Pep Comics #34
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freePep Comics #34 (December 1942) captures MLJ Magazines at the precise hinge point where its wartime superhero anthology was beginning its slow tilt toward Archie Andrews and teen humor. The issue pairs an unflinching war-era Hangman story—pitting the vigilante against a Nazi saboteur named Captain Swastika—with a lighthearted Archie strip that already features the core Riverdale cast, illustrating in a single package the editorial transition that would eventually transform the entire company. It also contains a one-page editorial feature spotlighting editor Harry Shorten, a rare behind-the-scenes acknowledgment of the creative architect who had steered Pep Comics since issue #24. The cover—a skull-and-bondage composition drawn in the visceral Golden Age wartime style—was later selected for inclusion in Fantagraphics' 2017 archival volume on World War II comic covers, confirming its standing as a representative artifact of the period's graphic propaganda.
In "The Rug of Death," a mysterious chain of seemingly unrelated events—lightning, a steam shovel, a missing flight plan, and a single wire—unravels into a puzzle only Jo can solve. Written by Joe Blair and illustrated by Paul Reinman, this 1942 mystery blends suspense and intrigue with the signature charm of Pep Comics, all framed by Bob Fujitani’s striking cover.
In "Case of the Steamshovel Death," a mysterious death by lightning at a construction site sets off a chain of odd clues—a missing flight plan, a steam shovel left in the middle of nowhere, and a single wire that doesn’t belong. With only four pieces of the puzzle and no clear answers, the investigation unfolds in a tense, tightly wound mystery that keeps every detail just out of reach.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
By late 1942, Pep Comics was firmly under the editorship of Harry Shorten, who had taken over from Abner Sundell around issues #22–23. The Archie story in this issue, 'The Limerick Contest,' was drawn and written by Red Holmdale rather than series creator Bob Montana, because Montana was simultaneously occupied producing Archie Comics #1—the character's debut solo title. The Hangman story 'Sabotage!' was drawn by Bob Fujitani, who also produced the cover; Fujitani signed his work on the cover's cobblestone, a practice that makes authorship traceable. The Shield story 'The Rug of Death' was penciled and inked by Irv Novick, the artist who had defined the look of Pep Comics since its earliest issues.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published December 1942 by M.L.J. Magazines Inc. (cover-dated December 1942); The Hangman appeared on every Pep Comics cover from #17 through #42, making this issue part of that unbroken run.
- Cover art is by Bob Fujitani, who signed it on the cobblestone at the bottom of the image; the cover was later reprinted in Fantagraphics' 2017 anthology Take That, Adolf!: The Fighting Comic Books of the Second World War.
- The Hangman story 'Sabotage!' features the first and final appearance of Captain Swastika and his henchman Ice-Pick, both of whom die in the story; the plot involves a Nazi sabotage ring operating on American oil fields in Mexico.
- The Archie strip 'The Limerick Contest' was drawn and scripted by Red Holmdale rather than Bob Montana, because Montana was concurrently at work on Archie Comics #1; the strip features Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Miss Grundy, Fred Andrews, and Mary Andrews.
- The Shield story 'The Rug of Death,' penciled and inked by Irv Novick, follows Joe Higgins and Dusty investigating a series of murders connected to a gaudy rug.
- The Captain Commando story sends the hero and his multinational Boy Soldiers—Billy Grayson (American), Gerald 'Jerry' Sykes (English), and Armand De Latour (French)—on a mission to destroy German coastal batteries in Norway.
- The issue includes a one-page text piece titled 'Meet the Editor,' a bio of series editor Harry Shorten written by Scott Feldman—a rare instance of MLJ pulling back the curtain on its editorial staff for readers.
- The Sergeant Boyle story 'The Nitroglycerin Mistake,' scripted by Harry Shorten and drawn by Carl Hubbell, features a guest appearance by Corporal Collins and the introduction of a villain called Kreplach.
Cast · 23 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Archie Archives #1 (2011), Action! Mystery! Thrills! Comic Book Covers of the Golden Age: 1933-45 #[nn] (2011), Take That, Adolf!: The Fighting Comic Books of the Second World War #[nn] (2017)
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