NEW ADVENTURE COMICS #15 (MAY 1937)

 In the beginning it was New Comics, beginning in December 1935, and the second comic book series (after New Fun, later More Fun Comics;the company's third title, Detective Comics, appeared with a cover date of March 1937)) pubished by National Allied Publications, which would soon morph into DC Comics.  With issue #12 (January 1937) the title would change to New Adventure Comics, and would finally become Adventure Comics in November 1938 with issue # 32.  (National Allied Publications was founded by pulp writer and entrepeneur Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, whose comics books were the first ot contain all original material, rather than items recycled from newspaper strips.

New Comics began as a humor magazine, but as it changed into New Adventure Comics it added a number of adventure strips, mainly short stories that were contuned from issue to issue, thus insuring (hopefully) a consistent readership.  Wheelwe-Nicholson was able to pack a lot into the magazines 68 pages.

From issue #15:

• "Captain Jim of the Texas Rangers" by F L Fleming.  A 3-page continued western adventure.
• "Chikko Chakko" by Ellis Edwards.  A 2-page humor story.
• "Just for Fun" by Alger.  A 1-page humor story.
• An untitled half-page humor story.
• "Jungle Fever" by Win.  a 4-pge continued adventure story; this chapter dealing with a mutiny at sea.
• "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, illustrated by Merna Gamble.  Just 2 pages -- ou know this story will be continued forever.
• "The Adventures of Steve Conrad" by Fless.  A mysterious man rises from the sea to murder the ship's mate and bos'n; at the end of this chapter, Steve is overboard as the ship sails away, but Myra jumps in to (hopefully) save him.  4 pages.
• "Worth-While Pictures to Watch for" by I. W. Magovern.  A 1-page text article about western movies.
• "Straight from Hollywood" by Laidlaw.  1-page filler about Hollywood actors.
• "Captain Quick" by Sven Elven.  4-page continued adventure story about Sir Kendell Quick, newly knoighted by Queen Elizabeth.
• "Andy Handy, A Man of Action But Few Words" by Leo E. O'Mealia.  2-page humor story.
• "Abou Ben Adhem" by Leigh Hunt.  An illustrated poem.
• "The Monastery of the Blue God" by Malcolom Wheeler-Nicholson.  A 4-page continued mystery/adventure story.
• "Laffing at Life"  2-page humor filler.
• "Hardluck Harry" by William Carney.  Continued humor story.  2 pages.
• "She" by H. Rider Haggard, illustrated by Sven Elven.  4 pages of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed.  a continued story, naturally.
• "Ol' Oz Bopp" by Alger.  2-page humore story.
• "The Vikings" by Anthony.  Viking vs. Druids, oh my.  A 2-page continued adventure.
• "International Good Neighbor Club"  2-page text article about the comic book's Good Neightbor Club; includes an application you can send in.
• "The Golden Dragon" by Tom Hickey.  4-page continued oriental adventure.
• "Don Coyote"  2-page continued humor story.
• "Sandor and the Lost Civilization" by Homer Somebody (I can't make out the name).  4-page continued Middle East?-Jungle?-Desert? adventure story.
• "Goofo the Great" by Alger.  Another 1-page humor story.
• "Dizzies" Humor filler. (Sharing a page with an ad for a harmoic instruction book.)
• "Detective Sergeant Carey of the Chinatown Squad"  2-page continued crime adventure.
• "Slim and Tex" by Alex Lory.  3-page continiued modern western adventure.
• "It's a Dern Lie"  In which readers are asked to send in their own tall tales; in this issue it's by Marion W. Clayton of Moncton, New Brunswick -- she tells of making a cake so light that it floated away.

Phew!  That's a lot for one little magazine!  You must remember that original content comic books were in their infancy back then.  The writing and the artwork could be splotchy -- although some were quite good.  I'd get irritated at all the continued stories, which may say something about my attention span (or lack thereof).  And as for the humor stories...well, I think funny bones were made differently back the.

A lot of comioc book history would be made with this title.  An earlier issue (#12) introduced Jor-el, who would be used by Siegal and Shuster just over a year later as Supermna's father.  Later issues would introduce such characters as Sandman, Hourman, Starman, and Manhunter, while other comic books heroes such as Superboy, Green Lantern, and Aquaman would move over from other comic books to become regulars in Adventure Comics.

Enjoy this early look.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wrAZajDrcRLg3SvrzL4R27HTVfUTc6u5/view