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

Issue Details

Issue #51
Published August 1942
Cover Price 0.10
Pages 68
Editing Whitney Ellsworth, [Mort Weisinger, Murray Bolitnoff (assistants)]
Notes Credited to Wayne Boring in the Abbeville Press "Superman in Action Comics" book. Ray credits verified to Craig Delich by Fred Ray and Jack Burnley.

Cover Details - "The Prankster and the Foolproof Plot"

Characters Superman; V: The Prankster.
Genre superhero
Pencils Fred Ray
Inks Fred Ray
Letters typeset
Notes Credited to Wayne Boring in the Abbeville Press "Superman in Action Comics" book. Ray credits verified to Craig Delich by Fred Ray and Jack Burnley.
Reprinted In Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #3 (2001).

13 page Superman story "The Case of the Crimeless Crimes"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; V: the Prankster, (I), Lois Lane; Sgt. Casey; Perry White.
Synopsis Clark and Lois are directed to a story involving a weird figure calling himself the Prankster, who breaks into a bank, only to leave a black bag "on deposit" that is chock full of money.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils John Sikela (signed as Joe Shuster)
Inks John Sikela (signed as Joe Shuster)
Notes Archives credits pencils to Ed Dobrotka. New art id by Craig Delich and Bob Hughes 6/05. Modified synopsis added by Craig Delich 9-7-08.
Reprinted In Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #3 (2001).

1 page Supermen of the U.S. Army filler "Captain Arthur Wermuth, One Man Army"

Characters Captain Arthur Wermuth
Genre fact
Pencils Cliff Young?
Inks Cliff Young?

12 page Vigilante story "Guns, Gold, and Glory"

Characters The Vigilante [Greg Sanders]; Stuff; V: "Brain" Storms.
Synopsis Greg Sanders returns to his old home town out west, only to find criminals from the city have gone there to get away from him.
Genre superhero
Script Joe Samachson?
Pencils Mort Meskin (signed as Mort Morton)
Inks Cliff Young

Half page Silly Willy filler

Genre gag
Script Henry Boltinoff
Pencils Henry Boltinoff
Inks Henry Boltinoff
Notes Writer credit added by Craig Delich 9-7-08.

6 page Three Aces story "The Valley of the Vultures"

Characters Three Aces: Fog Fortune, Gunner Bill and Whistler Will.
Genre adventure
Script Gardner F. Fox
Pencils Louis Cazeneuve
Inks Louis Cazeneuve

8 page Mr. America story "The Framer"

Characters Mr. America [Tex Thomson]; Fatman [Bob Daley].
Genre superhero
Script Ken Fitch
Pencils Bernard Baily (signed)
Inks Bernard Baily (signed)
Notes Strip is continued next issue as The Americommandos.

2 page text story "Some Must Fight"

Genre adventure
Script Ed McGee (signed)
Letters typeset

Half page Rollin' Stone filler

Genre gag
Script Ray McGill
Pencils Ray McGill
Inks Ray McGill
Letters Ray McGill
Notes Writer and letterer credits added by Craig Delich 9-7-08.

6 page Congo Bill story "Congo Bill Joins the Flying Tigers"

Characters Congo Bill
Genre jungle
Pencils Fred Ray
Inks Fred Ray
Notes Writer revision from Fred Ray? to ? by Craig Delich 9-7-08.

Half page Shorty filler

Characters Shorty
Genre gag
Script Henry Boltinoff
Pencils Henry Boltinoff
Inks Henry Boltinoff
Notes Writer credit added by Craig Delich 9-7-08.

1 page Jerry Jitterbug filler

Characters Jerry
Genre gag
Script Henry Boltinoff
Pencils Henry Boltinoff
Inks Henry Boltinoff
Notes Writer credit added by Craig Delich 9-7-08.

9 page Zatara story "The Case of the Coconut Crimes"

Characters Zatara
Genre occult
Script Gardner F. Fox
Pencils Joseph Sulman
Inks Joseph Sulman