Comic books April 1951

Stories and art by Russell Stamm. Comic strip hero Scarlet, who got the power of invisibility from a science experiment, may have been the first female superhero in comics. Scarlet and her pal Sandy investigate juvenile delinquents and encounter the crimelord named Malignant. Gil and Jackie investigate a murder on a pleasure cruise. A solve-it-yourself mystery involving a murder. Also featuring an ad for the Sparkle Plenty Islander Ukette, featuring the Dick Tracy character and the 1950s fad for Hawaiian culture and ukuleles. Beware of These Rackets; School for Crime; The Case of the Rocking Boat; Calling All Sleuths; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Jimmy Wakely stars in "The Secret of Lantikin's Light," "The Town That Vanished," and "Brand of the Badman" (art by Alex Toth). Kit Colby Girl Sheriff stars in "The Mystery of the Underground Trail" (pencils by Gil Kane). Kane cover pencils. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Al Avison (credited as Ham Fisher). Stories and art by Ham Fisher and Art Helfant. Ham Fisher's comic-strip boxer has adventures both inside and outside the ring. Knobby's latest discovery is a half-pint boxing sensation. But danger lurks behind the door, and the spinsterly Nicely sisters are trying to ruin Knobby's happiness. Plus solo stories featuring Little Max and Humphrey. The Strange Mix-Up; Joe and Jerry Dangle Above Death!; Rumpus; Little Max: High Shine; Humphrey: Chop Fooey; Humphrey Battles the Raging River. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Men's interest humor digest with cartoons, jokes and tasteful pin-up photography. 5" x 6.5", 98 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.25.

Add to cart PR 0.5 $31.00 View scans INCOMPLETE. Two center wraps missing, interrupts art and story. 5.5" Cumulative spine split. Cover coming loose at both staples. Lateral spine tearing.

Add to cart GD/VG 3.0 $85.50 or Best Offer View scans Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor.

Return from Mars, art by Russ Heath; Martians want to take over Earth, but they don't invade because even their weakest weapons are so powerful that they would destroy Earth and make it useless to them, so they place agitator spies among the population to incite war. The Man in the Crowd; An evil entity gives a struggling artist a hand, which makes the artist paint well, but also commits murders while the artist is asleep. The Witch Doctor text story. The Lost Land; A man becomes ruler of an underground civilization, but when weapon tests for a planned invasion of the surface go awry and destroy his subjects, he finds himself trapped underground with an immortal lifespan due to radiation treatments he has received. The Train to Nowhere, script by Hank Chapman. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by George Frese. "Femmes and Fowls," art by George Frese; Jughead and Archie try to start an egg farm with a rooster but trade it in for two ducks until Veronica gets mad that they are exploiting the ducks. A Bicycle Is Built for One public service announcement; Jughead warns Archie and Veronica about riding with her on the handlebars and when they get hit by a car, Veronica ends up in the hospital with one leg and one arm in cast. "Flyin' High," art by George Frese; Jughead helps Betty build a kite to impress Archie, but on the way to an open location to fly it, Jughead flies out of the back seat when the kite catches the wind. "A Hair Brained Plot!"; Betty and Veronica think Archie is distracted by girls with short hair, but they decide between them that long hair is best. Ad for Super Duck. "Of Moose and Men"; Jughead helps Moose by writing poems for the new girl, Midgie; Other girls think Jughead is writing the poems on his own behalf and they threaten to beat up Moose if he hurts Jughead. "Second Fiddle"; Veronica asks Uke to play for her in a canoe in the moonlight. Sam Hill ad. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

In order of appearance: "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle" art by Robert Webb; "The Ghost Gallery" art by Jack Kamen; and "The Hawk" and "Long Bow" art by Robert Webb. "The Sick Man Who Slew the Wolf" text story. 52 pages. Full color. Cover price $0.10.

