More Fun Comics #20 is an issue of the series More Fun Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of May, 1937.
Synopsis for Sandra of the Secret Service: "The Brain, Part 1 (of 6)"
Sandra and her new friend Michael are picked out of the sea by a submarine, which also torpedoes and sinks their passenger liner. Captain Snegg commands the sub, and he's employed by a powerful international munitions ring.
Appearing in Sandra of the Secret Service: "The Brain, Part 1 (of 6)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Michael
Antagonists:
- Captain Snegg
- his crew: Fang, others
Locations:
- North Atlantic Ocean
Vehicles:
- Snegg's submarine
- passenger ship (Destroyed)
Synopsis for Spike Spalding: "Prince of Patrania, Part 18 (of 25)"
In the royal palace of Patrania, Prince Philip climbs into his big comfy bed and falls asleep. In a secret passage in the very walls of the palace, Ruppo stealthily makes his way, then uses a secret doorway into the Boy King's very bedchamber! He chloroforms the prince, steals him away, and escapes from the palace. He returns to his lair in the capital city, where he and Count Alex stick young Philip into a cellar.
Next morning Philip's absence is noticed and the alarm is raised. Princess Margo is notified.
Appearing in Spike Spalding: "Prince of Patrania, Part 18 (of 25)"
Featured Characters:
- Prince Philip of Patrania
Antagonists:
- Count Alex
- Ruppo
Other Characters:
- Princess Margo (First appearance)
- Philip's butler
- Marie, chambermaid
Locations:
- Patrania
- capital city
- capital city
Synopsis for Three Musketeers: "Episode 9 (of 25)"
M. Bonacieux runs back to D'Artagnan's house, yelping for help, pursued by the Cardinal's Guards. Porthos and Aramis draw steel and square off, but D'Artagnan bids them to stand down, and advises the mercer to go peaceably with the Guards. Bloodshed is averted for the moment and the Guards and Musketeers part on friendly terms. Conversing afterward, it is clear that Athos understands D'Artagnan's plan, and Porthos does not.
Appearing in Three Musketeers: "Episode 9 (of 25)"
Featured Characters:
Other Characters:
- M. Bonacieux, mercer
Antagonists:
- Cardinal's Guards
Locations:
- Paris, France, the 1620s
Synopsis for Dr. Occult: "The Life Ray, Part 3 (of 6)"
Dr. Occult and Rose Psychic, and a months-dead corpse from the night club, in the back of an ambulance, are screeching and skidding away in a driving rainstorm. From an unseen vantage point, a sniper kills the ambulance driver; the vehicle swerves into a pole; everything in the ambulance is tossed about higgledy-skelter, and the cadaver disappears!
The next day Occult has some unproductive conversations with the police and with Rose, then that evening he has a very unexpected encounter with an old friend, Nita Crane, who has been dead for a year! She frantically warns Occult that his body AND soul are in terrible danger, then she runs away.
Appearing in Dr. Occult: "The Life Ray, Part 3 (of 6)"
Featured Characters:
- Dr. Occult, the Ghost Detective
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Lord of Life (Behind the scenes)
Other Characters:
- Ambulance driver (Dies)
- Nita Crane
- Police
Locations:
- Occult's Laboratory / Mansion
- Police Station
Synopsis for Jack Woods: "The Secret Mine, Part 3 (of 6)"
Jack Woods is secretly a Texas Ranger and is infiltrating Val Stanton's outfit. He recruits one rancher, Hines, who has just that same hour been cheated out of his land, and sends him out to the Widow Harkins's place. He returns to the saloon and has a talk with Stanton. Stanton has got one half of a map showing the entrance to a secret gold mine, and believes the entrance is on Widow Harkins's property. He also wants the other half of the map, and believes Mrs. Harkins has it. (She does have it, now, because Jack gave it to her earlier.) Stanton sends Woods out to Harkins's place, to lean on her, so Jack has another conversation with her. Jack has seen Stanton's half of the map, and thinks he can figure out where the mine entrance is. He lays out a plan for ambushing Stanton and his gun-throwers, then borrows the widow's half of the map, and carries it back to the saloon in Red Hill. He gives the map to Stanton, who decides that now is the time to act, deed or no deed. Stanton, Jack, and five heavily-armed cut-throats saddle up and ride out to the Harkins place, where Hines, Harkins, and her ranch hands have found the secret mine entrance, and barricaded themselves inside it, waiting for the raid they know is coming.
