Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Patsy Walker

First Appearance of Marvel's Mitzi in All Teen Comics #20, at Auction

Patsy Walker & other humor characters presided over a changing of the guard after WW2, as All Winners Comics transformed into All Teen Comics and debuted Mitzi Martin.

The changing fortunes of the comic book industry after WWII could sometimes be abrupt. Throughout the war years, Marvel's All Winners Comics featured the company's top superhero stars, including Captain America, Human Torch, and Sub-Mariner. But in mid-1946, the title was renamed All Teen Comics, becoming a series that featured some of the publisher's growing line of teen humor stars, like Patsy Walker.   The title also introduced one character, a teenage girl named Mitzi Martin, who might just be one of the most obscure Marvel characters to ever get her own series.

After a quick name change to simply Teen Comics, the title lasted three years in this form, transforming again in 1950 into science fiction/horror title Journey into Unknown Worlds.  It's a little more complicated than that, but we'll get to that when we talk about Hedy De Vine.  As for Mitzi, she was subsequently launched into her own title in addition to continuing to appear in Teen Comics.  Mitzi Comics lasted 10 issues through two title changes to Mitzi's Boy Friend and finally Mitzi's Romances.

October 1946, the month that All Teen Comics #20 hit newsstands, provides a fascinating snapshot into this moment in Marvel history. That month, the company released only two serious superhero comic book titles: Marvel Mystery Comics #79 and Captain America Comics #60.

Everything other Marvel release for the month was some form of humor title, with the additional exception of  Miss America Magazine.  That title was a magazine-format series aimed at teenage girls, that also included some comics.  The magazine series had introduced Patsy Walker and still included a Miss America comic feature at this time.  Patsy had quickly gotten a title of her own as well, as had every other star of Teen Comics, including Georgie and Willie.

GCD lists no credits for the Mitzi story in All Teen Comics #20, although the author of a book in the story is prominently named "Superlative Stanley," which of course makes Stan Lee the possible writer here (he is listed as "Managing Editor, Director of Art" on the title page).  Al Jaffee drew the Patsy Walker story.

An interesting look at an underappreciated moment of Marvel comic book history, there's a CGC FN 6.0 copy of All Teen Comics #20 (Timely, 1947) up for auction in 2024 October 3 – 5 Good Girl Art and Romance Comics Showcase Auction #40269.

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