Saturday, March 28, 2015

Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Jealousy on Kano"

One of comics legend Bernie Krigstein's few non-EC art jobs...
...which was probably unused material that Charlton purchased when they bought out Ziff-Davis' inventory.
Note Panel 3 from the last page.
Though there's a ZZZAAAAB! sound effect, and Dr Lexikon slumps over, there's no ray from the gun or impact on his body.
This was not an uncommon edit on material produced before the Comics Code went into effect, but published after companies complied with its' rules.
Though not explicitly-stated in the very generic regulations, one request the Code made to publishers was to not show a gun or bow being fired and the victim of the shot in the same panel.
This was relaxed a couple of years later for ray guns, but not for bows, crossbows, and guns.
The rule of thumb was, if a kid could imitate it using a real-world weapon, don't show it.
From Charlton's Space Adventures #16 (1955), it has the same look as Krigstein's SpaceBusters or Space Patrol material from the early 1950s, not his EC work from this period a couple of years later.
It's also his only work published by Charlton.

Friday, March 27, 2015

TIME WARP WEEK "Union in Steel"

Welcome to the finale of Time Warp Week...
...as we conclude our week-long look at DC's short-lived 1979-1980 sci-fi anthology.
Using both established pros and talented newcomers, this oversized anthology (68 pages for $1 when the standard comic was 36 pages for 40¢) presented all-new material, almost all of which (including this story) has never been reprinted!
The penciler on this tale, Don Newton, was one of the best of the fan-turned-pros of the 70s-80s.
Unfortunately, a heart attack cut his career and his life short and he passed in 1984.
BTW, most people don't realize he didn't break into comics until he was 40!
There's a really kool site dedicated to Don HERE.
Mike Kaluta, definitive artist for the comic version of The Shadow, provided pulp-style covers for the entire run.
While they had no relation to any of the stories in the book, they were spectacular!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

TIME WARP WEEK "The Most Special of Effects"

Welcome to Time Warp Week...
...as we take a week-long look at DC's short-lived 1979-1980 sci-fi anthology, one issue per day.
Using both established pros and talented newcomers, this oversized anthology (68 pages for $1 when the standard comic was 36 pages for 40¢) presented all-new material, almost all of which (including this story) has never been reprinted!
Mike Kaluta, definitive artist for the comic version of The Shadow, provided pulp-style covers for the entire run.
While they had no relation to any of the stories in the book, they were spectacular!
Be here tomorrow as we sample #5, the final issue!

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

TIME WARP WEEK "Stranger From the Edge of Tomorrow"

Welcome to Time Warp Week...
...as we take a week-long look at DC's short-lived 1979-1980 sci-fi anthology, one issue per day.
Using both established pros and talented newcomers, this oversized anthology (68 pages for $1 when the standard comic was 36 pages for 40¢) presented all-new material, almost all of which (including this story) has never been reprinted!
Mike Kaluta, definitive artist for the comic version of The Shadow, provided pulp-style covers for the entire run.
While they had no relation to any of the stories in the book, they were spectacular!
Be here tomorrow as we sample issue #4!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

TIME WARP WEEK "Return to the Stars"

Welcome to Time Warp Week...
...as we take a week-long look at DC's short-lived 1979-1980 sci-fi anthology, one issue per day.
Using both established pros and talented newcomers, this oversized anthology (68 pages for $1 when the standard comic was 36 pages for 40¢) presented all-new material, almost all of which (including this story) has never been reprinted!
While Howard Chaykin certainly is an "established pro", writer Wyatt Gwyon, who might qualify as a newcomer, is a mystery.
With less than two dozen stories to his credit, Gwyon came onto the comics scene in 1977 scripting horror and sci-fi stories for various DC anthology titles until he disappeared in 1983.
There was no sign of him in comics...or anywhere else...until he popped-up again...with a one-page Wolverine story in Marvel's What If...? #34 (1992)!
Was "Wyatt Gwyon" a pseudonym?
Wyatt Gwyon was the protagonist of William Gaddis' acclaimed novel The Recognitions.
He's a frustrated fine artist with a gift for imitating the styles of Old Masters.
Unscrupulous art dealers and critics use him to create phony "undiscovered Old Masters" they sell for huge prices!
Was Wyatt a novelist/poet/movie-TV scripter who decided to try his hand at comics?
Or was he a DC or Marvel staffer who wanted to make some extra cash?
We'll probably never know...
...or will we?
According to Martin O'Hern, comics creator detective, the Who's Who created by mega-fan Jerry Bails (aka the Father of Comic Book Fandom) identifies "Gwyon" as long-time DC scripter Martin Pasko...but with a "?" by his name, probably because it's never been fully-confirmed.
Mike Kaluta, definitive artist for the comic version of The Shadow, provided pulp-style covers for the entire run.
While they had no relation to any of the stories in the book, they were spectacular!
Be here tomorrow as we sample issue #3!

Monday, March 23, 2015

TIME WARP WEEK "Man Who Could See Yesterday"

Welcome to Time Warp Week...
...as we take a week-long look at DC's short-lived 1979-1980 sci-fi anthology, one issue per day.
Using both established pros and talented newcomers, this oversized anthology (68 pages for $1 when the standard comic was 36 pages for 40¢) presented all-new material, almost all of which (including this story) has never been reprinted!
Mike Kaluta, definitive artist for the comic version of The Shadow, provided pulp-style covers for the entire run.
While they had no relation to any of the stories in the book, they were spectacular!
Be here tomorrow as we sample issue #2!

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Design of the Week: EASTER SURPRISE!

Each week, we post a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another!

Since Easter is coming, we thought we'd present an absolutely adorable piece by the legendary Walt (Pogo) Kelly featuring a kid, bunny, mouse, and chick as the Easter Egg in their basket hatches, producing yet another cutie...a baby duck!

You just don't see stuff like this anymore!
So, why not order some kidswear, or even holiday greeting cards with this one-week-only graphic?
Everyone who sees it will go "Awwww."