"The Death Kraals of Kongola," art by Maurice Whitman; Kaänga and Ann assist the Jaluos in defending themselves from the war-like Khargas. Untitled story, pencils by Ken Battefield; Colonel Withers leads Terry's camel corps into the desert to capture the raider, Sharane; Terry suggests that Withers ask for the help of the Desert Panther, but Withers declines; When the corps is captured, Terry escapes and assumes his guise as the Panther and leads the Panther's men to Withers's rescue and also manages to capture Sharane. Untitled story, art by Henry Kiefer; Wambi steals the idol of the Tuareks in order to force them to share the jungles food resources. Untitled story; Trader Craig elects to punish the Buhutus after they decline to trade with him on Tabu's advice; He disguises himself as a ghost of a defeated Buhutu foe in order to frighten them into leaving their kraal. Untitled story, art by Ralph Mayo; Treasure thieves Curtis and Hanley steal the Ugandas sacred gold. The Ugandas believe that the Bagamoyos are guilty of the theft; Camilla captures the true thieves and averts a war. 52 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart VG+ 4.5 $26.00 View scan

Cover by Marvin Stein. Art by Marvin Stein and others. Pioneering crime comic Justice Traps the Guilty was produced by the studio of comics legends Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, creators of Captain America. A trucker and his partner are divided when one of them joins a hijacking ring. A killer with a snake tattoo mystifies cops by leaving no mark on his victims. A washed-up boxer steals a gun and turns to crime. Hijackers; Menace At Large; Death Trap; Closeups; Recoil; The Dirty Look; House of Terror. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Photo cover. "The Pied Piper of The West" Chapter I…The Animal Invasion, script by Otto Binder, art by Carl Pfeufer; Almost every night some farm would get raided by rabbits; Then a Pied Piper shows up and offer his help to get rid of the rabbits, by using his flute. "Soft Touch"; Jeeter wants a cup of coffee, but has only a hundred dollar bill. "The Pied Piper of The West, Chapter II" The Coyote Peril, script by Otto Binder, art by Carl Pfeufer; After being flung into the river by Piper and his gang, Ken is saved by his horse, Tarzan. Untitled story; Sluff and Duff are out to take a picture. "Revenge in Red Canyon" text story by Al Packer. "The Pied Piper of The West" Chapter III The Mountain Lion Menace, art by Carl Pfeufer; Ken is chased by a herd of stampeding sheep, and is later trapped by the Piper in a corral full of mountain lions. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Apr. 17 - July 1948. The foppish Profile Preen and his thuggish enforcer Hardtack operate an auto theft ring. The reader is invited to solve a crime before the detectives can. Plus a PSA on the dangers of everyday swindles. Kerry Drake: The Pretty Boy Killer; Jackie Page: The Case of the Frozen Pen; Beware of These Rackets; The Case of Squirrel; Television Program; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Painted cover by Allen Anderson. Stories and art by Gene Colan, Jerry Siegel, Vic Martin, and Murphy Anderson. Sent to Earth to prevent nuclear war, Lars of Mars must first convince TV producer June Conway that he's a real Martian. In the meantime, he is abducted by crime boss Bixby, who forces him to take part in a bank robbery. The writer for the Lars stories is Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman, who said, "I knew people would have difficulty forgetting a Martian with a Swedish name." Captain Ken Brady, Rocket Pilot, battles space pirates, in a story with early art by future Marvel legend Gene Colan. Plus a history of Earth's fascination with Mars and the people who might live there. And fun facts about the solar system. Terrific painted cover by Allen Anderson is a smorgasbord of Golden Age sci-fi tropes. Do People Live on Mars?; Lars of Mars; Villain or Hero?; The Boomerang; Captain Ken Brady, Rocket Pilot: Pirates of the Airways!; Modern Miracles; The Terror from the Sky; Solar Facts. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Movie cowboy Lash Larue is known for his trademark black outfit and his skill with a bullwhip. "Roving marshal" Lash investigates when outlaws force riverboat captains to carry illegal goods down the river. Lash encounters a former circus horse named Backwards, who has been trained to do the opposite of any verbal commands, which sounds like the setup for a joke. When an honest man vanishes with the mine payroll, Lash suspects there's more to the story. Plus a vintage ad for the Captain Video comic, featuring one of the first sci-fi heroes of the television age. The Floating Trunk; Wagonwheels; Busy Bee Beekin; Partner Parker; The Backward Tale; Mail Robbers; Insurance Agent Agar; Patrol Marauders; Foreman Foss; The Terrible Hurd Brother Bandits!; Dusty: No Kick Coming. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD/VG 3.0 $6.70

