This is the 29th entry in this weekly series. (For an index of the series’ other published posts, click here.) The purpose is to provide a detailed chronology of the history of North American comic-book publishing. The comics will be presented in order of publication.
While in some instances I will only include key issues of significant titles, I will for the most part be presenting the entirety of the major bodies of work. For example, every comic book with an original Carl Barks Donald Duck story will be featured in the posts. One will get to see something of the context in which the comics were published. With the original Barks duck comics, they will, depending on the year, appear alongside the Walt Kelly Pogo books, the EC “New Trend” titles, and the 1960s Marvel superhero line. This should reflect the books’ presence on newsstands when they were originally on sale.
The publication dates are by and large the on-sale dates the publishers reported to the U. S. Copyright Office. Exceptions will be noted.
Only magazines and books will be featured. Newspaper material will be included only when it has been published in these formats.
If the comic appears to be in the public domain, and a copy is available online for reading at the Digital Comic Museum [www.digitalcomicmuseum.com] or elsewhere, a link will be included in the listing. There may also be a link if an online scan is available for copyrighted material, but only if that material is out of print.
The series will give perhaps as good an idea as one can have as to the worthwhile comics a reader would have found at a retailer at a given point in time. If nothing else, the posts should prove a fun exercise in nostalgia.
This 29th post covers September 1950 to October 1950.
Captain Marvel Adventures #114.
To read the issue online, click here.
Published on September 1, 1950. Edited by Wendell Crowley, Al Jetter, and Will Lieberson. The comic includes the stories “The Curse of the Endless Wishes” and “The World’s Worst Villain,” by C. C. Beck & Otto Binder. Cover illustration by C. C. Beck. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett. Cover/indicia date: November 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Weird Fantasy #16 [#4].
Published on September 6, 1950. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “The Last City,” by Albert B. Feldstein; “The Mysterious Ray from Another Dimension,” by Harvey Kurtzman; “Second Childhood,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen; and “A Trip to a Star,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Wallace Wood. Cover illustration by Albert B. Feldstein. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: I. C. [E. C.]. Cover/indicia date: November-December 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Dick Tracy Comics Monthly #33.
Published on September 10, 1950. Edited by Leon Harvey. The comic features material originally published in Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy daily newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Chester Gould. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Harvey. Cover/indicia date: November 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Marge’s Little Lulu #28.
Published on September 12, 1950. Edited by Helen Meyer. The comic includes these stories: “Hey, Lulu, Listen! I Got Some Big News!” “I Can’t Stand It!” “Gosh!” “Gazo the Hypnotist,” “Shirley the Shadow,” and “The Hat,” all by John Stanley & Irving Tripp. Cover illustration by Irving Tripp. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: October 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
The Vault of Horror# 16.
Published on September 19, 1950. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “Werewolf Concerto!” by Johnny Craig; “Fitting Punishment!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Graham Ingels; “The Grave Wager,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen; and “Escape!” by Albert B. Feldstein. Cover illustration by Johnny Craig. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: L. L. [E. C.]. Cover/indicia date: December 1950-January 1951. Cover price: 10¢.
Walt Disney’s Donald Duck in “Big-Top Bedlam”.
Published on September 19, 1950. Edited by Alice Nielsen Cobb. The comic includes the story “Big-Top Bedlam,” by Carl Barks. Cover illustration by Carl Buettner. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Note
Also known as Four Color #300.
The Marvel Family #53.
To read the issue online, click here.
Published by September 22, 1950. Edited by Wendell Crowley, Al Jetter, and Will Lieberson. The comic includes the Captain Marvel story “The World Hater,” by C. C. Beck & Otto Binder, with Pete Costanza. Cover illustration by C. C. Beck & Kurt Schaffenberger. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett. Cover/indicia date: November 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Two-Fisted Tales #19.
Published on September 26, 1950. Edited by William M. Gaines. The comic includes these stories: “War Story!” by Harvey Kurtzman & John Severin, with Bill [Will] Elder; “Jivaro Death!” by Harvey Kurtzman; “Flight from Danger!” by Johnny Craig; and “Brutal Captain Bull,” by Harvey Kurtzman & Wallace Wood. Cover illustration by Harvey Kurtzman. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Fables [E. C.] Cover/indicia date: January-February 1951. Cover price: 10¢.
Gasoline Alley #1.
The comic features material first published in Frank King’s Gasoline Alley daily newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Frank King. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. St. Louis: Star. Cover/indicia date: September-October 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Notes
The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration was filed for the issue.
