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Issue Details

Issue #20
Published July-August 1953
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 36
Editing William M. Gaines

Cover Details - "Alone in space with fifty frozen dolls..."

Genre Science Fiction
Pencils Wally Wood (signed)
Inks Wally Wood (signed)
Reprinted in Weird Science (Gemstone, 1994 series) #20 (June 1997)

8 page story "The Loathsome!"

Synopsis A doctor sends a deformed mutant child that was the product of her father's exposure to atomic radiation to be brought up in an orphanage. The women of the orphanage dislike her because she displays poor behavior. One day the younger nurse comments to the older one that the girl is behaving herself recently and the older nurse recalls that all children receive a birthday party at ten years old and the girl must figure she is going to get one. The young woman asks if she is going to give the child one and the older woman states that it wouldn't be right to expect the other children to attend, so they'll just skip it in the mutant girl's case. They discover that the girl was spying on them and when she returns to her room she smashes the mirror. She's punished, and that evening the younger nurse sees the girl on the grounds stuffing notes into tree hollows. She assumes that she must be up to no good and informs the older woman. The following evening they confront the child demanding the note and the girl flees from them. She climbs up a tree branch overhanging the orphanage's spiked wall and loses her grip. As the note slips from the hand of the dying impaled child, the older woman picks it up. It says "To whoever finds this note - I love you."
Genre science fiction
Script Al Feldstein
Pencils Wally Wood
Inks Wally Wood
Colors Marie Severin
Reprinted in Weird Science (Gemstone, 1994 series) #20 (June 1997)

7 page story "Surprise Package"

Genre science fiction
Script Ray Bradbury; Albert B. Feldstein (adaptation)
Pencils Jack Kamen
Inks Jack Kamen
Colors Marie Severin
Reprinted in Weird Science (Gemstone, 1994 series) #20 (June 1997)

1 page text story "Progress"

Letters typeset

6 page story "The Reformers"

Genre science fiction
Script Al Feldstein
Pencils Joe Orlando
Inks Joe Orlando
Colors Marie Severin
Reprinted in Weird Science (Gemstone, 1994 series) #20 (June 1997)

7 page story "50 Girls 50"

Genre science fiction
Script Al Feldstein
Pencils Al Williamson
Inks Al Williamson; Frank Frazetta
Colors Marie Severin
Reprinted in Weird Science (Gemstone, 1994 series) #20 (June 1997)