More Fun Comics #28 is an issue of the series More Fun Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1938.
Synopsis for Sandra of the Secret Service: "Sandra's Vacation, Part 1 (of 4)"
Chief Ames sends Sandra off on vacation, so she catches a steamship to Florida. At the pier she by chance meets her friend Michael, who turns out to be a high society reporter, on an assignment to Florida. An obnoxious drunk staggers by, singing "Sweet Adeline", and he shows up again that evening in the dining salon. After dinner Michael and Sandra go dancing in the ship's ballroom, but there is a sudden commotion: a wealthy celebrity's expensive diamond necklace has been stolen!
Appearing in Sandra of the Secret Service: "Sandra's Vacation, Part 1 (of 4)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Chief Ames
- Michael (last seen in More Fun Comics #25)
Other Characters
- Lucille du Pont, celebrated debutante
- Baron von Schmidt, her husband
- rude drunk man
Locations:
Vehicles:
- passenger liner
Synopsis for Dr. Occult, the Ghost Detective: "Vampire Venom"
Police Detective Captain Vin Ellsworth calls in his friend Doctor Occult, the Ghost Detective, on a murder case that involves vampires. Several evenings later, after the most recent victim has been buried, Ellsworth and Occult hide in the cemetery's bushes, watching his grave. Occult spots "the figure of the corpse and a bat-man!" Ignoring Occult's warning, Ellsworth fires uselessly at the vampires with his pistol; they swoop to attack him. Occult whips out his mystic symbol and the vampires flee, each diving back into his own grave. Ellsworth and Occult observe which graves those are, dig them up, expose the vampires, and drive stakes through their chests, with Ellsworth complaining the whole time about how horrible it all is.
Appearing in Dr. Occult, the Ghost Detective: "Vampire Venom"
Featured Characters:
- Doctor Occult, the Ghost Detective
Supporting Characters:
- Police Detective Captain Vin Ellsworth
Antagonists:
- two unnamed vampires
Items:
Synopsis for "Hanko the Cowhand"
Hanko enters a rodeo, but he doesn't do very well. Nevertheless, he's given a booby prize, a shining cup full of money. But Hanko is stopped before leaving, there's been a mistake, the real booby prize was a wooden horse.
Appearing in "Hanko the Cowhand"
Featured Characters:
Synopsis for Pirate Gold: "Episode 16 (of 18)"
Jeff Roberts and Captain Dennis instigate a small-scale slave riot and make an escape from their new owner's armed servants by sneaking into his large house. Captain Dennis has brought along the whip with which he was being worked over, just before the melee began, and when they are discovered, he wields it in a fight with a swordsman. Jeff Roberts' throwing arm again decides the contest, as he knocks out the slave-owning merchant with a hurled metal incense holder. More swordsmen are on their way, so they flee the building via a second-story balcony and some tree limbs, to get over the courtyard wall. They drop on an unguarded side of the compound, and within an hour are back in the city, searching for the window where they last saw Jean. They find it; Jeff whistles; Jean appears at the barred window.
Appearing in Pirate Gold: "Episode 16 (of 18)"
Featured Characters:
- Jeff Roberts
- Captain Dennis
Other Characters:
- Jean
- Gregory Roberts
- unnamed old gunman
- Flamingo crewmen
Antagonists:
- Slave Buyer
- his guards
Era:
Locations:
- Pacific Ocean
- Shanghai, China
- Shanghai, China
Synopsis for Spike Spalding: "Homecoming, Part 1 (of 2)"
Spike and Pincus prepare to return to America. Their sailor friend stays behind in Patrania. The Prince writes each of them a check for $10,000, in appreciation of their rescuing him from the plotters.
Appearing in Spike Spalding: "Homecoming, Part 1 (of 2)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Pincus
- Uncle George
- Aunt Mary (See notes)
- Pincus' Mom
Other Characters:
- Prince Philip of Patrania
- Sailor (never got named)
Synopsis for Woozy Watts: "Island Adventure, Part 18"
Woozy Watts ponders whether he should tell Smith about his find, and decides to keep it to himself for now. Smith tells Woozy that one of her kidnappers, whom she has been bribing, told her that his boss was catching up on Woozy's presence, and that he planned to search the place today. Woozy continues to ponder what to do.
