Cover: Irv Novick

Pep Comics #15

May 1941 · Archie · 0.10 USD

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★ 1st appearance — Madam Satan

About this Issue

Pep Comics #15 (cover-dated May 1941) holds a singular place in MLJ Comics history as the issue whose cover introduced readers to Madam Satan — a supernatural femme fatale created by writer-editor Abner Sundell and artist Harry Lucey — a full month before her interior debut in issue #16, making this the character's first public appearance anywhere. Beyond that cover bombshell, the issue simultaneously launched the Shield G-Man Club, a patriotic reader-membership program hosted on the inside front cover of every Pep Comics issue from this point through 1948, tying the book directly to wartime civic engagement. Together, these two debuts make #15 a hinge point in Pep's editorial evolution: it signaled both a daring pivot toward supernatural horror content and a deepening of the patriotic superhero mythology that defined MLJ's Golden Age identity.

Contains 9 stories

The Framing of Frank Cliff

13 pp · Superhero

The Shield [Joe Higgins]Dusty [Dusty Simmons]John KahnGeorge Dobeunnamed judgeFrank CliffTony Spolito (villain)

Murder of a Princess

7 pp · Fantasy

DannyQueen of FairiesCupcakeunnamed king (introduction)unnamed princess (introduction)unnamed queen (villain, introduction)Esmerelda (villain, introduction)unnamed accomplice (villain, introduction, death)

The Watch Factory Victims

6 pp · Superhero

The Comet [John Dickering]Thelma Gordon (newspaperwoman)Dr. Ferguson (introduction)unnamed factory worker (introduction)a watch factory owner (villain, introduction)

Untitled Superhero story

5 pp · Superhero

The Fireball [Ted Tyler]Gloria (introduction)a gang of arsonists (villains, introduction for all)

The Poisoning Plot

7 pp · War

Sergeant Boyle [Henry Boyle]Corporal CollinsQuartermaster Acido (introduction)The Fascists (villains, introduction for all)

The Money in the Marker Buoy

6 pp · Adventure

The Midshipman [Lee Sampson]

Air Race of Death

6 pp · Aviation

Lucky Larson (test pilot)BillJoe (introduction)Boss Widmer (villain, introduction)

Kayo's Gym for Kids

6 pp · Sports

Kayo Ward [Eddie Ward]Alderman McGainessSlasher Smith

The Tobias Ghost

6 pp · Detective-Mystery

Inspector BentleyJoan KentTom RossAndre DuvePowers (introduction, death)The Ghost [Hugh Tobias] (villain, introduction, death)

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Good) $747

CGC 9.6 · 1 in census $40,023*

CGC 9.4 none in existence

CGC 9.2 none in existence

CGC 9.0 none in existence

CGC 8.5 none in existence

CGC 8.0 · 1 in census $5,511*

Show all 18 grades ▾

CGC 7.5 none in existence

CGC 7.0 · 2 in census $3,675

CGC 6.5 none in existence

CGC 6.0 none in existence

CGC 5.5 · 2 in census $2,110

CGC 5.0 · 1 in census $1,961

CGC 4.5 · 1 in census $1,820*

CGC 4.0 · 2 in census $1,581*

CGC 3.5 · 2 in census $1,409*

CGC 3.0 · 2 in census $1,248*

CGC 2.5 $884

CGC 2.0 none in existence

* 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

Pep Comics was published by MLJ Magazines Inc. — the precursor to Archie Comics — and was edited during this period by Abner Sundell, who also co-created Madam Satan as one of his editorial initiatives for the title. The Shield lead feature continued to be scripted by Harry Shorten and illustrated by Irv Novick, the creative team that had been driving the title since its January 1940 launch. The decision to preview Madam Satan on the cover of #15 before her interior story ran in #16 was an unusual teaser strategy for the era, apparently designed to build reader anticipation for the macabre new horror feature. Issue #15 also marks the final appearance of the 'Lucky Larson' test-pilot strip, reflecting the constant roster churn that characterized MLJ's early anthology experiment.

Trivia · 8 facts

Cover-dated May 1941; published by MLJ Magazines Inc. (predecessor to Archie Comics).
First appearance of Madam Satan anywhere in print — she appears on the cover only; her interior debut and origin story followed in Pep Comics #16 (June 1941).
Madam Satan was created by writer-editor Abner Sundell and artist Harry Lucey; Joe Blair later scripted her adventures.
The Shield G-Man Club — a patriotic reader-membership program offering a red, white, and blue badge and membership card — was introduced in this issue on the inside front cover and ran continuously through Pep Comics #65 (January 1948).
The Shield lead story was scripted by Harry Shorten and penciled and inked by Irv Novick, who also produced the cover; additional interior art came from Lin Streeter, Charles Biro, and Bob Wood.
The issue is the final appearance of the 'Lucky Larson' (test-pilot) strip, which had run in issues #13–15.
Ongoing anthology features in this issue include The Shield & Dusty, The Comet, The Fireball, Danny in Wonderland, Sergeant Boyle, Kayo Ward, and Bentley of Scotland Yard.
Madam Satan's run was cancelled with issue #21 (November 1941); issue #22 (December 1941) replaced her feature with the debut of Archie Andrews.