Baker Reading Room "Behind the Scenes of 'Half Man-Half What' "

Here's Tuesday's tale...

...but from the original Matt Baker/Al Williamson art!

Take particular note of the areas "whited out", probably at the request of the Comics Code Authority!

BTW, note that in the story, Dr Talbot's right side is altered, but on the cover, his left side is affected!

Let's look closely at that final panel...

Dr Talbot's right side has been totally-whited out.

Was it still metallic?

And his face originally wasn't happy!

Did the original ending show him at the beginning of the process, wondering if it would succeed, and leaving the door open for a sequel if it didn't?

Was the Comics Code Authority responsible for the odd changes?

We'll never know...
Penciler Matt Baker was one of the few Black comic book artists of the Golden and Silver Ages, and was easily the most prolific of them!
Though known for his "good girl" art, including the famous (and infamous) Phantom Girl stories, he handled every genre with ease, including horror, war, sci-fi, and romance!
Sadly, though, few of his stories featured Black characters...who were rare in comics until the mid-1960s!
You can read a short, but complete bio HERE!
He'll be our featured artist this month in the Baker Reading Room at Atomic Kommie Comics, spotlighting his amazing cross-genre versatility!

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Matt Baker

Art of Glamour
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Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AIRSHIP ENTERPRISE "Infernal Machine" Part 3a

Previously, on AirShip Enterprise: the Infernal Machine...

...Responding to a distress call from a research vessel, the Enterprise encounters a belt of living, sentient, and aggressive matter that forces two scoutships down to the surface of largest of the rock-like beings, where a number of the crew (but not all) are now mind-controlled by a humanoid entity calling itself Aido Querdo...which claims to serve an unseen "SkyFather Dambalah"...

As the valiant crew prepare for battle, we take our leave until

Next Wednesday!

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Airship Enterprise

Infernal Machine

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

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Baker Reading Room ALARMING TALES "Half Man-Half What"

"Scientists Tampering with Things Man Should Not Meddle In!" is an old cliche...

Art by John Severin

...given a new look by a most unusual assortment of artists...at least four, along with the writer...

Art by the Bob Powell Studio

OK.

Let's identify the talents involved in this never-reprinted tale from Harvey's Alarming Tales #5 (1958)...

Cover art by John Severin

Script by Dick Wood.

Opening page (which was actually the lower part of the contents page) by the Bob Powell Studio.

Story pencils by Matt Baker (who's the reason this is included in Black History Month).

Story inks by Al Williamson.

Thursday:

the entire story (and cover) in original art form, with some revealing alterations and footnotes!

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Matt Baker

Art of Glamour

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Monday Madness CALVIN: Marvel's FORGOTTEN Black Headliner!

The Black Panther was not the first Black Marvel character to get a cover-featured series!

He wasn't even the second!

He was the third!

First was Luke Cage, who received his own title...

...and was the star of his own Netflix series!

Note: Though the series ended, three of the stars have gone on to headline other shows...

Simone Missick (Misty Knight) on All Rise, Mike Colter (Luke Cage) on Evil and Rosario Dawson (Clare Temple/Night Nurse) on Ahsoka!

(BTW, Luke Cage is now available on Disney+!)

The second character was...

WHO???

Several months before Prince T'Challa took over a reprint book, Jungle Action, and began a memorable series that served as part of the plot of the billion-dollar blockbuster movie...

...this character took over another reprint book and began a series that nobody remembers!

But you can read every never-reprinted tale featuring Calvin and his buddies by clicking HERE!

What makes the strip even more fascinating, beyond the vaudeville-level humor, is the identity of the writer-artist behind it!

"Kevin Banks" was not a pseudonym for an already-established creative, but an editorial staffer at Marvel in the early 1970s who received his "big break" with this strip!
Trivia: Kevin was the first (and so far, only) Marvel creator to have a head shot illustration on an on-going series!

Even ever-amazing comics researcher Nick Caputo could find little about the mysterious Mr Banks, as seen HERE.
What did Banks did after working at Marvel?
Did he work in advertising?
Become an art instructor?
Switch careers and become an accountant or fireman?
To date, we don't know!

Do YOU???

These are the Voyages of the Steampunk Airship Enterprise...

Several Years Ago, Wednesday Worlds of Wonder presented...

...the first half of this steampunk "re-imagining" of the concepts behind Star Trek!

Here are links to those four chapters...

Part 1

Part 1a

Part 2

Part 2a

Starting this Wednesday and running through February, we return to this retro-kool World of Wonder to complete the saga!

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Airship Enterpise

Infernal Machine

Graphic Novel re-presenting the mini-series along with additional goodies
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Space Force Saturdays CAPTAIN QUICK AND THE SPACE SCOUTS "Mystery of the Moon of Mars"

Here's the first of three short features...

...that appeared in the second comic series based on the Tom Corbett: Space Cadet TV show!

Though the art for this never-reprinted tale from Prize Comics' Tom Corbett: Space Cadet V2#1 (1955) is credited solely to Marvin Stein at the Grand Comics Database, the layout appears to be by Jack Kirby, which would make sense since the Simon & Kirby studio was packaging the book for Prize Comics.
Beyond being set in the future, there was no stated connection to Tom Corbett, though they do seem to be part of the Space Service.

This "Captain Quick" is no relation to a suave secret agent character played by Adam West in early 1960s Quick chocolate milk flavoring commercials...

...which many attribute to causing the producers of a new show to cast him as their campy caped crusader!
BTW, in a weird bit of comic numbering, this second series' #1 is Tom Corbett's first #1!
The earlier series (from Dell Comics) began with #4 since the first three issues were part of the Four Color series (#s 378, 400, and 421) which was used to test sales for a particular project or licensed property before giving it an ongoing series!

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Pre-Code Classics

Tom Corbett, Space Cadet

Volume One

The First 7 Issues

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Friday Fun YAK YAK "Drama vs Realism"

I'm struck by the disparity of info presented by con and lib media...

...so to keep my spirits up, I decided to run this never-reprinted piece showing the stark difference between how each side portrays a given situation.

I leave it to the reader to decide which (drama or reality) is which (con or lib)...

Dell gave MAD mainstay Jack Davis his own title, to do with as he pleased.

The series, Yak Yak (subtitled "A Pathology of Humor") only ran two issues, but they were pure Davis, who wrote, penciled, inked, and colored the whole project as well as providing painted covers for both issues!

The next (and final issue) had another Drama vs Realism piece.

You'll see that next Friday!

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Art of Jack Davis

Reading Room OUT OF THIS WORLD "My Secret"

You may ask "Why is a simple crime story being published in a sci-fi comic?"

The answer will surprise you...

Y'know, Donald Trump and his ilk could take a lesson from this Steve Ditko-rendered tale...illegal alien makes good and government rewards him with a free pass!

Originally-published in Charlton's Out of This World #3 (1957), this oft-reprinted story's author is unknown, but suspected to be Charlton mainstay Joe Gill.

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Unexplored Worlds

Steve Ditko Archives, Vol 2