With my invention, the Thought Materializer, I can create into actuality, or destroy, creatures of my imagination! 
More Fun Comics #9 is an issue of the series More Fun Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1936.
Synopsis for "Spring Is Just Around The Corner!"
A merry man takes a walk through the countryside, and exclaims happily to himself that spring is coming soon as the first birds of the season start to appear. Suddenly the man inadvertently steps on a rollerskate and falls down a steep incline before crashing headfirst into a telephone pole. The woozy man starts seeing circling birdies and exclaims that spring is already in fact here.
Appearing in "Spring Is Just Around The Corner!"
Featured Characters:
- Merry man
Synopsis for Sandra of the Secret Service: "The Gavonian Affair, Part 9 (of 13)"
To save the lives of Lothar and Reynolds, Sandra reluctantly agrees to impersonate the missing Princess Yonda. Lothar and Reynolds are returned to the Gavonian dungeons. Sandra appears before the people of Gavonia, and she fools them all, except for young Count de Wex, who slips Sandra a note threatening to expose her unless she meets him at the Black Tower at midnight to explain herself.
Appearing in Sandra of the Secret Service: "The Gavonian Affair, Part 9 (of 13)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lothar
- Reynolds
Antagonists:
- Count Tauru
- his soldiers
Other Characters:
- Count de Wex (First appearance)
- Princess Yonda (Behind the scenes)
Locations:
- Gavonia
- Royal Palace
- Black Tower
Synopsis for Along the Main Line: "The Holdup, Part 1 (of 11)"
At Allendale station, at night, amid a thick storm, a stealthy intruder knocks out the station agent. When train #4417 arrives, with Ed and Jake in the cab, the agent doesn't give the "clear" signal, so Ed stops the train. Ed and Jake enter the station and find the knocked-out agent, then the gun-pointing stranger steps into sight and starts giving orders. He forces Jake to send a telegraph message to Milton Junction, one that's calculated to put Express No. 51567 onto a collision course with No. 4417!
Appearing in Along the Main Line: "The Holdup, Part 1 (of 11)"
Featured Characters:
- Ed, engineer
- Jake, fireman
Antagonists:
- Slick (not named yet)
Other Characters:
- Allendale agent
Locations:
- Red Island R.R., Main Line
- Allendale Station
- Milton Junction
Vehicles:
- train #4417
- train #51567
Synopsis for Spike Spalding: "Prince of Patrania, Part 7 (of 25)"
In Patrania, Prince Philip doesn't know what's going on.
Meanwhile at sea, Pincus sneaks around the enormous yacht, and tries to figure out why Spike has been kidnapped. He overhears that the ship's final destination is the country of Patrania, but in the process, he is discovered by a burly crewman.
Appearing in Spike Spalding: "Prince of Patrania, Part 7 (of 25)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Pincus
Antagonists:
- Alex
- Nikko
Other Characters:
- Philip of Patrania
Locations:
- Atlantic Ocean
- Mediterranean Sea (Destination)
- Patrania (Destination)
Vehicles:
- Patranian Yacht
Synopsis for "In the Wake of the Wander, Part 7 (of 17)"
Jumping from the burning blockhouse, Captain Grim reaches a limb of the distant tree, but it breaks off, dumping Grim upon a stranger, a white man in a white suit, who claims to be an honest trader, on good terms with the Islanders. Grim is suspicious and cautions his second-in-command to keep the crew together and stay put, while he sets off into the forest. He tracks the stranger to the Islanders' village, and watches as he parleys with the Islanders, too far away to hear. The Islanders suddenly turn against the trader, and march him away as a captive. While Captain Grim follows them at a distance and tries to decide what to do, he spots an Islander warrior behind him. Then just like that, the figure falls to the ground, dead, as the "Gray Death" claims another victim.
Appearing in "In the Wake of the Wander, Part 7 (of 17)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Holcomb
Antagonists:
- Hostile Islanders
Other Characters:
- Filson, alleged trader (not yet named) (First appearance)
Locations:
- Island of Missing Men
- old blockhouse (Destroyed)
- old blockhouse (Destroyed)
Synopsis for Barry O'Neill: "Fang Gow of China, Part 9 (of 35)"
Barry and Le Grand reach a radio and call for help. Then they fight their way from the radio room to the bridge, with a handgun and a fire hose.
An amphibious bi-plane is dispatched to rescue the pair, but before it can arrive, one of Fang-Gow's henchmen reaches the paralysis ray and trains it on Barry.