Appearing in Woozy Watts: "Island Adventure, Part 18"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Smith
Locations:
- Gooli Islands
Synopsis for Pep Morgan: "Basketball"
Its Riverdale vs. Springville and Pep is scoring a lot of points, so the other team bumps him off the court in an unsportsmanlike manner. This causes Pep to fall onto the lap of a flabbergasted old woman, to the amusement of all players.
Appearing in Pep Morgan: "Basketball"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Springville Basketball Team
Other Characters:
- Riverdale Basketball Team
- Bob, others
Locations:
Synopsis for Bob Merritt: "The Mystery Plane, Part 23 (of 25)"
The Asiatic bombers reduce Bob's dummy camp to shambles, while Monk Morton and his gang hurry to their own planes. Bob, having rescued Dickey, commands him to tell Red Gleason to take all planes up. A massive aerial battle between the three factions looms, and Bob takes off in his Bumblebee.
Appearing in Bob Merritt: "The Mystery Plane, Part 23 (of 25)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Bob's Flying Pals
- Dicky Saunders
- Red Gleason (surname given)
'Antagonists:
- Asiatic Aviators
- Monk Morton, Gang Boss
- at least 4 thugs: Slug, Trigger, Wasp, others
Locations
- Alaska
- Alaskan Rockies
Vehicles:
- Bumblebee, Merrit's rocket-plane
- Asiatic aircraft fleet
- Gangster aircraft fleet
Synopsis for Radio Squad: "The Circus"
Sandy and Larry are on patrol, with Larry moping that the chief won't let him take the day off to see the circus. Dispatch suddenly radios in and tells them that their presence is needed at the circus grounds. At the circus, they find out a lion has escaped his cage. Larry attempts to intimidate the beast by staring at it right in its eyes, but it doesn't work, as the lion charges at him. The lion pursues Larry around the circus ring before Larry finally manages to unwittingly trap it back again in his cage. Later at the headquarters, the chief congratulates Larry on his work and tells him he can take the afternoon off to go to the circus. Larry refuses to go, saying the lion is probably there waiting to get his revenge.
Appearing in Radio Squad: "The Circus"
Featured Characters:
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Radio Car K-7
Synopsis for Mark Marson: "The Murder of Lord Greystone, Part 3 (of 6)"
A huge black form has hurled the dead watchman into the room, and slides rapidly away. Mark unholsters his Electro-Ray Pistol and shoots at it, with no effect. The immense silhouette waves mockingly, shrieks with laughter, and vanishes. The dead watchman, before being flung thru a closed window, had been killed by the same means as Lord Greystone. Gail Hillary runs in to the room, frantic with terror. She has just encountered a towering cloaked figure, in fact she sideswiped it with her Giro Car,
knocking him down. Marson and Montague race outside to check on this.
Appearing in Mark Marson: "The Murder of Lord Greystone, Part 3 (of 6)"
Featured Characters:
- Mark Marson, of the Inter-Planetary Police
Supporting Characters:
- Inter-Planetary Police
- Sergeant Montague
- Professor Hillary
- Gail Hillary
Antagonists:
- Doctor
Other Characters:
- Lord Greystone (Mentioned only)
- Thor, watchman (Appears only as a corpse)
Animals:
- Forked Cobra (Mentioned only)
Era:
- 2060
Locations:
- Planet Ciro
- Blue Bay
- Lord Greystone's house
- Blue Bay
Items:
- I-P Police Electro-Ray Pistol
Vehicles:
- Gail's Giro Car (Flashback only)
Synopsis for Wing Brady: "The Boxing Match, Part 2 (of 2)"
Wing Brady and Big Jim Padgett are in Round Three of their heavyweight grudge match for the 12th Battalion Boxing Championship. Wing has already been smacked dizzy a couple of times. The fight is long and grueling and ends in a knockout, with Wing Brady the winner.
