Star-Spangled Comics #16 is an issue of the series Star-Spangled Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1943.
Synopsis for Newsboy Legion: "The Playboy of Suicide Slum"
A not-so-normal day on the streets of Suicide Slum brings an exquisite limousine driving through town. When a little girl wanders into the path of the vehicle, Tommy Thompkins of the Newsboy Legion acts fast to grab her and dash. Jim Harper saw the whole event, as did the car's passenger, Willis Thornton, a banker. Impressed by Tommy's heroic act, Mr. Thornton promises that the fine young lad will be hearing from him soon. Tommy and his newsboy comrades can only wonder what he meant by it. The next day, officer Jim Harper is called in to meet with Mr. Thornton, who had a proposal. The Thornton family wanted to adopt Tommy, and raise him as their own son. Being the boy's guardian, Jim doesn't mind giving Tommy a better life as long as he was okay with it. Tommy wasn't sure how he felt about the idea. He could live the good life, never have to worry about money again, and he'd have a family. But on the other hand, he would be leaving his friends behind, and he wasn't even sure he'd be fit for high society life. After weighing his options, Tommy finally accepts the Thornton's offer. He says goodbye to Gabby, Scrapper, and Big Words, with a promise that they'll see each other again. But, the Thornton mansion is far away from Suicide Slum, and his new family do their best to help Tommy forget about his old life. Dancing lessons, new clothes, friends from a higher class social circle, these are the temptations that lure him further away from his old life in the slums. One day, Tommy takes his girlfriend to meet the old gang. While they act as polite as they can, she finds their ragged appearances to be off-putting. When they excitedly tell Tommy about the fight they had the other day with another gang, she's had quite enough and demands Tommy take her away from these filthy boys, shocked that he was ever friends with them to begin with. He thinks, looking on them now, they seem rougher than he remembers. His former friends have to admit Tommy's turning into a high society playboy.
Tommy's birthday celebration in the mansion is celebrated with a gala of entertainers and guests. Outside, three more visitors arrive, Scrapper, Gabby, and Big Words, carrying a gift they bought after scrimping and saving. The Thornton's butler makes the boys wait outside while he delivers the present, and to ask permission to let the gang inside. Tommy opens the box and pulls out a wild pinstripe suit, which he remembered as one he used to look at through a shop window and long for... However, the other guests look upon the gift with disdain, saying out loud how tacky and awful it looked. Again, Tommy faces a conflict within himself. The Newsboy Legion have been with him his whole life, but his new friends don't approve of them; yet they bought him a nice gift when they didn't have to, though inviting them in might get him laughed at and scorned by his adopted family... and so the butler returns with Tommy's message to the gang, that he was too busy at the moment to hang out with them. Scrapper, Big Words, and Gabby finally take the hint and leave, back to the decrepit slums they call home. As they walk back, the gang chance upon a conversation about Tommy taking place in a fancy auto on the bad side of town. Mr. Thornton's nephew, Melvin Rudd, was concerned that his uncle was beginning to favor the new kid inheriting the family fortune over him. He talks to a group of gangster types that if they could help him frame Tommy for something that gets him removed from the home, he'd then split his inheritance with them. Big Words considers warning their one-time friend, but Scrapper and Gabby are over it, let Tommy take care of himself since he thought he didn't need them anymore.
That night while the house slept, Melvin opens the servants door for his cohorts. The Thornton's are robbed of their jewels and bonds, some of which is hidden in obvious places around Tommy's room. The following morning, the entire household is thrown into an uproar over the theft. Mr. Thornton is about to call the police when Melvin tells his uncle that, perhaps, a certain former street orphan had returned to his old habits. Tommy's room is searched, and traces of the stolen jewelry and bonds found in his dresser drawer and closet. When Tommy is summoned to Mr. Thornton's study, he finds officer Harper there as well. It's all he can do to deny the accusations against him, he knew nothing about any robbery, and that was the truth. But his prior record of being in juvenile court makes his credibility questionable. Thornton offers an ultimatum, that if he returns the rest of the stolen items by tomorrow, he'll be free to go back to the slums, but if he holds out, then charges will be filed and he'll be sent to reform school. But how is he supposed to return something he never took? The rest of his day is spent as an outcast among the wealthy socialites. They all stick their noses up at him, he's never felt more alone. Meanwhile, on his beat, Jim runs into Gabby and the others. They mention to him how they overheard the Thornton nephew planning to set Tommy up. Unfortunately, Jim tells them without evidence there was not a lot the law could do to help Tommy now.
