Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Hideki Tojo, and Winston Churchill appear on the anti-Axis, World War II cover by Al Gabriele. Contains the origin of the American Avenger and Roko, a Victory Boys cover appearance, and a Hitler story. Mike Sekowsky art.
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COVER DETAILS
Title:
Introducing the Victory Boys
Characters:
Victory Boys [Victor; Maxie Stein; Kurt Erzberger; Gus Webber]; Adolf Hitler; Benito Mussolini; Hirohito; Winston Churchill ?
Pencils:
Al Gabriele ?
Inks:
Al Gabriele ?
Notes:
There was a prior inking credit to George Klein, but while Michael J. Vassallo notes that the Gabriele credit is "not set in stone", he and the other spotters for the Masterworks identified Klein in enough other places that it seems unlikely that they would have missed him here.
STORY DETAILS
Synopsis:
The publishers donated this space, on behalf of the U.S. Savings Bonds and War Stamps campaign, to published a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., encouraging the boys and girls of America to buy at least one 10 cent Savings Stamp each week to help the war effort.
Pages:
1.000
Script:
Henry Morgenthal, Jr. (credited)
Pencils:
? (illustration)
Inks:
? (illustration)
Letters:
?; typeset
Notes:
Found on the inside front cover.
Title:
Hitler and Hirohito's Hunting Trip
Characters:
Victory Boys [Victor; Maxie Stein; Kurt Erzberger; Gus Weber; Warren Zumwald] (in costume); Adolf Hitler (villain); Hirohito (villain); Benito Mussolini (villain); Hitz (villain); Fritz (villain)
Synopsis:
Hitler and Mussolini need to find a way to hide Germany's difficulties from a visiting Hirohito, so they whisk him off to a castle in the Black Forest. The Victory Boys are nearby, and Maxie is chosen to go hunting for some food for them. He gets captured, and the Victory Boys must confront the three dictators to rescue him.
Inks:
Ernie Hart; George Klein; ? (additional inkers possible)
Notes:
The feature last appeared in Comedy Comics (Marvel, 1942 series) #10, although the characters did not wear costumes.
Next appearance of the Victory Boys in All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes (Marvel, 2011 series) #1.
Title:
Murder, Unlimited
Characters:
The Black Widow [Claire Voyant]; John Marriman (actor, death); Satan (villain); Karl Koodamore (villain, introduction, death); Henderson (villain); Pete (villain, death); Sparks (villain, death); Cross-Face Durok (villain, death)
Synopsis:
Satan sends the Black Widow to collect the soul of Karl Koodamore, a man who arranges murders for money. Afer one of Koodamore's henchmen kills an actor on stage the Black Widow appears, killing one henchman, driving another to suicide, and tricking Koodamore into driving off a cliff.
Pages:
5.000
Pencils:
Mike Sekowsky (signed)
Inks:
George Klein (signed)
Notes:
last appearance in Mystic Comics (Marvel, 1940 series) #7;
next appearance in All Select Comics (Marvel, 1943 series) #1;
The prior writing credit of George Kapitan seems unlikely, and is probably the result of no other writer being listed in Who's Who for the feature. Kapitan worked through Funnies, Inc. from 1940-1945 and co-created the Black Widow, but his Who's Who credits for Timely only go as far as 1941 and this story was produced in 1942 by the in-house art team of Sekowsky/Klein. They were likely working with an in-house or freelance scripter rather than splitting the job with a shop.
Title:
Hills of Horror
Characters:
Jonah Lamb (introduction); Mr. Lamb (introduction, Jonah's father, death); Budd Powers (introduction); Sen Yat (Chinese coolie); un-named Chinese bandits (villains, many die)
Synopsis:
When young Jonah's father dies in an earthquake in Shanghai, Jonah leaves the city to start afresh. He runs into a drifter named Budd Powers, and the two decide to stick together. They run across a village being attacked by bandits, and jump in on the side of the villagers, eventually running the bandits off.
Pages:
6.000
Pencils:
Don Rico; ?
Inks:
Al Plastino ?
Notes:
Caniff-esque adventure. There is a teaser at the end for another of Jonah's adventures to be published in the next issue but it never appeared.
Doc Vassallo characterizes this as "primarily by Don Rico" but with "signs of others including Al Plastino".
Synopsis:
Butch Brogan, a hobo, finds a book of Shakespeare and feels inspired by it, although his fellow hobos mock him. When he sees a dog kidnapped from a woman for ransom, he volunteers to chase after them and retrieve it.
Inks:
George Klein ?; ? (additional inker present, possibly Fred Kida ?)
Notes:
At the end, there is a teaser for more adventures of "Butch Brogan, the Happy Hobo" in the next issue, but they never appeared.
Malcolm Kildale credit per Doc Vassalo and signature on a page on the wooden fence in the splash page. Vassallo also notes that Klein may be a "background inker" on the story. The Masterworks edition lists Kildale & unknown on the pencils, George Klein & unknown on the inks, while Who's Who lists Fred Kida as pencils/inks.
Title:
Sandai and the Atom Smasher
Characters:
The Blue Blade; un-named scientist; Nita (scientist's daughter); Sandai (villain); un-named Japanese spy (villain)
Synopsis:
The Blue Blade heads to the Pacific coast as a result of the Japanese joining the war. Once there, he saves an inventor and his daughter from Japanese spies who were trying to steal his atomic smashing machine.
Pages:
5.000
Notes:
Likely a reworked version of the Fourth Musketeer from Comedy Comics (Marvel, 1942 series) #10. The different artist could explain the costume changes. As no background for the character is given at all in this story, it fits well enough (even though the Fourth Musketeer was specifically the spirit of a dead Musketeer risen to fight the Axis).