Appearing in Barry O'Neill: "Fang Gow of China, Part 9 (of 35)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Fang Gow (Behind the scenes)
- his henchmen
Locations:
- English Channel, one mile from the mouth of the Seine River
Items:
- Fang Gow's Paralysis Ray
Vessels:
- Fang Gow's Yacht
Synopsis for Don Drake on the Planet Saro: "The Land of the Midgets of Zetruria"
Krenon fires the cannon at Don, but misses and hits the sea beast instead. Betty bare-handedly defeats the midget priests, and turns her attention to Krenon. Unfortunately, help arrives at precisely the wrong time, as the Riders of the Winged Death swoop out of the sky, on their flying bugs. One of them nails a midget priest with a thrown spear, horrifying Betty, who's distracted from keeping Krenon from cutting the rope supporting Don, who plummets into the sea.
Appearing in Don Drake on the Planet Saro: "The Land of the Midgets of Zetruria"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Krenon, Zetrurian Guard Captain
- Zetrurian High Priests
Other Characters:
- Riders of the Winged Death
Alien Animals:
- Zetrurian Sea Monster
- "Winged Death" flying cavalry bugs
Locations:
Items:
- Drake's Atomic Energy Gun
- Zetrurian Cannon
Synopsis for Henri Duval: "The Duped Musketeers (part 4 of 5)"
While Henri Duval is on the roof of the inn, the Musketeers capture Louis and Cecile, and are still looking for Henri. Leaping from the rooftop, Duval yanks a passing musketeer off his horse, and steals his uniform and sword. He then fools the musketeers into searching a nearby alley instead of guarding their prisoners. Henri leaps aboard Cecile's horse and gallops away, along with Louis and the Nobleman, with the cursing, shooting musketeers in hot pursuit, not far behind them!
Appearing in Henri Duval: "The Duped Musketeers (part 4 of 5)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Cecile
- King Louis
- Nobleman
Antagonists:
- False Musketeers
Locations:
- France, Late 17th Century
Synopsis for Jack Woods: "Pancho Villa, Part 6 (of 14)"
Unsure if Jack Woods has succeeded in Dolores Nogales, armed and determined, keeps a courageous vigil alongside her ailing father in the mountain cave, prepared to take extreme measures to avoid capture by Pancho Villa's bandits. Meanwhile, convinced that Jack Woods is dead, Pancho Villa and his men, guided by Pedro Valesque, intensify their search for Dolores and Don Miguel Nogales. Tension rises when the water runs out, and Don Miguel, increasingly weak, asks for water, while Dolores tries to keep him hopeful, confident in Jack's return. At the same time, Jack desperately rides along a path parallel to that of the bandits, in a race against time to save Dolores and her father before Villa finds them. Villa's search for the mountain cave intensifies, raising the question of whether they will discover the way to the hideout before Jack can arrive to the rescue.
Appearing in Jack Woods: "Pancho Villa, Part 6 (of 14)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Pancho Villa
- Pedro Valesque
- many soldiers
Locations:
Synopsis for Slim Pickins: "Escaped Ape, Part 1 (of 2)"
Slim waits until the pie-eating ape falls asleep, then sneaks away. He gets pretty far, but the friendly gorilla easily catches up. Slim shoves the gorilla into a swimming pool; it can't swim. A newsboy alerts Slim to a reward ($100!) posted for an escaped circus gorilla! Slim dives into the pool and attempts to rescue the flailing ape.
Appearing in Slim Pickins: "Escaped Ape, Part 1 (of 2)"
Featured Characters:
Animals:
- Pippo, gorilla (not yet named)
Locations:
- Gloomdale
- Woods
- City Park
Synopsis for Treasure Island: "Episode 5 (of 7)"
In Bristol, Squire Trelawney purchases and refurbishes the Hispaniola, then confers with Long John Silver, who offers to assemble a crew for him. Sailing day approaches, and Jim bids his mother farewell, then Jim and Redruth ride to Bristol in a coach. Tomorrow morning, they shall set sail.
Appearing in Treasure Island: "Episode 5 (of 7)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Widow Hawkins
- Dr. Livesey
- Squire Trelawny
Antagonists:
- Long John Silver (Behind the scenes)
Other Characters:
- Redruth
Locations:
- Western Coast of England, mid-18th Century
- Admiral Benbow Inn
- Squire Trelawney's Estate
- Bristol
Items:
- Captain Flint's Treasure Map
Vessels:
- The "Hispaniola"
Synopsis for "Pelion and Ossa"
Pelion and Ossa get the brilliant idea to hitch their sled to the back of a car for a ride. A policeman sees the young animals perform the dangerous antic and scolds them, but when he tries to untie the sled from the car, the car starts and he's in for a ride. The chief of police scolds Officer Farley for performing such dangerous antic, to the amusement of Pelion and Ossa.
