Saturday, March 4, 2023

Space Hero Saturdays FANTASTIC WORLDS "Space Treasure"

What's it like to be just another working stiff doing his job...but in outer space?
This tale from Standard's Fantastic Worlds #5 (1952) offers some insight...
Lovingly-rendered by Murphy Anderson, the story was created between his stints on the Buck Rogers newspaper strip, and certainly has the "look" of the legendary comic!
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Order...

Friday, March 3, 2023

Friday Fun EH! "Squeeeezerama in 5-D!"

Movie theaters are still struggling, post-covid, to get people back into the seats...

...much like back in the 1950s, when TV first competed with the cinemas for the attention of the viewing public!
Illustrated by Dick Ayers and likely written by editor Al Fago, this story from Charlton's Eh! #2 (1954) exaggerates (but not by much) the lengths to which movie studios went to lure the audience back to theaters!

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit 
Amazon and Order...

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Reading Room JUNGLE JIM "Winged Fury"

In the 1960s, the usually-staid Jungle Jim series jumped into high adventure/fantasy...
...with lost civilizations, mutants, aliens, even mystical menaces, threatening the Don Moore/Alex Raymond-created hero!
Scripted by Bhob Stewart, penciled by Steve Ditko and inked by Wally Wood, this never-reprinted (in color) tale from Charlton's Jungle Jim #27 (1969) was a classic example of how to update a series properly, unlike say, DC's attempt to make the 1940s aviators, the Blackhawks, into super-heroes from that same era!
Trivia: Though the cover looks like just a modification of Ditko/Wood's art on Page 5, panel 1, its actually a redraw by editor Sal Gentile, a pretty good artist in his own right!
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Order...

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder SPACE MAN "Out Into Space" Part 2

In the near-future (as seen from 1962), the experimental X-1825 attempts to break through the "Anti-Force" surrounding Earth that keeps spacecraft from going any further into outer space than orbiting our world.
Veteran spaceman Ian Stannard and rookie Johnny Mack manage to steer the ship through the barrier and land on the Moon's surface where they are surrounded by silent humanoids in spacesuits who bring them to an underground city...
Battle is joined, and the mayhem continues..
Next Wednesday!
This book-length tale from Dell's Four Color Comics #1253 (1962) was written by Ken Fitch and  illustrated by Jack Sparling.
Was this originally-intended as a proposal for an animated or live-action TV series, which the writer then adapted into a comic series?
It certainly feels like it!
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Reading Room ALARMING ADVENTURES "Earth Went Haywire"

Here's a never-reprinted tale from Harvey's Alarming Adventures #3 (1963)...
...about a "forgotten man" who saves the world from Armageddon!
With today's "decompressed storytelling, this five-page short would be, at least, a mini-series with numerous full-page and double-page spreads...collected, of course into a tpb reprint!
The creators are unknown, but knowledgable sources have suggested Carl Burgos, Bernard Baily, and Stan Goldberg as the artists...
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Order...

Monday, February 27, 2023

Monday Madness: Scott (Dilbert) Adams

As of today...

...Andrews McMeel Universal, the syndicate which carries/carried Dilbert has deleted the strip from its' official page, leaving the following announcement...
The page you are searching for has moved.
...but a search shows no Dilbert content...except in the store section where books and calendars are available...though the syndicate stated they were dropping all ties with him!
 GoComics, which features daily and Sunday strips has dropped Dilbert entirely, as both current and archived strips are no longer accessible.
For the record, I agree with the actions taken.
I've long been a believer in separating the artist and their work from the person, as I have done with Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, and Frank Miller, among others.
All of them have produced outstanding work (which I have in my various collections), even if the persons themselves are not the sorts I'd want to associate with or even be seen in public with.
But, in each case, what they did (or believed), while repulsive, was not a provocative move to generate attention.
Adams' apparently-deliberate attempts at inflaming racial prejudice at a delicate point in our country's history goes beyond the pale.
I'm not throwing out my existing Dilbert material, but I'm certainly not giving any more revenue to him.
Helluva way to end Black History Month, eh?
BTW, Rube Rooky will return for its' finale next Monday...

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Easter Reading Room EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE

Here's a short story featuring a plethora of fairy tale characters...
...as presented by a (then) future superstar of the comic strip or, (if you want to be pretentious) graphic novel form!
The title story from Dell's Four Color Comics #103: Easter with Mother Goose (1946) was written and illustrated by Walt Kelly, whose signature series Pogo wouldn't debut for another three years.
Trivia:
While Pogo as a stand-alone series began in 1949, various characters including Pogo himself and Albert the Alligator had appeared as supporting characters in other Walt Kelly-written and drawn strips since 1941.
Besides doing an annual comic of Easter stories featuring fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters celebrating the holiday, Walt also did an even-more popular series of annual Christmas comics utilizing the same concept!