Episode #111: Who's Who In ACTION COMICS #1!

Action Comics 1!

Download Episode 111!

Since 2010 is DC Comics' 75th anniversary, this is an appropriate year to focus on some unexplored areas of Superman's corner of the DC Universe. This episode explores the other characters and creators who were also featured, after Superman, in ACTION COMICS issue 1, cover dated June 1938. The websites http://www.comics.org/issue/293/ and http://dcindexes.com/features/comic.php?comicid=5 provided stories synopses, and http://lambiek.net/artists/index.htm provided creator biographies.

All of the stories in ACTION 1 were originally untitled but have since been provided names after DC began reprinting their early stories in Archive editions. After Superman's first story, CHAMPION OF THE OPPRESSED, the other stories, in order of appearance, and with a brief publication history, are:

CHUCK DAWSON: THE A-G GANG 6 pg. western adventure, ACTION 1 - 22, written and drawn by Homer Fleming.

ZATARA: THE MYSTERY OF THE FREIGHT TRAIN ROBBERIES 12 pg. occult, ACTION 1 - 132, 136, 138 & 141, NEW YORK'S WORLD'S BEST COMICS 1 - WORLD'S FINEST COMICS 51, written and drawn by Fred Guardineer.

STICKY MITT STIMSON, 4 pg., crime, only appearance, written and drawn by Russell Cole.

MARCO POLO: 4 pg. historical adventure, ACTION 1 - 17, written and drawn by Sven Elvin.

PEP MORGAN: THE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP, adventure, ACTION 1 - 41, written and drawn by Fred Guardineer.

SCOOP SCANLON, THE FIVE STAR REPORTER, 6 pg. adventure, ACTION 1 - 13, written and drawn by William (Bill) Ely.

TEX THOMSON: MURDER IN ENGLAND, 12 pg. adventure, ACTION 1- 32, Mr. America: ACTION 33 - 51 and the Americommando ACTION 52 - 74, written and drawn by Bernard Bailey. Tex Thomson would be a major character in THE GOLDEN AGE, a four issue DC Elseworld's mini-series in 1993, collected in a paperback edition in 1995. It should still be available.

NEXT EPISODE: Since February is Black History Month, it's appropriate to feature a storyline from the 1940's Superman radio show where the Man Of Steel battled racism in SUPERMAN VS. THE CLAN OF THE FIERY CROSS!

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