Space Hero Saturdays FLASH GORDON "and the Space Pirates" Part 1

Ya Want Full-On Space Opera?

Now, Here's SPACE OPERA!

...starring the one-and-only Flash Gordon as rendered by EC Comics legend Wally Wood!

The story continues next Saturday...with a different artist!

Illustrated by Wally Wood and his studio.

Wood (and writer Harvey Kurtzman) had previously-done the hysterical MAD comic book parody "Flesh Garden" (which you can read HERE), but this is his only "official" Flash Gordon work...which is a really shame, because is there's anybody who deserved a chance to do at least one continuity featuring the character, it's him!

The writer is unknown.

Though Flash had his own comic at this time, this three-parter appeared in the back of The Phantom's title from the same publisher, King Comics.

The particular tale appeared in the back of King's The Phantom #18 (1966), which was actually the first issue of the series from King Comics.

(They just continued the numbering from the previous publisher, Gold Key!)

Friday Holiday Fun CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL "Twas the Night Before Christmas and All Through the House..."

It's a pretty long title for a one-pager...

...but the pay-off makes it worthwhile!

The writer and artist for this piece from the one-shot anthology Christmas Carnival (published by Ziff-Davis in 1952 and reprinted by St John in 1955) are, sadly, unknown.

But we didn't want this piece, unseen for 70 years, to be forgotten...so here it is for your enjoyment!
In fact, since this 100-page comic hasn't been reprinted in almost 3/4 of a century, we're going to run more material from it for the rest of December, with the finale on the day after Christmas being a story by Dave (MAD magazine) Berg!

Support Atomic Kommie Comics this Christmas!

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Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories
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Have Yourself a Star Wars Christmas with...CHRISTMAS IN THE STARS!

 Click on the pic to see the superb Ralph McQuarrie cover art in all it's glory!

You were expecting the Star Wars Christmas Special?

Released in 1980, this Christmas album was produced by Meco Monardo (who had previously-recorded Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk).

Anthony Daniels voiced C-3PO and sound designer Ben Burtt provided the sound effects he created for Star Wars to bring R2-D2 and Chewbacca to life!

'What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb)' reached #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in 1980. (It was the third digitally-recorded single in chart history.)

Trivia: Jon Bon Jovi made his first recording ever on this album (credited as John Bongiovi), singing lead vocals on 'R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas.' Bon Jovi did it as a favor to his cousin Tony Bongiovi, one of the producers of the album.

Here's John (Finn) Boyega hearing this album for the first time!

(For the record, I got the album when it came out..and still have it!)

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Christmas in the Stars
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Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AMAZING HIGH ADVENTURE "Ambrose A Abernathy's Amazing Adventure Apparatus"

Behind This Tongue-Twisting Title...

...is a kool (almost) parody of those Victorian-era "scientific romances" involving a cranky elderly scientist, his beautiful daughter, the scientist's studly assistant, and a vile, venomous villain!

Coincidence?

Staying (just barely) on the razor's edge from "high camp", writer Mike Carlin and artist Gerry Taloc, who created this never-reprinted story from Marvel's Amazing High Adventure #1 (1984), know the answer...and they ain't saying!

SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS

He's the Jolly Old Elf in a red suit!
They are BIG Green Men from Mars with an even BIGGER robot!
Before Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, they were the ingredients for the weirdest Christmas movie ever!

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians was filmed in 1964 in that bastion of the cinema, Long Island (in an unused aircraft hangar).

Starring a host of tv and b-movie actors including handsome-but-stiff Leonard Hicks as the Martian Leader (and kids' father) Kimar, 60s villain/voiceover artist Vincent Beck (who did lots of work for Irwin Allen's sci-fi shows) as the film's mustache-twirling villain, Voldar, and John Call as a pretty damn convincing Santa Claus, the flick is touted as the debut of future talentless chantuse Pia Zadora as Martian Kid Girmar. Thankfully, she has rather limited screen time.

As an example of low-budget filmmaking, it's actually pretty effective.

Every penny (what few of them they had) is up on the screen.

They make good use of stock footage (from Dr. Strangelove, no less).

And the use of then-popular Wham-O Air Blaster toy guns as the Martian weapons was either a stroke of marketing genius or clever use of limited funds. Either way, sales of the guns shot thru the roof after the film hit the kiddie matinee circuit!

If you're between 3-9 years old, the flick's a lot of fun.

If you're between 10 and whatever the local drinking age is, it'll drive you nuts, especially the theme song!

If you're over the local drinking age, do so before watching! It's available on a host of public domain dvds as well as one of the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 snarkfests.

BTW: The image above is from the comic book tie-in, which you can read in three parts...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

There was also a single of the theme, a spoken-word LP album of the movie's dialogue, and a novelization!

Now I can't get that damn theme our of my head..."Hoo-ray for Santy Claus..." AARRRGGGHHH!

An early Christmas gift from us to you:
The Mystery Science Theatre 3000 version of the film (don't tell Dr Forrester)...

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Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Blu-Ray from Something Weird

Loaded with Kool Extras!

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