Martians! Martians! Martians! (Or what Jan Brady said when she saw War of the Worlds)

Halloween is coming up fast, so what do I think of?

Martians!

I've always been a big fan of War of the Worlds, whether it's the H.G. Wells novel, Orson Welles' radio adaptation, the '53 movie, the 80s tv series (Year One or Year Two), Jeff Wayne's remarkable concept album, or the many variations, sequels, and pastiches (like my favorite: Sherlock Holmes' War of the Worlds!)
So, I added a line of shirts. mugs, messenger bags, and tchochkes to Atomic Kommie Comics' already bulging sci-fi collectibles section entitled Martians! Martians! Martians! (Or: what Jan Brady said when she saw The War of the Worlds!)
From benevolent visitors to arrogant invaders to an EarthMan turned Martian, we have them all! See The Devil Girl from Mars, Lars of Mars, Man O' Mars, John Carter: WarLord of Mars, and of course, the War of the Worlds' various incarnations!
(BTW, the Tote Bags make great trick-or-treat bags!)
We even have a three-way battle between Earth, Mars, and Venus as well as the campy cult classic Santa Claus Conquers the Martians!
So whether it's for Halloween, Christmas, a birthday, or anytime you feel the urge for alien antics, choose Martians! Martians! Martians!™
As the Martians in Mars Attacks! would say..."Ack! Ack! Ack!"

Reading Room STAR HUNTERS "Part 2: Beyond the Solar Rim" Conclusion

We Have Already Seen...

...nervous computer expert Mindy Yano spacewalks to a heavily-armed drone, intending to disarm it before the automated killer can destroy the starship SunRider that Mindy shares with the rest of The Corporation's black-ops team...

Thus ends the Star Hunters' premiere adventure written by David Michelene, penciled by Don Newton, and inked by Bob Layton.

After this never-reprinted debut in DC Super-Stars V2 N18 (1977), the Star Hunters series itself would run seven issues, then be cancelled mid-plotline.

The Star Hunters have never reappeared anywhere.

But, in the final issue, two other Michelene-created characters, StarFire II and Claw the Unconquered, whose solo books had just been cancelled, were ported over to Star Hunters, tying the three series together.

Both of those characters have since reappeared in several of the DC Universe's reboots since then.

But Donovan Flint, and the rest of his team are still in limbo.

Reading Room STAR HUNTERS "Part 2: Beyond the Solar Rim"

Assembled (some say blackmailed) by The Corporation...

...a black ops team consisting of talented, but somewhat eccentric, specialists heads into space.

Well, that can't be good...

Be here tomorrow for the thrilling finale, and see if Yano will survive her first space walk...

It appears this was originally intended as the second issue of Star Hunters, before being combined with the first issue in the double-sized comic DC Super-Stars V2 #18 (1977), to cover more ground at one time during the audience's intro to the characters.

Reading Room STAR HUNTERS "Part 1: The Farrell Alternative" Conclusion

When last we left our handsome intergalactic rogue...

...swashbucking Donovan Flint, after single-handedly rescuing a vital Earth-bound shipment of fresh food from space pirates, is invited to a meeting with Director Farrell of The Corporation.

But when he arrives, the smiling rogue discovers getting out will be much harder than getting in...

Now that the premise is established, the story continues tomorrow...

Though this never-reprinted tale appeared in the double-sized DC Super-Stars V2 #18 (1977), it's actually the first of two issues of the proposed series cobbled together, as will be apparent in the next post...

Reading Room STAR HUNTERS "Part 1: The Farrell Alternative"

It's 1977.
Space opera's making a comeback in a big way...

...and here's DC's contribution to the genre!

To quote the famous Admiral Ackbar...

Be here tomorrow to see what happens next!

Written by David Micheline, penciled by Don Newton, and inked by Bob Layton, this opening chapter of the never-reprinted (or completed) Star Hunters saga appeared in DC Super-Stars V2 #18 (1977).

The Return of...the Star Hunters!

In the mid-1970s, tv/movie sci-fi experienced a revival...

...and comics, as they had done since the late 1940s, jumped on the pop culture bandwagon!

But, instead of doing adaptations of popular shows like Space: 1999 (Charlton), or movies like Star Wars (Marvel), DC decided to do a couple of original series using talented, young, up-and-coming creatives.

One of them was The Survivors...I mean The Outcasts...er, make that  Donovan Flint: StarHunter...or finally, The Star Hunters!

Here's the explanation of how the project came about, from DC Super-Stars V2N18 (1977)...

Be here tomorrow as we begin the never-reprinted saga of The Star Hunters!

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!