Saturday, November 15, 2008

Fly the Yuletide Skies with--SKY WIZARD!

In the 1940s, superheroes were the primary genre in both comic books and pulp magazines. The skies and streets of pop fiction were filled with people in capes, cowls, leotards, or some combination thereof.
And, of course, a superhero had to have a super-power or gimmick that would set him (or her) apart from the crowd.
Which leads us to our feature character today...
Though he hasn't yet appeared in either Alex Ross' Project SuperPowers or Erik Larsen's Next Issue Project, we at Atomic Kommie Comics™thought enough of Sky Wizard that we added him to the Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ lineup without hesitation!
Why?
1) He's "the Master of Space"! Catchy, eh?
2) He's a scientific genius! (Funky weaponry and modes of transport a speciality!)
3) He can't make up his mind about what costume to wear! He wore a different costume in each of his four cover appearances! No fashion victim he! (And you thought Janet Van Dyne-Pym & Henry Pym had bulging wardrobes!)
4) He appeared in Miracle Comics! ("...and if it's a good comic, it's a Miracle! Thank you! We'll be here thru Sunday! Try the veal...") With a name like that, you know we had to find a spot for him, and his book, in our kitchy lineup!
So, if you're looking for a unique, Golden-Age superhero-oriented gift (shirt, mug, blank sketchbook) for your pop-culture craving sweetie, you can't go wrong with Sky Wizard under the tree (or maybe above it)!
And, c'mon Alex, stick him in Project SuperPowers (The best Golden Age revival on the market! BUY IT!), even if it's just a flashback! (Of course, then you'll have to decide which costume to put him in!) ;-)

Friday, November 14, 2008

Make it a Kick-Butt Christmas Day!

In our ongoing quest to suggest cool Christmas gifts for our faithful fans, we of Atomic Kommie Comics™ would like to direct you to, perhaps, the most unlikely of departments--Pop Art Martial Arts™
But, when you think about it, considering how Western-based, cops-and-robbers-oriented, and military-themed toys and gifts have been part of the Yuletide for generations (I'll never forget finding my first 11.5" GI Joe under the tree one Christmas morning!) it's only natural that martial arts-oriented gifts should also be part of the holiday season!
Beyond the fact that you can't shoot your eye out with a gi, (Note: Do NOT give ninja throwing stars to kids as a present!) all these themes are based on the concept of good triumphing over evil, protecting the helpless, and having fun doing it! And, martial arts promote physical fitness! ;-)
We offer men's, women's, and kid's garb, as well as stuff to decorate your dojo.
And what a lineup! The ORIGINAL StreetFighter! Sister StreetFighter! Lady Kung Fu! Deadly China Doll! Five Fingers of Death! And, for those who want a Power Rangers-style look with rubber-suited monsters aplenty--Infra-Man!
So, make it a Merry, Martial-Arts Christmas! Ho, Ho, Ho, Hi-Yahh!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Put Western Women under the Christmas Tree!


The tradition of Old West-themed Christmas presents dates back to the late 1800s, and was immortalized in the modern Xmas film A Christmas Story written (and narrated) by the late, great, Jean Shepherd.
Ralphie's quest for a Red Ryder BB Gun was mirrored by countless little boys (and probably more than a few girls) of the 1930s-1950s!
We at Atomic Kommie Comics™ believe the tradition should be upheld...but with a twist!
As part of our ongoing Christmas List of Pop Culture Stuff, we suggest...Women Outlaws, one of the coolest lines in our Western Comics Adventures™ section!
These AIN'T no ladies!Think Barbara Stanwyck or Jane Russell in comic book form!
We're talkin' Horses! Leather! High-heeled boots! ShootOuts! Dominant females who don't take no sh!t! And...CatFights! Wah-HOO!
(And it's all rated PG-13 or PG!)
Besides the usual t-shirts, mugs, and other collectibles, these kool retro images also adorn women's duds! Jersey Tees, Spaghetti tanks! Thongs!
If women who can ride and shoot as well as any man ain't yer cup of prairie coffee, we also have Real-Life Westerners, Broncho Bill, The Cisco Kid & Pancho, Kid Cowboy, Masked Heroes, Native Americans, A Wealth of Westerners, and even Western Love!
Think of how they'll look under the Christmas Tree! (And they're safer than a
Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! You won't shoot your eye out!)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

It's Crime Time at Christmas Time!

Ah, Christmas.
What do we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ think of?
Peace on Earth!
Good Will towards Men!
25-to-Life at Sing-Sing!
What...?
Yep, you heard right!
For a subject-specific gift for the lawyer, or other legal professional in your life, the crew at Atomic Kommie Comics™ suggests you have a look at the Daring District Attorneys and other Legal Eagles section of our Crime & Punishment™ collection, featuring the long-running radio/tv character Mr. District Attorney!
Inspired by the racket-busting exploits of New York City DA Thomas E. Dewey (who later became New York's Governor), law student-turned radio writer Ed Byron created a nameless "everyman" DA who maintained law and order in an unnamed Big City (implied to be NYC).
The stories, while rarely based on actual cases (like rival show GangBusters) followed actual legal procedures to the letter, even introducing CSI-style "lab boys" to analyze evidence and present testimony during courtroom sequences!
A couple of kool trivia items:
The narrator was known as "The Voice of the Law" who defined both the DA's case at the beginning of the episode and pronounced the criminal's sentence at the end of the show. (A conceit picked up by rival radio / tv show Dragnet!)
Though several actors played Mr. District Attorney, the DA's secretary, Edith Miller, was played by the same actress, Vicki Vola, for the entire run of the show both on radio and tv (1939-1953)!
The comic book series, from which we draw our imagery, was packaged by the Bob Kane comic book studio. Bob Kane was the co-creator (with Bill Finger) of the most famous fictional detective of the 20th Century--The Batman!
We offer four different classic comic book crime-busting covers on items ranging from mugs to mousepads to t-shirts.
And, if attorneys aren't your thing, we also have Real Life Criminals, Police--the REAL Heroes!, Sherlock Holmes, Top Secret--Images without Words, All-True Detective Cases, Crimes by Women, Gangsters, Private Dicks, and G-Men T-Men & Spies!
Use them responsibly this Yuletide season, citizens!

