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Issue: Smash Comics #16 Public Domain
Disclose Detail
Title:
Variant: unnamed
Rating:
Publisher: FlagQuality Comics
Brand: object(PgSql\Result)#3 (0) { }
Indicia Publisher: E. M. Arnold
On Sale Date: 09/18/1940
Volume: none
Pages: 68
ISBN: none
UPC/EAN: none
Price: $0.10 USD
Indicia Frequency:
Content Items: 15 (13 stories, 1 cover)
Editor(s): Ed Cronin
Disclose Notes: The on-sale date is from the publication date recorded in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, 1940, New Series, Vol. 35, No. 4.
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Disclose Format
Publication Type: Comic Book
Color: color
Dimensions: standard Golden Age U.S.
Paper Stock: glossy cover; newsprint interior
Binding: saddle-stitched
Publishing Format: was ongoing series
Format Notes:  
Disclose Reprinted In0
There is currently no data for this Issue being reprinted anywhere.
Disclose Reprinted From0
There is currently no data for this Issue being reprinted from anywhere.
Disclose Images1
Cover, Front
Original Artwork
Digital Edition
Adult Image
Title Page
Indicia on this Page
 
 
Assets0
 
[untitled]

Illustration  on  Cover, Front
Credits
Gill Fox
Gill Fox
?
?
Subject Matter
espionage
Espionage [Black X]
Espionage [Black X]; The Ray [Happy Terrill] (inset); Bozo the Robot (inset); Wings Wendall (inset); The Invisible Hood [Kent Thurston] (inset)
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
1
The Revenge of Bela Jat

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
?
Lou Fine [as E. Lectron] (signed)
Lou Fine [as E. Lectron] (signed)
?
?
Subject Matter
superhero
The Ray
The Ray [Happy Terrill]; Shimego; Gar; Bela Jat (villain, introduction, death)
The Ray faces Bela Jat, a Hindu mystic, who can transform himself at will into an "ecto-fluid". His murderous reign ends when Police catch him in solid form and put a knife in his back.
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
9
Mystery of the Empty Theatre

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
?
Alex Blum [as S. M. Regi] (signed)
Alex Blum [as S. M. Regi] (signed)
?
?
Subject Matter
adventure
The Purple Trio
The Purple Trio [Rocky Hill; Warren; Tiny Todd]; Old Willy (introduction, death)
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
6
The Who's Who indicates that S. M. Regi was a pen-name sometimes used by Jerry Iger, but also by others as a house by-line. It further indicates that Jerry Iger did not write this feature, but that Alex Blum, under this pen-name or by-line, did draw the strip.
The Hypnotic Fiend

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
George Tuska ? [as Bud Thomas]
George Tuska ? [as Bud Thomas]
George Tuska ? [as Bud Thomas]
?
?
Subject Matter
childrens, humorous
Archie O'Toole
Archie O'Toole; Sum Fun (intro)
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
2
[untitled]

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Vernon Henkel
Vernon Henkel
Vernon Henkel
?
?
Subject Matter
mystery
Chic Carter
Mae "Scoop" Merrill (intro); Chic Carter
Mystery shrouds a dark and forbidding mansion hidden among the bayous of Louisiana...
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
4
[untitled]

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Manning de Villeneuve Lee [as Manning DeV. Lee] (signed)
Manning de Villeneuve Lee [as Manning DeV. Lee] (signed)
Manning de Villeneuve Lee [as Manning DeV. Lee] (signed)
?
?
Subject Matter
mystery
The Scarlet Seal
The Scarlet Seal [Barry Moore] (actor, introduction, origin); Captain Pat Moore (Barry's father, introduction); Lt. Bemis; Spider (death); Bugs Marlone (villain)
Barry Moore, top-notch character actor of the films has just finished his latest picture [sic]
Actor Barry Moore, after finishing the film "Oriental Horror," takes a job in his father's police department but finds that the commissioner is a soft headed liberal. So Barry devises a secret life in order to infiltrate the underworld disguised as a Chinese-American called the Scarlet Seal.
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
5
This feature was created by Manning de Villeneuve Lee, an accomplished fine artist and book illustrator who specialized in historical subjects. His by-line only appears on this first story....after that, the strip was signed "Duane Byrd Monroe", a pen name for which no reference can be found.

