Saturday, October 3, 2009

Frankly, it's Frankie (Frankenstein, that is!)

As Halloween approaches, we thought we'd take a look back at one of the best horror comics series of all time (and toss in a free plug while we're at it!)
Prize Comics' Monster of Frankenstein began life in Prize Comics #7 (the same issue that introduced The Green Lama to comics) and continued over several years going from a relatively-straight sequel to the Mary Shelley novel to all-out comedy, all drawn by the same artist, Dick Briefer (who also created the series The Target & the Targeteers.) and continuing to the point when Prize Comics became Prize Western Comics.
By then, he had his own title, also played for laughs, which ran for 17 issues.
Of particular note was Prize Comics #24, where The Green Lama, Yank & Doodle, The Black Owl, and other Prize Comics heroes teamed up as "The Prize Fighters" to deal with the assumed threat of the Monster, much as various Marvel heroes tend to team up to try to tame the presumed threat of The Incredible Hulk!
By the mid-1950s, with horror comics a hot genre, The Monster was revived as a straight horror title with #18 and running thru #33, with Dick Briefer still at the artistic helm. This is the period Golden Age fans still speak of in respectful hushed tones (although technically, it's not the Golden Age).
Old-timers may also note the logo was adapted for the first (and only) issue of Calvin Beck's Journal of Frankenstein, a b/w magazine which was retitled Castle of Frankenstein for the remainder of it's run. (It was one of the better competitors to Forrest J. Ackerman's long-running Famous Monsters of Filmland).
There have been several reprints of the Briefer material including Ray Zone's 3-D Zone, Michael T. Gilbert's Mr Monster's Hi-Shock Schlock, and AC Comics' Men of Mystery, and most recently, Idea Men Productions' trade paperback (ISBN-10 1419640178, ISBN-13 978-1419640179)
AC Comics also did an updated, villainous version of the character, called "Frightenstein"* in a number of their titles, and Dynamite Entertainment's Project SuperPowers has incorporated him as the conceptual basis of the "F-Troop" reanimated-corpse soldiers.

Knowing you can't keep a good monster down, Atomic Kommie Comics™ has revived The Monster as part of our Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ collectibles line just in time for Halloween with six classic covers (including #18, his first horror-era appearance) adorning such items as tote bags (perfect as trick-or-treat bags), mousepads, blank sketchbooks, mugs, and, of course, shirts.
In addition, we now have a Frankenstein 2010 12-Month calendar featuring the a dozen of the best of both the humor and horror versions!

Personally, I'm gonna be wearing one of them on Halloween.
Only question is, which one? ;-)

*"Frightenstein" was also the name of a short-lived 1970s syndicated tv series called
The Hilarious House of Frightenstein. Vincent Price did a number of intros to segments.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Design of the Week--Green Slime!

Each week, we post a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another!
This week...
It's the kool poster art for one of the weirdest, wildest sci-fi films of the psychedelic '60s.
The Green Slime
was an Italian-Japanese-American co-production about alien spores who attach themselves to a space station, grow to five feet tall, start ingesting the human crew with the intention to do the same to the population of Earth!
It's fast-paced, has pretty good sfx (on a par with the Godzilla and Gamera flicks of the period), and the multi-national cast features some solid actors including Robert Horton, Richard Jaeckel, and Luciana Paluzzi.
The writers of this amazing opus included Bill Finger, co-creator (with Bob Kane) of The Batman, and Ivan Reiner, screenwriter of Wild, Wild Planet and other Italian genre films!
The funkiest part, though, is the now-legendary theme song written by Charles Fox, who previously had done the music for Barbarella!
It's NOT on American (Region 1) DVD, though Japanese imports are available.
There is an OOP pan and scan VHS, but it's a little pricey!

We thought the poster would fit in perfectly as a Halloween-oriented t-shirt, mug or other collectible gift for you or your pop-culture-oriented loved one!
Get it...before the Green Slime gets YOU!