Appearing in Jack Woods: "The Secret Mine, Part 3 (of 6)"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Val Stanton, rancher & saloon proprietor
- five gun-throwers
Other Characters:
- Widow Harkins
- two ranch hands
- Rancher Hines
Locations:
- American Old West, 1920s
- Texas
- Red Hill
- Stanton's Saloon
- Harkins's Ranch
- Secret Gold Mine
- Secret Gold Mine
- Red Hill
- Texas
Synopsis for Pep Morgan: "Soccer"
Pep chases an errant soccer ball into the girls' dorm and gets himself into an awkward situation.
Appearing in Pep Morgan: "Soccer"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Riverdale Soccer Team
- Riverdale Girls' Dorm Residents
Locations:
Synopsis for Ivanhoe: "Episode 19 (of 26)"
The Preceptor and Brian de Bois-Guilbert have Rebecca confined in the monastery. The Grand Master of the Order finds out about it, and Preceptor Malvoison is roundly scolded, but to excuse himself Malvoison declares that Rebecca is a witch and has ensorceled Bois-Guilbert. Grand Master buys this, and commands that the great hall be made ready for a trial!
The Preceptor hurries to tell Brian about this, but refuses to help with Bois-Guilbert's proposed rescue attempt. Malvoison next confers with Conrade Mont-Pitchet; this trial is a crisis for them. Unless Rebecca is found guilty, their gooses are cooked, and they fear that the evidence against her is not strong enough. They hire two "witnesses" then proceed to trial. Soon all are assembled and the trial begins. As Rebecca is perp-walked into the great hall, somebody slips a note into her hand.
Appearing in Ivanhoe: "Episode 19 (of 26)"
Featured Characters:
- Wilfred of Ivanhoe (Behind the scenes)
Supporting Characters:
- Rebecca
Antagonists:
- Preceptor Malvoison
- Brian de Bois-Guilbert
- Lucas de Beaumanoir, Grand-Master of the Templars
- Conrade Mont-Pitchet
Locations:
Synopsis for Brad Hardy: "In the Forbidden City, Part 8 (of 9)"
Brad Hardy and Prince Kardos continue their journey thru the hot, dangerous forest. They encounter a fight between two giant monsters. The titanic struggle of the enormous beasts lays waste a wide swath of forest, and the two men are lucky to not be trampled. Finally one of the beasts kills the other and then, before devouring its prey, sniffs cautiously at the air; it detects Brad and Kardos, and charges right at them!
Appearing in Brad Hardy: "In the Forbidden City, Part 8 (of 9)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Monsters:
- giant violent animals of two new species
Locations:
- Kingdoms of the Underworld
- City of the Grey People
- Grey Forest
Synopsis for Barry O'Neill: "Fang Gow of China, Part 20 (of 35)"
Fang Gow's gunmen are demanding that Dr. Bonfils check on Fang Gow, with a giant swordsman looming over him to ensure compliance. Barry O'Neill, disguised as a Chinese assassin, is quietly standing behind the giant. Once the guide and the doctor have left the room, Barry steps out, gun in hand, to rescue Le Grand and Jean. They don't recognize Barry, and start to leave by the wrong doorway, he turns his head to warn them, and the snake-quick Mongolian giant punches O'Neill in the head. The swordsman yanks off Barry's mask, everybody recognizes him, and the giant swings back to lop off his head; Jean shoots him dead. Another henchman steps in, grabs Jean thru some curtains and into the next room, slams an iron portcullis into place, and laughs as Barry and the Inspector hurl themselves futilely against it.
Appearing in Barry O'Neill: "Fang Gow of China, Part 20 (of 35)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Fang Gow
- many henchmen (One dies)
Other Characters:
- Doctor Bonfils
Locations:
- Paris, France
- St. Michel Cemetery
- St. Michel Cemetery
Synopsis for Hanko the Cowhand: "Introducing Hanko the Cowhand"
Hanko quits his ranch job to search for gold, and lo and behold, he finds some by the river bed. He shows the boys his discovery, but Old Zeke soon arrives to strangle Hanko. Turns out, the gold he found was Zeke's gold teeth, who was placer mining in that same spot.
