Smash Comics #39 is an issue of the series Smash Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1943.
Synopsis for Midnight: "The Absent Minded Corpse!"
Dave, Doc Wackey and Gabby are taking a train out to see a football game between heated rivals Jale and Wartmouth. To get some fun, Gabby says some slanderous things about the schools, which prompts a brawl in the train between grads coming to cheer for their school at the big game. After escaping and giving Gabby a well-earned spanking, Doc asks what the feud's about, and says it began with the Benson twins, Sam and Dan. One was hired as the president of each of the schools, and their hatred of each other's seeped into how the entire colleges regard each other!
The players hit the field, carrying concealed weapons. Things are no less calm in the stands, as Sam and Dan spot each other and open fire with revolvers. One takes a shot and stumbles onto the field, but when Midnight intervenes and manages to drag him under the bleachers, the injured man has developed complete amnesia. Since he can't remember, Midnight develops a bold plan: since the amnesiac can't remember if he's Sam or Dan Benson, he decides to henceforth be known as San Benson, and combine Jale and Wartmouth into a single school. The student body starts to protest, until Midnight introduces the new faculty, a procession of bikini-clad beauties.
Appearing in Midnight: "The Absent Minded Corpse!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
Other Characters:
- Sam Benson
- Dan Benson
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Synopsis for Yankee Eagle: "Bataan"
Appearing in Yankee Eagle: "Bataan"
Featured Characters:
Villains:
- Japanese Military (plenty die)
Other Characters:
- Secretary of War
- Lt. Graymore
- Filipino Guerrillas
Locations:
Vehicles:
- U.S. scouting plane (abandoned in mid-air)
- Japanese scouting plane (stolen)
Synopsis for Bozo the Robot: "Zeke Punkinhed"
Appearing in Bozo the Robot: "Zeke Punkinhed"
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Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Killer McSnarley
Other Characters:
- Zeke Punkinhed
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Synopsis for Rookie Rankin: "The Borgen Art Gallery"
Rankin catches what appears to be an artist stealing a painting right off the wall of a gallery. When the malcontent pulls a gun, however, Rankin only gets a faceful of water. Before things can escalate any further, a Dr. Schoor comes by and explains the thief's an escaped inmate from his hospital, and leaves with him without further fuss. This was just a cover story to get away without being arrested, though, and Schoor, the artist and the rest of their gang make to rob a jewelry store soon after. Again Rankin intervenes, jumping onto the runner of a car to chase the crooks when they try to escape. Schoor's too quick with an explanation again, saying the car was driving so fast because they were transporting an injured patient.
Rankin's assigned the graveyard shift as punishment for hassling Dr. Schoor, but happens to see the same getaway car parked outside a fur warehouse, and runs to intervene before they can escape with the goods. He captures the gang and brings them before the sergeant, but the crooks pretend insanity and Schoor simply collects them without a scuffle again. Rankin goes to Schoor's sanitorium to find the driver from the previous car chase to abet his version of events, and finds Schoor trying to drive his would-be witness actually insane. Schoor's fake psychiatry degree's exposed, and he and his minions get put away for real.
Appearing in Rookie Rankin: "The Borgen Art Gallery"
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Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Dr. Schoor (Joe Blupp)
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Synopsis for The Ray: "Oscar Slott"
Happy Terrill comes to his editor with a sheaf full of proof that Oscar Slott, weapons manufacturer whose plant was recently bombed, is in fact a Nazi spy. Hines refuses to hear a word of it and fires Happy, but only because he already knew the accusations were true and the Nazi spies are threatening his daughter. Happy goes to investigate the plant as the Ray, and finds one surviving example of the cutting-edge bomber with all the newest weapon designs, with enough fuel to fly to Berlin, confirming his suspicions. He's taken by surprise by some thugs who overcome Ray by dropping a huge weight on his head, and they leave a time bomb to finish him off. Bud's captured too, but manages to kick a lit cigarette butt onto a pile of paper waste, setting off the sprinkler system and reviving the Ray in time. At the speed of light he catches up to the plane and rescues his friends.
Appearing in The Ray: "Oscar Slott"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Bud
- Mr. Hines, Terrill's editor
- Carol Hines, the editor's daughter
Villains:
- Nazis
- Oscar Slott/Otto Schlottbug
Other Characters:
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Synopsis for Espionage Starring Black X: "The Story of a Blind Man Who Could See"
Appearing in Espionage Starring Black X: "The Story of a Blind Man Who Could See"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Nazis
- Herr Dumm
Other Characters:
- Dr. Christian
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Synopsis for The Marksman: "The Gold Shipment"
The Marksman sneaks a fortune in gold to English allies by secreting the bars inside of bombs the Nazis make to drop in Allied territory. To dispose of the gunpowder left over from emptying out the bombs, he simply ignites it, and destroys the airfield they'd just departed from!
Appearing in The Marksman: "The Gold Shipment"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Nazi soldiers
Other Characters:
- Vorka
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Synopsis for The Jester: "AH-H-H-H-H-C-H-W-W-W-W-W----- "
Oscar Oople walks right into police headquarters to solicit charitable donations...via a gas pellet that makes everyone who inhales it infinitely agreeable. Chuck Lane even hands over the police's file on Oople. As the Jester he chases Oscar down and gets everything back, including his job on the force.
Appearing in The Jester: "AH-H-H-H-H-C-H-W-W-W-W-W----- "
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Detective Hustace McGinty
Villains:
Other Characters:
- Oscar Oople
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Notes
- Also appearing in this issue of Smash Comics were:
- Archie O'Toole: "Princess Fatima" by Bernard Dibble
- Jimmy Christian: "Rabbits are Dynamite" (text story)
- Wun Cloo by Jack Cole
Trivia
- Jack Cole signed his Wun Cloo strips as "Ralph Johns".
See Also
Links and References
