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

Issue Details

Issue #1
Published August 1941
Frequency monthly
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 68
Editing Joe Simon
Notes U. S. A. COMICS is published monthly by U. S. A. Comic Magazine Corp. at Meriden, Conn. Application for second class data entry pending at the post office at Meriden, Conn., under Act of March 3, 1879. Single copies 10c; yearly subscription $1.00. Entire contents copyrighted 1941 by U. S. A. Comic Magazine Corp., 330 W. 42nd St., New York, N. Y.

Cover Details

Characters The Defender [Don Stevens]
Genre superhero
Pencils Jack Kirby
Inks Joe Simon
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #3; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1; in Complete Jack Kirby (Pure Imagination, 1997 series) #2

1 page All Winners Quarterly promo (ad from the publisher) "Big, All New Smashing Comic Book"

Characters Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro; Sub-Mariner [Namor]; Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Bucky Barnes; Black Marvel [Dan Lyons]; Angel [Tom Hallaway]
Synopsis Illustrated ad for the new All Winners Quarterly #1, spotlighting the main characters, on sale May 20th.
Letters typeset
Notes Found on the inside front cover; sequence and all info added by Craig Delich 8-18-08.
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

1 page The Defender foreword, introduction, preface, afterword

Characters The Defender [Don Stevens] (introduction)
Synopsis Brief illustrated introduction for the Defender: as long as there is injustice, there is a need for a defender to battle it.
Genre superhero
Script Joe Simon; Jack Kirby
Pencils Joe Simon (looming image); Al Avison ?; Al Gabriele ?
Inks Joe Simon
Notes Pencils previously credited to Jack Kirby; Joe Simon. Revised art credits from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, 4/4/2007. Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-18-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series); in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

18 page The Defender story "The Hideous Dame Kackle"

Characters The Defender [Don Stevens]; Rusty (introduction; Defender's sidekick); Sally Kean (introduction); Dame Kackle (villain; introduction)
Synopsis When U.S. Marine Don Stevens investigates the death of a man who was pushed from an old schooner, it is the Defender who is called to the fore to battle the eveil Dame Kackle.
Genre superhero
Pencils Al Avison ?; Charles Nicholas ?
Inks Charles Nicholas
Notes Pencils previously credited to Charles Nicholas. Revised art credits from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, 4/4/2007. Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-18-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series); in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

6 page Whizzer story "Origin of the Whizzer"

Characters The Whizzer [Bob Frank] (introduction; origin); Dr. Emil Frank [Bob's father] (introduction; death); Granno (villain; introduction)
Synopsis Crook Granno "makes" Dr. Frank kill a patient he is operating on and tells the good doctor to get out of the country---or else! But Frank's son, now known as the Whizzer, sees things differently and vows revenge on the man who led Dr. Frank to die in the jungles of Africa.
Genre superhero
Pencils Al Avison (signed)
Inks Al Gabriele (signed)
Notes Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-18-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #3 ; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

10 page Mr. Liberty story "The Spirits of Freedom"

Characters Mr. Liberty [John Liberty] (introduction; origin); Herr Leader (villain; introduction); Adolf Hitler (villain; cameo); Paul Revere (as ghost); Ethan Allan (as ghost)
Synopsis Hitler threatens America through the use of 5th Columnists to destroy America's arsenals and powerhouses. But the U.S. has an ace in the hole: Mr. Liberty!
Genre superhero
Script Phil Sturm [as Sturm] (signed)
Pencils Syd Shores [as Shores] (signed)
Inks George Klein
Notes Inks previously credited to Syd Shores. Revised art credits from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, 4/4/2007. Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-18-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #3; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

2 page text story "The Haunted Fireplace"

Characters Captain Hennigan; Gregory Stanton; V: Jamieson.
Synopsis After the death of John Hardy, the "ghost" of Hardy begins appearing to Gregory Stanton, trying to convince him to turn over the lands he owned to Hardy's sons.
Script Arthur Cazeneuve (signed)
Pencils Arthur Cazeneuve ?
Inks Arthur Cazeneuve ?
Letters typeset
Notes Text story with illustration. Art credits from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, 4/4/2007. Characters and synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-18-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #3; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