Two days later, Wing Brady and Hap Hamilton and Frenchy Reynard are sent to the village of El Coro, to purchase some racing camels. On the long hot ride, Brady thinks sadly about Lynn Harding, who at that moment, aboard a steamship bound for Britain, she thinks sadly about him. They spot an approaching dust cloud, indicating a large body of hard-riding horsemen.
Appearing in Wing Brady: "The Boxing Match, Part 2 (of 2)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- French Foreign Legion, 12th Battalion
- Captain Chevigny
- "Hap" Hamilton
- "Frenchy" Reynard
- Captain Chevigny
- Lynn Harding (Daydream)
Antagonists:
- Big Jim Padgett
Locations:
- North Africa
- Casa Bey, Foreign Legion outpost
- El Coro, Arab village (Destination)
Vessels:
- Britain-bound steamship
Synopsis for Johnnie Law: "The Dope Peddlers, Part 2 (of 5)"
As Johnnie snoops around the beer joint, someone pulls a gun on him, he fights, but is conked unconscious with a pistol butt in the end. The gangsters take Johhnie for a ride, but he wakes up and manages to force the car off a bridge and escape. He heads back to the beer joint and overhears the gangsters report to their boss Donati that they must scram, as Johnnie got away and the place will surely be swarmed with cops in no time. So Johnnie jumps in his car ready to tail them.
Appearing in Johnnie Law: "The Dope Peddlers, Part 2 (of 5)"
Featured Characters:
- Johnnie Law, plainclothes cop
Antagonists:
- Donati
- his marijuana gang: bar tender, bouncers, dope peddler, others
Locations:
Vehicles:
- gangsters' sedan (Destroyed)
- gang boss's sedan
- Johnnie's sedan
Synopsis for Johnnie Law: "The Dope Peddlers, Part 3 (of 5)"
Donati and his gang arrive to their destination, a derelict building, with Johnnie hot on their trail. Donati asks Bugs, another gangster, for a safe haven, and Bugs agrees on the condition that Donati helps him with a large shipment that night. Johnnie, who overheard the whole thing, reports back to his chief, and a sting is set up. A gunfight breaks out during the sting, and Bugs is arrested in the end. Donati however, is nowhere to be seen. Bugs tries to convince the cops that Donati's body fell into the river, but Johnnie doesn't buy it.
Appearing in Johnnie Law: "The Dope Peddlers, Part 3 (of 5)"
Featured Characters:
- Johnnie Law, plainclothes cop
Supporting Characters:
- "Chief"
- raiding squad of cops
- boatful of harbor cops
Antagonists:
- Marijuana gangs
- Donati
- his gang (All or most die)
- Bugs
- his gang (All or most die)
- Donati
Locations:
- New York City
- Waterfront
Vehicles:
- gang seagoing freighter
- gang harbor motorlaunch
- many police boats
Synopsis for Jack Woods: "The Horse Thief, Part 1 (of 2)"
In a south western town in New Mexico, the hanging of an accused horse thief is about to take place. The accused, Jepson, pleads that he is innocent but no one listens. The jailers and Jepson leave town on horseback, before arriving to a gnarled tree where the lynching will take place' it's affectionally called "The Hangman." The noose is slid on and cinched up, and the lynch mob leader is ready to act, when suddenly a precise gunshot snaps the rope. Jepson makes a break for freedom on horseback while the crowd runs for cover. He is pursued by a lone rider, revealed to be Jack Woods, who does not approve of this whole business, and who now wants to deal with the man himself.
After making sure to lose their pursuers by hiding behind a rock, Woods asks the man to tell his story. Jepson tells him that there were a series of horse thief lynchings around this part of the county, but his ranch never had any problems with that. Then suddenly three of the stolen horses were found in his corral, and he was arrested. Jepson claims he was set up, and believes a man named Sam James was trying to get him killed. Sam was a former business partner of Jepson's, who was heartbroken when his crush married Jepson, and had soon started squandering money that belonged to Jepson. Jack Woods tells Jepson he'll help him get to the bottom of this.
