Reading Room: TARA QUEEN OF THE SPACE PIRATES in "Key of the Cuchin Van"

Click on the art to enlarge

We continue the space-spanning saga of Tara, Queen of the Space Pirates with this tale from Wonder Comics #18.
There was no origin story, but the splash pages usually gave a brief set-up for new readers.

The Grand Comics DataBase lists Gene Fawcette, who did the two previous stories, as the penciler/inker, but it looks like fellow Wonder Comics artist Jerry Scott, who used a more standardized layout and looser inking style.

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Tara: Queen of the Space Pirates™

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Reading Room: BARBARELLA 2.2

When Last We Left Our Heroine...

With Captain Dildano and the rest of his crew dead, and their ship a derelict, Barbarella is stranded on Lython...

There are more plot elements and characters who ended up in the movie, though at the flick's beginning, rather than midway through, as they do here.
Some characters like "Klill, the horrid little Martian", didn't end up in the film.
The explanation of why the inhabitants are dressed in mid-19th Century Earth fashions was utilized a year later in the Classic Star Trek episode "Squire of Gothos".
However, the "antique-looking" clothing and technology didn't make it into the Barbarella film's version of this sequence.
More Barbarella later...

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Barbarella Collectible Corner

Jeffrey Catherine Jones 1/10/44 ~ 5/19/11

From Esquire Magazine, 1972

Jones' autobiography conveys her life far better than I ever could.

Rest in Peace

Reading Room: BARBARELLA 2.1

When Last We Left Our Heroine...

All you really need to know is that Captain Dildano's spacecraft was forced down by a gigantic jellyfish...ok, plot logic is not the strip's strong suit.

Just enjoy the kool art...

Dildano also dies in the movie, but under vastly different circumstances.
In fact, this particular sequence is not adapted into the 1960s cult classic flick!
More tomorrow!

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Barbarella Collectible Corner

YouTube Wednesday: The FIRST Live-Action THOR!

Thor (Erik Allan Kramer), Stan Lee, and The Hulk (Lou Ferrigno).

Face Front, True Believer!
Though Chris Hemsworth did a smashing job as The Mighty Thor, he wasn't the first choice to personify the God of Thunder in the flesh!
Erik Allan Kramer portrayed a somewhat headstrong Thor in the tv-movie The Incredible Hulk Returns.
Besides the quite-different costume, this version of Thor is two different people, the Thunder God and Don Blake (Steve Levett), a former student of David Banner's (Bill Bixby) who found Mjolnir and can summon Thor from between dimensions by holding the hammer and yelling "ODIN"...

And later the two team-up to...well, you'll get the idea...

Besides being a continuation of The Incredible Hulk tv storyline in a series of tv movies, this was a "backdoor pilot" to promote The Mighty Thor in his own tv series.

Flash Gordon the Movie by Al Williamson

Starting today, the complete, "wide-screen" version of legendary artist Al Wiliamson's graphic novel adaptation of Flash Gordon the Movie (1980) will appear on our brother RetroBlog Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™.

So, why haven't you clicked yet?  ;-)

Visit the NEWEST RetroBlogs™ for Sci-Fi/Western/Good Girl Fun!

We've recently-introduced several new blogs to the RetroBlogs™ Family...

...the newest one, features action-packed tales of the Old West by such stalwarts as Simon & Kirby, Graham Engels, Dick Ayers, and many others who also did superhero and horror work.

Plus, there'll be appearances by masked heroes including the Original Ghost Rider, RedMask, The Lone Rider, and The Masked Ranger, and the occasional little green man from Space Western Comics!

Then, there's...

...now, before you go "ewwww", consider whose work you'll see here:

some of the finest "good girl" artists in the business, including Matt Baker, Wally Wood, and Bill Ward doing scantily-clad women!

Sure you don't want to see that?

Finally, for the hardcore sf / fantasy fan, there's...

The Secret Sanctum of

...featuring comic book...er...graphic novel adaptations of movies, TV series, and even radio shows!

So far, we've covered Captain Video (surprise!), The Time Machine, Dr Who & the Daleks, and Space: 1999!

Starting on Tuesday, we present...

by Bruce Jones (writer) and the legendary Al Williamson (artist)!

So, what's your excuse not to, at least, take a look (or bookmark the sites)?

(They're all Safe For Work / School!)

Western Comics Adventures™

True Love Comics Tales™

Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™

Click now or regret it later!  ;-)

Design of the Week--Space Cowboy

Cowboy hero vs bug-eyed monsters from outer space!
You think Cowboys and Aliens was the first?
It sure as hell wasn't the first comic / graphic novel that presented the concept!
59 years ago, comic books were telling tales of how resourceful Westerners defeated invaders from beyond the stars!
And this week, you and your kids can collect (and wear) the stuff they should have had in the Five & Dimes back in 1952, but didn't!
We're talkin' kids' and adult t-shirts, mugs, magnets, buttons, etc.!
But order now, because the Space Cowboy is headin' outta town in one week!
And he may never be comin' this way again!