Appearing in "Pelion and Ossa"
Featured Characters:
Other Characters:
- Officer Farley
- Chief of police
Synopsis for Buckskin Jim: "The Mountain Lion, Part 2 (of 2)"
Jim is being lowered into the canyon on a rope when a cougar attacks him, and his rope breaks. Boy and cougar plunge into the river below.
Jim surfaces and swims toward shore, when a man in a canoe comes along and fishes him out of the water. He offers to help find a way for the wagon train to cross the river canyon.
Appearing in Buckskin Jim: "The Mountain Lion, Part 2 (of 2)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Trapper Dan (not yet named) (First appearance)
- Trapper Pete (Behind the scenes)
- Zeb Halliday (Behind the scenes)
Animals:
- Mountain Lion
Locations:
- American Old West, Late 1840s
Synopsis for Bob Merritt and His Flying Pals: "The Mystery Plane, Part 5 (of 25)"
Bob and his new sponsor have reached a deal, now the whole team pitches in to prepare for the trip to Alaska. The fake prospector meanwhile sends a coded telegram to his partner in San Francisco, who in turn sends a coded cablegram to a distant Asiatic military airfield. Soon two groups of three planes each take off, and fly, via Nome, Alaska, toward the Yukon territory.
Meanwhile in San Francisco, at the gang's hide-out, the real Prospector Jake gets himself loose from his bindings and escapes from the house.
Appearing in Bob Merritt and His Flying Pals: "The Mystery Plane, Part 5 (of 25)"
Featured Characters:
- Bob Merritt, Gentleman, Adventurer, and Inventor
Supporting Characters:
- Buzz
- Shorty
Antagonists:
- Prospector impersonator
Other Characters:
- Prospector Jake
Locations:
- North America
- New York
- Long Island
- Merritt's Airfield
- Long Island
- Alaska
- Nome
- California
- New York
- Asia
- Airfield
- Airfield
Synopsis for The Professor: "Zopsaurus"
The Professor needs a Zopsaurus for his next great experiment, so he assembles an expedition to Africa, to capture one. His wealthy brother Noah, from Australia, will finance the expedition and he will join it. Noah buys a sturdy ship, for $3000, cash. Schnooper and Schnatcher join the crew. Unknown to all of them, the three burglars from the Professor's earlier adventure are also aboard, having joined the crew themselves.
Appearing in The Professor: "Zopsaurus"
Featured Characters:
- Professor Joshua (Final appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Noah, Joshua's brother (Single appearance)
- Private Detectives
- Schnooper (Final appearance)
- Schnatcher (Final appearance)
Antagonists:
- Three burglars (Final appearance)
Dogs:
- Schniffer
Vessels:
- sturdy ship from Universal Shipbuilding Co.
Synopsis for Wing Brady: "The Bedouins, Part 9 (of 17)"
Wing gallops across the desert to the scene of the caravan attack; the dead and dying lie strewn about. One old man is able to point out which way they went, and tells Brady of the kidnapped young American woman. Wing writes out a note for Slim and leaves it with the old guy, along with his canteen, and heads off after the abductors.
Soon both Brady and his horse are dying of thirst, and shortly after they catch their first sight of the retreating marauders, the beast falls down and dies. Wing staggers on, but he's already half dead himself.
Appearing in Wing Brady: "The Bedouins, Part 9 (of 17)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- French Foreign Legion
- Slim (Mentioned only)
Antagonists:
- Ali Ben Saad (Behind the scenes)
- Bedouin marauders
Other Characters:
- Laurel Deane (Behind the scenes)
- Nasir, old man (not yet named) (First appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Brad Hardy: "The Living Ape God"
Brad and Lorraine are cornered by the Ape Men in a brightly-lit temple, with an idol of the ape-men's god. Brad grabs a big rock and smashes in the head of the closest ape-man; the others hesitate. Then the giant idol comes to life, and grabs Lorraine by the wrist!
Appearing in Brad Hardy: "The Living Ape God"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- God of the Ape Men
- Ape Men
Locations:
- Kingdoms of the Underworld
- Kingdom of the Ape Men
- Kingdom of the Ape Men
Synopsis for Chubby: "Shouting"
Chubby is very loud while playing with his friends, annoying an adult who is trying to read his newspaper. He tells Chubby to shut up, and moves to another room, but Chubby keeps making too much noise. The man snaps at Chubby, telling him that people who speak loudly are ignorant, but Chubby is quick to point out to the man that he himself is yelling.