Appearing in Hanko the Cowhand: "Introducing Hanko the Cowhand"
Featured Characters:
- Hanko the Cowhand (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Old Zeke
Synopsis for Bradley Boys: "In the Wilderness, Part 8 (of 10)"
The Bradley Boys are back within sight of their home, and Harry Matson is anxious to leave them there. The Sheriff has been waiting, and now comes out to greet them. Harry runs away, and Tom and Jack follow him, so the Sheriff and his two tramp informants follow the three of them, into the forest. The three runaways are good at hiding, and the posse is bad at finding hiders; when it gets dark, they give up and go home.
For the next three months, the boys make themselves some pioneer buckskin clothing, and Harry grows a beard.
Appearing in Bradley Boys: "In the Wilderness, Part 8 (of 10)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Harry Matson
Antagonists:
- Minky
- Tatters
Other Characters:
- Sheriff
Locations:
- Old Jug Mountain
- Gumt River
- Portown
Synopsis for Pelion and Ossa: "Gold Gulch, Part 6"
According to the map, Pelion and Ossa must first go to Three Rocks before finding the bonanza. They ask an Indian for the way to Three Rocks like idiots, to their surprise, the Indian speaks perfect English and is quite the gentleman. The Indian personally escorts the young animals to Three Rocks, but as it turns out, he's heading for the bonanza too, so the boys follow him along. To Pelion and Ossa's dismay, the bonanza turns out not to be a bonanza in itself, but an establishment called "Bonanza."
Appearing in Pelion and Ossa: "Gold Gulch, Part 6"
Featured Characters:
Other Characters:
- Indian gentleman
Synopsis for Mark Marson, of the Inter-Planetary Police: "People of the Red Planet, Part 6 (of 11)"
In Monarch Sarno's throne room, atop a tower near I-P HQ in Ciralia, Ciro, Mark Marson stalls for time by bargaining with Sarno, who spurns his deal, and slaps Marson with a glove. Sgt. Montague loses his temper at this, and lays out Sarno with one punch. Sarno's three guards pick up their poisoned lances and rush at Mark and Monty, who out-fight them decisively. Marson kills one guard with a thrown spear.
In his laboratory, Lordi has been monitoring this on the TellaMirror system, and he throws a switch which
floods the throne room with deadly gas.
Appearing in Mark Marson, of the Inter-Planetary Police: "People of the Red Planet, Part 6 (of 11)"
Featured Characters:
- Mark Marson, of the Inter-Planetary Police
Supporting Characters:
- Inter-Planetary Police
- Sergeant Montague
- Gail Hillary
Antagonists:
- Monarch Sarno
- Lordi, Chief of the Laboratories
- many minions (One Dies)
Era:
- 2060
Locations:
- Planet Ciro
- Planet of the Red People
- Palace of Sarno
Items:
- Sarno's Spaceaphone communications system
- TellaMirror system
- TellaMirror system
Synopsis for Bob Merritt: "The Mystery Plane, Part 16 (of 25)"
In a cavern branching deeply under the Merritt Company's camp, high in the Alaskan Rockies, Dickie Saunders is about to have his head chopped off, while his co-workers think he's simply stepped out to do some hunting. Meanwhile Bob Merritt has flown back to the mysterious volcano cauldron for another, closer look; this time he lands the Bumblebee at the foot of the mountain. Shedding most of his cold-weather gear, Bob scales the volcanic cone. Somewhere behind him, a figure steps out of the shadows and sends a flashing light signal to some robed men, higher up on the slope; these now attack Bob and capture him. They carry him into a cave and down a long, winding passageway. They emerge, in a wide, clear space at the bottom of the volcano's crater, with hangars, aircraft, and a gold-mining operation in progress.
