This is the 37th 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 37th post covers January 1952 to February 1952.
Tales from the Crypt #29.
Published on January 3, 1952. Edited by William M. Gaines. The comic includes these stories: “Grounds… for Horror!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Davis; “A Rottin’ Trick!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Joe Orlando; “Board to Death!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen; and “A Sucker for a Spider!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Graham Ingels. Cover illustration by Jack Davis. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: I. C. [E. C.]. Cover/indicia date: April-May 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Captain Marvel Adventures #130.
To read the issue online, click here.
Published on January 4, 1952. Edited by Wendell Crowley, Al Jetter, and Will Lieberson. The comic includes these stories: “Double Doom,” by C. C. Beck & Otto Binder, with Pete Costanza; and “The Famine Foiler” and “The Mysterious Invisible Monster,” both by C. C. Beck & Otto Binder. Cover illustration by C. C. Beck, with Kurt Schaffenberger. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett. Cover/indicia date: March 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
New Romances #10.
To read the Alex Toth-illustrated story referred to below, click here.
Published on January 4, 1952. The comic includes the story “Be Mine Alone,” illustrated by Alex Toth, with Mike Peppe. The cover photographer and actors are unknown. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Meridien, CT: Visual Editions [Standard]. Cover/indicia date: March 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories, Vol. 12, No. 5 [#137].
Published on January 4, 1952. Edited by Alice Nielsen Cobb. The comic includes the Donald Duck story “The Screaming Cowboy,” by Carl Barks. Cover illustration by Carl Barks. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: February 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Weird Fantasy #12.
Published on January 11, 1952. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “Project… Survival!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Wallace Wood, with William M. Gaines; “A Lesson in Anatomy!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen; “The Die Is Cast!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Wallace Wood, with William M. Gaines; and “A Man’s Job,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Joe Orlando. Cover illustration by Albert B. Feldstein. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: I. C. [E. C.]. Cover/indicia date: March-April 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
The Vault of Horror #24.
Published on January 18, 1952. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “A Bloody Undertaking!” by Johnny Craig; “…With All the Trappings!” illustrated by Graham Ingels; “Impressed by a Nightmare!” illustrated by Joe Orlando; and “The Death Wagon!” illustrated by Jack Davis. Cover illustration by Johnny Craig. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: L. L. [E. C.]. Cover/indicia date: April-May 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Shock SuspenStories #2.
Published on January 22, 1952. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “Kickback!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen, with William M. Gaines; “Gee, Dad… It’s a Daisy!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Wallace Wood, with William M. Gaines; “The Patriots!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Davis, with William M. Gaines; and “Halloween!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Graham Ingels, with William M. Gaines. Cover illustration by Wallace Wood. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Tiny Tot [E. C.]. Cover/indicia date: April-May 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
The Spirit #1.
To read the issue online, click here.
Published on January 22, 1952. Edited by J. F. Byrne. The comic features select stories originally published in Will Eisner’s The Spirit Sunday-newspaper comic-book insert. The stories include: “The Case of the Counterfeit Killer,” by Jules Feiffer & Jim Dixon, first published on September 16, 1951; “The Curse of Claymore Castle” [also known as “Claymore Castle’s Curse”], illustrated by Jim Dixon, first published on November 4, 1951; “The Plot of the Perfect Crime” [also known as “A Perfect Crime Plot”], by Jules Feiffer & Jim Dixon, first published on October 28, 1951; and “Panic on Pier 8” [also known as “Night on the Waterfront”], illustrated by Jim Dixon. The cover illustrator is unknown. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Real Adventures [Fiction House]. Cover/indicia date: 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Al Capp’s Li’l Abner #87.
Published on January 23, 1952. 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: March 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Two-Fisted Tales #27.
Published on January 30, 1952. Edited by Harvey Kurtzman. The comic includes these stories: “Luck!” by Harvey Kurtzman & John Severin, with Bill [Will] Elder; “Custer’s Last Stand!” by Harvey Kurtzman & Wallace Wood; “D-Day!” by Harvey Kurtzman & John Severin; and “Jeep!” by Harvey Kurtzman & Jack Davis. Cover illustration by Harvey Kurtzman. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Fables [E. C.] Cover/indicia date: May-June 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories, Vol. 12, No. 6 [#138].
Published on February 5, 1952. Edited by Alice Nielsen Cobb. The comic includes the Donald Duck story “Statuesque Spendthrifts,” by Carl Barks. Cover illustration by Carl Barks. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: March 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Captain Marvel Adventures #131.
To read the issue online, click here.
Published on February 6, 1952. Edited by Wendell Crowley, Al Jetter, and Will Lieberson. The comic includes the stories “Station WHIZ Gets Atomic Power,” by C. C. Beck & Otto Binder, with Pete Costanza, and “Mr. Tawny’s Quest for Youth,” by C. C. Beck & Otto Binder. Cover illustration by C. C. Beck. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett. Cover/indicia date: April 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
The Haunt of Fear #12.
Published on February 6, 1951. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “Poetic Justice!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Graham Ingels; “…On a Dead Man’s Chest!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Johnny Craig; “Till Death Do We Part!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Joe Orlando; and “What’s Cookin’?” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Davis. Cover illustration by Graham Ingels. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Fables [E. C.]. Cover/indicia date: March-April 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Dick Tracy Comics Monthly #50.
Published on February 10, 1952. 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: April 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Marge’s Little Lulu #45.
Published on February 11, 1952. Edited by Helen Meyer. The comic includes these stories: “The Case of the Exploding Cigar,” “The Contest,” “The Magic Wand,” “That Awful Witch, Hazel, Again,” and “Cousin Jefferson,” all by John Stanley & Irving Tripp. Cover illustration by Irving Tripp. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: March 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge in “Only a Poor Man”.
Published on February 11, 1952. Edited by Alice Nielsen Cobb. The comic includes the story “Only a Poor Man,” by Carl Barks. Cover illustration by Carl Barks. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Dell. Cover/indicia date: 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Notes
“Only a Poor Man” is Carl Barks’ first duck story with Uncle Scrooge as the marquee character.
Also known as Four Color #386.
Weird Science #13.
Published on February 13, 1952. Edited by William M. Gaines. The comic includes these stories: “A Weighty Decision,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Wallace Wood; “Saving for the Future” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen; “He Walked Among Us,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Wallace Wood; and “Say Your Prayers,” by Albert B. Feldstein & Joe Orlando. Cover illustration by Wallace Wood. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Fables [E. C.]. Cover/indicia date: May-June 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Crime SuspenStories #11.
Published on February 26, 1952. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The comic includes these stories: “Stiff Punishment!” by Johnny Craig; “One Man’s Poison!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Kamen; “Two for One!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Davis; “Four for One!” by Albert B. Feldstein & Jack Davis; and “A Fool and His Honey Are Soon Parted!” 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: June-July 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Frontline Combat #7.
Published on February 28, 1952. Edited by Harvey Kurtzman. The comic includes these stories: “Iwo Jima!” by Harvey Kurtzman & Wallace Wood; “The Landing!” by Harvey Kurtzman & John Severin, with Bill [Will] Elder; “The Caves!” by Harvey Kurtzman & John Severin; and “Mopping Up!” by Harvey Kurtzman & Jack Davis. Cover illustration by Harvey Kurtzman. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Tiny Tot [E. C.]. Cover/indicia date: July-August 1952. Cover price: 10¢.
Next: March 1952 to April 1952.