Issue Details

Issue	#56
Published	December 1944
Cover Price	0.10
Pages	60
Editing	Martin De Muth

Cover Details

Characters	Midnight; Doc Wackey; Gabby
Genre	superhero

11 page Midnight story "The Laughing Killer"

Characters	Midnight; Gabby; Doc Wackey; Sniffer Snoop; Hotdog; Laughing Killer (intro)
Synopsis	Midnight tracks a killer who can't stop laughing.
Genre	superhero; adventure
Pencils	Paul Gustavson (signed)
Inks	Paul Gustavson

8 page Espionage Starring Black X story "Black X Marks the Spot"

Characters	Black X; Batu
Synopsis	The liberation of Taoten, in China. While Black X helps to organize the Chinese underground, Batu is captured by the Japanese.
Genre	spy
Pencils	Bill Quackenbush (signed)
Inks	Bill Quackenbush (signed)

8 page Rookie Rankin story "The Boogie Woogie Dirge"

Characters	Rookie Rankin; Mel Marvel; Gus Getti; Tony Getti
Synopsis	A drug addict musician is mysteriously killed backstage.
Genre	detective
Pencils	Witmer Williams ?
Inks	Witmer Williams ?

4 page Lady Luck story "Murder in the Ring"

Characters	Lady Luck; Count DiChange
Synopsis	The Count gets mixed up with a fight promoter who's hoping to make a quick buck on a fixed match.
Genre	superhero
Script	Klaus Nordling (signed)
Pencils	Klaus Nordling (signed)
Inks	Klaus Nordling
Reprinted	from Spirit, The (Register and Tribune Syndicate, 1940 series) #?

1 page Archie O'Toole filler "But Dragons is scarce around here!"

Genre	humor; kid
Pencils	Bernard Dibble
Inks	Bernard Dibble

7 page The Marksman story "Roaring Monster from the Earth's Dead Past"

Characters	Marksman; Captain Hinushi; Anna; Juan; Captain Kioto
Synopsis	The Marksman has to battle a dinosaur in South America in order to uncover a Japanese poison gas plant.
Genre	adventure

2 page Jimmy Christian story "Mountains of the Moon"

Genre	adventure
Letters	typeset

1 page Wun Cloo filler

Genre	humor; detective
Pencils	Jack Cole?
Inks	Jack Cole?

7 page Daffy story "The Vanderast Phantom"

Characters	Daffy Dill; Deke Parsons; Cobina Vanderast; Percy Harlow
Genre	humor; wrestling
Pencils	Milt Stein (signed)
Inks	Milt Stein (signed)

7 page Jester, The story "The Peril of the Poisoned Pie"

Characters	Jester; McGinty; Celeste; Bridget; Mister Palmer; Dennis Harpe; Myrna; Max Lubold
Synopsis	McGinty tries to arrange a double-date for Chuck. But someone poisoned the pie and the Jester has to sort through the clues.
Genre	superhero
Pencils	?