Kerry Drake Detective Cases (1944) comic books

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola, Mart Bailey, Frank Engli, and Jack Ryan. Sometimes listed as A1 Comics (1944 Life's Romances) #0 or A1 Comics #1 (there is no issue number, but it appears to be the first issue published). Part of A1 Comics, an anthology from Magazine Enterprises with content that varied from month to month. This issue featured reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. Kerry seeks escaped convict Fingers, who has taken an unfortunate young farm couple hostage and torments them to get what he wants. Streamer Kelly battles a (female) villain called The Joker. Johnny Devildog is a gung-ho United States Marine during World War II. Kerry Drake; Johnny Devildog; Rocky the Stone-Age Kid; Streamer Kelly; Facts on Firemen Tools. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Charles Quinlan. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Dec. 23, 1943 - March 6, 1944. As the town is terrorized by a figure with no face, Kerry wonders if it is actor Victor Apollo, disfigured in a car wreck and seeking revenge on his unfaithful wife. US forces are assigned to take out a bridge in Burma (Myanmar) during World War II. Plus Dotty Dripple. Fun cover by an unknown artist features a costume party terrorized by the Faceless Horror. Kerry Drake Trails the Faceless Horror; Burma Bridge Busters; Dotty Dripple. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from March 8 - June 11, 1944. Kerry takes on bootlegger Frisco Cicero and her vicious girl-gang, but lovely Satin isn't sure she wants any part of it. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from June 23 - Oct. 8, 1944. Beret-wearing bibliophile Dr. Zero has a collection of deadly poisons, and that's bad news for the boxer called the Squirrel. Also featuring an early defense of crime comics as a "deterrent" to crime, as Mrs. Jones complains to Kerry about the violence in comics, a hot topic of discussion at the time. Crime and the Critics; Kerry Drake. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from August - December, 1944. While tracking the escaped killer Dr. Zero to Mother Whistler's safehouse for criminals, Kerry faces the bizarre, Dick Tracy-like villains Stitches and Bottleneck. Kerry rescues Sandy from a bondage trap with a crossbow, as portrayed on the cover. 52 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola, Salo and Bob Powell. Harvey takes over publishing of reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip, Kerry Drake. This issue features reprints from Jan. - April, 1945. After a close encounter with a plate-glass window while escaping Kerry five years earlier, the gangster called Stitches is back for revenge. Plus a Lady Crime story. Kerry Drake Matches Wits with Stitches; Outsmarted; Lady Crime; Snoopy; Cops and Robbers; Fatal Error. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola, and Joe Kubert. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from April - June, 1945. Sleepy-lidded Shuteye is dubbed The Silk Hat Safecracker for his dapper appearance, often on the arm of the beautiful Roulette. Plus a profile of Kerry Drake artist Alfred Andriola, and an early crime story by comics legend Joe Kubert. Shuteye's Penalty; Meet the Artist; It's Murder; Winged Terror; Snoopy; Cops and Robbers; Puzzle Parade; Poisoned Broth. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola, Salo, Otto Soglow and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. A clever code on a deck of playing cards holds the clue to the whereabouts of fugitive gangster Shuteye. Plus a Lady Crime story, and a PSA for U.S. Savings Bonds by Little King cartoonist Otto Soglow. Kerry Drake; Lady Crime: Murder For Pennies; Tommy Tween Hits the Jackpot; Snoopy; Cops and Robbers; The Case of the Bearded Man. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

