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The First Issue of Whiz Comics Hits the Newsstand
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
 When the first issue of Whiz Comics hit the newsstands in early 1940, it did so without a number on the cover. This was a common ploy by publishers — one which continued through the early 1960s. The issue number of the first issue and often the second was left off of the cover, on purpose, in the hope that the news agent or druggist or whomever was ranking the comics wouldn't recognize it as a brand new title and immediately put it into the returns for lack of space.
However, a careful checking of the issues indicia revealed that the issue number was two. Hopefully, the indicia fanatics of the early 1940s didn't go searching for Whiz Comics #1!
If Captain Marvel was intended to be Fawcett's version of Superman, it's very interesting that the cover of Whiz Comics #2 was so reminiscent of Action Comics #1, which was released nearly two years earlier! It's hard to believe that the comic readers of the day would have noticed the similarity.
Shazam! Fun Fact Text
When the first issue of Whiz Comics finally hit newsstands, its indicia listed it as Vol. 1, No. 2 — continuing the numbering from the Flash and Thrill ashcan issues.
Because the cover of the comic didn't specify the issue number, the first issue is often, and erroneously, identified as Whiz Comics #1!
Most comics didn't print the number of the first on the cover in the hope that the news agent wouldn't catch on, and keep the issue on sale!
The cover of Whiz Comics #2 (Feb 1940) featuring Captain Marvel in a pose similar to the cover of Action Comics #1.
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