Tom Cat #6

Tom Cat and his pal scheme to sell some battered tennis rackets at a stadium, but their plan backfires when Tom is mistaken for a top-ranked player and pressured into facing the formidable Zilden in a championship match. With no tennis experience and facing an opponent whose serve sounds like a cannon, Tom must find a way to hold his own on the court.

Tom Cat, the world's greatest natural athlete, puts on a record-breaking exhibition for paying fans—until his manager's promotional stunt backfires and the crowd demands their money back. When the manager convinces him to compete at the Pillrose Track Meet the next day, Tom discovers that his real talent for running away from bill collectors and throwing things in a panic might just be exactly what it takes to win.

Tom Cat stumbles through a comical day when an unexpected mishap at fencing class leaves him bruised and bewildered in "En Garde," a one-page tale from Tom Cat #6 that proves sometimes the simplest explanations are the most absurd.

Tom Cat boasts he can outdo any figure-eight skating routine, convinced his all-around athletic prowess puts him above the competition—but his cocky confidence gets a swift reality check when he attempts the feat without his skates. It's a quick, punchy tale of pride meeting the pavement, 1957 style.

Tom Cat's been everywhere and done everything—or so he claims—and this time he's spinning a whopper about how he single-handedly solved China's laundry steam problem by piping it all the way to the Amazon jungle. When a mysterious stranger overhears Tom's tall tale and offers him a fortune to become a professional "bullthrower," our feline raconteur can't resist the quick cash, but his new career takes an unexpectedly rough turn when he discovers exactly what kind of bull he's supposed to be throwing.

Kid Gloves is hungry and broke in a South American town, so he hatches a scheme to con a café owner with a phony diamond in exchange for a meal. After enjoying a lavish fifteen-course dinner, the con unravels when the fake gem shatters—and Kid Gloves faces the consequences of his clever plan backfiring.

Tom Cat puts his boxing skills to the test when a promoter offers a thousand-dollar prize to anyone who can last just one minute in the ring with him—but with a twist: the champ is chained to the floor and can't use his gloves. When an overconfident challenger steps up to claim the easy money, Tom Cat finds a creative way to uphold his promise and send his opponent flying out of the ring before time runs out.

Tom Cat's exhausted after a night of babysitting, but when loyal fans appeal to America's sense of honor, he reluctantly agrees to compete in a one-minute athletic event against the unbeatable Muscleboundski—only to discover what he's actually signed up for. This 1957 humor romp plays the old bait-and-switch for all it's worth, as the overconfident champ learns that even champions have their limits.

A young boy plagued by nightmares calls out for help, and the Sandman's helpers Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod rush to his aid—only to discover he's trapped in a dream where the Devil himself is pelting him with footballs as punishment for a stolen crime. Can the trio of dream-workers broker a peace and free the boy from his torment?