Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Men in Glass"

This tale is about a recent immigrant to our shores...

...and how his actions have consequences for both the United States...and the entire Earth!

The Star Spangled Banner has always been a difficult tune to sing, but who knew it could be used as a weapon?

Illustrated by Don Heck, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) takes the "high note can shatter glass" trope to a whole new level.
OTOH, if the aliens' helmets had been made of plastic or "transparent aluminium" or some such instead of glass, we'd all be chanting "Hail Zarki!"

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Taylor Illustrated History

Science Fiction Comics 

Reading Room WORLD OF FANTASY "One Night"

Spaceship crewmen on shore leave at a distant port...

...sounds like a recipe for trouble and proof that some things never change!

Like many Baby Boomers (who, ironically, were this story's target audience of 6-13 year old children in 1956), Pete Cooper didn't plan for his retirement!

As a result, he made a gaffe that assured his fate would be exactly what he feared!

Illustrated by penciler Bob Forgione and inker Jack Abel, this never-reprinted morality play appeared in Atlas' World of Fantasy #2 (1956)!

The writer is unknown.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Order...

Sci-Fi Art: a Graphic History

Friday Fun WILD "I Was an 88 Pound Weakling"

As we enter the final weekend of summer vacation...

...lets look at a parody of a classic tale of humiliation and redemption on the beach!

This never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Wild #5 (1954) spoofs the plot of this ad...

...which had already become a cliche!

Penciler Al Hartley,  inker Carl Burgos, and an unknown scripter (likely the book's editor Stan Lee) knew the audience would get the joke especially since the ad ran in almost every comic of the 1950s!

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Sincerest Form of Parody

Monday Madness RIOT "The Shadower"

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"

Not this guy...

...as demonstrated in this never-reprinted tale from Atlas Comics' MAD clone, Riot #1 (1954)!

Though the writer of this satire of The Shadow radio show is unknown, odds are it was Stan Lee, who was writing almost everything at this point.

The illustrator is extremely well-known...Gene Colan!

This was not the first time The Shadow had been spoofed, since EC's MAD ran their own take on the character in #4 (1953) as shown HERE.

(It was even the cover feature!)

You'll note in this tale "The Shadower" doesn't have the usual cloak, slouch hat, and aquiline nose we associate with the character...

Art by Frank Robbins

In fact, he looks a lot like the Archie Comics version from a decade later...1964...

Art by John Rosenberger

...who, at least initially, was primarily-based on the radio show, but updated to the spy-oriented Sixties!

BTW, if you want more The Shadow stuff, have a look at our current Summer RetroBlog Blogathon participants...

CRIME & PUNISHMENT

...where we're re-presenting the Dark Avenger's never-reprinted 1970s-created, but 1940s-set adventures featuring art by Frank Robbins and E R Cruz.

AND

HERO HISTORIES

...where we began the re-presentation of the never-reprinted, final "Maxwell Grant" Shadow novel from the Swinging Sixties!

Reading Room WORLD OF FANTASY "Clock Strikes NEVER!"

Here's a fascinating Silver Age tale about time travel...

...from the period when Atlas Comics was transitioning into Marvel Comics!

Penciled and inked by Steve Ditko, this story from Atlas' World of Fantasy #18 (1959) has some intriguing concepts, including the idea that nothing can travel back before its' creation date, which would rule out time travel into the distant past (before the temporal travel device was created)!
But my big question is...who is "Fate"?
He pops up at the beginning of Page 4 and remains lurking in the background for the rest of the story, becoming a second narrator!
Besides looking visually-kool, what's his purpose?
He doesn't interfere...or even warn/advise the protaganist!
Since the story's narrator refers to Fate in the third person, we know the blue guy is not the one hosting the tale!
Like the identity of the story's writer, it's a mystery that'll never be solved...

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Order...

Marvel Masters of Suspense

Steve Ditko

Volume 1

Monday Madness MYSTICAL TALES "Try-Out!"

Here's a never-reprinted tale from 1957...

...that could never be told today!

See if you can figure out why...

Consider...what current technology could be used in the place of the projector?

If the protaganist used anything like a smart phone, tablet, or other hand-held device, the audience would just claim another, hidden, device was supplying the images!

But when this story appeared in Atlas' Mystical Tales #8 (1957), tech was a lot simpler!

If artist Sid Check's work (especially the inking) looks similar to Wally Wood's, there's a good reason for it...Check worked in the same studio as Wood, Joe Orlando, and Harry Harrison, often assisting them the way they assisted him when deadlines loomed!

BTW, the writer is unknown!

Readers: Note that Google's AI "unpublished" this post at 3:59am, hours before it was scheduled to be published at 6am, claiming it violated Terms of Service, specifically. their Spam Policy...

"This may include unwanted promotional or commercial content, unwanted content that is created by an automated program, unwanted repetitive content, nonsensical content, or anything that appears to be a mass solicitation."
The only link in the post is to Amazon.com...and I'm an authorized Amazon Associate!
Does Google consider Amazon links "spam"?
Did GoogleAI get turned down for a cyber-date with Alexa, and thus is taking out its' cybersexual frustration on me?
Enquiring minds want to know!
Heck, I want to know if I have to drop my Amazon ads from my blog posts!
If this post is "un-unpublished", you'll know my questions were justified!

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3

Reading Room MYSTICAL TALES "Lair of the Thunder Lizard!"

Bernie Krigstein was one of the most under-appreciated artists of the 1950s...

...and this kool tale he illustrated just begged to be unearthed for the first time in almost 70 years!

Scripted by Carl Wessler and rendered by Bernie Krigstein, this never-reprinted piece from Atlas' Mystical Tales #8 (1957) is a low-key character study enhanced by Krigstein's naturalistic art.

Bernie was already phasing out of comics and into mainstream commercial art (including book and magazine illustration).

This tale was one of his last stories before leaving the comics field altogether.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Messages in a Bottle

Comic Book Stories by B Krigstein

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "While Simon Slept"

If you go by the never-reprinted Carl Burgos-illustrated cover, these are horror stories!

But, you'd be wrong.

Let's present a story shown on the cover as a small vignette on the right, but still given the first spot in the book!

I'm compelled to ask "Why would anyone be carrying around both theirs and their brother's birth certificates?"

Illustrated by Bill Everett, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) has some serious plot holes.

But, hey, what can you expect in only four pages?
BTW, the scripter is unknown, but could've been Everett himself.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3

Reading Room WORLD OF FANTASY "Frightened Ones!"

Ever hear the phrase "It's all a matter of perspective"?
This never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Fantasy #4 (1956) validates it!

Penciled (and possibly inked) by Mike Sekowsky, this short proves "there's always someone bigger than you"!

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3