BONUS: A FREE Christmas present, to you, our faithful readers: mp3s of the Mr District Attorney radio show!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Travel down Lovers' Lane this Christmas!

You may think it strange that we're doing a piece on romance comic-related stuff as part of our suggested Christmas presents list.

But we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ believe that romantic love is just as prevalent at Xmas as it is on Valentine's Day, a
nd that True Love Comics Tales™ collectibles are just as nice to find under the tree as any of the other pop culture collectibles we offer!
And romance comics include a wide assortment of genres & topics including Westerns, medical dramas (like the Lovers Lane issue at left), war, law & crime, high school & college life, big business, and of course, soap-operas!

As we say... comics aren't just about spandex-clad characters in battles of cosmic import!
They also tell intimate tales of heartbreak & true love, betrayal & redemption, and misery & joy!

So, if your loved one is both an incurable romantic and a fan of pop culture kitsch, you can't go wrong with one of our funky collectibles! Besides the usual t-shirts and tchochkies, we also offer matching intimate tops & bottoms and other cute clothes for the fairer sex!

So give us a look at True Love Comics Tales™!
Then give her a kiss under the mistletoe for us!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Friday Foster--the FIRST Black Comic Strip Heroine

Beginning on January 18, 1970, Friday Foster was the FIRST mainstream syndicated comic strip to star a Black woman. (Jackie Ormes' legendary Torchy Brown was, unfortunately, limited to black-owned newspapers which had relatively-limited circulation.)
It was also the FIRST mainstream syndicated comic strip to star a Black title character! (Quincy by Ted Shearer debuted later in 1970.)
Writer Jim Lawrence was no stranger to adventure strips, having previously written Captain Easy and Joe Palooka, and, after his stint on Friday, Buck Rogers! (He also penned the '70s paperback series Dark Angel about a Black woman private eye.)
European artist Jorge Longaron had done a number of strip projects unseen in the US. Friday was his American strip debut.
The series was a combination of adventure and soap-opera, about former fashion model-turned-photographer's assistant (and later professional photographer) Friday Foster.
Supporting characters included photographer Shawn North
(her boss and later business partner) and millionare playboy/romantic interest Blake Tarr.
The series lasted until '74, with some of the final strips illustrated by Dick Giordano and Howard Chaykin!
Besides the strip, there was a one-shot comic book in 1972, and a feature film in 1975 (a year after the strip was canceled) starring action-movie goddess Pam Grier as Friday,
Thalmus Rasulala as Blake Tarr, Yaphet Kotto as Detective Colt Hawkins, plus Eartha Kitt, Jim Backus, Godfrey Cambridge, and in one of his earliest roles, Carl Weathers, as an assassin! While there was a soundtrack album, curiously, I've never seen a novelization (and they did novelizations of movies that weren't even released in the US)!
We at Atomic Kommie Comics™ proudly present her a part of our Heroines™ line which also includes Jane Arden: Crime Reporter, Cave Girl, Jet Dream & Her Stunt-Girl CounterSpies, Miss Fury, Miss Cairo Jones, Miss Masque / Masquerade, Molly O'Day: Super Sleuth, Annie Oakley, Phantom Lady, Tiger Girl, and UnderCover Girl!

If you're looking for a cool Christmas gift for the Black History aficionado or grrrl hero fan in your life, you can't go wrong with a Friday Foster mug, bag, shirt or other goodie!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Santa & the Elves' Labor Union Strike!

You think the economic situation is bad now?
Go back 73 years ago, to November 1938 and see...elves were picketing Santa's WorkShop for better pay!
(You'll note that the cover is dated January, 1939. But it was actually on sale in November, 1938! Publishers used to cover-date comics and pulps two to three months ahead of the actual on-sale date to keep the books on the stands for as long as possible!)
Thus do we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ present another retro-styled collectible for your Christmas gift-giving consideration, and offer you a bit of media history at the same time!
In this case, we proudly present one of our Christmas in the Comics line from our Cool Christmas collection: six different digitally-remastered comic covers featuring classic characters celebrating Christmas, including The Green Lama, SuperSnipe, Dick Cole, and The Lone Ranger, as well as two long-out-of-print versions of The Big Man, Santa, himself!
Available on a multitude of memorabilia including greeting cards (with FREE personalized messages on ANY 10 or 20 card sets), mugs, hoodies, and other goodies, these pop-art collectibles are NOT available in any brick-and-mortar stores, only on-line thru us!
And don't forget our Santa Claus--the Man Himself, A Christmas Carol starring Scrooge, the Hardly-Abominable SnowMan, and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians lines!
There's something for everyone under the tree at
Atomic Kommie Comics™!