Painted cover art by Morris Gollub. Lassie photo. The Treasure Hunt, art by Morris Gollub; Mr. Lawrence, Gerry, Rocky and Lassie sail on a treasure hunt guided by Mr. Slinger, Shorty and Otto; Having reached an island with a sunken Spanish galleon, they are in for a surprise. Lassie illustration. Lassie painting by Morris Gollub. 52 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover art by Bob Montana. "A Hit in the Head"; A feud between Mr. Andrews and Mr. Lodge puts a crimp in the relationship between Archie and Veronica. "Readin', Writin' and Rememberin'", script and art by Joe Edwards; As a prank, Slats submits a picture of Miss Gargle to a Hollywood photo beauty contest. Untitled story, script by Bill Woggon, pencils by Hazel Marten (as Bill Woggon), inks by Cassie Bill and Floyd Norman (backgrounds); Katy attends a weight-lifting exhibition featuring K.O. Untitled story, art by Dick Briefer; Jughead loses a rare collectable penny in a gumball machine and tries to get it back. Laugh Puzzle Page by Herb Holmdale. "The Gray Blade"; Ferdie is competing with both Greg and Uncle Blunderbuss trying to impress Suzie with his ice skating. Untitled story, scrip and pencils by Bill Woggon, inks by Cassie Bill and Floyd Norman (backgrounds); Debby's dad is growing tired of being her chauffeur. "On the Spot," script and art by Dave Berg; Betty tries to clean her dress with a flammable cleaning fluid, despite Archie's warning. 52 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

52 page issue. Cover price $0.10.

April 2, 1951. Classic weekly news/photo magazine. In this issue: Judy Holliday; British public school; South American Riviera; and more. 10.5-in. x 13.75-in.; partial color; 124 pages. Cover price $0.20.

Add to cart PR 0.5 $2.50 INCOMPLETE. Chew. Interrupts art and story.

April 9, 1951. Classic weekly news/photo magazine. In this issue: memoirs of Omar Bradley; Spanish village pictorial essay; and more. 10.5-in. x 13.75-in.; partial color; 160 pages. Cover price $0.20.

April 16, 1951. Classic weekly news/photo magazine. In this issue: Esther Williams; Patton vs. Monty; and more. 10.5-in. x 13.75-in.; partial color; 168 pages. Cover price $0.20.

Add to cart GD 2.0 $2.50 View scan Water damage.

April 23, 1951. Classic weekly news/photo magazine. In this issue: the Dalai Lama; mythological monsters; Douglas MacArthur. 10.5-in. x 13.75-in.; partial color; 168 pages. Cover price $0.20.

Add to cart FR/GD 1.5 $2.50 View scan Water damage.

Add to cart FR 1.0 $2.50 View scan 8" total spine split and water damage.

April 30, 1951. Classic weekly news/photo magazine. In this issue: General Bradley; cerebral palsy; Lt. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway; and more. 10.5-in. x 13.75-in.; partial color; 120 pages. Cover price $0.20.

Add to cart FR/GD 1.5 $21.00 View scans INCOMPLETE. Back cover and last page has corner piece clipped. Slightly interrupts art or story.

Stories and art by Marc Swayze and others. Romance comics from Fawcett with tales of love, betrayal, heartache and reconciliation. Judith returns to her hometown after a long absence, determined to get revenge on Arlene and steal Nick away from her. Andrea resents her mother's concerns as she starts dating and carousing with a hip young crowd, but she never thinks to ask why she's so concerned. Nurse Kay has a long string of failed romances with handsome patients, but she's hoping that Jerry will be the one who calls back when he's well again. Loves Last Rites; None So Blind; Gift Horse; The Only One. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $9.50 Tape along spine.

Add to cart PR 0.5 $2.50 INCOMPLETE. Missing pages (affects art and story). Center wraps detached.

