Picture News #10

Dr. Martin leads an ambitious international effort to build and launch humanity's first rocket to the moon, assembling scientists and engineers to overcome the formidable challenges of fuel, materials, and control systems. After a series of grueling tests—from wind tunnel trials to atomic engine experiments—the team establishes launching facilities high in the Ecuadorian Andes and a control station in India, positioning themselves to attempt the three-day journey to the lunar surface during the new moon phase. As the world watches via broadcast, the spaceship William Martin ignites and hurtles skyward at 25,000 miles per hour, beginning its historic voyage into the unknown.

In this 1947 cautionary tale, "Horseman of Doom" uses the specter of a fifth Rider of the Apocalypse—one mounted on atomic fire—to argue that nations must surrender sovereignty over nuclear weapons to a world government or face mutual destruction. Drawing on historical parallels from peasant farmers seeking protection from bandits through the rise of republics, the story illustrates how societies have repeatedly ceded power to higher authorities for safety, and suggests that only an international body with control over atomic energy can prevent a would-be conqueror from reducing the world to ash. A stark meditation on post-war security fears and the necessity of global cooperation.

This non-fiction account chronicles the life and legacy of Mother Cabrini, the first United States citizen to be canonized as a saint, tracing her journey from a small Italian village orphanage to founding 67 institutions across eight countries. The story weaves together accounts of reported miracles—a young boy's sight restored and a nun's unexpected recovery—with Mother Cabrini's tireless work establishing hospitals, clinics, and schools for the poor, her unwavering faith sustaining her through countless obstacles and journeys across continents. Her canonization in 1946 recognized both her extraordinary devotion and the miracles attributed to her intercession.

During the battle for Guadalcanal, a First Marines battalion finds itself trapped and pinned down by Japanese forces, with radio communication impossible due to enemy surveillance. Corporal Smolka volunteers to use signal flags to relay coordinates from the beach to a destroyer offshore, braving repeated enemy fire across multiple attempts until the message gets through and naval bombardment can turn the tide of the battle. His courage and determination, alongside Marine Gunner Edward Rust's daring swim to establish direct contact, prove instrumental in breaking the Japanese hold on their position.

When young Jim Tukker gets lost in the Oklahoma desert, his mother braves the search to find him—but her sacrifice sets off a chain of heartbreak and loneliness that tests the boy's spirit. With only the loyal houseboy Sui-Jen to guide him through grief and playground cruelty, Jim must learn what it truly means to be brave and honorable, even when the world feels against him. A touching tale of a boy finding his way forward with the help of an unexpected father figure.

Howard Hughes—millionaire businessman, movie producer, and aviation pioneer—pursues his passions with a bold disregard for safety, from producing lavish Hollywood films to testing experimental aircraft for the U.S. Army. When his new photo plane encounters catastrophic engine failure during a test flight in 1947, Hughes faces his most serious challenge yet, determined to keep pushing forward despite the odds. This is the story of a self-made visionary whose relentless drive to innovate in both cinema and aviation defines an era of American ambition.

A collection of quick-hit gags and absurdist headlines riffing on postwar America—bank robbers demanding drive-through service, housing shortages that leave folks literally living under gardens, and scientists brewing alcohol from fruit—each one a snappy one-liner wrapped in Milt Gross's signature cartoon style. It's the kind of rapid-fire humor that made "Late News Flashes!" a perfect palate cleanser in the pages of Picture News, punching up the everyday frustrations of 1947 with ridiculous logic and visual punchlines.

Tommy Hamilton, Navy's celebrated player-coach, faces the ultimate test when his undefeated team takes on Army's powerhouse squad before 105,000 fans at Soldier's Field in a crucial matchup that will determine everything. With his storied record and the "Hamilton System" that carried Navy through tough seasons, this legendary strategist must guide his team through a seesaw battle in what proves to be his final game for the academy. In a moment that defines his career, Hamilton's performance under pressure becomes the deciding factor in one of college football's most unforgettable rivalries.

Harold "Bunny" Levitt—a diminutive high school player dismissed as too short for the game—transforms professional basketball through relentless practice and determination, eventually touring with the famous Globe Trotters and later teaching the sport's fundamentals to coaches and soldiers alike. Meanwhile, the game itself comes of age in 1947, with visionary promoters like Ned Irish helping organize professional leagues and showcase unforgettable moments, like Ernie Calverley's impossible long-range shot at Madison Square Garden. Together, these stories capture basketball's rise from amateur ranks to America's newest national sport.