9 page Rockman, Underground Secret Agent story "The Tunnel That Led To Death"

Characters Rockman (introduction; origin); J. J. Gollings (introduction; death); Roffler (villain; introduction; death)
Synopsis Gollings, construction enginner, agrees to build a tunnel from Roffler's basement for the sum of $5000, not realizing over the top of it will be built a giant airfield, whose airplanes will be used to destroy a factory.
Genre superhero
Pencils Basil Wolverton; Charles Nicholas ? (splash)
Inks Basil Wolverton; Charles Nicholas ? (splash)
Notes Charles Nicholas credit for splash panel from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, 4/4/2007; the original indexer credited the pencils to Jack Kirby and the inks to Joe Simon. Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-18-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #3; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

1 page Captain America's Sentinels of Liberty promo (ad from the publisher) "Captain America Wants You!"

Characters Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Bucky Barnes
Synopsis Illustrated ad, urging readers to join Cap's Sentinels of Liberty.
Genre superhero
Notes Sequence and all info added by Craig Delich 8-18-08.
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

10 page Young Avenger story "The Coming of the Young Avenger"

Characters Young Avenger [Bill Bryan; Bill Bryon] (introduction); Eric von Himmel (villain; introduction).
Synopsis The Young Avenger faces the dire threat of Nazi agents who are successfully destroying aviation works throughout the nation.
Genre superhero
Pencils Howard Purcell [as Michael Robard] (signed)
Inks Howard Purcell [as Michael Robard] (signed)
Notes Previous art credited to "Michael Robard" as pseudonym for Mike Roy. Revision of pseudonym "Michael Robard" to Howard Purcell by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, 4/4/2007. Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-18-08. The Young Avenger's last name is spelled differently each time it appears.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #3; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

1 page Marvel Comics magazines promo (ad from the publisher) "They Know What They Want!"

Characters Human Torch [Jim Hammond]; Toro; Sub-Mariner [Namor]; Captain America [Steve Rogers]; Thunderer [Jerry Carstairs]
Synopsis Illustrated ad promoting Timely Comics magazines on sale at newsstands: Marvel Comics, Captain America Comics, Sub-Mariner Quarterly, Mystic Comics, Human Torch Quarterly, Daring Comics and the Angel Quarterly.
Notes Sequence and all info added by Craig Delich 8-18-08. The identity of the figure on the fake "Mystic" cover is unclear- he was previously identified as Marvel Boy, who never appeared in that title. He does not clearly resemble any then-current Mystic character (Henry Andrews 2008-10-10).
Reprinted In Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007) #1.

6 page Jack Frost story "The Origin of Jack Frost"

Characters Jack Frost (introduction); Dr. Forbes (introduction; death); Police Commissioner Brian (introduction); Hal Jenkins (introduction); Alice Forbes (introduction); Mike Zelby (villain; introduction)
Synopsis With his dying breathe, a man tells Jack Frost to save his daughter from a man out to steal the gold mine in Alaska that he had discovered.
Genre superhero
Script Stan Lee (signed)
Pencils Charles Nicholas
Inks Charles Nicholas
Notes Pencils and inks credit from Michael Vassallo via Timely-Atlas-Comics Yahoo Group (6 April 2007), from his confirming review of the art with Carmine Infantino. Previous indexers had credited pencils to Carmine Infantino and inks to Frank Giacoia (based on an interview with Carmine Infantino in The Comics Journal #191. That interview was referring to the story in USA Comics #3). Some info and synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-18-08.
Reprinted in Flashback (DynaPubs Enterprises, 1973 series) #3; in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age USA Comics (Marvel, 2007 series) #1.

1 page Comicscope Camera Projector advertisement "Wings of America"

Letters typeset
Notes Inside back cover.

1 page Johnson Smith & Company advertisement "9000 Novelties"

Letters typeset
Notes Back cover.