Appearing in Chubby: "Shouting"
Featured Characters:
- Chubby (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Grumpy man
- Chubby's friends
- Skinny
- Skinny
Synopsis for Little Linda: "The Bank Robbers, Part 1 (of 3)"
Little Linda waits until Bill falls asleep then quietly slips away, hikes down the road a ways, tries hitch-hiking, and gets kidnapped by two bank robbers. One robber thinks that having Linda around makes them look less like bank robbers; the other argues that it makes them look like kidnapping bank robbers. They have a hide-out in these hills, and enough bushes to hide their car. They feed Linda, and treat her okay, but she has figured out how much trouble she is in and is just starting to figure out what to do about it.
Meanwhile not far away, a roomful of policemen are working over a map, and believe they have figured out where the robbers are hiding out, and have sent a lot of squad cars to that area.
Appearing in Little Linda: "The Bank Robbers, Part 1 (of 3)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Bill, tramp
Antagonists:
- Bank robbers
- Butch
- Slim
Other Characters:
- Local police dept.
Locations:
- out in the country
Synopsis for Magic Crystal of History: "In Ancient Egypt, Part 9 (of 10)"
Word of the strange children's mission, to summon aid from Tutankamen's brother, has worked its way thru the Pharaoh's army's ranks, and stiffens the resolve of these defenders. Before the next dawn, when the expected attack comes, it is battled back with great vigor, and the attackers are routed! Amid the confusion, Bobby and Binks clasp hands and run away from the enemy camp. They still are guided by the star that they've been shown, leading them to Tutankamen's brother's stronghold.
Appearing in Magic Crystal of History: "In Ancient Egypt, Part 9 (of 10)"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Priests of Ammon-Re
- their army
Other Characters:
- Tutankhamen's phalanxes
Locations:
- Egypt, 14th Century BCE
Items:
Concepts:
Synopsis for "Bobby and Scotty"
Bobby is jealous of a couple's date, so he gets his dog, Scotty, to give the man his hat and cane, which the man interprets as him being sent off. While the man is leaving, Bobby pours motor oil on the stairs and the man, as expected, slips. But this last prank ruins Bobby's plan, as while the girl makes sure that he's not hurt, the couple gets back together.
Appearing in "Bobby and Scotty"
Featured Characters:
- Bobby (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Scotty (First appearance)
Synopsis for Woozy Watts: "Two Bit Dinner at Mike's"
Woozy gets a new job as a sign holder for Mike's dinner, and Joe sees this as the perfect opportunity to pull a prank on him. He tells Woozy that the sign on his back is slipping, and "fixes" it for him. Suddenly, everyone wants to go to Mike's, even the police. A while later, Woozy sees a furious Mike approaching him with the police, and he makes a run for it. Joe had modified the sign to offer free dinners at Mike's.
Appearing in Woozy Watts: "Two Bit Dinner at Mike's"
Featured Characters:
- Woozy Watts (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mike
- Joe
Locations:
- Mike's dinner
- Juniper Street
Synopsis for Midshipman Dewey: "Dewey and the Pirates, Part 6 (of 16)"
At night, at sea, aboard the USS Hornet, a mutiny is in progress. The captain meanwhile is out of his quarters, and makes an impromptu tour of the ship, and finds Jack Dewey in the hold, in chains. Dewey tips him off to the mutiny, but there's not a lot they can do about it.
At daylight, having failed to find the missing captain, the mutineers change course, toward some islands, where they plan to hide and disguise their captured ship. They find and capture the captain, but Dewey escapes over the side.
Appearing in Midshipman Dewey: "Dewey and the Pirates, Part 6 (of 16)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Captain Smith (not yet named)
Antagonists:
- Pirates
- Mutineers
Vehicles:
Era:
Synopsis for Hubert: "Magnets"
Hubert sees a truck drop a box full of magnets, he tries to alert them, but the truck keeps on driving. Hubert then takes some of the magnets, but when he walks through a construction site, the magnets are attracted to a steel beam. Hubert is dragged through the air along with the steel beam.
Appearing in Hubert: "Magnets"
Featured Characters:
- Hubert (First appearance)
Synopsis for Rusty: "No Brakes"
Rusty swipes his dad's car and crashes into another car, twice. The other driver gets even by towing Rusty's dad's car to the city dump and pushing it in.
