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Gangbusters

    (DC, 1947-1959)
™ and © DC Comics

Although westerns largely dominated comics in the 1950s, true-to-life crime dramas had their own niche. One of DC’s better comics in this genre was this title, based in part on the TV series of the same name, which was a peer with such TV classics as Dragnet and Highway Patrol. While not anywhere near as edgy or innovative as, say, EC’s Crime SuspensStories or the seminal Crime Does Not Pay, Gangbusters had its own appeal, full of relatively nonviolent crime stories with clever twists. Like most DC comics of the era, however, plots also tended to rely on unlikely gimmicks and premises, such as “Indian Detective,” the tale of a plainclothes Native American cop who uses stereotypical devices like smoke signals, and bows and arrows to help stop the bad guys. Many of the top comics artists of the era—including Frank Frazetta, Jack Kirby and even Mad’s Mort Drucker—contributed to the short stories of this title, which enjoyed a modest run throughout the decade.
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  • 1
    #1
    Dec 1947
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Dan Barry, George Roussos, Howard Sherman, Ed Moore, Everett E. Hibbard
    Federal Agent
    No copies available
  • 2
    #2
    Mar 1948
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Dan Barry, George Roussos, George Papp, Charles Paris, Howard Sherman
    Federal Agent
    No copies available
  • 3
    #3
    May 1948
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Dan Barry, George Roussos, George Papp, Charles Paris, Emil Gershwin, Howard Sherman, Sy Barry
    Used in Seduction of the Innocent
    No copies available
  • 4
    #4
    Jul 1948
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Dan Barry, George Roussos, George Papp, Howard Sherman
    No copies available
  • 5
    #5
    Sep 1948
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Dan Barry, George Roussos, George Papp, Howard Sherman
    No copies available
  • 6
    #6
    Nov 1948
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Dan Barry, Nick Cardy, Howard Sherman, Win Mortimer
    No copies available
  • 7
    #7
    Jan 1948
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Phil Evans  ·  A: Dan Barry, George Roussos, Nick Cardy, George Papp
    No copies available
  • 8
    #8
    Mar 1949
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Phil Evans  ·  A: Dan Barry, Nick Cardy, George Papp, Carmine Infantino, George Roussos, Frank Giacoia
    No copies available
  • 9
    #9
    May 1949
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Phil Evans  ·  A: Dan Barry, Curt Swan, Win Mortimer, Howard Sherman, George Roussos, John Fischetti
    No copies available
  • 10
    #10
    Jul 1949
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Phil Evans  ·  A: Dan Barry, Nick Cardy, Curt Swan, Ramona Fradon, Sy Barry
    1 copy for $38.40
  • 11
    #11
    Sep 1949
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Phil Evans  ·  A: Dan Barry, Sy Barry, Curt Swan, Jimmy Thompson, Carmine Infantino, George Roussos, John Fischetti
    No copies available
  • 12
    #12
    Nov 1949
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Phil Evans  ·  A: Dan Barry, Curt Swan, Charles Paris, Mort Meskin, Stan Kaye, George Roussos, John Fischetti
    No copies available
  • 13
    #13
    Jan 1950
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Dan Barry, Nick Cardy, Curt Swan, Ruben Moreira, john Fischetti
    No copies available
  • 14
    #14
    Mar 1950
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Frank Frazetta, Nick Cardy
    No copies available
  • 15
    #15
    May 1950
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Phil Evans  ·  A: Ruben Moreira, Nick Cardy, Curt Swan, Howard Sherman, Joe Certa, Stan Kaye, John Giunta
    No copies available
  • 16
    #16
    Jul 1950
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Nick Cardy, Curt Swan, Tom Cooke, Howard Purcell, John Fischetti
    No copies available
  • 17
    #17
    Sep 1950
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Frank Frazetta
    No copies available
  • 18
    #18
    Nov 1950
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Syd Shores, Curt Swan, Leonard Starr, John Prentice, John Fischetti
    No copies available
  • 19
    #19
    Jan 1951
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Ruben Moreira, Dan Barry, Curt Swan, Leonard Starr, John Fischetti
    No copies available
  • 20
    #20
    Mar 1951
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Nick Cardy, Curt Swan, Ruben Moreira, Leonard Starr, John Fischetti
    No copies available
  • 21
    #21
    May 1951
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Nick Cardy, Will Ely, John Prentice, Ramona Fradon, Mort Drucker
    No copies available
  • 22
    #22
    Jul 1951
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Nick Cardy, Will Ely, Curt Swan, Dan Barry, Irwin Hasen, John Fischetti, George Roussos
    No copies available
  • 23
    #23
    Sep 1951
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Nick Cardy, John Prentice, Allen Ulmer, Bruno Premiani, Bernard Baily
    No copies available
  • 24
    #24
    Nov 1951
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Ruben Moreira, John Prentice, Sy Barry, Will Ely
