Funny Picture Stories #9

In "null," a detective scrambles to solve the mystery of a missing high school football team—only to discover the game they were supposed to play hasn’t even begun yet. With no clear motive and a timeline that defies logic, the case unravels in unexpected ways, leaving the detective (and reader) questioning what’s really missing.

In this playful 1938 tale from *Funny Picture Stories #9*, a family's shopping trip takes a sweet turn when a friendly shopkeeper offers the children some raisins—only to surprise them with a generous handful, his big hand making the gesture all the more amusing. A lighthearted moment of whimsy unfolds in just two pages, capturing the charm of childhood wonder with simple, joyful humor.

In "Crossed Wires," repairman Ted Stevens stumbles upon a misunderstanding when he overhears his girlfriend Mary Ann arranging a meeting at a drug store—only to find the man she’s meeting is her father, not a rival suitor. The story captures a moment of mistaken tension with quiet humor and emotional honesty, all set against the crackling backdrop of early 20th-century telephone lines.

When the skipper of the Hotel Krows Nest refuses to raise his crew's wages, the discharged sailors scheme their sweet revenge—donning new uniforms to rejoin the ship and teach their penny-pinching captain a lesson he won't soon forget. This collection of 1938 stories mixes salty humor with schoolroom drama, including a young king's secret enrollment at an exclusive academy, where he must learn to survive without his royal protectors.

In "null," the king, disguised as a regular student under the alias Jo, begins a new chapter at a semi-private school where character matters as much as intellect. His advanced knowledge quickly sets him apart, drawing the ire of Master Brut, a teacher whose pride is wounded by the newcomer’s effortless brilliance.