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

Issue Details

Issue #3
Published Winter 1939
Cover Price 0.10
Pages 68
Editing Whitney Ellsworth?

Cover Details - "untitled"

Characters Superman
Genre superhero
Pencils Joe Shuster
Inks Joe Shuster
Letters typeset
Reprinted in Superman From the Thirties to the Eighties (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1983 series) #nn; in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

1 page Superman illustration "Superman, America's Greatest Adventure Strip Character!"

Characters Superman
Genre superhero
Pencils Joe Shuster
Inks Joe Shuster?
Letters typeset
Notes Frontispiece.
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

24 page Superman story "The Orphanage Adventure"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor; Lois Lane; Frankie Dennis; Lyman (villain, intro)
Synopsis When Superman saves a runaway boy from being run over by a train, he discovers the child is from an orphanage where the superintendent abuses the children in a variety of ways. So the Man of Tomorrow enlists the aid of the young man to act as an undercover agent to spy on things and report back to Clark Kent.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils Joe Shuster (layouts) (signed)
Inks Dennis Neville (finished art) [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Notes Art identifications by Jerry Bails.
Reprinted from Superman daily (McClure syndicate, 1939 series) 1939.06.12 - 1939.07.22 [source material]; in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 [in this form]

2 page Superman promo (ad from the publisher) "The Greatest Contest in Comic Magazine History!"

Characters Superman
Synopsis Announcement of a contest, open only to members of the Supermen of America club, whose details would be given in the January issue of Action Comics, on sale December 1st. These pages showed the prizes that would be offered to the winners in the contest.
Genre contest; superhero
Pencils Joe Shuster
Inks Paul Cassidy
Letters typeset
Notes Sequence, info and credits added by Craig Delich (Jan. 2006).
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

9 page Superman story "Superman and the Dam"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; George Taylor
Synopsis Although Lois has double-crossed him and editor Taylor has fired him, Clark Kent (as Superman) heads to the Valley-Ho Dam to prevent it from collapsing. Unfortunately too late on the scene, the Man of Tomorrow manages to save Lois from drowning and divert the flood waters away from the city.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel [as Jerome Siegel] (signed)
Pencils Joe Shuster (signed)
Inks Joe Shuster (signed)
Letters Joe Shuster
Notes Superman's and Lois' first kiss. The very last panel on the last page of the sequence encourages readers to turn to the inside back cover to learn how they can win one of the $25 prizes being given away.
Reprinted from Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #5 (October 1938); in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

1 page Fantastic Facts filler "untitled"

Synopsis The fantastic facts illustrated here include: 1) there is enough phosphorous in three old style kitchen matches to kill a person; 2) men once paid taxes on their beards; 3) gangster films were the reason the sales of men's caps had declined over the last ten years; 4) Humuhumunukunkuapuaa is the name given by natives to Hawaii's smallest fish; and 5) the water around an iceberg is warm.
Genre Fact
Script George Papp?
Pencils George Papp [as Geo. Papp] (signed)
Inks George Papp [as Geo. Papp] (signed)
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

2 page text story "Death By the Stars"

Characters Emil Brandwan (death); Sgt. Steve Hanley; Professor Louis Morton; Stephen Gregory; Jack Lowell; Robert Shelton (villain)
Synopsis Six men, gathered in an astrologer's exotic studio, are shocked to hear Emil Brandwan announce that, according to the stars, he is to die that very night at 7pm.
Genre occult
Script Bert Lexington (signed)
Pencils Fred Guardineer
Inks Fred Guardineer
Letters typeset
Notes Art credits by Craig Delich (January, 2006).
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

12 page Superman story "Superman's Phony Manager"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; Jimmy Olsen (intro as an unnamed office boy); Lois Lane; George Taylor (unnamed); Nick Williams (villain)
Synopsis Clark Kent is introduced to a fighter manager who claims to be Superman's personal manager. But when Lois discovers the existence of a phony Superman, who is tied to that manager, the real Superman must act quickly to save Lois' life.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel [as Jerome Siegel] (signed)
Pencils Joe Shuster (signed)
Inks Joe Shuster (signed)
Letters Joe Shuster
Notes Revised art credits by Craig Delich (Jan. 2006). Paul Cassidy was previously given as possible penciller [along with Shuster] and as possible inker.
Reprinted from Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #6 (November 1938); in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

Half page filler "Acquiring Super-Strength"

Synopsis Illustrated are several techniques on muscle training that, if practiced, can give someone a crushing hand grip.
Genre fact
Script Jerry Siegel
Pencils Joe Shuster
Inks Joe Shuster
Notes Sequence, info and credits by Craig Delich (Jan. 2006).
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

1 page Superman story "Attaining Super-Health: A Few Hints From Superman!"

Characters Superman; Johnny; Larry
Synopsis Readers are encouraged by Superman to have regular, daily exercise, join an exercise club, don't slouch, and eat a well-rounded diet.
Genre superhero; fact
Script Jerry Siegel
Pencils Joe Shuster
Inks Joe Shuster
Letters Joe Shuster?
Notes Title information from Denys Howard (May 23, 2004), updated 2009-12-30 by Craig Delich. Title originally listed as: "Aquiring Super-Health." Letterer credit by Craig Delich (January, 2006).
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

1 page text story "Good Luck Charm"

Characters Tony Carrenzo (villain); Lucky Malone (villain, death); Rhani Kor (death)
Synopsis Lucky Malone had killed a Hindu mystic to get some jewels and a locket from him years ago. Now that he and Tony have successfully escaped from prison, Lucky once more believes the locket is his lucky charm, able to see him through any situation.....or so he thinks!
Genre crime; adventure
Script Hugh Langley (signed)
Pencils Fred Guardineer (spot illustrations)
Inks Fred Guardineer (spot illustrations)
Letters typeset
Notes Information and art credits by Craig Delich (January, 2006).
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

1 page Shorty filler "untitled"

Characters Shorty (a dog)
Synopsis Shorty chases after another dog who steals his bone.
Genre funny animal
Script Fred Schwab
Pencils Fred Schwab
Inks Fred Schwab
Letters Fred Schwab
Notes Information and synopsis by Craig Delich (January, 2006).
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1

8 page Superman story "Superman and the Smugglers"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; Jimmy Olsen (as unnamed office boy); George Taylor; Lois Lane; Lew Frawley (villain, intro)
Synopsis Superman must save Lois' life and stop criminals who are smuggling in jewels from Europeans who wish to escape paying custom duties.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils Joe Shuster (signed)
Inks Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Reprinted from Superman daily (McClure Syndicate, 1939 series) 1939.03.20 - 1939.04.01 [source material]; in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 [in this form]

1 page Superman promo (ad from the publisher) "Superman!"

Characters Superman
Synopsis Promotional house ad for Superman in Action Comics.
Genre superhero
Pencils Joe Shuster
Inks Paul Cassidy
Letters typeset
Notes Sequence, information and credits by Craig Delich (January, 2006), pencil credit updated 2009-12-30.
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1