    No copies available
  • 25
    #25
    Jan 1952
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Curt Swan, Ed Robbins, Ramona Fradon, Bob Brown, Stan Kaye
    No copies available
  • 26
    #26
    Mar 1952
    Cover: $0.10
    A: John Lehti, Curt Swan, Bernard Baily, John Prentice, Stan Kaye
    No copies available
  • 27
    #27
    May 1952
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 28
    #28
    Jul 1952
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Ruben Moreira, Bernard Baily, Ramona Fradon, Win Mortimer
    No copies available
  • 29
    #29
    Sep 1952
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Curt Swan, Ed Robbins, Allen Ulmer, Howard Purcell, Ray Burnley, Sheldon Moldoff
    No copies available
  • 30
    #30
    Nov 1952
    Cover: $0.10
    Oct-Nov issue
    No copies available
  • 31
    #31
    Jan 1953
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Jerry Grandenetti, Will Ely, Jim McArdle
    No copies available
  • 32
    #32
    Mar 1953
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Ruben Moreira, Curt Swan, Joe Certa, Will Ely, Ray Burnley
    No copies available
  • 33
    #33
    May 1953
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Jerry Grandenetti, Curt Swan, Joe Certa, Sam Burlockoff, Ray Burnley
    No copies available
  • 34
    #34
    Jun 1953
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Ruben Moreira, Curt Swan, Will Ely, Irwin Hasen, Ray Burnley
    No copies available
  • 35
    #35
    Sep 1953
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Curt Swan, Jerry Grandenetti, Will Ely, Leonard Starr, Ray Burnley
    No copies available
  • 36
    #36
    Nov 1953
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Curt Swan, Bob Brown, Mort Drucker, Ray Burnley
    No copies available
  • 37
    #37
    Jan 1954
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Will Ely, Curt Swan, Howard Sherman, Leonard Starr, Ray Burnley
    No copies available
  • 38
    #38
    Mar 1954
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Curt Swan, Ruben Moreira, Will Ely, Nick Cardy, Ray Burnley
    No copies available
  • 39
    #39
    May 1954
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Curt Swan, Ray Bailey, Will Ely, Leonard Starr, Ray Burnley
    No copies available
  • 40
    #40
    Jul 1954
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Henry Boltinoff  ·  A: Curt Swan, George Papp, Howard Purcell, Will Ely, Ray Burnley, Henry Boltinoff
    No copies available
  • 41
    #41
    Aug 1954
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Nick Cardy, Curt Swan, Will Ely, Jim McArdle, Ray Burnley
    No copies available
  • 42
    #42
    Nov 1954
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 43
    #43
    Jan 1955
    Cover: $0.10
    A: John Prentice, Howard Sherman, Jim McArdle, Leonard Starr
    No copies available
  • 44
    #44
    Mar 1955
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Leonard Starr, Jim McArdle, Everett E. Hibbard, John Prentice, Charles Paris
    No copies available
  • 45
    #45
    May 1955
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Syd Shores, John Prentice, Will Ely, Howard Sherman
    1 copy for $2.40
  • 46
    #46
    Jul 1955
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 47
    #47
    Sep 1955
    Cover: $0.10
    1 copy for $8.00
  • 48
    #48
    Nov 1955
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 49
    #49
    Jan 1956
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Henry Boltinoff  ·  A: John Prentice, Henry Boltinoff, Sam Citron, Jay McArdle, Howard Purcell
    Dec. 1955-Jan. 1956
    No copies available
  • 50
    #50
    Mar 1956
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 51
    #51
    May 1956
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Henry Boltinoff  ·  A: Henry Boltinoff
    Apr-May issue
    No copies available
  • 52
    #52
    Jul 1956
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 53
    #53
    Sep 1956
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 54
    #54
    Nov 1956
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Howard Purcell
    Oct-Nov issue
    No copies available
  • 55
    #55
    Jan 1957
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 56
    #56
    Mar 1957
    Cover: $0.10
    Feb-Mar issue
    No copies available
  • 57
    #57
    May 1957
    Cover: $0.10
    A: Mort Meskin
    Apr-May issue
    No copies available
  • 58
    #58
    Jul 1957
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 59
    #59
    Sep 1957
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 60
    #60
    Nov 1957
    Cover: $0.10
    W: Henry Boltinoff  ·  A: Will Ely, Bernard Baily, Jim McArdle, Ruben Moreira, Henry Boltinoff
    No copies available
  • 61
    #61
    Jan 1958
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 62
    #62
    Mar 1958
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 63
    #63
    May 1958
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 64
    #64
    Jul 1958
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 65
    #65
    Sep 1958
    Cover: $0.10
    1 copy for $6.00
  • 66
    #66
    Nov 1958
    Cover: $0.10
    No copies available
  • 67
    #67
    Jan 1959
    Cover: $0.10
    1 copy for $9.60