Cover art by Irving Tripp. The Spook Tree; Lulu dreams she and Tubby sneak out to the cemetery to touch the wishing tree. Untitled Little Lulu story; Lulu buys a stuffed owl for the Fellers so she can join the club. Lulu Van Winkle; Lulu tells Alvin about the girl who went to sleep for twenty years. Lovesick; Tubby tries everything he can think of to impress Gloria. All scripts by John Stanley, art by Irving Tripp. Two-page text story, Lulus Diry ("Diary"). Back cover has advertisement for five color Little Lulu pinups and Dell Comics Club. 52 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart Good $9.90

Add to cart Good $9.90

Add to cart GD- 1.8 $7.90

Stories and art by Art Helfant and others. Joe Palooka's speechless sidekick from the popular Ham Fisher boxing strip gets his own comic, noteworthy for early versions of Little Dot and other Harvey characters. Max dreams himself into the fairy tale of the Ugly Duckling. Little Max has a rhyming adventure when he visits the circus. Humphrey builds his Humphreymobile, and shows the reader how to make one too. The Ugly Max-ling; Baby Sitter; Being Friendly Is More Fun; Rumpus; Animal Tamer; Humphrey: The Steamboat Race; Little Max Rhymes with Reason; Fan My Brow; Little Max's Make-It Shop; Dreams That Came True; Humphrey: How Humphrey Built His Own Humphreymobile; Now You Can Build Your Own Junior Humphreymobile! 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Painted cover art by Ernest Nordli. Rescued by Telegraph, art by Charles Flanders; The Sioux cut the telegraph wires before attacking a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. The Ghost of Skeleton Canyon, art by Charles Flanders; "The Ghost" is burning barns, murdering sheep herders, and making trouble for cattle ranchers in Skeleton Canyon. The Sacrifice of Little Tree text story by Gaylord Du Bois. Bears and Fishermen, script by Gaylord Du Bois, art by Jon Small; Young Hawk and Little Buck canoe downstream. They escape from a Sioux fishing party and a group of hungry bears. Based on the popular Western TV series. 52 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Western comics featuring the masked hero Lone Rider and other champions of Old West justice. An origin issue of sorts, as the Lone Rider finds and tames his horse, Lightnin'. Then Lone Rider befriends the eccentric but trustworthy recluse known as the Hermit. Plus comics biographies of Daniel Boone and Matoaka, aka Pocahontas. Double Trouble!; The Greatest Trail Blazer!; Lightnin'; Pocahontas... But What Was Her Real Name?; Double Cross Trail; The Hermit's Headache!; Cattle Rustlin' Is a Coward's Game! 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart Very Good $4.80

Add to cart GD/VG 3.0 $3.30

Add to cart Good $2.50

52 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Canadian edition with same content as U.S. edition. Inside front cover is blank; indica appears on bottom of back cover rather than at bottom of first story page. Cover price $0.10.

Photo Cover. Stories by unknown. Art by Bill Ward and unknown. With Bill's hungry lips crushing hers, she thought her decision was made! Read..."Rich Man, Poor Man" starring Bill Casey, Danny, Kathy Lake, Lew Flores, Mr. Haggerty, Mr. Lake, Mrs. Lake and Spike. Also featuring "Out of the Darkness" starring Hank Mills, Rita and Ron and "Teacher's Pet" starring Joy Shane, Laura James, Mal Turner, Sheila and Willis Randolph. Plus the retitled reprint stories "Bitter Years" starring Ben Wildress, Lorna Wildress and Russ Calahan and "Self Centered" (art by Bill Ward) starring Lucy, Luigi, Lynn Lee, Roger Dane and Sam. Also: 2-page text story "Guests at the Wedding" starring Betty Jeffries, Dave Harpel, Dick Sweeney and Ginny Blakely. 48 pages, full color. Cover price $0.10.

