Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #27
Published June-July 1961
Frequency bi-monthly
Cover Price 0.15 USD
Pages 36

Cover Details

Characters Jim Arness (as Marshal Matt Dillon)
Genre western
Pencils ? (photo)
Inks ? (photo)
Colors ? (photo)
Letters typeset

1 page Gunsmoke foreword, introduction, preface, afterword "Smoked Out City/The Intruder"

Characters Marshal Matt Dillon; Doc Adams
Synopsis Table of contents page with previews of the two main stories.
Genre western
Pencils ? (photo); Mike Sekowsky
Inks ? (photo); Frank Giacoia
Letters typeset

14 page Gunsmoke story "Smoked Out City"

Characters Marshal Matt Dillon; Kitty; Chester;
Synopsis Kitty accidentally pulls off the tarpaulin of a wagon and starts Matt on a search for the wagon driver's secret. Later, Dodge City is covered with blinding smoke as bold outlaws carry off a fantastic scheme amid whining bullets.
Genre western
Pencils Mike Sekowsky
Inks Frank Giacoia
Notes Synopsis taken from inside cover.

1 page Dell Comics Contest promo (ad from the publisher) "Win Jet to Hollywood!"

Synopsis Description of Dell Comics Contest and the available prizes.
Letters typeset
Notes Contest rules require top strips of DELL COMIC Covers as proof that comics were purchased. This feaure appears between pages two and three of the first story in this issue.

2 page Dell Trading Post advertisement "Star Trading Now"

Synopsis Instructions on trading the top 1/4 covers of comics for prizes.
Letters typeset
Notes This actually competes with the contest that appears earlier in the issue.

1 page text story "The Buried Clue"

Characters Sheriff Dan Brewer; Hake Matrin; Gil Dean
Synopsis A sheriff locates evidence of a robbery in a fence post hole.
Genre western
Letters typeset

4 page Dodge City Days story "The Amazing Dog Race"

Characters James H. Kelley; Archie Keech; Simpson
Synopsis A rancher buys the runt of a greyhound litter and trains it as a champion racer.
Genre western
Pencils Mike Sekowsky
Inks Frank Giacoia

9 page Gunsmoke story "The Intruder"

Characters Marshal Matt Dillon; Kitty; Doc Adams
Synopsis Doc Adams' sleep is disturbed one night by a most unusual thief whose interest in literature leaves Doc baffled. The thief's trail leads Matt Dillon into a dangerous cross fire, as he becomes the target of a gold-greedy man.
Genre western
Pencils Mike Sekowsky
Inks Frank Giacoia
Notes Synopsis taken the contents page.

Half page Red Ball Super Jets advertisement Commander Jet Says: "Hey, kids, they're jet-fast."

Characters Commander Jet
Synopsis Ad for Red Ball Jets sports shoes.

1 page Gunsmoke story "Prairie Fires"

Synopsis A short story about the perils of prairie fires.
Genre western
Pencils Mike Sekowsky
Inks Frank Giacoia
Notes inside back cover

1 page Schwinn Flying Star advertisement "Never Before...such a bike...genuine Schwinn quality for so little money!"

Synopsis Schwinn bicycle advertisement.
Letters ?; typeset
Notes Back cover.