In his soon to be vacant bedroom, Tommy puts on the pinstripe suit the Newsboys got for him and wanders outside to think. He abandoned his old friends because he thought they weren't good enough, now his new friends are abandoning him because they feel he's not good enough. If only he had stuck by the Newsboy Legion, the way they were willing to stick by him. It may have been accidental, or it may be fate, but his aimless wandering brings him to the old corner of Suicide Slum where Gabby, Scrapper, and Big Words were hanging out. He apologizes shamelessly for how he's been acting towards them, telling them he will leave them alone forever if that's what they want. It wasn't. Gabby assures him they know all about the frame-up and that he's no thief, Scrapper pokes fun at Tommy for being a cry-baby, and Big Words promises they'll help him clear his name. Truer friends there never were.
Meanwhile, Jim Harper hasn't been idle. It's true that the law might not be able to help Tommy... but the Guardian can. Jumping across rooftops until he reaches the Thornton place. All he needed to do was find Melvin Rudd and make him tell where the rest of the loot was. But for once, the Guardian has arrived a few moments too late. The Newsboys find Melvin first, as he's pulling out of the driveway in his car. They jump in the vehicle and hand Melvin a good beatdown. Tommy gets behind the wheel as the others force Melvin to take them to where he stashed the stolen goods. They end up turning in to an alley in Chinatown, where Rudd leads them down a sewer tunnel. Onward through the dark, grimy passage they go until it opens up into a room lit by a lamp. And there, on a table, was the jewels and bonds being counted and inspected by a pair of dangerous looking men. The boys find themselves in danger as Melvin lets the thugs take care of them. There was still a sliver of hope, as the Guardian found a note that could only have been left by Big Words. It was his typical coded phrase, basically saying to look for the sewers in Chinatown. But he'd better hurry, because the boys were about to go to a watery grave. The mouth of the tunnel opened up to a platform beneath the dock. The Newsboys were being forced at gunpoint, either they jump in the water or get pumped full of holes. A third option presents itself when the Guardian appears, the tables are suddenly turned as the gangsters get bashed by the hero's shield. Scrapper swings a small anchor on a chain, knocking Melvin off the platform! He struggles to stay afloat, offering to confess everything if only they'll save him... Tommy obliges.
Later at the police headquarters, Mr. Thornton tells Tommy how sorry he is for suspecting him. If he'll give them another chance, Thornton would find plenty of ways to make it up to him. But Tommy already had a taste of the good life, and decided he'd rather stay in the slums with his friends, the Newsboy Legion.
Appearing in Newsboy Legion: "The Playboy of Suicide Slum"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Melvin Rudd (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Willis Thornton (Single appearance)
- Mrs. Thornton (Single appearance)
- Betty Thornton (Single appearance)
- Marie (Single appearance)
- Charles (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Central City
- Suicide Slum
- The Thornton Mansion
- Chinatown
Items:
Synopsis for Star-Spangled Kid: "Perils of the Penny Plunderers"
Home from another adventure, Sylvester and Pat Dugan start counting their tally. One dollar goes in their penny bank box for every crook they captured that day. With four hundred and ninety dollars added so far from months of crimefighting activity, they'll soon be able to invest in new equipment. Pat goes to answer a knock at the door. The minute he does, a funny little man strides in, walks right up to Sylvester's father relaxing in the study, and introduces himself as a salesman. He starts talking about a new criminal identification machine called the Automatic File, that can match he face of a crook faster than any sketch artist. John groans as the man describes how simply entering descriptive data into the Automatic File will help catch any criminal he sees, something that may come in handy for added security to his companies. John's quickly lost all patience for this pitch, and he tosses the salesman out, slamming the door behind him. But Sylvester grabs the man before he leaves, expressing his own interest in the machine. A system that can help them identify crooks quicker would be a boon to their work in crimefighting. Excitedly, the salesman wheels the Automatic File into the garage for a demonstration. Sylvester gives a description, including height, weight, hair color, that is fed to the machine. The projector on top flashes an image of the Needle, enemy of the Star-Spangled Kid, on the wall, which freaks out the salesman. Pat and Sylvester are very impressed. They give another description, and this time Dr. Weerd is displayed. With that, the salesman offers to sell it to his very eager customers for only five hundred dollars! Well, why now? With the money they have in their bank, plus some spare change from their pocket savings, the price was doable. They leave momentarily to get the bank box from the house.
