Popular Comics #5

In "null," a young man named Hoiman is eager to enjoy a grand musical broadcast, only to have his moment interrupted when Northrup switches the radio to a stock market report—just as Hoiman returns with a chair to settle in for the performance.

In "null," Hoiman rushes to tell Northrup they’ve been invited to Van’s for supper, only to return long after the meal has likely ended. Northrup, puzzled by the delay, asks what kept him, and Hoiman calmly explains he was at the lunch cart—having supper.

In "Lining Up a Putt," young Skippy tries to help a golfing enthusiast achieve the perfect shot, only to grow exasperated by the man’s endless adjustments. When patience wears thin, Skippy takes matters into his own hands—with a slingshot and a very precise aim.

In "null," Hoiman convinces Northrup that prizefighting is a quick way to make money, sparking Northrup’s curiosity about the training involved. Hoiman then leads him to a poster advertising a hundred dollars for anyone who can last three rounds against the fearsome boxer Tornado.

In a whimsical 1936 slice of childhood mischief, Skippy courts a mysterious new recruit in a top hat for the Oriole Athletic Club, only to be overwhelmed by the boy’s unexpectedly profound monologue on transcendentalism—starting with window curtains and spiraling into deeper philosophical musings. When the kid’s ruminations threaten to derail the club’s simple plans, Skippy quietly retreats, returning not with a welcome, but with a blackball.