World's Finest Comics #44 for Sale - First Appearance of Bob Hope - Where to Buy

Identification plate

Series: World's Finest Comics (DC, 1941 series)
Issue: #44
Publication date: February-March 1950
Key date: 1950-02-00
On-sale date: 1949-11-30
Indicia publisher: National Comics Publications Inc.
Price: $0.15
Pages: 76

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of Bob Hope - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	-	cover	1	pencils: Win Mortimer; inks: Win Mortimer; colors: Jack Adler; letters: Ira Schnapp	Superman [Kal-el; Clark Kent]; Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]
1	National Comics Takes "Top Place as the Choice of Parents and Children."	promo (ad from the publisher)	1	letters: typeset
2	The Revolt of the Thought Machine!	comic story	12	script: Al Schwartz; pencils: Wayne Boring; inks: Stan Kaye; letters: Ira Schnapp	Superman [Kal-el; Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; Perry White
4	The Code of the West!	comic story	10	script: Ryerson Johnson; pencils: Howard Sherman; inks: Howard Sherman	The Wyoming Kid; Gunner Slayd; Doc Thompson; Sheriff Jim Dunham; Bat-Wing Haggerty
5	Up, Up and Away!	promo (ad from the publisher)	0.67		Clark Kent, Superman
6	-	statement of ownership	0.33	letters: typeset
7	A Thief in the Night!	comic story	10	pencils: Win Mortimer; inks: Win Mortimer; letters: Ira Schnapp	Full Steam Foley; Cap'n Joe Trumbull; Johnny Trumbull; Kathy Foley
9	The Microbe Tamer	comic story	4	pencils: George Roussos; inks: George Roussos; letters: Ira Schnapp	Dr. Selman A. Waksman; Jimmy Blount; Dr. Jacob Lipman
10	The Secret of Thunder Mountain?	comic story	10	script: Otto Binder; pencils: George Papp; inks: George Papp	Green Arrow [Oliver Queen]; Speedy [Roy Harper]; Chief Thunderbird; Skybird; Adjibo
11	Here's Good News for Batman and Robin Fans!	promo (ad from the publisher)	1		Batman, Bruce Wayne
12	Magic Against the Law!	comic story	6	script: Joe Samachson; pencils: Joe Kubert; inks: Joe Kubert	Zatara; Councilman Boodle
13	Brightening Up with the Movie Stars	text article	2	letters: typeset
14	-	comic story	0.75	script: Henry Boltinoff; pencils: Henry Boltinoff; inks: Henry Boltinoff; letters: Henry Boltinoff
16	The Confession of Batman!	comic story	12	script: Al Schwartz; pencils: Jim Mooney; inks: Jim Mooney; letters: Ira Schnapp	Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; Alfred Pennyworth; Jacques Venta; Perrins (Venta's butler)
17	Batman and Robin Stand Up for Sportsmanship!	public service announcement	1	script: Jack Schiff; pencils: Win Mortimer; inks: George Roussos; letters: Ira Schnapp
18	Look Who's Here!	promo (ad from the publisher)	1		Bob Hope First

Plus 3.25 pages of advertisements and other matter across 4 sequences, as published.

Where to read it

Collection	Year
Action Comics #209	1955	On eBay ›
Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus #7 ISBN 978-1-4012-8965-2	2019	On eBay ›
Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus #7 ISBN 978-1-77950-560-6	2023	On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

Golden-age paper is brittle. Ask about page suppleness and check edges for chips in the photos.
Check for trimmed edges, married covers, and clipped coupons - all common on books this old.
Confirm the indicia matches this plate; many golden-age titles changed names mid-run.

Series context

‹ #4343 of 322#45 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com