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

Issue Details

Issue #52
Published September 1944
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 52
Editing ?
Notes Indicia title is "LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE, No. 52." No code number. Copyright 1938 by Chicago Tribune-N.Y. News Syndicate, Inc.

Cover Details

Characters Little Orphan Annie; Sandy (dog)

4 page Little Orphan Annie story "Ah-h! There! Whew! Look at that roll-"

Characters Little Orphan Annie; Sandy (dog); Rose Chance; Ace Chance; Shanghai; Mrs. Alden; Bindle Al
Synopsis Rose Chance's husband Ace steals money from his wife's business in order to gamble. In a high-stakes poker game Ace shoots a pro gambler and is arrested.
Script Harold Gray (signed)
Pencils Harold Gray (signed)
Inks Harold Gray (signed)
Notes Story begins on the inside front cover in black, red, and white.
Reprinted from Little Orphan Annie (News-Tribune Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938

4 page Little Orphan Annie story "Well, It's all worked out as even you could have predicted-"

Characters Little Orphan Annie; Sandy (dog); Ace Chance; Rose Chance; Shanghai; Jack
Synopsis Jack, who's secretly in love with Rose Chance, goes to great lengths to make sure that the man Ace Chance shot lives and that Ace will get good legal defense.
Script Harold Gray (signed)
Pencils Harold Gray (signed)
Inks Harold Gray (signed)
Notes The dates are on the strips.
Reprinted from Little Orphan Annie (News-Tribune Syndicate) daily newspaper strips from 1938.07.02, 1938.07.04-1938.07.09, 1938.07.11-1938.07.15

3 page Little Orphan Annie story "All I hear is what a hero you are-"

Characters Little Orphan Annie (cameo); Ace Chance; Rose Chance (cameo); Jack; Bindle Al
Synopsis Jack and Ace get into a brawl, which Jack wins. Ace goes to work as a manual laborer for Jack's trucking company. Bindle Al comes to talk to Jack.
Script Harold Gray (signed)
Pencils Harold Gray (signed)
Inks Harold Gray (signed)
Notes Dates are on the strips.
Reprinted from Little Orphan Annie (News-Tribune Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938.07.16, 1938.07.17, 1938.07.21-1938.07.24

4 page Little Orphan Annie story "Ace is looking a lot better than he used to-"

Characters Little Orphan Annie; Sandy (dog); Ace Chance; Mary Chance; Jack; Shanghai
Synopsis A truck axle falls on Ace's foot, smashing it. During his recovery, Jack makes him the bookkeeper and Ace has to fight temptation when dealing with cash.
Script Harold Gray (signed)
Pencils Harold Gray (signed)
Inks Harold Gray (signed)
Reprinted from Little Orphan Annie (News-Tribune Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938

4 page Little Orphan Annie story "Fool! Fool! Fool! Jack, for trusting anyone..."

Characters Little Orphan Annie; Sandy (dog); Ace Chance; Mrs. Alden; Rose Chance; Jack; Shanghai
Synopsis Ace is accused of theft when Jack's company's office is robbed; but Jack stands behind him and the real robber is picked up by the police.
Script Harold Gray (signed)
Pencils Harold Gray (signed)
Inks Harold Gray (signed)
Reprinted from Little Orphan Annie (News-Tribune Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938

8 page Little Orphan Annie story "So you've got over the idea that you want to beat Jack's ears off, eh?"

Characters Little Orphan Annie; Sandy (dog); Ace Chance; Rose Chance; Shanghai; Mrs. Alden; Jack; Uriah Gudge
Synopsis A random comment by Ace Chance about something he saw 30 years ago in Springfield sets Annie and Shanghai investigating whether it has any connection to the death of Mrs. Alden's husband then. Uriah Gudge sets up a trucking company to take Jack's business--by fair means or foul.
Script Harold Gray
Pencils Harold Gray
Inks Harold Gray
Reprinted from Little Orphan Annie (News-Tribune Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938

8 page Little Orphan Annie story Hm-m--The boys tell me you're an expert driver, Grump"

Characters Little Orphan Annie; Sandy (dog); Shanghai; Uriah Gudge; Jack; Ace Chance; Rose Chance; Mrs. Alden (cameo)
Synopsis Jack sets a trap for Gudge's murderous truckers. After one of Gudge's trucks crashes off a high bridge, Gudge meets Ace Chance to see if he can buy information. Ace pretends to go along with Gudge, but has plans of his own.
Script Harold Gray
Pencils Harold Gray
Inks Harold Gray
Reprinted from Little Orphan Annie (News-Tribune Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938

8 page Little Orphan Annie story Ha! Ha! Ha! Well, how does it feel to take a beating?"

Characters Little Orphan Annie; Sandy (dog); Uriah Gudge; Jack; Shanghai; Ace Chance; Mrs. Alden;
Synopsis Ace appears to betray Jack to Gudge. Gudge sets up a plan to hijack a half-million dollar load on the road and kill Jack at the same time. Ace drugs Jack and drives the truck himself. He crushes the thugs' car with his truck but is killed by their machine gun fire. Gudge disappears mysteriously and Shanghai busies himself filling in an old well in the orchard.
Script Harold Gray (signed)
Pencils Harold Gray (signed)
Inks Harold Gray (signed)
Notes Dates are on some, but not all of the strips.
Reprinted from Little Orphan Annie (News-Tribune Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938.09.22-1938.10.17?

8 page Little Orphan Annie story "Ha! Ha! Ha! Hey! Listen to this"

Characters Little Orphan Annie; Sandy (dog); Jack; Rose Chance; Shanghai; Mrs. Alden
Synopsis Gudge is still missing and Shanghai finishes filling in the well. Shanghai ties up loose ends and silently leaves one night to go to sea. Before he leaves, he sends an anonymous letter to the police, telling them to "Look in the bottom of the old well." The police have their hands full trying to dig out the well and the public speculates on what happened to Gudge.
Script Harold Gray
Pencils Harold Gray
Inks Harold Gray
Notes Story continues on inside back cover in black, red, and white and concludes on the back cover in color. Last strip is dated November 20, 1938.
Reprinted from Little Orphan Annie (News-Tribune Syndicate) newspaper strips from 1938