Price: 0.10 USD
Pages: 68
On-sale Date: 1938-10-25
Editing: Vin Sullivan (editor)
Cover Thumbnail for Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #7 Edit Cover
Cover Gallery 

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents)

Superman / cover / 1 page

Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
    Genre:superhero
Characters:
Reprints (11)

Issue Data

  • Indicia / Colophon Publisher: Detective Comics Inc.
  • Indicia Frequency: monthly
  • Printer: [none printed]

Indexer Notes

The on-sale date is the publication date reported in the U. S. Copyright Office filing.

You're Missing Somethin'
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 1)

Detective Comics; Adventure Comics; More Fun Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.7 page

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 2)

credits, title page / 0.3 page

Script:
?
Letters:
typeset

[Superman Joins the Circus]
(Table of Contents: 3)

Superman / comic story / 12.9 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Joe Shuster (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
    Genre:superhero
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Friend of the helpless and oppressed is Superman...
  • Universe:DC : mainstream
Characters:
Curly; Jordan; Derek Niles (villain); Trigger
Synopsis:
The Jordan Circus is having a rough go of it and the promissory notes are coming due, so Superman decides to join the circus to help it pay off those notes and get it back into the black.
Reprints (6)

Indexer Notes

Wears yellow boots, "S" symbol is all yellow; synopsis added by Craig Delich.

This looks like Boring throughout with partial inks by Shuster himself.

Paul Lauretta was previously suggested as partial inker, but by comparison with a signed story in Marvel Mystery #3 there is no similarity.

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 4)

More Fun Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.1 page

[The 4-G Gang, Part 7]
(Table of Contents: 5)

Chuck Dawson / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
?
Pencils:
Inks:
Letters:
?
    Genre:adventure; western-frontier
Characters:
Virginia; Zebe
Synopsis:
Chuck learns that the 4-G-Gunmen are planning to attack a small ranch, and he is determined to warn them.

Indexer Notes

The strip is in black, white and red.

[The County Football Championship]
(Table of Contents: 6)

Pep Morgan / comic story / 4 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
    Genre:adventure; sports
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:With Pep Morgan at quarterback...
  • Universe:DC : mainstream
Characters:
Coach
Synopsis:
Pep is kidnapped in order for his team to play without him, and so win big money for a crooked gambler. He overpowers his captors, appears on the field with only a minute to go, scores the final touchdown and kick, and gives his team a 14-10 victory.

Indexer Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 7)

Sport-Data / cartoon / 1 page

Script:
George Papp (signed as GEP)
Pencils:
George Papp (signed as GEP)
Inks:
George Papp (signed as GEP)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
    Genre:non-fiction; sports
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:He must be crazy throwin' the ball away...
Characters:
Babe Ruth; Red Grange

Indexer Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 8)

Coyote Canyon Bill / comic story / 0.67 page

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
    Genre:humor; western-frontier
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Hey Zeke! Zeke! Someone's tearing down your house - Zeke!
Characters:
Bill

Indexer Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

How to Be Funny
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 9)

How To Make People Laugh! Humor Course / advertisement / 0.1 page

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 10)

Buddha Money Mystery / advertisement / 0.07 page

Electric Unloading
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 11)

Lionel Trains / advertisement / 0.16 page

[Episode 7]
(Table of Contents: 12)

The Adventures of Marco Polo / comic story / 4 pages

Script:
?
Pencils:
Sven Elven (credited as Sven Elvén) (illustrated by)
Inks:
Sven Elven (credited as Sven Elvén) (illustrated by)
Colors:
?
Letters:
    Genre:adventure; historical
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Marco Polo rescues a beautiful girl...
Characters:
Shela (unnamed); Uncle Maffeo; Nicolo Polo; The Chief
Synopsis:
Marco rescues a girl from bandits who are opposed to her father. He disguises himself as one of them and tides to the girl's castle for reinforcements.

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 13)

The Diddle Family / comic story / 2 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
    Genre:humor; domestic
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:All right - I'll be ready at eight-thirty!
Characters:
The Diddle Family [Jimmy; Grandpa; Sis]; George
Synopsis:
Sis arranges a date after promising to take Jimmy and Grandpa for a ride. While Jimmy stalls, Grandpa paints the rear window of George's roadster black. He and Jimmy then get into the trunk for their promised trip.

Indexer Notes

Script credit added by Craig Delich. Letterer credit courtesy of Terry Gustafson, son of Paul Gustavson.

Jungle Episode
(Table of Contents: 14)

text story / 1.56 pages

Script:
Richard Martin (credited)
Pencils:
? (illustrations)
Inks:
? (illustrations)
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
    Genre:jungle
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Early that morning Dick and Ted left the small outpost, in the deep Congo jungle, for the...
Characters:
Dick; Ted; a group of Kantu tribesmen

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 15)

Fencing Swords / advertisement / 0.06 page

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 16)

Spencer Fireworks / advertisement / 0.05 page

Bob Showed Them How Spies Work!
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 17)

Chemcraft Chemistry Sets [Porter] / advertisement / 0.33 page

Double Trouble [Part 2]
(Table of Contents: 18)

Tex Thomson / comic story / 10 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Bernard Baily (credited, signed)
Inks:
Bernard Baily (credited, signed)
Colors:
?
Letters:
    Genre:adventure; aviation; detective-mystery
Characters:
Captain Diablo (villain)
Synopsis:
Tex's plane is forced down by that of Captain Diablo, who is an exact double for Tex. Escaping in Diablo's plane, Tex flies to Governmental Headquarters, but is arrested as Diablo. In order to capture Diablo and dispel any suspicion on himself (fingerprints don't lie), Tex joins the government forces.