Appearing in Jack Woods: "The Horse Thief, Part 1 (of 2)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jepson
Villains:
- Lynchers
- Sam James (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Synopsis for Little Linda: "Yvonne Darling, Part 2 (of 4)"
At the Larsen Lumber Co. logging camp, a movie crew is shooting some scenes, featuring child movie-star Yvonne Darling, who is just a snotty little monster and is mean to everybody. Cameramen and lumberjacks alike hate her right back. When she's mean to Little Linda, Linda just makes excuses for her. But the next day, when Yvonne proves yet again to be too difficult to work with, and a potentially dangerous stunt is involved, the producers hire Little Linda, as a stunt double for Miss Darling.
Appearing in Little Linda: "Yvonne Darling, Part 2 (of 4)"
Featured Characters:
Other Characters:
- Lars Larsen, Lumber Camp Boss
- Lumberjacks, at least 14: Scotty, others
- two movie producers
- Yvonne Darling, movie star
- Jones, assistant
- film crew: directors, photographers, gaffers
Locations:
- a northern middle-west state
- Larsen Lumber Co. logging camp
- Larsen Lumber Co. logging camp
Synopsis for Three Musketeers: "Episode 17 (of 25)"
The Duke of Buckingham is maneuvering England and France into a war, in pursuit of an adulterous relationship with the Queen of France. The Duke himself himself has been maneuvered into having this opportunity, by Cardinal Richelieu.
Appearing in Three Musketeers: "Episode 17 (of 25)"
Other Characters
- Queen Anne of France
Antagonists:
- Cardinal Richelieu (Behind the scenes)
- Duke of Buckingham
Locations:
- Paris, France, the 1620s
- Royal Palace
- Royal Palace
Synopsis for Magic Crystal of History: "King John and the Magna Carta"
Bobby and Binks learn about the reign of King John of England, and how his misrule led to the creation of the Magna Carta, the document that laid the foundation of the civil liberties of the English people.
Appearing in Magic Crystal of History: "King John and the Magna Carta"
Featured Characters:
Items:
Other characters:
Synopsis for Barry O'Neill: "Fang Gow of China, Part 28 (of 35)"
Barry O'Neill's out-of-control rope-swing brings him crashing thru the window into the very room where Fang Gow is menacing Jean Le Grand! He beats down some bodyguards, grabs Jean, and heads for the window. The rope isn't stout enough for two people so Barry sends Jean down while he dukes it out with Fang Gow's reinforcements. Once Jean is safely down, Barry tries to use the rope to follow her, but Fang Gow's minions haul the rope back up.
Appearing in Barry O'Neill: "Fang Gow of China, Part 28 (of 35)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Fang Gow
- many henchmen
Other Characters:
- Doctor Bonfils (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Synopsis for Brad Hardy: "Lorraine, Part 1 (of 3)"
Brad and Kardos have
escaped from Undersea Melrania, via the Grey Lake, and have re-entered the Grey Jungle. When the sun goes down, they start looking for some food. They hunt, kill, cook, and eat a small bull-boar.
Appearing in Brad Hardy: "Lorraine, Part 1 (of 3)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Prince Kardos
- Lorraine Lewis (Mentioned only)
Antagonists:
- Claudia, Queen of Melrania (Mentioned only)
Animals:
- Bull-Boar (Dies)
Locations:
- Kingdoms of the Underworld
- Grey Jungle
- Grey Jungle
Synopsis for Marty McCann: "Pete Marko, Part 2 (of 3)"
Marty McCann has just punched out Pete Marko, and gets some good advice, and a hailed taxi, from Bradley Reynolds; they leave the Fight Club very quickly. They speed over to the Athletic Club, where Brad introduces Marty to his Dad, an amateur boxer, who introduces them to Boris, the Russian Lion, his boxer-in-training. Boris is a body builder and former wrestler; Marty has some zingers about both categories of fighters. Mr. Reynolds is inspired; he'll organize a boxer-versus-wrestler bout, featuring these two, and sell a ton of tickets!
When Pete Marko hears about his, he puts in a bid to promote the match; neither Mr. Reynolds nor McCann want anything to do with him so they turn it down. But Boris eagerly hires on with Marko, and promises to put McCann into the hospital!
