Have Yourself a Star Wars Christmas with...CHRISTMAS IN THE STARS!

 Click on the pic to see the superb Ralph McQuarrie cover art in all it's glory!

You were expecting the Star Wars Christmas Special?

Released in 1980, this Christmas album was produced by Meco Monardo (who had previously-recorded Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk).

Anthony Daniels voiced C-3PO and sound designer Ben Burtt provided the sound effects he created for Star Wars to bring R2-D2 and Chewbacca to life!

'What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)' reached #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in 1980. (It was the third digitally-recorded single in chart history.)

Trivia: Jon Bon Jovi made his first recording ever on this album (credited as John Bongiovi), singing lead vocals on 'R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas.' Bon Jovi did it as a favor to his cousin Tony Bongiovi, one of the producers of the album.

Here's John (Finn) Boyega hearing this album for the first time!

(For the record, I got the album when it came out..and still have it!)

Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Christmas in the Stars
Paid Link

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AMAZING HIGH ADVENTURE "Ambrose A Abernathy's Amazing Adventure Apparatus"

Behind This Tongue-Twisting Title...

...is a kool (almost) parody of those Victorian-era "scientific romances" involving a cranky elderly scientist, his beautiful daughter, the scientist's studly assistant, and a vile, venomous villain!

Coincidence?

Staying (just barely) on the razor's edge from "high camp", writer Mike Carlin and artist Gerry Taloc, who created this never-reprinted story from Marvel's Amazing High Adventure #1 (1984), know the answer...and they ain't saying!

SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS

He's the Jolly Old Elf in a red suit!
They are BIG Green Men from Mars with an even BIGGER robot!
Before Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, they were the ingredients for the weirdest Christmas movie ever!

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians was filmed in 1964 in that bastion of the cinema, Long Island (in an unused aircraft hangar).

Starring a host of tv and b-movie actors including handsome-but-stiff Leonard Hicks as the Martian Leader (and kids' father) Kimar, 60s villain/voiceover artist Vincent Beck (who did lots of work for Irwin Allen's sci-fi shows) as the film's mustache-twirling villain, Voldar, and John Call as a pretty damn convincing Santa Claus, the flick is touted as the debut of future talentless chantuse Pia Zadora as Martian Kid Girmar. Thankfully, she has rather limited screen time.

As an example of low-budget filmmaking, it's actually pretty effective.

Every penny (what few of them they had) is up on the screen.

They make good use of stock footage (from Dr. Strangelove, no less).

And the use of then-popular Wham-O Air Blaster toy guns as the Martian weapons was either a stroke of marketing genius or clever use of limited funds. Either way, sales of the guns shot thru the roof after the film hit the kiddie matinee circuit!

If you're between 3-9 years old, the flick's a lot of fun.

If you're between 10 and whatever the local drinking age is, it'll drive you nuts, especially the theme song!

If you're over the local drinking age, do so before watching! It's available on a host of public domain dvds as well as one of the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 snarkfests.

BTW: The image above is from the comic book tie-in, which you can read in three parts...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

There was also a single of the theme, a spoken-word LP album of the movie's dialogue, and a novelization!

Now I can't get that damn theme our of my head..."Hoo-ray for Santy Claus..." AARRRGGGHHH!

An early Christmas gift from us to you:
The Mystery Science Theatre 3000 version of the film (don't tell Dr Forrester)...

Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Blu-Ray from Something Weird

Loaded with Kool Extras!

Paid Link!

Monday Mecha Madness ASTRO BOY "Gangor the Monster"

Though technically a "robotto", not a "mecha"...

...this manga-to anime character was America's first exposure to Japanese pop culture's passion for artificial life-forms!

Now, we're presenting the first American comic book adaptation of one of the episodes from the 1963 series, which aired afternoons Monday through Friday on local channels!

But Wait!

Do You Believe the Threat of the Weird Robot is Over???

You're in for a surprise...

Next Monday!

Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Astro Boy

Ultra Collectors' Edition Set 1

(Contains the complete [52 episodes] First Season, PLUS, Lots of Extra Features!)

Paid Link

You Want Some Christmas FUN on TV? We Got It Right Here!

 As We Enter the Christmas Season...

..our entertainment tastes this year run to a hefty dose of mayhem to wash away the sugary taste of all those other Yuletide movies and tv shows, preferably with a mean and cruel Santa Claus!

Yes, we truly love the flick Krampus, but that guy's is supposed to be a demonic SoB!
We want a "bad Santa" who is truly evil, not just screwed up like Billy Bob Thornton's character!
Besides all three versions (1974, 2006 and 2019) of Black Christmas, which are fun, but basically just mad-slasher pix with an Xmas setting, we at Atomic Kommie Comics™were in the mood for something a bit more...otherworldy.

Why should Scrooge have all the holiday fun with specters and supernatural beings?

So, we're cuddling by the fireplace and watching Santa's Slay and Rare Exports!

Santa's Slay postulates that Santa is actually the Son of Satan, who lost a bet with an angel and was forced to be NICE to children on Christmas for a millennium.
But the bet's 1,000 year time-frame has just expired...and Santa's eager to make up for lost time!
WWE wrestler Goldberg is absolutely hysterical as Satan's Son, rampaging through the town and being the absolute, lethal, antithesis of what Kris Kringle is supposed to be.
Robert Culp, in one of his final roles, is entertaining as the crabby/cranky angel who tricked Santa and has been awaiting his return for a millenium.
The rest of the cast get into the insane spirit of the project, and the cgi FX, though low-budget are surprisingly-effective!
It's snarky!
It's silly!
It's now on our annual must-see Christmas film list, along with the 1971 Richard Williams-animated Christmas Carol, Nightmare before Christmas, and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians!

In the Scandinavian import Rare Exports, a huge demonic figure who looks a lot like a cross between Santa Claus and Krampus has been buried for centuries in Scandinavian tundra.
Americans come along, inadvertently unearth him, and mayhem ensues.
It's in Finnish, with English subtitles, but that's just as it should be, since the Finnish can unleash a storm of cursing only Germans can possibly match!
While played straighter than Santa's Slay, it's just as much fun, and even more gruesome!
Pour a healthy dose of glogg, imbie and enjoy!