Action Comics, #68

Published: January 1944

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Action Comics #68

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Issue Contents:
Superman Meets Susie!
1 page superhero
Characters
  • Superman [Clark Kent]
  • Susie Tompkins
Story Notes

Art credits from Bob Hughes.

Story 1 1 page
Story Notes

Inside front cover.

Superman Meets Susie!
Story 2 12 pages superhero
Storyline

The wild stories that Susie relates to Lois and Clark pique the interest of Superman, who discovers one of her crazy stories happens to be true!

Characters
  • Superman [Clark Kent]
  • Susie Tompkins (Lois Lane's niece)
  • Lois Lane
  • Perry White
  • Hank Beaker
  • Tug Graff
  • Sparky Hahn
  • Beaker Beales
Story Notes

Story gives the impression this is Superman's first meeting with Susie, but she actually appeared in Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #59. Credits from Siegel's records: Siegel and Shuster v. National Comics Publications, Inc. et al., case no. 1099 (Westchester Cty. Sup. Ct. 1947).

You're Ready for Action!
Story 3 1 page
Story 4 1 page humor

"Imagine - I'm getting airplane instruction today!"

The Duke Goes to the Dogs!
Story 5 10 pages adventure; superhero

"That prize package of the underworld, Duke Daggett..."

Storyline

Stuff grooms his dog to enter into a big dog show, hoping to win the $10,000 prize. Gangster Duke Daggett has the same idea. Swanky contestants hand over entrance fees to the steward, and Daggett's gang decide to rob one of them at home. Stuff overhears them and tells Greg. That evening, as the crooks are holding guns on the Vanderhofs, Vigilante and Stuff interrupt. Much to everybody's surprise (except Stuff himself) Stuff's dog walks away with the first prize. They decide to donate the $10,000 to the Allied War Chest.

Characters
  • Vigilante [Greg Sanders]
  • Stuff, the Chinatown Kid
  • Duke Daggett (crook)
  • Pierrepont Vanderhof
  • The Earl of Bullingthrow
  • Marshall Pettibone
Credits
Story Notes

Script credit from Bob Hughes.

Story 6 1 page

"Be sure to get these top favorites..."

Story Notes

House ad featuring cover repros from Batman (DC, 1940 series) #20, Leading Comics (DC, 1941 series) #8, All-Star Comics (DC, 1940 series) #18, Boy Commandos (DC, 1942 series) #5, Green Lantern (DC, 1941 series) #9, Mutt & Jeff (DC, 1939 series) #11, Wonder Woman (DC, 1942 series) #7, and All-Flash (DC, 1941 series) #12.

Featuring Romeo, the Robot

Story 7 4 pages humor

"Come down off that pole this minute..."

Credits
The Ancient Incas!
Story 8 6 pages adventure; drama

"On the snow-capped mountains of Peru..."

Storyline

Bill prevents lost Incan gold from making its way into German hands.

Characters
  • Congo Bill

Featuring Boy Commandos

Story 9 0 pages

"Gosh...Y'read Boy Commandos..."

Story Notes

House ad for Boy Commandos (DC, 1942 series) #5, with a partial cover repro.

The Sea Snake

Featuring Good Books Worth Reading

Story 10 1 page
Credits
Story Notes

Review of The Sea Snake by Stephen W. Meader, illustrated by Edward Shenton.

Between Dishonor and Death
Story 12 8 pages adventure; war

"In a war, a rash act can be almost as disastrous as treason!"

Storyline

Americommando is at Pacific base headquarters when a message comes through from the marines holding a strategic position on an island stronghold. A convoy is en route with supplies and reinforcements, but there is no way to contact the island. Americommando flies to deliver a message, but is shot from the skies and picked up by a Japanese battleship, which he manages to blow up.

Characters
  • Americommando [Tex Thomson]
Story Notes

Script credit from Jerry Bails via Craig Delich. Artist signature in final panel.

Featuring Leading Comics

Story 13 0 pages

"Sure -- I know we're upside down!"

Story Notes

House ad for Leading Comics (DC, 1941 series) #9, with partial cover repro.

Bike-ology
Story 14 1 page
Story 15 1 page humor

"I got hungry while I was painting it!"

Story Notes

3 gags.

Double Twist
Story 16 2 pages
Credits
Story Notes

Includes Superman's Secret Message and the Editorial Advisory Board of the Superman DC Comic Magazines.

The Pictures That Walked
Story 17 8 pages adventure; fantasy

"Have you ever seen a portrait walking?"

Storyline

Zatara is helping to sell War Bonds at the City Art Museum rally. Afterwards, he notices something phony about Gainsborough's painting of The Blue Boy. Using magic, he gets the blue boy to tell that he is just a copy of the original. He then spots a pair of suspicious-looking characters with a swag sack, and has the original blue boy inside the sack tell of his pedigree. Many other paintings are also forgeries, and the characters tell Zatara the forger's name was Arton. They attack Arton in his own home, and the original paintings are restored to the museum.

Characters
  • Zatara [Giovanni "John" Zatara]
  • Arthur Arton (art forger)
Credits
Story 18 1 page
Story 19 1 page
Story Notes

Inside back cover.

Story 20 1 page
Story Notes

Back cover.