Appearing in Marty McCann: "Pete Marko, Part 2 (of 3)"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Pete Marko, promoter, Czar of the Boxing Monopoly
- his underlings
Other Characters:
- Gorilla Greene (Mentioned only)
- Bradley Reynolds
- Taxi Driver
- Bradley H. Reynolds, Brad's Dad, former amateur boxing champ
- Boris the Russian Lion, former wrestling champ
- Fred, Brad's Dad's newspaper friend
Locations:
- New York City
- Fight Club
- Athletic Club
- Marko's Office
Synopsis for Marty McCann: "Pete Marko, Part 3 (of 3)"
The night of the big match between Marty the Boxer and Boris the Wrestler comes around. The referee lays out the rules, and they begin. Marty hits him, then misses him, then is grabbed by Boris, and wrenched around severely for several minutes. It goes back and forth for quite a while, until Boris gets flustered and starts kicking. The Ref calls foul, and Boris twirls the Ref over his head and flings him out of the ring! The fight resumes, then the lights go out; somebody shoots Boris; a pistol is tossed into the ring to land right in front of Marty McCann; the lights come back on. With his boxing glove on, Marty stupidly picks up the gun, but it's obvious to all observers that he couldn't have fired it. Pete Marko and his gunman Blackie see from their ringside seats that their frame-up won't work, and depart, but are blocked from leaving by two burly cops, who frisk them both, and find the smoking handgun. Marko is arrested, but McCann asks the cops to release him in his custody, and despite his prior series of arrests they go along with that. Marko is very surprised by this development, but McCann seemingly just wants to help out.
Appearing in Marty McCann: "Pete Marko, Part 3 (of 3)"
Featured Characters:
- Marty McCann (Final appearance)
Antagonists:
- Pete Marko, promoter, Czar of the Boxing Monopoly (Final appearance)
- his underlings: Blackie, Patsy, others
- Boris the Russian Lion, former wrestling champ (Final appearance)
Other Characters:
- Referee
- Police Captain
- Police Sergeant
Locations:
- New York City
- Fight Club
Notes
- Published by Nicholson Publishing Co., Inc..
- Brad Hardy:
- Brad and Kardos are in the Grey Jungle, which is in the Kingdoms of the Underworld, but they can see when the sun goes down. How this happens is not explained.
- Brad and Kardos have just returned from Melrania, where they were breathing water. In the Grey Jungle they are back to breathing air. How these changes came about is not explained.
- Next issue this feature is absent; it returns in More Fun Comics #30.
- This issue the Bradley Boys feature is absent; it returns next issue.
- Doctor Occult: Just last issue, Vin Ellsworth was a police sergeant; now he's a police captain.
- Starting this issue, with "The Murder of Lord Greystone, Part 3", the Mark Marson stories are presented in the correct sequence.
- This issue Marty McCann, which was absent from More Fun Comics #26 and #27, returns, for two episodes, then ends.
- Title changes from Marty McCann, Champion of the Navy to Marty McCann.
- Gorilla Greene is not visible at the Fight Club, and it's not clear what becomes of him after Marty leaves.
- Mr. Reynolds, the fight trainer, virtually invents Mixed Martial Arts, 55 years ahead of his time.
- The last panel of the second story says "CONTINUED" but it isn't.
- This issue Sam the Porter is absent; it returns next issue.
- In Spike Spalding, Spike's aunt is retconned. She had previously been named "Susan" in More Fun Comics #7, and she had previously been shown as an elderly woman with glasses in New Fun Comics #5.
- Also appearing in this issue of More Fun Comics were:
- Alger's Variety Show by Alger
- "Fun Club" (text article) by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- Jest Jokes (1-panel gags), by Whitney Ellsworth
- Just For Fun, by Alger
- Money Romance: "Dixie" (illustrated article) by Gill Fox
- "Talk About Talkies" (text article) by Mary Partrick
See Also
Links and References
- Read Doctor Occult: "Vampire Venom" online.
- Read Sandra of the Secret Service: "Sandra's Vacation, Part 1" online.
- Read More Fun Comics #28 online.