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

[The Walking Pawnshop]
(Table of Contents: 19)

Now You Know / cartoon / 1 page

Script:
?
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
    Genre:non-fiction
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Dogs usually develop a mania for indigestible objects.
Characters:
Albert Orwin; Robert Collins Hoffman

Indexer Notes

Six unrelated fact panels.

[Colony Honored by Finns; Monument Set; New British Colonial; National Park Issues]
(Table of Contents: 20)

World of Stamps / Stamp Action / Action Stamp Page / text article / 0.7 page

Script:
?
Pencils:
?
Inks:
?
Colors:
?
Letters:
typeset
    Genre:non-fiction

Indexer Notes

Sequence added with information from Barry Sandoval.

Page includes several small ads for stamps dealers.

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 21)

Capital Stamps; Daub Stamps; Dolin Stamps; Mortimer Ellis Stamps / advertisement / 0.3 page

[The Five Point Bank Holdup]
(Table of Contents: 22)

Scoop Scanlon / comic story / 6 pages

Script:
?
Pencils:
Bill Ely (credited as Will Ely)
Inks:
Bill Ely (credited as Will Ely)
Letters:
?
    Genre:adventure; detective-mystery
Synopsis:
A speeding car passes Scoop and Rusty, and a short way along the road they find a dead man riddled with bullets.

The Zulu Diamond Mine
(Table of Contents: 23)

Zatara / comic story / 12 pages

Script:
Pencils:
Fred Guardineer (credited)
Inks:
Fred Guardineer (credited)
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
    Genre:adventure; fantasy-supernatural; superhero
Characters:
Harold Foames (villain); Bill Coxe; Father Dingaan the Mighty
Synopsis:
Zatara and Tong are in South Africa, and magically assist the police in unravelling a case of diamond smuggling, discovering that his old arch enemy The Tigress is behind the scheme.

[no title indexed]
(Table of Contents: 24)

Buffalo Bill; Texas John Slaughter; WesThrills! / cartoon / 0.67 page

Script:
?
Pencils:
Inks:
Colors:
?
Letters:
?
    Genre:non-fiction; western-frontier
  • First Line of Dialogue or Text:Young 'Buffalo Bill', who joined the Pony Express when he was only 14 years of age, made a record run...
Characters:

Indexer Notes

Some facts about western heroes.

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 25)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.33 page

Be a Movie King
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 26)

Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog / advertisement / 1 page

[no title indexed]
(Expand) / (Table of Contents: 27)

Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog / advertisement / 1 page

Editing
Download: (JSON)
Report Information
my.comics.org
Tracked in 26 collections.
Issue at my.comics.org
View Change History
Table of Contents ToC
    Table of Contents
  1. [no title indexed]
    Superman
  2. You're Missing Somethin'
    Detective Comics; Adventure Comics; More Fun Comics
  3. [no title indexed]
  4. [Superman Joins the Circus]
    Superman
  5. ["And don't forget to read:"]
    More Fun Comics
  6. [The 4-G Gang, Part 7]
    Chuck Dawson
  7. [The County Football Championship]
    Pep Morgan
  8. ["He must be crazy throwin' the ball away..."]
    Sport-Data
  9. ["Hey Zeke! Zeke! Someone's tearing down your house - Zeke!"]
    Coyote Canyon Bill
  10. How to Be Funny
    How To Make People Laugh! Humor Course
  11. [no title indexed]
    Buddha Money Mystery
  12. Electric Unloading
    Lionel Trains
  13. [Episode 7]
    The Adventures of Marco Polo
  14. ["All right - I'll be ready at eight-thirty!"]
    The Diddle Family
  15. Jungle Episode
  16. [no title indexed]
    Fencing Swords
  17. [no title indexed]
    Spencer Fireworks
  18. Bob Showed Them How Spies Work!
    Chemcraft Chemistry Sets [Porter]
  19. Double Trouble [Part 2]
    Tex Thomson
  20. [The Walking Pawnshop]
    Now You Know
  21. [Colony Honored by Finns; Monument Set; New British Colonial; National Park Issues]
    World of Stamps / Stamp Action / Action Stamp Page
  22. [no title indexed]
    Capital Stamps; Daub Stamps; Dolin Stamps; Mortimer Ellis Stamps
  23. [The Five Point Bank Holdup]
    Scoop Scanlon
  24. The Zulu Diamond Mine
    Zatara
  25. ["Young 'Buffalo Bill', who joined the Pony Express when he was only 14 years of age, made a record run..."]
    Buffalo Bill; Texas John Slaughter; WesThrills!
  26. ["The following are the winners..."]
  27. Be a Movie King
    Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog
  28. [no title indexed]
    Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog
Related Links
Issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • David Banuelos
  • Keith Chandler
  • Steve Dasinger
  • Craig Delich
  • Del Gruber
  • Matthew Head
  • Bob Hughes
  • Jerzy Kiekrz
  • R. S. Martin
  • Donald Dale Milne
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Hyju Rocket
  • Allen Ross
  • Jim Stangas
  • Jim Van Dore
contact us
donate
If you believe any of this data to be incorrect, please let us know.
Cover thumbnails are used for identification purposes only. All rights to cover images reserved by the respective copyright holders.
Creative Commons License
All portions of the Grand Comics Database™, except where noted otherwise, are copyrighted by the GCD and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). This includes but is not necessarily limited to our database schema and data distribution format.
The GCD Privacy Policy. The GCD Web Site code is licensed under the GNU General Public License.