FREE Bonus: Link to a downloadble mp3 of the way-out Green Slime theme song!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Halloween "Horrors" (both G and PG-13)

September is here, school has started, the leaves are turning orange and brown, and already our somewhat- warped thoughts naturally turn to...HALLOWEEN, the koolest holiday of all!
We at Atomic Kommie Comics™ have told you about our Horror Comics of the 1950s™ and Seduction of the Innocent™ sections, PLUS the Martians, Martians, Martians™ category of The Future WAS Fantastic™, all of which have kool retro horror-oriented goodies year-round for the older kids-at-heart.
But what about something for the younger crowd, the tweens and pre-teens, the toddlers and babies?
Well, never let it be said we ignored a target demographic!
We have a Haunted Halloween section with a subsection specifically-for those little ones who want a slightly-scary take on the spectral and spooky, as well as one for the 7-13 category who want a bit more meat on the bone (as it were).
We're also offering Yard Signs & Banners, plus; invitation and greeting cards, ghostly garb, and ghoulish goodies like monstrous mini-buttons (great as treats instead of tooth-rotting candy), reusable trick or treat bags, and other creepy collectibles.
Note to the older crowd, sorry, but the shirts 'n stuff are kid-sized only.
Have a look and order now, before the late-October rush!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Señorita Rio: the FIRST LATINA Comic Book Heroine!

"Señorita Rio" was the code-name given to popular Hispanic-American film actress Rita Farrar (real name: Consuela Maria Ascencion De Las Vegas), as she performed espionage against Axis agents in Central and South American countries, using a tour to promote her movies as a cover.
She was proficient with weapons, and could handle herself in perilous situations, requiring rescue by male associates far less frequently than most heroines of the Golden Age.

Based on real-life actress and World War II pin-up queen Rita Hayworth (who most people don't realize was Hispanic-Irish-American! Her real name was Margarita Carmen Cansino), Señorita Rio started as a backup feature in Fight Comics #19, and took over the cover slot as of #37 for a year.
After that, she remained as a backup, at least, until #71, when she retired from espionage and returned full-time to her acting career.

The first few Señorita Rio stories were illustrated by noted Golden and Silver Age artist Nick Cardy, but the bulk of her tales were rendered by one of the few female artists of the era, Lily Renee, who did spectacular work in every comics genre: sci-fi, adventure, superhero, war, western, horror, and romance!

Atomic Kommie Comics™ has lured Señorita Rio out of retirement, as beautiful and deadly as ever, on two of her best covers, in our Heroines™ line of cool comics-based collectibles including tops, bottoms, t-shirts, mugs, and other goodies!
(She's also one of the dozen dynamic dames on our Heroines™ 2010 12-Month Calendar!)

If you're a gal who wants to show off a classic example of female empowerment, or a guy who's confident enough in his masculinity to display a strong (and voluptuous) woman, head over to see Señorita Rio!

Monday, September 28, 2009

One-stop Halloween shopping at Seduction of the Innocent!!

Ah, Halloween...
One of our favorite times of the year here at Atomic Kommie Comics™!
And what better time to promote the ghoulish goodies of Seduction of the Innocent™ including Halloween-wear t-shirts, mugs and reusable trick-or-treat tote bags?
SEE: the moody moonlit graveyard of the full-color Italian poster for the original Night of the Living Dead!
SEE: the kitchy graphics of the rarely-seen Astro Zombies poster (believe it or not, the film was PG)!
SEE: the koolest ghoul of all...Vincent Price, on the classic poster for the original House on Haunted Hill?
And let's not forget
The Green Slime!
Last Man on Earth AND Omega Man!
The ORIGINAL Demon Barber of Fleet Street!
I Married a Monster from Outer Space!
The ORIGINAL Little Shop of Horrors!
Occhio de Uccide!
They Came from Beyond Space!
AND (You knew we had to have this one) Plan 9 from Outer Space!
Buy them! Trade them! Collect 'em all!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

MORE 2010 12-Month Calendars!!!

