Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder MAN-GODS FROM BEYOND THE STARS Part 1

 Chariots of the Gods? was the primary inspiration for Jack Kirby's Eternals...

...now part of both the Marvel Multiverse and the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
So let's look at a strip from the same era, the mid-1970s, also inspired by Erich Von Daniken's concepts!






The Story Continues..Next Wednesday!
Written by Doug Moench, illustrated by Alex Nino.
Though largely discredited today, Von Daniken's books about "ancient astronauts" influenced pop culture from the 1970s to the present, including tv (BattleStar Galactica), movies (Prometheus and Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull), and comics (Tragg and the Sky Gods)
The Eternals was originally called Return of the Gods and, like Mister Machine/Machine Man was intentionally not intended to be part of the Marvel Universe!
We'll go more into that next week...
Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Order...

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Reading Room UNUSUAL TALES "Edge of Fear"

 Will Those Using Artificial Intelligence Do So with Intelligence and Ethics?
This story from Charlton's Unusual Tales #10 (1958) offers one take on the matter!


Writer Joe Gill and artist Steve Ditko told a fascinating tale about AI-augmented human intelligence over a half century ago that seems to be unfolding today...with vastly different results!
Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...
Paid Link

Monday, March 2, 2026

Monday Mecha Madness SHOGUN WARRIORS "Cerberus and the Skyfall" Part L

...OK, the opening caption explained everything you need!
Let's jup into the action...NOW!

Better hurry, Richard!
To Be Continued...Next Monday!
Written by Doug Moench, penciled by Herb Trimpe and inked by Mike Esposito, this second story arc is about to involve Dangard Ace against a different (but related) foe while Raydeen continues against the ever-evolving Ceberus!

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Lunar Reading Room FOUR COLOR COMICS "Maybes About the Moon"

As the Artemis II Moon Shot is Postponed Until April...
...we're presenting a never-reprinted feature from the days before we had even landed on the moon the first time!
This never-reprinted short from Dell's Four Color Comics #1253 (aka Space Man #1) appeared in 1962, just as our Mercury space program was getting under way, so it's a lot of speculation.
Illustrated by Jack Sparling, but the writer is unknown.
BTW, even though it appeared in Four Color Comics, it's in black and white because it appeared on the inside back cover.
The inside covers of comics used to be printed with only one color, black, instead of the four colors CYANYELLOWMAGENTA, and BLACK (CYMK), that make up all the colors in standard comic printing, as a cost-saving measure!

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Space Hero & Heroine Saturdays KIDNAPPED BY A SPACE SHIP! "Part 1-Off to the Stars!"

 In pop culture, lots of kids besides comics' Buzzy Bean went into space...

...as early as 1970, according to this tale from Treasure Chest V14N11 (1959)!
Oops!
We'll find out how this liftoff happened when the story continues next month!
Writer Frances Crandall followed the accepted concepts of space travel postulated by scientist Wener Von Braun and, illustrated by Chesley Bonestell in various books and magazines like Conquest of Space, and popularized in numerous 1950s movies like Destination Moon and Angry Red Planet!
Artist Fran Matera was also the art director/art editor for Treasure Chest, but is best known for his long run on the Steve Roper and Mike Nomad newspaper strip.
Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Order...
Vol 3
Paid Link

Friday, February 27, 2026

Friday Fun PETER RABBIT "Trouble on the Moon!"

As Artemis prepares to launch, we wanted to present a Moon-themed Space Mouse story...
but all we could find was this strip also by Space Mouse's writer/artist/animator Frank Carin!
This never-reprinted tale from Avon's Peter Rabbit #30 (1955-6) isn't based on the classic Peter Rabbit character created by Beatrix Potter.
Avon Comics had been running a comic since 1947 reprinting the similar Peter Cottontail newspaper strip by Harrison Cady (based on books by Thornton Burgess) under the name Peter Rabbit Comics.
Perhaps due to not wanting to pay to license the Harrison Cady strip, the series was rebooted with a totally-new, very Americanized, contemporary version of the character, as of #7 (1950), which continued until #34 (1956).
Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Order...

Golden Treasury of
Klassic Krazy Kool Kids Komics
Paid Link

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Lunar Reading Room PLANET COMICS "Life on Other Worlds: A Trip to the Moon"

 Pre-Sputnik/Space Race Comics About the Moon were Really Wild...

...and boy, could they be talky!

(I wonder if the letterer could've charge by the word!)

This chapter of Fiction House's Planet Comics' ongoing feature "Life on Other Worlds" appeared in #59 (1949) and, unlike other entries, was never-reprinted later in the comic's run!
The writer is unknown and the artist (who signed "Bay" on the art) also did so on two other Fiction House assignments, but appears nowhere else in published comics.
Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...
Paid Link

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder WEIRD FANTASY "Judgement Day"

This 1950s comics tale is considered the gold standard in utilizing a sci-fi motif for social commentary...
...rightfully-so, I must say!
Perhaps it's a tad slow-paced, even pedantic, by today's standards and the pay-off isn't as shocking as you might expect, but this oft-reprinted tale by writer Al Feldstein, artist Joe Orlando and colorist Marie Severin from EC's Weird Fantasy #18 (1953) was quite controversial when it first appeared.
Even when it was reprinted in the Comics Code-approved Incredible Science Fiction #33 (1956), it caused hassles.
The Code wanted Tarlton changed to a White guy!
Publisher Bill Gaines refused!
The Code tried to get EC to, at least, remove the beads of sweat from Tarlton's brow!
Bill Gaines, again, refused!
The Code refused to approve the comic.
Gaines said he didn't care.
As it was, "Judgement Day" was a reprint fill-in for a new story ("An Eye for an Eye") the Code refused to approve, and, since it was EC's last color comic ever, they'd print it without the Code stamp.
The Code gave in and approved the reprint without changes.
No less a personage than Ray Bradbury praised "Judgement Day" effusively in the final letter (among many...except one...that praised the tale) in Cosmic Correspondence...
Public praise from one of the Masters of Science Fiction/Fantasy!
Can't argue with that...
Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Buy...
Judgement Day and Other Stories
Illustrated by Joe Orlando
Fantagraphics' EC Comics Library
Paid Link