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Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola, and Buford Tune. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Aug. 1 - Oct. 28, 1945. Kerry gets mixed up with a movie star whose exact double is a wanted gangster. Dotty Dripple makes Horace clean the cellar, and he takes the opportunity to escape. Kerry Drake Stalks Angel-Puss; Poor Genie: The Guardian with the Baggy Pants!; Flossie; Snoopy; Cops and Robbers; Dotty Dripple; The Droopy Genius; The Mystery of the Stolen Trophy. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola, Paul McCarthy and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Oct. 31, 1945 - Feb. 6, 1946. Kerry takes on a marijuana ring headed by the rotund Meatball and his cohorts, Mossy and Cozy Caresse. Snoopy (the detective, not the dog) tracks down a fugitive who dresses in drag to elude the cops. Plus a Man in Black story. Ace Detective Proves Crime Can't Win; Kerry Drake; The Man in Black; Snoopy; Sally and the Gang; Killer's Challenge; The Eye That Never Blinked. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Feb. - May, 1946. Stick-up man deluxe Kid Gloves and Ecstasy Martin abduct a diamond salesman. Plus a Man in Black story and a gun safety promo starring Kerry Drake. Ace Detective Proves Crime Can't Win; Kerry Drake; Kid Gloves; The Man in Black; The Case of the Matching Slipper; The Case of the Strange Suicide. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. Cornered on a rooftop, Stick-up man de luxe, Kid Gloves makes his last stand. Plus adventures of two crime-fighting females, Old West gunfighter Kitty Carson and early female superhero Black Cat. Kerry Drake; Black Cat: Telltale Body; Ricky Roony; Sally and the Gang; Snoopy; Kitty Carson; The Fatal Clue; Silent Betrayal. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Al Avison. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from May 26 - Aug. 8, 1946. Corrupt bodybuilder Torso Steel targets wealthy Algernon Wedmore and his burlesque dancer girlfriend, GeeGee String. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Aug. - Nov., 1946. An inventor of novelties is murdered by his partner, the aptly named Bullseye, and Kerry is on the case. Old West gunfighter Kitty Carson, the ruff ridin' gal sheriff, takes on The Gentleman Gambler. Plus a Kerry Drake PSA on how to protect your car from theft. Kerry Drake: Bullseye's Murder Syndicate; Trapping a Killer; Bullseye's Desperate Gamble; Scent of Death; Kitty Carson: The Gentleman Gambler; Crime Can't Win. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD/VG 3.0 $16.00 View scan

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Ham Fisher, Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Nov., 1946 - Feb. 1947. Kerry faces phony psychic Dr. Prey, who looks and acts like an owl. Old West gunfighter Kitty Carson, the "ruff ridin' gal sheriff," tracks down a murderer, but fears that her assistant will try to get revenge. Plus a war bonds PSA featuring Joe Palooka, with art by Ham Fisher. Also featuring an early defense of crime comics as a "deterrent" to crime, as Mrs. Jones complains to Kerry about the violence in comics, a hot topic of discussion at the time. Little Max Lends a Helping Hand; Kerry Drake: The Case of the Fake Mystic Racket; The Case of the Traditional Ghost; Scent of Death; Kitty Carson: Indian Revenge; Bullets of Death!; Ace Detective Proves Crime Can't Win. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Ham Fisher, Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Feb. - May 1947. Obsessive-compulsive killer Vixen Vargo feels about the letter "V" the way Little Dot feels about little dots. Old West gunfighter Kitty Carson, the ruff ridin' gal sheriff, contends with bandits and a lynch mob. Plus a page of mini-pinups featuring Joe Palooka and Humphrey, Babe Ruth, the Green Hornet and Kerry Drake. Kerry Drake: Murder in a Sealed Room; The Strange Case of Vixen, the Monogram Maniac; Kitty Carson; Murder Plot; The Case of the False Clue. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. A round-robin of murder begins when Mother Whistler's son Punky tries to blackmail Vixen Vargo. Adventures of Old West gunfighter Kitty Carson, the ruff ridin' gal sheriff. Kerry Drake: The Case of the $50,000 Robbery; Smashing a Dope Ring; Kitty Carson; Above Suspicion. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. After Vixen Vargo kills one of her sons, Mother Whistler goes after Vixen. Old West gunfighter Kitty Carson, the "ruff ridin' gal sheriff," contends with gold fever. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Seeing Eye Dog; Smashing a Dope Ring; Kitty Carson: Search For Gold. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. A case of mistaken identity leads detective Kerry Drake to a confrontation with drug smugglers in Key West. Female sheriff Kitty Carson joins a charity rodeo in New York City and winds up chasing robbers. Bondage cover by Al Avison. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Dope Smugglers; Smashing the Dope Ring; Kitty Carson; The Fatal Mistake. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. Detective Kerry Drake poses as a hired gun to get the goods on drug smugglers and meets beautiful Southern belle Julep Frost. Female sheriff Kitty Carson decides to prove to some young cowhands the she has the skills to be sheriff. The Hidden Clue; Kerry Drake: The Case of the Secret Treasury Agent; Kitty Carson; Ghost Town; Murder Suspect. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Sept. 1947 - Jan. 1948. Undercover private detective Julep Frost learns that crooked disc jockey D.D.T. is as deadly as his name. The reader is invited to solve the Murder of Warren Chalmers before the detectives can. Kerry Drake: Murder on the Record; The Green Goods Swindle; The Case of the Blue Toe; How Good a Detective Are You?; The Auto Racket. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Sept. 1947 - Jan. 1948. Payola turns to die-ola when crooked disc jockey D.D.T. gets involved. The reader is invited to solve a crime before the detectives can. Dynamic bursting-through-the-page cover also features a rogues' gallery of Kerry's foes in the series thus far. Kerry Drake: Death Rides the Air Waves; Calling All Sleuths; Business Fraud; Jackie Page: The Case of the Closed Sash; The Case of Fingers, the Strangler; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Al Avison. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Jan. - Apr. 1948. The aptly-named Highbrow has a scheme to drive Algie Wedmore mad to get his riches. The reader is invited to solve a crime before the detectives can. A small piece of wire helps Jackie Paige solve a murder. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Blackmailer's Secret Weapon; Beware of These Rackets; The Case of No Face the Killer; Jackie Paige: The Case of the Twisted Wire; The Detective Solves a Very Knotty Problem; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Jan. - Apr. 1948. The reader is invited to solve The Street Robbery of Mr. Turnbull before the detectives can. Plus a PSA on the dangers of everyday swindles. Kerry Drake: The Blackmailer's Trap; Jackie Page: The Case of the Broken Hedera Helix; Beware of these Rackets; The Case of the Female Bootlegger; "Nature Boy" and the Bloody T-Shirt!; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Apr. 17 - July 1948. The foppish Profile Preen and his thuggish enforcer Hardtack operate an auto theft ring. The reader is invited to solve a crime before the detectives can. Plus a PSA on the dangers of everyday swindles. Kerry Drake: The Pretty Boy Killer; Jackie Page: The Case of the Frozen Pen; Beware of These Rackets; The Case of Squirrel; Television Program; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Alfred Andriola. Stories and art by Allen Saunders, Alfred Andriola and Bob Powell. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. Kerry closes in on the auto theft ring of perfumed killer Profile Preen just as he's using a blonde beauty for target practice. The reader is invited to solve a crime before Inspector Smith can. Jackie Page solves the murder of a mystic. Bondage cover. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Perfumed Killer; Jackie Page: The Case of the Left-Handed Coat; Live Bait For the Pickerel; The Case of Dr. Zero; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Dec. 1945 - Feb. 1946. After wheelchair-bound Messy Bessy wins the lottery, her husband Jackpot Jones plots her demise - as described with an unusual amount of detail on the front cover! The reader is invited to solve a crime before Inspector Smith can. Jackie Page solves The Case of the Noisy Room. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Frozen Clue; Jackie Page: The Case of the Noisy Room; Calling All Sleuths; The Body Is Missing; Death in the Afternoon; How Good a Detective Are You? 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from July 1948 - Nov. 1948. Jackpot Jones enacts is scheme to do away with his wealthy wife Messy Bessy, assisted by his paramour, Patty Larceny. The reader is invited to solve a crime before Inspector Smith can. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Frozen Clue; The Jewel Thieves; Jackie Page: The Case of the Dirty Gun; Death in the Tropics; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Nov. 1948 - Jan. 1949. Gourmand gangster Feedbag loves crime, but not as much as he loves a good meal. The reader is invited to solve a crime before Inspector Smith can. Plus how to do magic tricks, and a PSA on the dangers of crooked auto mechanics. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Million Dollar Lipstick!; Tricks to Mystify Your Friends; The Perfect Murder!; Jackie Page: The Case of the Second Key; Revenge Meant Death!; Beware of These Rackets; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $8.80