Appearing in Bob Merritt: "The Mystery Plane, Part 16 (of 25)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Bob's Flying Pals
- Dicky Saunders (first name given)
- Shorty
Antagonists:
- Asiatic Priests and Miners
Locations
- Alaska
- Alaskan Rockies
Vehicles:
- Merritt's "Bumblebee"
Synopsis for "Bobby and Scotty"
Bobby's dog, Scotty, has lost the neighborhood race three times in a row, and all the boys are making fun of Bobby and his dog. Bobby tries to train his dog, to no avail, but another idea occurs to him. Bobby convinces the boys to stake all their marbles on another race, and they're all astonished when Scotty comes walking on stilts.
Appearing in "Bobby and Scotty"
Featured Characters:
- Bobby (Final appearance)
- Scotty (Final appearance)
Synopsis for Woozy Watts: "Island Adventure, Part 10"
Black Tom is nearing Woozy Watts. Meanwhile, back on Gooli Islands, Woozy has befriended Duke, the dog that was trapped in the house. The dog tries to guide Woozy somewhere, but Woozy gets tired and takes a nap. When Woozy wakes up, he finds out that the dog has brought a note for him.
Appearing in Woozy Watts: "Island Adventure, Part 10"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Duke (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Black Tom (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Gooli Islands
Synopsis for Little Linda: "Wicked Stepmother, Part 1 (of 4)"
G-Man Watson has arranged for Ned Flint to take the exam for enlisting in the G-Men. Ned takes ten days to recover from the gunshots, just enough to sit up in a chair and read stories to Little Linda. Her sunny personality and cheerful outlook are a big help in speeding his recovery. Finally the day comes when Ned flies off to Washington to take his exam, leaving Linda with her adoptive father Silas, in his big house, where they both miss him.
In a far-off city, two scheming characters, a mother-son team of grifters, are delighted to read about Little Linda's rescue, and Mom spends the last of their money on a train ticket, for herself, to Hillsboro. There, late at night, she shows up at Silas Flint's front door, and demands to see her step-child, Little Linda, claiming to be her legal guardian.
Appearing in Little Linda: "Wicked Stepmother, Part 1 (of 4)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Ned Flint
- Silas Flint
Antagonists:
- Linda's alleged stepmother
- Linda's alleged stepbrother
Other Characters:
- G-Man Watson
- Wilkins, Sila's butler
Locations:
- Hillsboro
- distant city
Synopsis for Wing Brady: "The Tunis Smuggling Operation, Part 2 (of 7)"
In Tunis, at the French Consulate, Lynn Harding is reunited with her long-worried father, who invites Wing Brady to join them for dinner that evening at the Hotel Rocquefort. Walking back to his own hotel, in civilian attire, Brady spots a familiar figure: Abdul-Crim, who has some bad history with the Foreign Legion. Brady shadows him, and is led to the waterfront, where Crim has a pierside meeting with a disreputable-looking ship's captain. Brady hides behind a stack of bales and tries to eavesdrop, while a large thug with a big club sneaks up behind him, and knocks him unconscious.
Wing regains consciousness aboard a small, powerful craft, out in the harbor, tied and gagged but unsupervised. He uses his feet to grab some bedding, move it to a lamp, and start a fire!
Appearing in Wing Brady: "The Tunis Smuggling Operation, Part 2 (of 7)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lynn Harding
- Mr. Harding
Antagonists:
- Abdul-Crim
- smuggling ship captain
- two or more thugs
Locations:
- North Africa
- Tunis
- Hotel Domerich
- French Consulate
- Hotel Rocquefort
- Tunis
Vehicles:
- smugglers' cargo ship
- smugglers' motor launch
Synopsis for "Lieutenant Leeds of the Army Intelligence Service"
General Larkin tells Lieutenant Leeds about a plan to blow up the Panama Canal, so Leeds boards a freighter headed for the canal. Leeds suspects that some explosives will be planted on a ship to blow up the canal, he tells his suspicions to the Captain, who advises Leeds to check his ship's cargo. Sure enough, Leeds finds some explosives, they can't be thrown overboard, since the water would activate the device, so they radio an amphibious plane. Leeds gets on the plane with the explosives and flies off, and right after parachuting, the plane explodes.
Appearing in "Lieutenant Leeds of the Army Intelligence Service"
Featured Characters:
- Lieutenant Leeds (Single appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- General Larkin (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- "some foreign power"
Other Characters:
- cargo ship captain
- ship's doctor
Locations:
- Washington, D.C.