Jim Amash and Mike Kooiman, in the Quiality Companion, state that Campbell is falsely credited on this feature.....and the art of Lee's (which is very refined in nature) in no way looks like that of Campbell.

The Who's Who lists Campbell as writer and artist in 1940-41.......Lee (called Lee Manning in the Who's Who) wrote and drew the strip in 1940, and Henry Taylor drew the strip in 1941. I'll leave it to other writer/art experts that have access to all the stories (from Smash #2-24) to determine who did what stories writer and artwise.

The name Barry Moore is a play on the famous screen actor family, the Barrymores.

Many stories display Moore jumping out of a cab and entering through the front door of his secret lab, which was disguised as a fake store front.

Moore's fortune financed his capers, and procured props such as firecrackers and flash powder, and he was also adept in jujitsu.
[untitled]

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Art Pinajian [as Art Gordon] (signed)
Art Pinajian [as Art Gordon] (signed)
Art Pinajian [as Art Gordon] (signed)
?
?
Subject Matter
superhero
Invisible Justice
The Invisible Hood [Kent Thurston]; Professor James; Professor Hill; Dr. Robb (introduction, death)
The citizens of a great city are thrown into confusion one afternoon as the impossible occurs...
An ancient Egyptian artifact that gives those close to it the power to suspend gravity is stolen by a member of an archaeological dig.. The Hood pursues the thief who commits suicide and destroys the artifact.
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
5
The anti-gravity attribute in this story is very similar to Hawkman's Ninth Metal.

The story has a confusing beginning with the apparition of a giant mummy that is never again mentioned wrecking the city and destroying a train.
Invasion of Mexico

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Will Eisner ? [as William Erwin] (signed)
Dan Zolnerowich
Dan Zolnerowich
?
?
Subject Matter
espionage
Espionage Starring Black X
Espionage [Black X]; Rod Pasquale; Colonel Atwater
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
6
Will Eisner created the Espionage feature, and Will Erwin was a pen name used by Will Eisner (Erwin was Eisner's middle name), but it also became a house by-line as well.
The Labor Racketeers

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Paul Gustavson
Paul Gustavson
Paul Gustavson
?
Paul Gustavson
Subject Matter
superhero
Magno
Magno [Tom Dalton]; Big Tim Fink (villain, introduction)
Magno breaks up a fake union run by racketeers.
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
4
All Gustavson credits verified and courtesy of Terry Gustafson, son of Paul Gustavson.
The Arson Arrows

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Gill Fox
Gill Fox (signed)
Gill Fox
?
?
Subject Matter
humorous, mystery
Wun Cloo
Fire Commissioner Nosey (Intro)
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
2
The Sheik's Power Play

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Bob Powell
Bob Powell [as Powell Roberts]
Bob Powell
?
?
Subject Matter
adventure
Abdul the Arab
Abdul; Hassan; Sheik Karu-Bali (Intro, Dies)
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
4
Vanishing Gold

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Robert M. Hyatt
?
?
?
typeset
Subject Matter
adventure
Jimmy Christian
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
2
[untitled]

Cartoon  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Arthur Beeman (signed)
Arthur Beeman (signed)
Arthur Beeman (signed)
?
?
Subject Matter
humorous
Kidding the Kids
As a last resort, Spud always gets the mascot...
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
1
The Fifth Column

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
Vernon Henkel (signed)
Vernon Henkel (signed)
Vernon Henkel
?
?
Subject Matter
aviation
Wings Wendall
Wings Wendall; Puget (Intro, Dies)
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
7
Turgin's Fifth Column

Story  on  Interior Page(s)
Credits
George Brenner
George Brenner [as Wayne Reid]
George Brenner
?
?
Subject Matter
science fiction
Bozo the Robot
Hugh Hazzard; Bozo the Robot; Turgin (intro,dies)
Reprinting
 
Miscellaneous
7

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