There is evidence of last-minute re-lettering of the "Blue Blade" name, and the character is referred to as "the Musketeer" twice in this story.
Next appearance in The Twelve (Marvel, 2008 series) #1, in which he was given the name "Roy Chambers", although he has no civillian name in this story.
The Masterworks edition lists the artist as unknown; in his extended online notes, Michael J. Vassallo comments that "The art is unknown but wild speculation is that this could be an early appearance of Carmine Infantino and/or even Gil Kane." Given the phrasing, this speculation is best left in the notes and not in the credits where they would appear too definitive, even with question marks.
Title:
Dead Man's Warning
Characters:
Cliff Prentiss (death); Pete Lawson (greenhorn prospector); Sheriff McKinley; Andy Cramer (villain)
Synopsis:
The death of an experienced explosives expert in a mountainous area teeming with gold leads Pete Lawson to suspect Andy Cramer, who has been wanting to buy out the claim once held by Prentiss.
Pages:
2.000
Letters:
typeset
Title:
Terror In the Sky!
Characters:
Roko the Amazing [Lon Crag] (introduction, origin); Joe; Menalaos (introduction); Mike; Pete; Mr. McClure (villain, owner of McClure Realty)
Synopsis:
Lon Crag sees some other kids reading Captain America Comics at school and wishes he could be that kind of hero. In art class, his teacher compliments him on his painting of Menalaos, and Lon stays after school to complete it. When he is done, the painting comes to life and offers to grant him a wish. When he says the word "Illium", 16-year-old Lon becomes an adult superhero named Roko with "the wisdom of Ulysses, the battle-prowess of Aggamenon [sic] and the invulnerability of Achilles", and with Achilles's weakness as well.
Pages:
8.000
Script:
Melville Henry (signed)
Pencils:
Jack Alderman (signed)
Inks:
Jack Alderman (signed)
Notes:
Only appearance. At the end, Roko addresses the readers and asks them to write to him. The Masterworks edition lists Alderman as penciler and the inker unknown, while Who's Who lists Alderman as pen/ink.
Title:
Encounter With a Giant
Characters:
Gypo (a gypsy giant, introduction); Bobby (introduction); Bobby's un-named mother (introduction); Gypo's un-named wife (introduction); Gypo's pet dragon (introduction)
Synopsis:
Bobby disobeys his mother by going into the forest where he meets Gypo, a giant who tries to scare him. Bobby is unimpressed, and Gypo feels like a failure, even more so when his normal-sized wife shows up and forces him to come home and deal with his pet dragon who is acting up again.
Pages:
5.000
Pencils:
Ed Winiarski
Inks:
Ed Winiarski ?; Don Rico ?; ? (additional inker possible)
Notes:
At the end there is a blurb asking readers to write in if they would like to see more of Gypo and Bobby. While the Masterworks contents only credits Winiarski with pencils, Vassallo's introduction refers to him as the "artist" with some inks by Don Rico, which implies that Winiarski likely at least partially inked the feature.
Title:
Fish Face Friday
Characters:
Sergeant Dix [Jeff Dix]; Fish Face Friday (a cook, introduction); Mrs. Dix (Jeff's mother); Joe Dix (Jeff's brother); the Japanese (villains, some die)
Synopsis:
Corporal Jeff Dix's furlough is cut short and he is deployed to Panama. Now a Sergeant, he runs into his old friend Fish Face Friday who is the cook on the ship. While on their way to Panama they are attacked by the Japanese, one of whom runs afoul of Fish Face when he tries to poison the food in the galley.
Pages:
7.000
Notes:
This feature was called "Corporal Dix" in the previous issue. The Masterworks edition lists writer and artist as unknown.
Synopsis:
Numerous one-panel gags about silly inventions.
Pages:
1.000
Script:
Lou Paige (signed)
Pencils:
Lou Paige (signed)
Inks:
Lou Paige (signed)
Letters:
Lou Paige
Notes:
Writer verification and letterer credit added by Craig Delich 2012-4-6.
Title:
The Origin of El Gaucho
Characters:
El Gaucho [Don Caldwell aka the American Avenger] (introduction, origin); Carelos Ramerez (Don's best friend); Baron Girbel (villain, introduction); The Baron (villain); the Nazis (villains)
Synopsis:
Don Caldwell, an exchange student in South America, comes to love his new home and studies the legend of their protector El Gaucho, who died many years ago. An old man hears him speak of this, and gives him El Gaucho's costume to carry on the tradition. After defeating Nazis in South America, Don feels he must return to the U.S. to fight Nazis there, becoming the American Avenger.
Pages:
10.000
Pencils:
Vince Alascia (signed)
Inks:
George Klein; ? (additional inker possible)
Notes:
The cover of Atomic Comics #2 swiped from splash page of this story. Ink credit according to Doc Vassalo. The Masterworks edition also lists an unknown as an additional inker, but Vassallo's extended notes published online only mention Klein. In the published introduction, he mentions that Klein may have done background pencils.
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CGC Census Report*
Grade
NG
PG
CVR
0.5
1.0
1.5
1.8
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.2
9.4
9.6
9.8
9.9
10.0
Total
Universal
1
0
0
4
3
0
2
1
0
3
1
1
0
2
4
4
3
2
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
33
Qualified
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Signature Series
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
CGCxJSA
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Restored
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
2
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
Total
1
0
0
4
3
0
5
1
0
6
1
2
1
2
4
4
3
2
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
41
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