- General Larkin's office
- Panama
- Panama Canal Zone
- France Airfield
- Panama Canal Zone
Items:
- time bomb
Vehicles:
- fast freighter
- amphibious bomber biplane (Destroyed)
Synopsis for Pirate Gold: "Episode 9 (of 18)"
From a cave atop a cliff near the beach on Moraga Island, Jeff Roberts, Gregory Roberts, Captain Dennis, and their new friend with the telescope, observe as the tropical storm tosses an unidentified sailing ship about. The following morning, two bodies wash up on the beach, a beautiful young live girl, and her elderly dead father. They carry the girl back to their cave, and bury the father on a knoll behind the cave. Meanwhile the mutineers resume their interrupted search for their former hostages, but pause to salvage some storm-wreckage flotsam from the beach. Eventually however they do find the cave.
Appearing in Pirate Gold: "Episode 9 (of 18)"
Featured Characters:
- Jeff Roberts
- Gregory Roberts
Other Characters:
- Captain Dennis
- unnamed gunman
- arriving ship's captain (Dies)
- his daughter
Antagonists:
- mutineers: First Mate, Pedro, others
Era:
Locations:
- Pacific Ocean
- Moraga Island
Vessels:
- "Flamingo", 3-masted square-rigged ship
Synopsis for Magic Crystal of History: "Alfred the Great"
Bobby and Binks observe the wars between the Britons and the Danes.
Appearing in Magic Crystal of History: "Alfred the Great"
Featured Characters:
Items:
Other Characters:
Synopsis for Radio Squad: "Dan Bowers, Part 4 (of 6)"
The Jury acquits Dan Bowers, and he has a good laugh at Sandy Kean's expense. Trent starts into some mealymouthed excuse-making, and Kean just lays him out, with an uppercut, right there in the courtroom.
The Radio Squad Chief gets his marching orders from Bowers' attorney, and Sandy Kean starts having administrative problems at the station house. But Kean believes he has got an ace up his sleeve.
Appearing in Radio Squad: "Dan Bowers, Part 4 (of 6)"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Dan Bowers
- his gambling gang
- Amos Twist, Bowers' lawyer
- Jimmy, Kean's partner
- Radio Squad Chief
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Radio Car K-7
Notes
- Published by Nicholson Publishing Co., Inc..
- Indicia calls this issue "Vol. 2, No. 8".
- Starting with this issue, the title in the indicia changes from "More Fun" to "More Fun Comics". The covers have said "More Fun Comics" since issue #9.
- First issue for Hanko the Cowhand by Creig Flessel.
- This issue, Hap the Sap is absent, but returns next issue.
- Last issue for W.C. Brigham art on Jack Woods and Sandra of the Secret Service, next issue replaced by Will Ely.
- First and last issue for Lieutenant Leeds of the Army Intelligence Service by Alex Lovy.
- At the end of last issue's episode of Mark Marson of the Inter-Planetary Police, Marson and Montague were both in manacles. At the beginning of this issue's episode, neither of them are in manacles.
- Last issue for Pelion and Ossa by Pete De Angelo.
- The story in this issue retells, in a slightly different way, many of the events that occurred in More Fun Comics #18 as if they never happened.
- Starting with this issue, Wing Brady by Tom Hickey expands from two pages to four.
- Also featured in this issue of More Fun Comics were:
- Alger's Variety Show by Alger
- Bugville by Dick Ryan
- Fanny by Vincent Sullivan (Final appearance)
- "Fun Club" (promotional text) by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- Just Jokes (one-panel gags) by Whitney Ellsworth
- Just Suppose: "King John at Runnymead", (hypothetical history scenario) by H.C. and A.D. Kiefer.
- Maw, Paw, and Willie, by Henry Lewis (First appearance)
- Pincus by Vincent Sullivan
- Sam the Porter by Alger
- "Talk About Talkies" (text article) by Mary Partrick (After spelling it "Patrick" from More Fun Comics #16 to #19, it now changes back to "Partrick".)
- Thrilling True Stories, by Richard B. Speed & Creig Flessel
See Also