Space Force Saturdays SPACE SQUADRON "World of No Return!"

Buckle up your jetpacks...

...as we hurtle back to the year 2000 (as seen from the year 1951!)...

This never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Space Squadron #2 (1951) is typical of the early 1950s, when sci-fi was dominated by various military and police organizations patrolling and controlling the universe, much as America was patrolling and controlling the non-Commie-controlled parts of Earth.

As in many ongoing series (no matter what the genre), the evil progeny (Edgar Revere) of a great man (Blast Revere) was never revealed as the schemer behind most of their problems!
The illustrator (pencils and inks) is future X-Men artist Werner Roth, but the writer is unknown.

Keep watching, as we finish our re-presentation of this time-lost series in Space Force Saturdays!

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Complete Adventures of Lucky Starr

by Isaac Asimov
(under the pen-name "Paul French")
Omnibus of ALL Six Space-Opera Sagas!
David Starr: Space Ranger, Pirates of the Asteroids, Oceans of Venus, Big Sun of Mercury, Moons of Jupiter, Rings of Saturn

Friday Fun AMAZING ADVENTURES "Adonis 2-PX-89"

This week's Valentine's Day-oriented entry is a weird combo of sci-fi and humor...

Art by Allen Anderson

...which was probably written by the man who created the Clark Kent/Superman/Lois Lane love/hate triangle...

This cover story from Ziff-Davis' Amazing Adventures #4 (1951) was illustrated by Henry Sharp who, during his decade in comics, illustrated only sci-fi or war stories!

Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel was the editor of the Ziff-Davis comics line, and wrote many of the stories that appeared in it, so it's not unreasonable to assume this tale, which contains many plot aspects common to those tales of Superman and Lois Lane, was scripted by the same writer!

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Secret Wars Secret Love

Baker Reading Room LASSIE "Isle of Adventure"

Besides being a superb "good girl" artist, Matt Baker was also a superb nature illustrator!

This tale from the era between the movie series and the TV show demonstrates Baker's amazing artistic range!

This page is black-and-white because it's the inside back cover.
Dell (and most comic publishers) printed the inside covers as b/w or two-color to save money.

After the last movie in the original series came out in 1951, the comic continued, with Lassie linked to new humans, including photographer Rocky Langford and his girlfriend Gerry Lawrence on their trip to South America!

Penciled by Matt Baker and inked by long-time artistic partner Ray Osrin (who inked, among other Baker stories, It Rhymes with Lust), this tale from Dell's Lassie #22 (1955) is from the final issue of Matt's four-issue tenure as the feature's primary artist.

The writer is unknown.

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Matt Baker

Art of Glamour

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AIRSHIP ENTERPRISE "Infernal Machine" Part1b

We Have Already Seen...

Responding to a distress call from a nearby research vessel, the crew of the Enterprise encounter a floating debris belt...which turns out to be both living organic matter...and hostile!

(Don't you hate it when that happens?)

To Be Continued...
Next Wednesday!

While not exactly original, it's a fun "alternate universe" take on the concept.

The characters aren't clones of the characters of the series' "inspiration", so there's some unique aspects to both plot and character interaction!
But there's enough in-joke "reference" to keep any serious fan entertained!

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Airship Enterpise

Infernal Machine

Graphic Novel re-presenting the mini-series along with additional goodies

Did You Know a Black Artist Penciled the FIRST Graphic Novel from a Comics Publisher?

Graphic Novels are the standard format for innovative storytelling today...

The complete presentation of the first graphic novel!

But "back in the day", as they say, it was an untried concept!
Written by Arnold Drake and Leslie Waller (as "Drake Waller"), illustrated by penciler Matt Baker and and inker Ray Osrin, the digest-sized 1950 one-shot from St John Publications is a pulpish "film noir" tale at its' coolest!

Dark Horse Comics (which published a high-quality reprint available below) explained it thusly...

In 1950, writers Arnold Drake and Leslie Waller, both attending college on the G.I. Bill, envisioned a sophisticated, novel-length comic tailored to their peers. Collaborating with comics art master Matt Baker, known for singularly defining the genre of "good girl art" on titles such as Phantom Lady, they crafted a film-noir inspired masterwork of romance, intrigue, and moral relativity. When cynical newspaperman Hal Weber reunites with old flame Rust Masson, he finds the beguiling widow of a mining magnate willing to do anything to undermine the local political machine--her only opponent for total control of Copper City!

Though not specifically-mentioned, penciler Matt Baker was one of the few Black artists of both comic books' Golden and Silver Ages!
It Rhymes with Lust was the basis of our 2017 Summer Blogathon spanning several RetroBlogs!
Start at True Love Comics Tales and experience not only comics history, but Black history as well!

Note: The thanks of a grateful nation go to Kracalactaka, who found the scans of the St John first edition in the wilds of the internet, cleaned them up, and made them available!

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It Rhymes with Lust

Deluxe Reprint Edition

Monday Madness THE STAND "Afterward"

Slightly-delayed...

...here's the personal notes of the writer, penciler, color artist, and editor of the maxi mini-series that, combined can be considered the War & Peace of graphic storytelling!

Roberto Aguirre-Sacsca is currently the executive producer/creative director of the various Archie Comics TV shows including Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Katy Keene, as well as the CEO of Archie Comics!

Mike Perkins continues to work for both Marvel and DC, usually both penciling and inking (a rarity in the business)!

Laura Martin may have started as a colorist, but she's now considered one of the preeminent color artists in the comics field, enhancing great illustrations and salvaging bad artwork!

Editor Ralph Macchio is now retired, no doubt exhausted from working on The Stand!

Sadly, he has no on-line presence I can link to!

He is not the actor who plays The Karate Kid nor is he related to him an any way!

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The Stand Omnibus

collecting all six miniseries and the SketchBook plus an exclusive Companion in one huge HTF and OOP two-volume slipcased set!

Now THIS is a SUPER Bowl!

Today, we PARTY, with our own Super-HERO Bowl!

A marathon of comic book-based DVDs and BluRays from around the world (including the Japanese Spider-Man live-action series with the giant Spider-Robot!).

Thank the tech gods for multi-region players!

See you tomorrow with more exciting tales!