A pack of burglars have intruded on the Pemberton mansion. John was tied up on the ground when Pat and Sylvester enter. Always needing to keep up a cowardly front for his dad, Sylvester "flees" into the adjoining room, letting the robbers follow. Now that they were out of his father's sight, separated by a fancy curtain, it was safe to let loose. The burglars get a hard pounding, but the curtain is pulled down during the fight by accident. Back to acting like a scared young boy and his chauffeur.. they run and leap out the window while John Pemberton watches, ashamed that he had such a weak son... It's strange, but the burglars don't take anything of value from the large house, only the small penny bank with Sylvester and Pat's savings. The salesman, who waited patiently in the garage this whole time, witnesses his two promising customers rushing past him, getting in the car and speeding off, only mentioning to him that they were going to the bank!
The car, as well as its occupants, undergo a transformation. The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy, in the Star Rocket Racer, are on the job once more! They chase the bad guys vehicle to a gas station, for another round of fighting. Stripesy uses a stack of tires to play 'toss' with the crooks, while the Kid cools their heads with water buckets. One tries clubbing Sylvester from behind, but gets a face full of gasoline courtesy of Stripesy. The others hop in their car to escape. A discarded cigarette meets the gas on the ground and catches fire. There was no time to go after the men, the fire was spreading fast! Sylvester and Stripesy rip open bags of sand, pouring its contents over the flames, until they manage to smother it. Stripesy spots something sticking out of the sand on the ground. It was their penny bank! Or rather, one just like it. This bank was stolen from a boy inside the station, who is happy to get it back. But why are crooks stealing penny banks? To find the answer, Sylvester and Pat make their next stop the Peoples Saving Institute, the bank owned by the Pemberton patriarch. Snow was starting to come down hard, so Pat took extra care on the road.
As he walks into the bank in his regular civilian garb, Sylvester acts the bored rick kid on an errand for his father. A listing of every person to whom savings banks were loaned out. The manager discovers that the main list was missing from his files, though he still gave them a carbon copy. Once again in the limousine, Pat and Sylvester go down the list of names. It's lucky that the crooks seemed to be going in alphabetical order, so their next destination was easy to find. The Star Rocket parks near the address on the list, and the two heroes charge through the door. They are ambushed! Clubbed on the head and tied up, so there wouldn't be trouble when the boss had a word with them. Pencil O'Grady knew how to work the numbers. The reason they stole only Penny Banks was because even if they got caught, it'd only be on petty larceny charges, which equals just a few months in jail, as long as they don't steal more than five hundred dollars. And what kid keeps that kind of money in his savings bank? O'Grady even worked out how to deal with the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy; he'll send them for a ride down the icy streets on a sled. They won't survive, of course, but it'll be seen as accidental. Tied up and pushed off a steep hill on a sled, it's all they can do to shift their weight around to dodge oncoming cars. It's Stripesy who gets an idea when an ash barrel is spotted up ahead. He steers the sleigh right into it, dumping the ash in their path, which slows them to a stop. Now they could break out of their ropes and meet the thieves at the last location on the list.
The O'Grady gang are shocked when the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy burst in and start taking names! A few punches and the gang is ready for the cops. O'Grady laughs, saying he won't have to go away for longer than a few months. But what he doesn't know, which Stripesy is delighted to tell him, is that the bank he stole from the Pemberton home had four hundred and ninety dollars in it. With the value of the bank itself being ten dollars, that's enough for a grand larceny charge, which is a maximum of ten years. The math always finds a way.
Back home, the five hundred is paid to the salesman in full, and Sylvester's crime lab has a new upgrade to help with the catching of criminals.
Appearing in Star-Spangled Kid: "Perils of the Penny Plunderers"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Pencil O'Grady (Single appearance)
- Lefty (Single appearance)
- The Needle (On a TV or computer screen)
- Dr. Weerd (On a TV or computer screen)
Other Characters:
- Salesman (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
Locations:
- New York City
- Pemberton Mansion
Items:
- The Automatic File
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Tarantula: "Truants in Trouble"
A day without excitement is a good day for truant officer Ben Wilson. It means kids are staying in school, and not out playing hooky. One of the usual places where he'd catch them is down by the creek, where there's good fishing. Pole and tackle box in hand, he decides to combine business with pleasure, by looking for kids skipping school while also catching some fish. Old Ben catches more than he bargained for when a satchel full of freshly stolen money falls out of a tree into his lap. The owners aren't far behind, it was just unfortunate that Ben should choose this spot on this particular day to slack off, because now he was being taken at gunpoint by two rough-looking fellows to god only knows where!
