Pep Comics #44
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freePep Comics #44 (December 1943) sits squarely in the middle of MLJ Magazines' well-documented editorial pivot away from wartime superhero fare toward the teen-humor formula that would ultimately define the entire Archie Comics publishing line. The Hangman — one of Golden Age comics' most distinctive vigilante characters, whose debut in Pep Comics #17 had itself been a landmark moment when his brother the Comet became the medium's first superhero killed in the line of duty — was in the penultimate phase of his Pep run, appearing here in 'The Hangman and the Snail!' just three issues before his exit with #47. The issue's anthology lineup, balancing war-era adventure (Captain Commando's 'Heroes Never Die,' drawn during the height of WWII), superhero action, slapstick humor strips, and Archie's growing presence, makes it a snapshot of a publisher in genuine transformation — a transition whose endpoint, the all-Archie title, would reshape American all-ages comics for decades.
Pep Comics #44 is an anthology featuring multiple stories, including a The Shield adventure involving espionage and a villain's elaborate death trap, an Archie story depicting the teenage love triangle between Archie, Betty, and Veronica, and "Triple-Cross" by Chet Manning, a crime story about Orville Whitten, a desperate man who uses his uncle's gun to stage a murder that he hopes will secure his inheritance, ultimately leading to his own undoing when the police investigate the suspicious death.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 16 grades ▾
Find on ebay
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
By late 1943 the series was under editor Harry Shorten, who had taken over editorial duties from Abner Sundell beginning with issue #22 and would hold that post through issue #65. The broader MLJ humor push that had begun around issue #40 was in full swing, with humor strips like 'Catfish Joe' and 'Li'l Chief Bugaboo' now sharing pages with legacy superhero features. The artistic roster for #44 included Irv Novick on The Shield, Bob Fujitani on The Hangman — original art pages from this Fujitani Hangman story are independently documented in collector records — and Harry Sahle contributing to the Archie segment, with inking by Janice Valleau.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published December 1943 by MLJ Magazines Inc. (the publisher that would become Archie Comics), with the on-sale date confirmed by the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, 1943, New Series, Vol. 38, No. 4.
- Issue contains seven stories: 'The Ghost Goes East' (The Shield), 'The Hangman and the Snail!' (Hangman), 'The Runaway' (Li'l Chief Bugaboo), 'The Tree on Col. Bungsnort's Nose' (Catfish Joe), 'Archie the Pug' (Archie), 'Island Ho!' (Marco Loco), and 'Heroes Never Die' (Captain Commando).
- First/introduction appearances in this issue include: Bella, Coach Leftjab, villain The Snail (alias Twisto), villain Samson, villain Captain Thud, The Ghost Artist, and Pierre Gaule — all minor one-issue characters with no subsequent publishing history confirmed.
- The Hangman story was drawn by Bob Fujitani (credited as 'B. Fuje' in period indicia), and original art pages from his Hangman appearance in this issue are documented in collector records separate from the comic itself.
- The Shield story was drawn by Irv Novick, the artist who had also drawn The Hangman's historic first appearance back in Pep Comics #17 (July 1941).
- The Hangman was in his penultimate phase in Pep Comics — he would continue through issue #47 (March 1944) before leaving the title, making #44 one of only four remaining Hangman issues in the run.
- A Captain Commando story from this issue ('Heroes Never Die') was reprinted contemporaneously in Super Comics (F.E. Howard Publications, 1943 series) #v2#1, approximately December 1943.
- Archie, Jughead, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, Mr. Weatherbee, and Fred Andrews all appear as supporting cast in the Archie story, reflecting how well-established the gang was by late 1943 — more than two years after their Pep Comics #22 debut.
Key issues in Pep Comics
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.