Cover: Mac Raboy

Master Comics #40

Jul 1943 · Fawcett · 0.10 USD

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About this Issue

Master Comics #40 is a representative example of Fawcett's wartime anthology formula at full stride in the summer of 1943, presenting the full roster of the title's Golden Age lineup — Captain Marvel Jr., Bulletman, Bulletgirl, Balbo the Boy Magician, Minute Man, and Hopalong Cassidy — under a striking patriotic cover by Mac Raboy. The lead Captain Marvel Jr. story, scripted by prolific Fawcett workhorse Otto Binder and illustrated by Raboy, demonstrates the darker, more dramatically rendered take on superheroics that set Mac Raboy apart from his contemporaries and influenced later comics artists. As a wartime-era Fawcett anthology, it also captures the deeply propagandistic editorial climate of 1943, including war-bonds promotional content featuring the original Captain Marvel, reflecting the full integration of comic-book publishing into the American home-front effort.

Contains 5 stories

The Punching Polties

12 pp · Superhero

Captain Marvel Jr. [Freddy Freeman]Professor Hex (first appearance)a group of poltergeists (first appearance)

Bulletman Fights the Gagman!

13 pp · Superhero

Bulletman [Jim Barr]Bulletgirl [Susan Kent]The Gag Man [Mr. Harker] (first appearancevillain)

The Ray of Hate

10 pp · Superhero

Dr. Vee (VillainIntro)

Hopalong Cassidy Is Hanged by the Neck

7 pp · Western-Frontier

Hopalong CassidyTopper (horse)Mesquite Jenkins (deputy)Harte Gang

Mystery At the O.C.S.

12 pp · Superhero

Minute Man [Jack Weston]Johnny Reb (first appearance)

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Good) $376

CGC 9.6 · 1 in census $16,729*

CGC 9.4 none in existence

CGC 9.2 $5,861

CGC 9.0 · 1 in census $4,977

CGC 8.5 · 1 in census $3,328*

CGC 8.0 none in existence

Show all 20 grades ▾

CGC 7.5 · 1 in census $2,095

CGC 7.0 · 2 in census $1,741*

CGC 6.5 · 1 in census $1,461*

CGC 6.0 · 1 in census $1,264*

CGC 5.5 · 3 in census $827

CGC 5.0 · 2 in census $827*

CGC 4.5 · 5 in census $827

CGC 4.0 · 1 in census $783

CGC 3.5 · 1 in census $667*

CGC 3.0 · 1 in census $591*

CGC 2.5 none in existence

CGC 2.0 none in existence

CGC 1.5 · 2 in census $313*

CGC 1.0 · 2 in census $261*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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History

Fawcett Publications had transformed Master Comics from an oversized anthology of miscellaneous features into the primary showcase for Captain Marvel Jr. beginning with issue #23 (February 1942), after Junior's origin storyline concluded in Master Comics #21–22. By mid-1943, Otto Binder — who wrote an enormous share of Fawcett's output during this period — was the lead scripter for the Captain Marvel Jr. feature, while Mac Raboy's hyper-detailed, realistic illustration style gave the book a visual sophistication distinct from the lighter C.C. Beck style used in Whiz Comics. The issue was produced under the wartime paper-rationing environment that affected all American comics publishers, which accounts for the relative fragility of surviving copies.

Trivia · 8 facts

Published July 1943 by Fawcett Publications; cover date July 1943, 68 pages, full color.
Cover art by Mac Raboy — a patriotic, American-flag-themed composition characteristic of Fawcett's wartime covers.
Lead story: 'The Punching Polties' (Captain Marvel Jr. vs. Professor Hex and poltergeists), script by Otto Binder, art by Mac Raboy.
Additional stories include: Bulletman vs. The Gagman; Balbo the Boy Magician vs. Dr. Vee; Minute Man in 'Mystery at the O.C.S.' (art by Phil Bard); and a Hopalong Cassidy installment.
Contains a text story installment of the 'Hoodoo Hannigan' serial: 'Chapter 12: One Against Fury,' by Joseph J. Millard.
The issue includes a war-bonds public-service advertisement featuring the original Captain Marvel (Shazam), titled 'To You — From Hitler!'
Contributing creators in addition to Binder and Raboy include Bert Whitman, Phil Bard, and Gene McDonald.
Stories from the surrounding run (Master Comics #27–42) were later reprinted in a 1975 Special Edition Series reprint book.