Meanwhile, it so happens that Pete Plummer and Johnny Jones, two friends who were supposed to be taking Geography class right about now, were skipping school. As they walk along the creek, a sudden strand of silken webbing tangles them up. The Tarantula had been prowling nearby, practicing new moves with his webgun. Moves which now come into perfect play as the little truants struggle in vain. Their explanation is a bit odd. Apparently, while on their way to school, old man Boone's dog began to chase them, and they had to climb a tree to escape. It was truant officer Wilson who saved them, and they were hoping to see him today so he could tell the teacher why they were late yesterday. But so far the only trace of him that Pete and Johnny had found was his hat lying by the creek. It's actually a bit alarming that a truant officer should leave his hat unattended, so Tarantula decides maybe he should have the kids show him where they found it.
The creek. Too shallow to drown in, no current to be swept away. The Tarantula does find discarded wrappers that a bank would put around stacks of money, and they were marked with the name of a bank that's been recently robbed. Now there was real cause for concern... did officer Wilson get himself nabbed by criminals? Luckily, being that his alter-ego is a crime novel writer, he picked up a few tricks on tracking crooks. The boys follow him as he picks up the trail left by the robbers, until they come across an old cabin. The Tarantula warns Pete and Johnny that there might be shooting, so they should stay in cover near the woods where it was safer. As he moves toward the house, shot are fired, and one of the bullets grazes his shoulder. He stumbles and falls into an open well! The gangsters come out of the house to check if the masked meddler was dead, only to find themselves the target of a slingshot and some rocks! A pair of little troublemakers hiding behind a log, Johnny sets up another shot, but doesn't get a chance to take it. He and Pete are grabbed and tied up. Set down next to officer Wilson in an old jalopy, on their way to the gang's hideout in the city. But Tarantula was not dead, just wet. The suction cups on his feet help him climb back out of the well and back onto dry land. He'll have to worry about drying off later, the kids are gone and all he finds in the cabin was a note to one of the bank robbers: "Bring cash to hideout in Wing Warehouse for split". It was signed by Gus Gila, who the Tarantula knew to be a crime boss in the underworld.
The Wing Warehouse, where currently the boys and Ben Wilson were being held, receives another visitor who crashes the party within. Abruptly, the Tarantula breaks through the window and punches out the first gangster in his path! Gus Gila pulls out a pistol, but his shot is ruined by the tackle of young Johnny Jones. The boy quickly gets out of the way as Tarantula tosses the other gangster back at his boss! While hanging from the ceiling, the crime-buster loops coils of silk from his webgun around the beaten gang. Ben Wilson thanks the Tarantula for saving him and the boys, and he promises Pete and Johnny that the school will hear about their heroic acts. The boys reckon they'd be heroes of the school. Heck, they might even be given medals!
Later, back at his home, the Tarantula's alter-ego, John Law, finds inspiration for a new book. A story about a truant officer and two kids who would come across some crooks...
Appearing in Tarantula: "Truants in Trouble"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Gus Gila (Single appearance)
- Joe (Single appearance)
- Louie (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Ben Wilson (Single appearance)
- Pete Plummer (Single appearance)
- Johnny Jones (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Synopsis for Penniless Palmer: "Riddle of the Magic Fiddle"
Pen Palmer is in good spirits. His submission to the Tasty Nut Slogan competition has won the grand prize, five thousand dollars! Bunny and Oxie are thrilled, to say the least, that the rent will get paid this month, and they'll have enough left over for a few good meals other than hamburgers. A client enters the office during the jubilation, but he can't join the celebration because of a problem with his violin. Mr. Castillo, a musician, was supposed to play his Stradivarius violin at the hall tomorrow night. However, as he explains, whenever he hits the high notes, his violin starts playing the boogie all on it's own. What would his audience think if he, a renowned violinist of the classical arts, started breaking into beat music? He didn't want to risk taking it apart because what if something broke? The only other Stradivarius violin for sale in the city was too expensive for his wallet to afford. Castillo lets Pen keep the violin for now, to try and figure out what was going on.
