Comics by the Date: January 1940 to December 1941

This is the second post in this weekly series. (For an index of other published posts in the series, 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.

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 second post covers January 1940 to December 1941.

Superman #4.

Published on January 23, 1940. Edited by Whitney Ellsworth. The comic includes the first published Superman story to feature the villain (Lex) Luthor, by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster. However, it was the second story with the Luthor character that was completed. The initial story with Luthor was published a month later in Action Comics #23 (listed below). Cover illustration by Joe Shuster. St. Louis: Detective [DC]. Cover/indicia date: Spring 1940. Cover price: 10¢.

Action Comics #23.

Published on February 23, 1940. Edited by Whitney Ellsworth & Murray Boltinoff. This comic includes the first completed Superman story to feature the villain (Lex) Luthor, by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster. However, a subsequent story was published first, in Superman #4 (listed above). Cover illustration by Joe Shuster & Paul Cassidy. St. Louis: Detective [DC]. Cover/indicia date: April 1940. Cover price: 10¢.

Detective Comics #38.

Published on March 6, 1940. Edited by Whitney Ellsworth. This comic includes the first Batman story to feature Robin, by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson. Cover illustration by Bob Kane & Jerry Robinson. St. Louis: Detective [DC]. Cover/indicia date: April 1940. Cover price: 10¢.

Batman #1.

Published on April 24, 1940. Edited by Whitney Ellsworth. This is the first issue of the eponymous Batman series. It includes the first stories to feature the villains the Joker and the Selina Kyle Catwoman (here called The Cat). Both stories are by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson. Cover illustration by Bob Kane & Jerry Robinson. St. Louis: Detective [DC]. Cover/indicia date: Spring 1940. Cover price: 10¢.

All-American Comics #16.

Published on May 17, 1940. Edited by Sheldon Mayer. The comic includes the first story featuring the original Green Lantern, by Martin Nodell & Bill Finger. Cover illustration by Sheldon Moldoff. New York: All-American [DC]. Cover/indicia date: July 1940. Cover price: 10¢.

Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories, Vol. 1, No. 1.

Published on September 9, 1940. Edited by Alice Nielsen [Cobb]. This is the first issue of the flagship series of the Dell Comics line featuring the Walt Disney characters. It includes stories starring Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Clarabelle Cow. Cover illustration by Hank Porter. New York: K. K. [Dell]. Cover/indicia date: October 1940. Cover price: 10¢.

All-Star Comics #3.

Published on November 22, 1940. Edited by Sheldon Mayer. The comic includes the first story, by Gardner Fox & Everett Hibbard, featuring the Justice Society of America, the first team of superheroes. The initial character roster included Hourman, the Spectre, and the original versions of the Atom, Doctor Fate, the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and the Sandman. Cover illustration by Everett Hibbard. New York: All-American [DC]. Cover/indicia date: Winter 1940-1941. Cover price: 10¢.

Captain America Comics #1.

Published on December 20, 1940. By Joe Simon & Jack Kirby. The comic includes the first stories featuring Captain America, Bucky, and the Red Skull. Cover illustration by Jack Kirby. New York: Timely [Marvel]. Cover/indicia date: March 1940. Cover price: 10¢.

64 Pages of New Captain Marvel Adventures.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on January 17, 1941. Edited by France Herron. This unnumbered magazine became the first issue of Captain Marvel Adventures. With average sales of over a million copies per issue, this was the biggest-selling superhero comic-book series of the 1940s. Cover illustration by C. C. Beck. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett. Cover/indicia date: 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

Military Comics #1.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on May 2, 1941. Edited by W. E. [Will] Eisner. The comic includes the first Blackhawk story, by Chuck Cuidera, Will Eisner, and Bob Powell. Cover illustration by Will Eisner. Buffalo: Comic Magazines [Quality]. Cover/indicia date: August 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

Police Comics #1.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on May 14, 1941. Edited by Edward Cronin. The comic includes the first Plastic Man story, by Jack Cole. Cover illustration by Gill Fox. Buffalo: Comic Magazines [Quality]. Cover/indicia date: August 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

Police Comics #2.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on July 2, 1941. Edited by Edward Cronin. The comic includes the Plastic Man story “Duelling the Dope Smugglers,” by Jack Cole. Cover illustration by Gill Fox. Buffalo: Comic Magazines [Quality]. Cover/indicia date: September 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

