Charlie Chan
by Alfred Andriola

After serving an apprenticeship under Milton Caniff, young Alfred Andriola got his own strip--a daily/Sunday mystery adventure based on Earl Derr Biggers' popular Hawaiian-Chinese detective, Charlie Chan. Or rather, on Charlie's movie interpretation: Chan in this strip bears a strong resemblance to actor Warner Oland, who portrayed Charlie in a string of successful B-pictures.

Andriola did good work on the series, writing brisk, entertaining stories and illustrating them with a handsome variation on his mentor's "Caniff-Sickles school" style. Pacific Comics Club has reprinted two complete Chan stories from 1940.

In "The Return of Keeno," an old enemy hijacks Charlie and his friends to a remote island for a final showdown. In "Drama at the Crown Circus," which follows "Keeno" chronologically, a murderous marijuana-pushng clown figures he's smart enough to outwit Chan. We know where that gets him!

Each 6" x 9" 48-page book prints dailies and Sunday pages in black-and-white. Softbound, 2-color cover.

"The Return of Keeno" and "Drama at the Crown Circus," $9.50 each