Stories and art by Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Feb. - May 1949. Western star Skipalong Hotspurs and Cricket McCall are threatened by the hairy, hairy hitman, Wooly Wilde. Plus a look at forensic science of the 1950s. Bondage cover. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Mystery Mine!; Science in Investigation; Death Collects Insurance; With the F.B.I.; Murder Is the Payoff! 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Add to cart FN- 5.5 $80.00 View scans

Add to cart Good $15.00

Those of you who collect the often rare "blood-on-cover" issues, here is one such with bullets flying and a nice puddle of blood!

Cover by Al Avison. Stories and art by Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from May - August 1949. Female private eye Julep Frost puts Kerry on the track of frozen-faced killer Deadpan. The reader is invited to solve a crime before Inspector Smith can. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Murder Syndicate; The Punch Board Caper; How Good a Detective Are You? 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Al Avison. Stories and art by Tom Hickey, Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from May - August 1949. Kerry and Julep find themselves face-to-frozen-face with Deadpan. A crime quiz features cameos by The Mangler and Pagan Lee (from the Rip Kirby comic strip). Kerry Drake: The Case of the Empty Grave; The Punch Board Racket; Crime Quiz. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Pete Morisi, Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola. Reprints of Alfred Andriola's detective comic strip Kerry Drake and other adventure tales. This issue features reprints from Dec. 1949 - March 9, 1950. Just when Kerry thinks he's seen it all, here comes YoYo, who not only loves the stringed toy but can use it...to kill. Plus a comics puzzle featuring famous sleuths of detective fiction. Kerry Drake: The Case of the Lonely Hearts Murder; Calling All Sleuths. Final issue of the series. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.