NEW 2010 12-month calendars are up at Atomic Kommie Comics™ Calendar Corner including...

Celebrate Sherlock Holmes in general, and Basil Rathbone in particular, with the Basil Rathbone IS Sherlock Holmes™ 2010 12-month calendar featuring a Baker Street dozen movie posters and lobby cards featuring Rathbone as Holmes along with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson and Dennis Hoey (yeah, I thought it was "Hooey", too) as Inspector Lestrade!

Jungle Girls™ 2010 12-Month Calendar, where a dozen dynamic damsels like Princess Pantha, Luana, Rulah, and Judy of the Jungle (wha?) fight fiends, fantastic fauna and funky foliage while barely wearing any clothing on these classic comic covers and movie posters!

Masked Western Heroes™ 2010 12-Month Calendar stampedes a dozen Golden Age comic book covers featuring Western heroes who know that to fight for Justice beyond the Law, sometimes you must wear a mask!
See The ORIGINAL Ghost Rider, Red Mask, Black Phantom, Lone Rider, Masked Ranger, and others, including a special Christmas appearance by...!

Aviators of the Golden Age of Comics™ 2010 12-Month Calendar puts on parade the greatest fictional aviators of World War II & the Korean War including AirBoy, Captain Midnight, Black Commander, Captain Wings, Steve Savage, Captain Flight, and others!

The all-new Captains of the Golden Age of Comics™ 2010 12-Month Calendar includes a dozen dynamic defenders, all with the rank of "Captain" 'cause the BEST military rank to have in sci-fi/fantasy is Captain!
"Sgt America" just doesn't have the ring of "Captain America", does it?

This clutch of cool, collectible captains includes Captain Trumph! Captain Science! Captain Fearless! Captain Future! Captain Cross! Captain Battle! Captain Video! Captain Flash! Captain Midnight! Captain Rocket! Captain Courageous! Captain Hazzard!
Stand to attention and buy it...NOW!

PLUS: Look for these already-posted first-timers...
Classic DareDevil™ 2010 12-Month Calendar, which includes Silver Streak Comics #7 (DD's first cover appearance), DareDevil Comics #1 (the famous DareDevil vs Hitler issue), DareDevil Comics #13 (the FIRST Wise Guys), Daredevil Comics #31 (Final appearance of the Claw), and several other classic covers showcasing Charles Biro's amazing design sense!
Extra Bonus: The Splash Panel from page 1 of DareDevil Comics #1!

Classic Captain Future™ 2010 12-Month Calendar, which includes BOTH Captains Future--the original pulp hero who was renamed "Major Mars" in his comics incarnation in Exciting Comics, and the totally-new character created for Startling Comics (He's the one now known as "Zeus" in Project SuperPowers). We have all three first appearances as well as numerous other covers!

Classic Amazing-Man™ 2010 12-Month Calendar, featuring a dozen spectacular covers by Bill Everett and Sam Glanzman, including John Aman's first and final appearances!

Classic Cat-Man™ 2010 12-Month Calendar, with his first cover appearance (but second actual comic appearance) in Crash Comics, as well as ten of his own title, and an Australian Cat-Man cover for good measure! And there's lots of Kitten here as well, good-girl fans!

Classic Monster of Frankenstein™ 2010 12-Month Calendar, with a dozen Dick Briefer covers spanning both the humorous and macabre incarnations of Mary Shelley's character!

Captain Midnight™ 2010 12-Month Calendar, displays the best of his covers spanning his appearances in The Funnies to his own title, including Captain Midnight #1 with the Golden Age Captain Marvel introducing him to the readers!

Mr District Attorney™ 2010 12-Month Calendar, submits 12 law-abiding covers by the Bob Kane Studios (Y'know, the guys who did ALL the Batman comic books until Carmine Infantino took over in 1965!) featuring one of the greatest radio-tv crimebusters of the 40s-50s!

There's also lots of revised versions of previous calendars!!
Buy 'em! Trade 'em! Collect them ALL! (just kidding!)