Police Comics #3.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on August 6, 1941. Edited by Edward Cronin. The comic includes the Plastic Man story “The Pinball Racket,” by Jack Cole. Cover illustration by Gill Fox & Will Eisner. Buffalo: Comic Magazines [Quality]. Cover/indicia date: October 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

Police Comics #4.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on September 10, 1941. Edited by Edward Cronin. The comic includes the Plastic Man story “Crime School for Delinquent Girls,” by Jack Cole. Cover illustration by Gill Fox. Buffalo: Comic Magazines [Quality]. Cover/indicia date: November 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

More Fun Comics #73.

Published on September 19, 1941. Edited by Whitney Ellsworth & Mort Weisinger. The comic includes the first Green Arrow story, by Mort Weisinger & George Papp, and the first Aquaman story, by Mort Weisinger & Paul Norris. Cover illustration by Howard Sherman. St. Louis: Detective [DC]. Cover/indicia date: November 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

Police Comics #5.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on October 10, 1941. Edited by Edward Cronin. The comic includes the Plastic Man story “The Return of Madam Brawn,” by Jack Cole. Cover illustration by Gill Fox. Buffalo: Comic Magazines [Quality]. Cover/indicia date: December 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

Pep Comics #22.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on October 15, 1941. Edited by Abner Sundell. The comic includes the first Archie story, featuring Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, and Jughead Jones, by Bob Montana & Vic Bloom. Cover illustration by Irving Novick. St. Louis: MLJ [Archie]. Cover/indicia date: December 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

All-Star Comics #8.

Published on October 21, 1941. Edited by Sheldon Mayer. The comic includes “Introducing Wonder Woman,” the first Wonder Woman story, by William Moulton Martson & Harry G. Peter. Cover illustration by Everett E. Hibbard. New York: All-American [DC]. Cover/indicia date: December 1941-January 1942. Cover price: 10¢.

Detective Comics #58.

Published on October 21, 1941. Edited by Whitney Ellsworth, Murray Boltinoff, and Mort Weisinger. The comic includes the first Batman story to feature the villain The Penguin, by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson. Cover illustration by Fred Ray & Jerry Robinson. St. Louis: Detective [DC]. Cover/indicia date: December 1941. Cover price: 10¢.

Classic Comics #1.

Edited by Albert L. Kanter & Malcolm Kildale. The adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers is by Malcolm Kildale. The comic is the first issue in the Classic Comics/Classics Illustrated line of comics. Cover illustration by Malcolm Kildale. New York: Gilberton. Cover/indicia date: October 1941. Cover price: 10¢. Note: The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration for the issue appears to have been filed.

Sensation Comics #1.

Published on November 5, 1941. Edited by M. C. Gaines & Sheldon Mayer. The comic includes “Wonder Woman Arrives in Man’s World,” by William Moulton Marston & Harry G. Peter. This is the second Wonder Woman story and the beginning of the character’s continuing feature in the title. Cover illustration by Harry G. Peter & Jon L. Blummer. New York: J. R. [DC]. Cover/indicia date: January 1942. Cover price: 10¢.

Police Comics #6.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on November 12, 1941. Edited by Edward Cronin. The comic includes the Plastic Man story “Case of the Disembodied Hands,” by Jack Cole. Cover illustration by Gill Fox. Buffalo: Comic Magazines [Quality]. Cover/indicia date: January 1942. Cover price: 10¢.

Sensation Comics #2.

Published on December 2, 1941. Edited by Sheldon Mayer. The comic includes the Wonder Woman story “The Menace of Dr. Poison,” by William Moulton Marston & Harry G. Peter. Cover illustration by Harry G. Peter. New York: J. R. [DC]. Cover/indicia date: February 1942. Cover price: 10¢.

Police Comics #7.

To read the issue online, click here.

Published on December 12, 1941. Edited by Gilbert [Gill] Fox. The comic includes the Plastic Man story “The United Crooks of America,” by Jack Cole. Cover illustration by Gill Fox. Buffalo: Comic Magazines [Quality]. Cover/indicia date: February 1942. Cover price: 10¢.

Next: January 1942 to July 1942.

Tags: Comics By the Date, comics history, Nostalgia, Robert Stanley Martin