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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  NotesWriterArtist
#10

July, 1949
Cover Price: $0.10
1 copy available for $45.00 		Phil EvansDan Barry, Nick Cardy, Curt Swan, Ramona Fradon, Sy Barry
#45

May, 1955
Cover Price: $0.10
1 copy available for $3.00 		 Syd Shores, John Prentice, Will Ely, Howard Sherman
#47

September, 1955
Cover Price: $0.10
1 copy available for $11.00 		  
#65

September, 1958
Cover Price: $0.10
1 copy available for $6.00 		  
#67

January, 1959
Cover Price: $0.10
1 copy available for $12.00