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

Issue Details

Issue #4
Published [November] 2002
Cover Price 49.95 USD; 82.95 CAD
Pages 224
Editing Dale Crain (collected edition senior editor); Nick J. Napolitano (collected edition associate editor)
Notes "The fun and adventure continues with a new volume of the award-winning series featuring everyone's favorite pliable hero! This hardcover is written and illustrated by the legendary Jack Cole, who really hits his stride in this era as Plas and Woozy's hijinks become even more outrageous! The silliness begins with a mysterious murder in Woozy's boarding house and moves on to Woozy being hired as a store detective to foil (with the help of Plas) a tsunami of shoplifting. Then the diabolical Dr. Dratt and his "illuminating gas" give the daffy duo a run for their money. Next, Plas and Woozy assist a nutty professor in establishing a claim to a radium mine in the Arctic. If that weren't enough, our heroes also investigate the murder at The Home for the Aged (though in Cole's hands, it's more of an asylum), assist millionaire Cyrus Van Rooten in settling an old score with a tribe of Indians, get mixed up in a mystery in a maniacal medical school, and visit Futura, a city of the future that's still plagued by crime! And that's not all! Reprinting POLICE COMICS #40-49 and PLASTIC MAN #3 (1945-46), this volume features a half-dozen more adventures, including the first Woozy Winks solo story and an unusual Plastic Man prose story. Plus, an introduction by renowned European comics historian Andreas Knigge!" [per solicitation] Black-and-white reconstruction by Rick Keene and Greg Theakston. Series design by Alex Jay/Studio J. Publication design by Louis Prandi. Special thanks to Diamond International Galleries for source material.

Cover Details

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon
Notes "The fun and adventure continues with a new volume of the award-winning series featuring everyone's favorite pliable hero! This hardcover is written and illustrated by the legendary Jack Cole, who really hits his stride in this era as Plas and Woozy's hijinks become even more outrageous! The silliness begins with a mysterious murder in Woozy's boarding house and moves on to Woozy being hired as a store detective to foil (with the help of Plas) a tsunami of shoplifting. Then the diabolical Dr. Dratt and his "illuminating gas" give the daffy duo a run for their money. Next, Plas and Woozy assist a nutty professor in establishing a claim to a radium mine in the Arctic. If that weren't enough, our heroes also investigate the murder at The Home for the Aged (though in Cole's hands, it's more of an asylum), assist millionaire Cyrus Van Rooten in settling an old score with a tribe of Indians, get mixed up in a mystery in a maniacal medical school, and visit Futura, a city of the future that's still plagued by crime! And that's not all! Reprinting POLICE COMICS #40-49 and PLASTIC MAN #3 (1945-46), this volume features a half-dozen more adventures, including the first Woozy Winks solo story and an unusual Plastic Man prose story. Plus, an introduction by renowned European comics historian Andreas Knigge!" [per solicitation] Black-and-white reconstruction by Rick Keene and Greg Theakston. Series design by Alex Jay/Studio J. Publication design by Louis Prandi. Special thanks to Diamond International Galleries for source material.

2 page credits "Table of Contents"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters typeset

3 page Plastic Man foreword, introduction, preface, afterword "Foreword"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Script Andreas C. Knigge
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters typeset
Notes Forward by Andreas C. Knigge

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #40"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole (signed)
Inks Jack Cole (signed)
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #40 (March 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "Who Put the Overalls In Mrs. Murphy's Chowder?"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; J. Farthingale Dillingweather (first appearance); Percy (first appearance); Francesca Bibi (first appearance); Old Man Timkins (first appearance; deceased); VILLAINS: Mrs. Murphy (first appearance); Mostelo (first appearance)
Synopsis Plastic Man must solve the murder of Old Man Timkins.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Notes Based on the song "Who Put the Overalls In Mrs. Murphy's Chowder?"
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #40 (March 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #41"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole (signed)
Inks Jack Cole (signed)
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #41 (April 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "Louie the Lift"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Chief Branner; Mr. Grabbett (first appearance); VILLAINS: Mask [Sammy Runn] (first appearance); Snatch (first appearance); Louie the Lift (first appearance)
Synopsis Plastic Man and Woozy stop the Mask from bankrupting the Grabbett and Runn Department Store.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #41 (April 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #42"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole (signed)
Inks Jack Cole (signed)
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #42 (May 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "The Diabolical Dr. Dratt"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Chief Branner; VILLAIN: Dr. Lucius D. Dratt (first appearance)
Synopsis Dr. Dratt tries to kill Plastic Man.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #42 (May 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #43"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #43 (June 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "Arctic Circle Adventure"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Chief Branner; Professor Stone (first appearance); VILLAINS: Iggy (first appearance); Dirty (first appearance); Noisy (first appearance)
Synopsis Some hoodlums try to kill Professor Stone and get his radium mine. An eskimo wants Woozy for her mate.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #43 (June 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #44"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole (signed)
Inks Jack Cole (signed)
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #44 (July 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "Murder At the Home For the Aged"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; R. Wist (first appearance); Augustus Diffle (first appearance; dies); VILLAINS: T. Wellington Pike [aka Dandy Ned] (first appearance); Mrs. Diffle (first appearance)
Synopsis Woozy is blamed for a murder in an old folks home.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #44 (July 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #45"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole (signed)
Inks Jack Cole (signed)
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #45 (August 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "Chief Rain-In-the-Trap"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Chief Branner; Cyrus Van Rooten (first appearance); Jeeves (first appearance); VILLAIN: Chief Rain-In-the-Trap [Mickey the Actor] (first appearance)
Synopsis Mickey the Actor poses as an indian to try to get the town from Cyrus Van Rooten.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #45 (August 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #46"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole (signed)
Inks Jack Cole (signed)
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #46 (September 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "The Owl's Witch Union"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; VILLAINS: Hexin' Maggie (first appearance); Sorcerer Sim (first appearance); Sorcerer Mulligan (first appearance); Oscar the Owl (first appearance)
Synopsis Oscar the Owl tries to have Plastic Man killed at a sorcerers convention.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #46 (September 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #47"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole (signed)
Inks Jack Cole (signed)
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #47 (October 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "Slicer and Doser's Medical School"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Chief Branner; VILLAINS: Harry the Horse (first appearance); Benny Yokelvitz (first appearance); Muscles (first appearance); Dr. Slicer (first appearance); Dr. Doser (first appearance)
Synopsis Two doctors try to operate on Plas to see what makes him tick.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #47 (October 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #48"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole (signed)
Inks Jack Cole (signed)
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #48 (November 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "City of the Future"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Jasper Tipple (first appearance); VILLAINS: Big Beaver [Joe Grover] (first appearance); The Cutter (first appearance)
Synopsis Some gangsters trick Jasper Tipple into building his city of the future... Futuria... for them.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #48 (November 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Police Comics #49"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #49 (December 1945)