Later that night, while the gang are asleep, some hoodlums break into Pen's home through the window. But the first man that enters clumsily knocks over a nearby table lamp. Pen and Oxie go to check out the sound, still half-asleep, when Pen trips over the same lamp on the floor and falls towards the intruder, causing the man to tumble back out the window. It's no good to chase them, besides it seemed odd that they'd try to steal the Stradivarius now. They could've done it anytime. On the floor, Pen notices their visitor dropped some breadcrumbs, and a scrap of paper with some musical notes.
Morning rises, while eating a cheap breakfast, Oxie finds an article about Mr. Castillo's upcoming show. It would seem he's replacing one of the regular violinists, Anthony Martell, who is not too happy about it. Pen is still wondering about the crumbs and the notes, deciding that maybe Martell can shed some light on them. At his farmhouse, Martell meets the young detective and Oxie. Immediately, they recognize his gardener as the man that broke into their home last night, and they tackle him to the ground! Martell steps in to seperate them, claiming responsibility for his employee's crime of passion. Oscar enjoys music, and wanted to steal the violin for his collection, but he'll be scolded and the damages shall be paid in full. A sound from Martell's pocket, similar to the noise from the violin, blows his cover. That's when Pen figures it all out! He was using trained crickets, hiding them inside Castilli's Stradivarius, to sabotage his performance. The jealous musician calls for his goons, but none of them are a match for Pen and Oxie! The police get called in to deal with Martell, while Pen grabs the cricket basket to show to the client.
The client is pleased, but not as much as Pen who got Tasty Nut's check for five thousand dollars in the mail. He is so excited he leaps up and down in joy... accidently landing on the Stradivarius and breaking it. Pen is almost afraid to ask, but Castillo tells him anyway, the other Stradivarius for sale will cost $4999. At least it leaves one dollar to spare...
Appearing in Penniless Palmer: "Riddle of the Magic Fiddle"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Anthony Martell (Single appearance)
- Oscar (Single appearance)
- Fipps (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Musician Castilli (Single appearance)
Items:
- Stradivarius Violin (Destroyed)
Synopsis for TNT & Dan the Dyna-Mite: "Case of the Spy Proof Catapult"
Chris Morgan has been home from school due to an illness that leaves him in a wheelchair, but he hasn't been idle in that time. With some help from his friend Dan Dunbar, he came up with a new type of catapult for planes leaving a battleship. When Tex visit Chris, he offers to pass his idea along to Captain Tenney of the navy fleet.
The captain is impressed that a young high school boy could come up with such a splendid idea. Of course he'd love to have a large prototype built, with an invitation to Chris and Dan to come out and watch the test run. Later on, in a soda shop, Tex shares the good news with the boys, while a sinister man overhears from the next booth...
The day of the test run comes, the jet is set up in the catapult ready for take off, but Chris is running late. Being in that he was supposed to show how to set off the blast, it meant there could be no test without him. Or maybe there can be... Dan pulls Tex aside knowingly. Out of sight behind the rocket blaster, they touch their rings together. The resulting explosion launches the jet, to the applause and cheers of the navy men. The dynamite duo slip away to find their friend. When they get to his house, TNT and Dyna-Mite discover Chris lying on the floor, his room torn apart! He's dazed, but unharmed, and he tells them that some men broke in and stole his model for the catapult. He stands on his own without needing the chair, something he had hoped to surprise his friend Dan with, and diverts their attention to a locator device. It's a good thing Dan had the foresight to install a special metal plate inside the model, so the machine can pick up the signal and locate it. The car they're driving wasn't too far from here... TNT and Dan go to where they parked their Explosi-car, find the thieves car, and follow from a distance. They needed to see who they were working for.
The men pull into a side street and run into a small corner building. When TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite chase after, they find the room inside is a Nazi meeting place! It doesn't take long to take down the swastika-loving group. When the fighting ends, Dan and Tex stand triumphant.
