Feature Books

FEATURE BOOKS was started by the David McKay publishing company in 1937, and was the first comic book to devote complete issues to different characters. At first they mostly reprinted newspaper strips, such as Popeye, Dick Tracy, Little Orphan Annie, The Lone Ranger, and even Secret Agent X-9 (although not by Hammett or Raymond). But they eventually started to publish original adaptations of novels, and the like. And in 1946, they began a four-issue run of some of the most incredible and collectible private eye comics to ever pop up. Issue #48 marked the classic adaptation of Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, featuring Sam Spade, followed by two Perry Mason adaptations in issues 49 and 50. Number fifty-one finished off with a reprint of the very first Rip Kirby continuity. And that was it. Except for the return of Rip, with some more reprints in issue #54, the rest of Feature Books' run consisted of reprints of non-P.I.s The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician.

• FEATURE BOOKS
  (1937-48, David McKay Publications)
  Issues of interest to private eye fans:
  .

• SECRET AGENT X-9
  (#8)
  Reprint of later newspaper strips, not by Hammett or Raymond
  .
• THE MALTESE FALCON
  (1946, #48)
  
• PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE LUCKY LEGS
  (1946, #49)
  .
• PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE SHOPLIFTER'S SHOE
  (1947, #50)
  .
• RIP KIRBY: THE MYSTERY OF THE MANGLER
  (1948, #51)
  .
• RIP KIRBY
  (1948, #54)

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