There is no credited editor for the issue.
Weird Science #5.
Published on October 2, 1950. Edited by William M. Gaines. The comic includes these stories: “Made of the Future,” by Albert B. Feldstein; “Return,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Wallace Wood; “The Last War on Earth,” by Harvey Kurtzman; and “The Man Who Was Killed in Time!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen. Cover illustration by Albert B. Feldstein. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Fables [E. C.] Cover/indicia date: January-February 1951. Cover price: 10¢.
Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories Vol. 11, No. 2 [#122].
Published on October 3, 1950. Edited by Alice Nielsen Cobb. Cover illustration by Walt Kelly. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: November 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Captain Marvel Adventures #115.
To read the issue online, click here.
Published on October 4, 1950. Edited by Wendell Crowley, Al Jetter, and Will Lieberson. The comic includes the story “Mr. Tawny’s Personality Peril,” by C. C. Beck & Otto Binder. Cover illustration by C. C. Beck. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett. Cover/indicia date: December 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Al Capp’s Li’l Abner #80.
Published on October 5, 1950. The comic features material originally published in Al Capp’s Li’l Abner daily newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Al Capp. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Toby. Cover/indicia date: January 1951. Cover price: 10¢.
Dick Tracy Comics Monthly #34.
Published on October 10, 1950. Edited by Leon Harvey. The comic features material originally published in Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy daily newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Chester Gould. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Harvey. Cover/indicia date: December 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Flash Gordon Comics #2.
Published on October 10, 1951. Edited by Leon Harvey. The comic features material from the Alex Raymond run on the Flash Gordon Sunday newspaper strip. The cover illustrator is unknown. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Harvey. Cover/indicia date: December 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
The Haunt of Fear #4.
Published on October 10, 1950. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “The Hunchback,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Graham Ingels; “The Tunnel of Terror!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen; “The Living Mummy,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Davis; and “Man from the Grave!” by Gardner Fox & Wallace Wood. Cover illustration by Albert B. Feldstein. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Fables [E. C.] Cover/indicia date: November-December 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Marge’s Little Lulu #29.
Published on October 13, 1950. Edited by Helen Meyer. The comic includes these stories: “Lucky Lulu,” “George! Look at Those Leaves Outside!” “In Nothingland,” and “Cousin Pete,” all by John Stanley & Irving Tripp. Cover illustration by Irving Tripp. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: November 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Tales from the Crypt #22.
Published on October 13, 1950. Edited by William M. Gaines. The comic includes these stories: “The Thing from the Grave!” by Albert B. Feldstein; “Blood Type ‘V’,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Graham Ingels; “Death’s Turn,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen; and “The Curse of the Arnold Clan!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Johnny Craig. Cover illustration by Albert B. Feldstein. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: I. C. [E. C.] Cover/indicia date: February-March 1951. Cover price: 10¢.
Crime SuspenStories #3.
Published on October 24, 1950. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “Poison!” by Johnny Craig; “The Giggling Killer,” by Harvey Kurtzman; “Faced With Horror!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Wallace Wood; and “Blood Red Wine!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Graham Ingels. Cover illustration by Johnny Craig. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: L. L. [E. C.] Cover/indicia date: February-March 1951. Cover price: 10¢.
Walt Disney’s Christmas Parade.
Published on October 31, 1950. Edited by Alice Nielsen Cobb. The comic includes the Donald Duck story “You Can’t Guess,” by Carl Barks. Cover illustration by Jim Pabian. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 132 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: 1950. Cover price: 25¢.
Note
Also known as Walt Disney’s Christmas Parade #2.
Boys’ Ranch #2.
Published in October 1950 [see note]. Edited by Leon Harvey. The comic includes the stories “Lead Will Fly at Sunset,” “Apache Justice,” and “The Clay Duncan Story,” all by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby. Cover illustration by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 52 pages.New York: Harvey. Cover/indicia date: December 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Note
The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration appears to have been filed for the issue. However, during the 1950s, Harvey generally cover-dated books two months ahead of publication.
Terry and the Pirates Comics #24.
To read the issue online, click here.
Published in October 1950 [see note]. Edited by Leon Harvey. The comic features material from Milton Caniff’s run on the Terry and the Pirates daily newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Lee Elias. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Harvey. Cover/indicia date: December 1950. Cover price: 10¢.
Note
The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration appears to have been filed for the issue. However, during the 1950s, Harvey generally cover-dated books two months ahead of publication.
Next: November 1950 through December 1950.