp) and part two—"Zzutak" (7 pp). Steve Ditko writer credit removed based on information from the Atlas/Timely list.
Reprinted in Fear (Marvel, 1970 series) #3 (March 1971); in Monster Masterworks (Marvel, 1989 series) #[nn] (1989); in Monster Menace (Marvel, 1993 series) #3 (February 1994)

2 page text story "Snowstorm"

Characters Dawson; Mr. Manfredy
Synopsis A hiker lost in the snow meets a scientist who discovered how to transform other metals into gold but lives in isolation so his discovery will not cause turmoil.
Genre science fiction
Letters typeset
Notes Text story with illustration.
Reprinted from Uncanny Tales (Marvel, 1952 series) #47 (September 1956)

5 page story "The Lifeless Man!"

Characters Joey Clark
Synopsis A young boy prefers an old wooden toy soldier to more modern toys. His friends make fun of the toy, but when they are threatened by a bear the soldier seems to drive it off with its rifle.
Genre occult
Pencils Steve Ditko
Inks Steve Ditko
Reprinted in Fear (Marvel, 1970 series) #3 (March, 1971)

5 page story "Punishment!"

Characters Urru
Synopsis An advanced civilization sends a mugger to a prison planet. Only a few moments on this world full of war, crime and disease make him go straight in order to avoid ever again coming back to Earth.
Genre science fiction
Pencils Don Heck
Inks Don Heck
Reprinted in Fantasy Masterpieces (Marvel, 1966 series) #7 (February 1967)