Alice Kirkpatrick cover. In order of appearance: "Not Free to Love Him"; "Once Jilted..." reprinted in Complete Love Magazine Vol. 32 (1956) #4; "Wedding Wrecker"; and "My Brazen Proposal". "Help Yourself To Allure: When a Girl Is Afraid of Love, Check up on Your Kisses, How to Be Graceful..." text article reprinted as "The Charm Corner..." in Real Love (1949-56 Ace) #31 and #53, "For a More Glamorous You..." in Complete Love Magazine Vol. 30 (1954) #2, "Tips on Courtship..." in Ten Story Love Vol. 33 (1954) #3, and "The Charm Corner..." in Real Love (1949-56 Ace) #70. 36 pages. Full color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Ken Bald. Edited by Richard E. Hughes. Art by Lin Streeter, Hy Rosen, Sam Cooper, and W. G. Hargis. Tales of romance from legendary early independent comics publisher ACG, one of the earliest of the romantic comics genre of the postwar era. Competition between a man and a woman over a vacant apartment leads to romance; A spoiled, wealthy woman falls for the cop who doesnt let her out of a ticket; A torch singer meets the man of her dreams, but another woman has him in her sights. All's Fair in Love; How To Say No... and Not Mean It!; Traces of a Kiss; What Does He See in Her?; What Does She See in Him?; Is Romance For the Rich?; Apron Strings; You Can't Change a Man; Spotlight on Love; Romance Rating; Popping the Question. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart VG- 3.5 $8.40 View scans

Add to cart Good $4.80 View scans

Cover by George Salter. "Through Channels" by Richard Matheson, plus other fantasy and science fiction stories by Poul Anderson, L. Sprague De Camp & Fletcher Pratt, Bruce Elliot, Idris Seabright, H. Nearing Jr, David Grinnell, Christopher Wood, R. Ellis Roberts, George Paul Elliot, Alan Nelson, and Manly Wade Wellman. Softcover. 5.5-in. x 7.5-in. 132 pages, black and white (all text). Cover price $0.35.

Volume 2, Issue 4 - April 1951. Men's interest magazine focusing on true crime, and war stories. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 68 pages, B&W. MATURE READERS Cover price $0.25.

Cover by C. C. Beck and Pete Costanza. Stories and art by Otto Binder, Kurt Schaffenberger, Pete Costanza, Pete Riss, and Howard Boughner. Fawcett's most popular heroes, the original Captain Marvel (Shazam) and family, in solo and shared adventures. Time-traveling villains Doctor X/Y/Z set out to abduct the greatest geniuses in all history and force them to make super-weapons and doomsday devices. Ebenezer Whitt tries to prove to Billy Batson that he's 200 years old, a claim that rings a bell with the descendant of a swindler who once sold Ebenezer a fake Fountain of Youth. Mary Marvel battles the evil wizard Diavlo, who can not only conjure monsters, but can create duplicates of himself so Mary's not sure who to punch. The Triple Time Plot; Bigby; Boxcar Benny; Lazy Lee; The Marvel Family Puzzle Page; Headline Harry: The Nobleman; Mary Marvel Fights the Likeness Peril; Captain Marvel: The Man Who Lived Two Centuries; Captain Marvel Jr. Fights the Freak Fiasco; Key to Crime; Captain Marvel: The Blackness Plague. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover art by Vern Henkel. The Man Who Wasn't There, art by Vern Henkel. Eyes of Doom. Black Horror text story. Vampire, art by George Klein; A brother brings home a vampire bat that he has captured from a cave; It turns into a beautiful seductress and hypnotizes him into introducing her to his brother, whom she desires as a mate; He warns his brother about her, but the brother thinks he is jealous and leaves; He reads up on methods for dealing with vampires and when the woman flies into a cave, he seals it with a cross, and shoots his turned brother with a silver bullet. The Strange Machine; The leader of the Spanish Inquisition intends to do away with a rival by presenting a strange machine that will prove he is in league with the Devil. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Kurt Schaffenberger. Stories and art by Kurt Schaffenberger, Howard Boughner, Carl Pfeufer and John Jordan. Master Comics was one of the cornerstones of the Fawcett lineup during the 1940s. When two rival gangs want to recruit Freddy Freeman, he decides he's safer as Captain Marvel Jr. Ace and Stooge try to accuse Freshman Freddy of copying their papers - instead of vice versa - but luckily, there's photographic evidence. Western hero Tom Mix plays the odds when he squares off against a group of gamblers. Capt. Marvel Jr. and the Battling Underworld; Muscle Hedd; Nyoka the Jungle Girl: The Dance of Death; Dizzy Daisy; Ozzie: Author! Author!; Vacuum Bloobstutter: Bloobstutter and the Hole Idea; Freshman Freddy: Pictures Don't Lie; Tom Mix: The Missing Card. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.