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The True Crime Drama of DC Comics' Gang Busters #2, at Auction

Arguably, Gang Busters was the precursor of today's True Crime podcasts, spinning out of the True Crime magazine of the thirties.

Published Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:02:12 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:54:05 -0500

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Arguably, Gang Busters was the precursor of today's True Crime podcasts. A dramatic reconstruction of true crime stories that described itself as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories" and ran from 1936 to 1957. Spinning out of the True Crime magazine of the thirties and following the 1935 movie G Men starring James Cagney, producer-director Phillips H. Lord took the idea to radio as G-Men for NBC, in close association with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Though Hoover was not a fan, it was fully approved by U. S. Attorney General Homer Stille Cummings. So Hoover insisted that only closed FBI cases would be adapted for radio and that he or a top-level aide approve each script. That gunfights and car chases be de-emphasised in favour of systematic investigation and legwork. While agents shouldn't have characters of their own but be a part of the whole. So eventually, these restrictions were deemed too much, and G-Men was superseded with a sequel, Gang Busters, for CBS, which took cases from all branches of law and evaded Hoover's restrictions. Indeed, it went the other way, opening with the sounds of car chases and machine guns firing, which inspired the phrase that something or someone "comes on like Gangbusters." The series was adapted as a film in 1942 and as a TV series in the fifties, episodes of which were also cut up to be released as movies.

Gang Busters' popularity saw a DC Comics spinoff, which ran for 67 issues from 1947 until 1958. And it is one of those first copies that is being auctioned by Heritage Auctions, going under the hammer today. Gang Busters #2, with stories by Dan Barry, George Roussos, Charles Paris, George Papp, Ed Moore, and Howard Sherman.

Gang Busters #2 (DC, 1948) Condition: VG/FN. Dan Barry cover and art. Man-burned-alive panel. Mis-cut. Overstreet 2022 VG 4.0 value = $82; FN 6.0 value = $123.