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 Unofficial Action Comics Index

Action Comics 40

ACTION COMICS #40

Cover Date: September 1941
Cover Price: $.10
Publication Date: 1941-07-18

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Cover Credits:
Art: Fred Ray


Story: [No Title] (12 Pages)

Credits:

StoryJerry Siegel
ArtJohn Sikela
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Superman

Supporting Character(s):

Lois Lane

Other Character(s):

Nancy Thorgeson (first appearance)
Morgan Thorgeson (first appearance)

Location(s):

Metropolis
Daily Planet

Story Reprinted in:

Superman: The Action Comics Archives #3 ([October] 2001)
The Superman Chronicles #6 ([April] 2009)
Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus #2 ([September] 2016)
Superman: The Golden Age #3 ([August] 2017)


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Second Story: [No Title] (6 Pages)

Credits:

ArtGeorge Papp
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Pep Morgan

Villain(s):

Anti-government rebels (first appearance of all)

Location(s):

Brentville
Chile

Comment(s):

This story takes place during summer vacation.


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Third Story: [No Title] (4 Pages)

Credits:

ArtSheldon Moldoff
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Black Pirate

Supporting Character(s):

Bonnie

Villain(s):

Captain Don De Avila (dies)

Location(s):

Gibraltar, Spain (in the late 16th Century)

Comment(s):

This story continues from the last issue.


4

Fourth Story: [No Title] (6 Pages)

Credits:

StoryGardner Fox
ArtChad Grothkopf
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Three Aces
Fog Fortune
Whistler Will
Gunner Bill

Villain(s):

Mutinous sailors (first appearance of all)

Location(s):

Arctic Circle
A newly created island


5

Fifth Story: [No Title] (8 Pages)

Credits:

StoryKen Fitch
ArtBernard Baily
LetteringBernard Baily
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Mister America

Supporting Character(s):

Bob Daley (last in #38/5; next in #42/5)

Villain(s):

The Purple (first appearance of all; group of vigilantes led unknowingly by a Fifth Columnist)

Location(s):

Serena (first appearance; a small town)


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Sixth Story: "The Prehistoric Valley!" (6 Pages)

Credits:

StoryFred Ray
ArtFred Ray
LetteringFred Ray
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Congo Bill

Supporting Character(s):

Professor James Kent

Villain(s):

German troops (first appearance of all; all probably die)

Other Character(s):

Dr. Hanlen (first appearance; a famous anthropologist from Edinburgh; dies)
Shiela Hanlen (first appearance; Dr. Hanlen's niece and secretary)

Location(s):

Africa
Valley of the Mists (first appearance; a hidden valley inhabited by dinosaurs)


7

Feature: "This is a Preview of The Star-Spangled Kid" (3 Pages)


Credits:

Jerry Siegel (?) (script)
Hal Sherman (?) (art)
Murray Boltinoff and Mort Weisinger (assistant edits)
Whitney Ellsworth (edits)

Feature Character(s):

Star-Spangled Kid (Sylvester Pemberton; first published appearance)
Stripesy (Patrick "Pat" Dugan; first published appearance)

Comment(s):

This is an advertisement for the upcoming Star Spangled Comics #1, introducing the characters, including a photo of Jerry Siegel.


 

Seventh Story: [No Title] (9 Pages)

Credits:

StoryGardner Fox
ArtJoseph Sulman
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Zatara the Magician

Villain(s):

Bucky Moor and his gang (first appearance of all; tries to swindle a building site from an elderly man by going out with his daughter)


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