Appearing in TNT & Dan the Dyna-Mite: "Case of the Spy Proof Catapult"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Chris Morgan (Single appearance)
- Captain Tenney (Single appearance)
Locations:
- New York City
- Southfield High School
Items:
Vehicles:
- The Twin Thunder (Named the 'Explosicar' in this issue)
Synopsis for Robotman: "Robotman Takes an Hour Off"
Robotman is supposed to meet Joan at the Ladies Literary Society club, but along the way he has to rescue an old man from being struck by a truck. By lifting the vehicle in the air, tires still spinning with nothing beneath, he is able to save the old man. Some good samaritans help the man to the sidewalk while Robotman lets the truck go. The weight must have cracked one the pistons in his leg, because he struggled now to move around without limping. A spare parts shop was on this street, so he can get a replacement before meeting Joan. But through the shop window, he can see the owner being attacked by some thugs, so he charges in to put a stop to it. One of the thugs fires a lucky shot that hits Robotman in the eye, shattering his lens. In response, he rolls a large half-ton iron cylinder at them, sending them tripping over themselves trying to run away. The shopkeeper thanks him, but unfortunately he has no replacement pistons to sell. The thugs that were here have cornered the tool market, selling for ten times what it's worth. Besides that, there was the wartime steel rationing, meaning Robotman would need to see a Colonel Greck to see if he'll issue him a priority card.
First, Robotman heads to the Priority Board. It seemed sensible that having a working leg would make it easier to fight the crooked steel racket. The man in charge of the board, Colonel Greck, was none other than the old man whose life he had saved. Even though he owes his life to Robotman, Greck still denies him a card. The reason why becomes apparent when the metal hero gets a closer look at the colonel's face, where signs of makeup was applied. This wasn't Greck! The thugs from before come out of the back room, ready for a fight! Robotman tosses the phony Greck at them, though he moves slower due to his leg. He falls onto a lamp, which breaks and sends an electric jolt through his body, paralyzing him!
Robotman wakes up in a very unfortunate state. He was taken to the racketeers riverside hideout, and worse, they have disassembled his arms and legs from his body! They have a proposition for him; to join their gang. Robotman refuses, and they bang a loud gong next to him, the sound rattling through his metal body. They ask him again, and again he refuses. The gong. After a few more attempts, they decide he's too stubborn as a do-gooder. They commit to plan B, and toss him and his limbs so they sink to the bottom of the river. Robotman wasn't finished yet, though. The water makes him less heavy, so he can scoot along the ground by dragging his torso with his head. He carefully, slowly, positions his torso over one of his arms so that it slides back into the arm slot. With care, he then screws each limb back on in this manner, until he is back together again! He climbs back onto dry land, though the gang have already gone. An old man, tied up, was left behind in their hideout. It was the real Colonel Greck. Robotman unties Greck, who overheard the thugs talking about pushing the civic airport league into buying their bootleg steel.
While running to the airport, Robotman feels his joints clanking from rust caused by the water. He grabs a few rocks of coal off a truck and crushes them in his hands, letting the coal oil that slips out wash down his throat. It'll have to do for now, as he needed to hurry and wrap things up if he wanted to make that meeting with Joan.
The racketeering gang are about to take off in their private plane when Robotman reaches the airport. The propeller is stopped by his mighty grip! Lifting the plane up, he shakes the boys out of the cockpit, leaving them dizzy on the tarmac for police to pick up. There was still time... Though missing an eye, with one leg piston broken, and joints full of rust, Robotman still manages to make the date at the Women's Literary Society. Joan Carter greets her darling Bob in his robot shell. If only she knew the trouble he went to to see her today...
Appearing in Robotman: "Robotman Takes an Hour Off"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Lefty (Single appearance)
- Pete (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Colonel Greck (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Plane
Notes
- Published by Detective Comics, Inc.
- First issue of this title to be edited by Jack Schiff, replacing Whitney Ellsworth, who nevertheless continued to be credited as "Editor."
- Also appearing in this issue of Star-Spangled Comics were:
- Full-page ad for current issue of Boy Commandos #1, on the front side of the back cover
- "Good Books Worth Reading" (text article) by Josette Frank, on the back side of the front cover
- Jerry the Jitterbug by Henry Boltinoff
- Laffs (1-panel gags) by Henry Boltinoff
- 1/3-page ad for current issue of Leading Comics #4
- "The Man On The Bridge" (text story) by Dennis Black
- Full-page ad for current issues of seven non-monthly titles: Mutt & Jeff #6, Green Lantern #5, Superman #20, Wonder Woman #2, All-Flash #7, Batman #14, and All-Star Comics #14
- Private Pete by Henry Boltinoff
- Stamps: "Pulling Boners" (text article) by Sidney M. Elias
- Half-page ad for current issue of World's Finest #8, 96 pages, 15 cents.
Trivia
- Arturo Cazeneuve's inking on this issue's Newsboy Legion story is signed as "Joe Simon."
See Also