Appearing in Rusty: "No Brakes"
Featured Characters:
- Rusty (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Other Driver
Synopsis for 2023 Super Police: "Captain Kiddlaw, Part 9 (of 12), the Cave"
On a rocky outcropping halfway down the cliff, Rex, Axel, and the guard have all survived their long fall, and are pulling themselves together. Leaving Kiddlaw's stunned henchman behind, Rex finds a cave, and figures it will pass right thru the lava hills, so he and Axel enter it. A stream runs thru the cave and they follow it. They find a boat. Rex has one flare; he lights it off so they can take a good look around. A riot of howling echoes forth as the cave is lit up.
Appearing in 2023 Super Police: "Captain Kiddlaw, Part 9 (of 12), the Cave"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Axel Yoke
Antagonists:
- Captain Kiddlaw (Behind the scenes)
Synopsis for Doctor Occult: "The Vampire Master, Part 4 (of 4)"
The Vampire Master is Bart Moore, a rejected suitor of Mrs. Amster. Doctor Occult and Sander Amster are thwarted by a dropped-in set of iron bars, with Mrs. Amster inside the room with the villain. Another door to that room opens, and a duplicate of the Vampire Master drags a duplicate of Mrs. Amster into the room. With the push of a button, Moore makes the duplicate Vampire Master vanish, and boasts that with his Thought Materializer, he can create and destroy any figure he can imagine! He materializes and dematerializes six different monsters just to illustrate his polnt, then announces his intention, to rule the world and make Mrs. Amster his queen. The soulless duplicate of Mrs. Amster flips out and attacks the Vampire Master, wounding him gravely, then turns to attack Mrs. Amster; but Moore dematerializes the creature just in time! The real Mrs. Amster throws an electric switch which opens the barred doorway, letting Amster and Occult into the room, while the fatally wounded Vampire Master throws a switch which engulfs his laboratory in flames! The Amsters and the Doctor barely escape the carnage.
Appearing in Doctor Occult: "The Vampire Master, Part 4 (of 4)"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Vampire Master (Apparent Death)
Other Characters:
- Sander Amster
- Mrs. Amster
Locations:
- Vampire Master's Lair (Destroyed)
Items:
- Moore's Thought Materializer
Notes
- Published by More Fun, Inc.. Last issue it was "More Fun Magazine, Inc."
- Last issue to use of a one-page comic strip for the cover.
- This is the only cover comic strip without a title.
- The character in this cover feature resembles Charley Fish, but has different hair.
- Along the Main Line begins its first continued story.
- First issue for Bobby and Scotty by Harry Lewis.
- Two pages, published out of sequence and separated by many pages.
- This feature would not return until More Fun Comics #20.
- First issue for A. Leslie Ross art on Brad Hardy.
- The Rat Men of the Black Magician have apparently been successfully escaped from, at the end of last episode, because in this episode the bestial villains are Ape Men.
- First issue for Chubby by Harold Sherman. One page.
- Last issue for Clem Gretter art on Don Drake before taking a hiatus. He returns in More Fun Comics #11.
- First issue for Hubert by J. Muselli and Bill Patrick. Two-page slapstick comedy with no captions nor dialogue.
- No Ivanhoe episode this issue. The feature returns next issue.
- First issue for Harlan David Haskins art on Magic Crystal of History.
- Last issue for The Professor by Eugene Koscik, the story sets up a cliff-hanger, but the feature does not continue.
- No Rambler Jim story this issue. The feature returns next issue, with an origin story.
- First and last More Fun issue for Rusty by Harold Sherman, the feature continues in New Comics #5.
- Last issue for Henry Kiefer on Wing Brady.
- Next month this feature drops out of the line-up, but it returns in More Fun Comics #11, written and drawn by Tom Hickey.
- First issue for Woozy Watts by Russell Cole. Two pages, published out of sequence and separated by many pages.
- Starting this issue, all previously running comic strips (except for two) are expanded to two pages.
- The exceptions are Doctor Occult and Henri Duval by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both of which remain one page long.
- Also appearing in this issue of More Fun Comics were:
- "Acorn Antics" (2-page drawing), by Creig Flessel
- "Books" (text article), by Edith Brittin
- "Hello Again!", by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson and Vincent Sullivan, promoting the new, relatively smaller format for More Fun Comics.
- "King High", (5-page text story) by Vincent Sullivan
- "Talk About Talkies" (text article), by Mary Partrick
Trivia
- This issue of More Fun Comics was the first standard sized comic book.
- Tom Cooper signs his In the Wake of the Wander story as "Mac Fergus".
- Russell Cole signs his Woozy Watts story as "Alger".
- Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sign their Doctor Occult story as "Leger and Reuths".
See Also
Links and References
- Read The Gavonian Affair, Part 9 online.