15 page Plastic Man story "Thelma Twittle, Super-Charmer"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Thelma Twittle (first appearance); R.V. Cosy (first appearance; attempts suicide); Mr. Meredith (first appearance); VILLAIN: Zach Daily (first appearance; dies)
Synopsis Thelma Twittle is able to hypnotize any man, except for Zach Daily. He tricks her into doing anything he wants her to do.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #49 (December 1945)

1 page Plastic Man cover reprint (on interior page) "Cover - Plastic Man #3"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Kayo Randy
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from PLASTIC MAN (Quality Comics, 1943 series) #3 (Spring 1946)

12 page Plastic Man story "The Killing of Snoopy Hawks"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Kayo Randy (first appearance); Snoopy Hawks (first appearance; deceased); John T. Wales [as Mr. Cleary] (first appearance); VILLAIN: Cynthia Bender (first appearance)
Synopsis Plas must figure out who killed Snoopy Hawks.
Genre Superhero
Script Joe Millard
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Notes Per Martin O'Hearn, Joe Millard is the writer for this story. The Archive credits Jack Cole.
Reprinted from PLASTIC MAN (Quality Comics, 1943 series) #3 (Spring 1946)

10 page Plastic Man story "B.T. Tokus and the Witch Doctors"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; W. Wickstaff Roost (first appearance); VILLAINS: B.T. Tokus (first appearance); Timbo (first appearance); Goglo (first appearance); Smogo (first appearance)
Synopsis B.T. Tokus hires some witch doctors to try to kill Plas.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from PLASTIC MAN (Quality Comics, 1943 series) #3 (Spring 1946)

6 page Woozy Winks story "The Escape of Smelly Pitts"

Characters Woozy Winks; VILLAINS: Smelly Pitts (first appearance); Petunia (first appearance)
Synopsis Woozy tries to capture Smelly Pitts and get the reward. But first, he helps Smelly break out of jail.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Notes First Woozy Winks solo story.
Reprinted from PLASTIC MAN (Quality Comics, 1943 series) #3 (Spring 1946)

2 page Plastic Man text story "The Hand Behind"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian; disguised as Zrogan]; Woozy Winks; VILLAINS: Bordo (first appearance)
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Letters typeset
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from PLASTIC MAN (Quality Comics, 1943 series) #3 (Spring 1946)

14 page Plastic Man story "A Whale of a Tale"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks; Chief Branner; VILLAINS: Jake Strumby (first appearance)
Synopsis Jake Strumby and his gang hide in a whale.
Genre Superhero
Script Jack Cole
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Letters Jack Cole
Editing George Brenner (original)
Reprinted from PLASTIC MAN (Quality Comics, 1943 series) #3 (Spring 1946)

1 page biography (nonfictional) "Biographies"

Genre Fact
Script Peter L. Myer; Adam Philips
Letters Typeset
Notes Biography for Jack Cole. Biographical material researched and written by Peter L. Myer and Adam Philips.

1 page Plastic Man (backcovers) *do not use* / *please fix* "Backcover"

Characters Plastic Man [Eel O'Brian]; Woozy Winks
Genre Superhero
Pencils Jack Cole
Inks Jack Cole
Colors Digital Chameleon (color reconstruction)
Editing George Brenner (original)
Notes Reprints covers from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #43, 46, 48 and PLASTIC MAN (Quality Comics, 1943 series) #3.
Reprinted from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #43 [cover]; from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #46 [cover]; from POLICE COMICS (Quality Comics, 1941 series) #48 [cover]; from PLASTIC MAN (Quality Comics, 1943 series) #3 [cover]