Reading Room CRUSADER FROM MARS COMICS "Escape to Nowhere"

The idea that we should leave Earth before atomic war destroys it is not new...

...nor is the "surprise ending" to this never-reprinted backup tale from Ziff-Davis' Crusader from Mars #1 (1952)

"You blew it up!

Damn you!

Damn you all to hell!"

Almost two decades before Rod Serling had Charlton Heston scream those words to the sky at the conclusion of Planet of the Apes, artist Mike Becker and an unknown writer presented a much more mellow discovery by space travelers returning to Earth centuries in the future!

The script may be by editor Jerry (Superman) Siegel...

Mike Becker illustrated over 100 crime, horror, romance, sci-fi, sports, spy, war and western stories for various publishers including Timely, Ziff-Davis, Hillman, Youthful, and Nedor/Better/Standard from 1948 through 1956.

What happened after that is, regrettably, unknown.

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Planet of the Apes

Legacy Collection
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Reading Room OPERATION: PERIL "Time Travelers in 'Date with Danger' "

Sci-fi of the 1950s wasn't limited to space opera...

...as this series from the AGC adventure anthology comic Operation: Peril demonstrates!

Operation: Peril was an interesting multi-genre anthology featuring on-going strips about time travel (as seen above), a hard-boiled private eye (Danny Danger), and high adventure in the Pacific (Typhoon Tyler), as well as a historicalshort story.

While the other series featured stand-alone stories, Time Travelers presented a couple of on-going plotlines, as you'll see in future posts.

Though Time Travelers didn't appear on the first few covers, by issue #4, they took over the cover spot until their final appearance in #12, after which the book changed focus and became a war comic.

This premiere tale from Operation: Peril #1 (1950) was written by the book's Editor, Richard Hughes and illustrated by Ken Bald.

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Operation: Peril
Volume One
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Space Hero Saturdays SPACE MOUSE "Beauty Contest!"

In the 1950s, both funny animals and sci-fi were popular comics genres...

...so, it was inevitable that someone would combine the two!

Though it is the cover-featured story in Avon's Space Mouse #1 (1954), "Beauty Contest", written and illutrated by Frank Cairn, is not the origin of the Rocketing Rodent.

That tale, "Atomic Attack", comes later in the book...and we've already presented it in Space Hero Saturdays, HERE.

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Fleischer Story

A history of the Cartoon Studio in the Golden Age of Film Animation

(covering the studio where writer/artist Frank Carin got his start)

Holiday Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Mummers from Mercury"

 73 years ago, the world almost ended on New Year's Day...

...but it was saved by the participants of the annual Mummers Parade!

This never-reprinted story from Charlton's Space Adventures #1 (1953) was illustrated by Albert Tyler and Dick Giordano.

The writer (who was probably from Philadelphia) is unknown.

The Mummers Parade is usually held every New Years Day in Philadelphia.
Mummers tradition dates back to 400 BC and the Roman Festival of Saturnalias where Latin laborers marched in masks throughout the day of satire and gift exchange.
This included Celtic variations of “trick-or-treat” and Druidic noise-making to drive away demons for the new year.
Reports of rowdy groups “parading” on New Years day in Philadelphia date back before the revolution.
Prizes were offered by merchants beginning in the late 1800s.
January 1, 1901 was the first “official” parade offered about $1,725 in prize money from the city.
January 1, 2021 was the 120th Anniversary of the event, but, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was cancelled.

The Parade returned in 2022, and will happen on New Years Day, 2026!

Reading Room CAPTAIN SCIENCE COMICS "When Time Stood Still"

It's the gift that keeps on giving...

...a trip through time and space on New Year's Eve!

Illustrated by Myron Fass, this never-reprinted tale from Avon's Captain Science Comics #4 (1952) is a classic example of how weird and wild (and totally-illogical) 1950s sci-fi can be!

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Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3
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Space Force Saturdays CAPTAIN QUICK & THE SPACE SCOUTS "Martian Canal Frog and the Jewel Flowers"

Strap On Your Rocket Packs for Another Adventure with...

...who are still on Mars, as we saw last time!

Though the art for this never-reprinted tale from Prize Comics' Tom Corbett: Space Cadet V2#2 (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 Simon & Kirby's studio was packaging the book for Prize Comics!
Beyond being set in the near future, there was no connection to Tom Corbett!

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Pre-Code Classics

Tom Corbett, Space Cadet

Volume One

The First 7 Issues

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Friday Holiday Fun CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL "Saint George and the Dragons"

You Likely Read the Title and Wondered...

...what do dragons have to do with Christmas???
Don't worry, it'll all make sense by the end...

Illustrated by an anonymous artist who signed himself/herself as "Flip", this tale from  Ziff-Davis' Christmas Carnival (1952) hasn't been seen since its' only reprinting in 1955 when St John Publishing, who bought all of the assets of Ziff-Davis Comics when the comic division folded, reprinted the entire 100-page issue!
"Flip" worked in comics, doing funny animal and humor stories for Ziff-Davis and Toby, over a two year period before leaving the industry.
Where (s)he was before comics and where (s)he went after comics is a mystery we'll likely never solve...