Space Hero Saturdays SPACEHAWK "Ghost Star" & "Black Horde"

Yes, we know it's a day late...

...but this post has an "April Fools Day" element to it!

Can you guess what it is?
Have you figured it out yet?
Here's the conclusion..

This two-part, never-reprinted feature from Novelty's Target Comics V1N7 and V1N8 (1940) isn't a half-bad space-opera tale.
So what's the "April Fools" aspect, you ask?
It's not written or illustrated by Basil Wolverton!

It's scripted by Bob Davis under the pen name "Stockbridge Winslow", and rendered by an artist with the initials "H R" aka Harry Ramsey!
Davis wrote a number of text features about Novelty Publication's ongoing characters besides SpaceHawk, including White Streak, Chameleon, Sub-Zero Man, and Dick Cole...despite never working on any of the actual strips!
Since Wolverton had nothing to do with this two-parter, none of the numerous SpaceHawk reprint comics, trade paperbacks or hardcovers have ever re-published these tales!
Unless you have the actual original comics in some form, you readers are the first to see them in almost 83 years!
No need to thanks us!

A different Space Hero will thrill you with an astounding astral adventure...
NEXT WEEK
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Space Hero Saturdays THE SPACEHAWK "Perilous Portable Planetoid Peril"

The opening caption of the story promises something that a reader who just bought the comic off the newsstand in 1940 already knew!

How?
You'll find out at the end of the tale...

Note: SpaceHawk had rescued this unnamed woman in his premiere appearance...as shown HERE!

But don't worry that she'll become a "Lois Lane" type, always getting into danger and requiring rescue...since she'll never be seen again!
BTW, the reason a 1940s reader knew about SpaceHawk's unmasking before reading the story was...

...he was unmasked on the cover!!!
(Ironically, the only Target Comics cover he ever appeared on!)

In the meantime, a different Space Hero will thrill you with an astounding astral adventure...

NEXT WEEK

Visit the
SpaceHawk

Comic Collectibles Shop

Space Hero Saturdays THE SPACEHAWK "...and the Lost Tribe of Mercury!"

You'll note that, this time around, our hero is called The Spacehawk...

...perhaps because writer/artist Basil Wolverton is trying to give him a "frightening-to-criminals" vibe like The Batman or The Shadow...

This tale from Novelty's Target Comics V1N6 (1940) offers up some fascinating concepts!

Was Spacehawk flesh-and-blood...or a robot/android?

Otherwise, how could he pull off such superhuman feats?

If you return in two weels, you'll find out his startling secret!

In the meantime, a different Space Hero will thrill you with an astounding astral adventure...

NEXT SATURDAY!

Visit the

SpaceHawk

Comic Collectibles Shop

Space Hero Saturdays SPACEHAWK "and the Creeping Death from Neptune"

How could you not want to read a story with a title like that?

Plus: story and art by the unique (to put it mildly) Basil Wolverton!

This premiere appearance from Novelty's Target Comics V1 N5 (1940), written and illustrated by Wolverton, was just the tip of the iceberg!
SpaceHawk "unmasked" a couple of issues later, but the legend was already well-established, and the fact he was a "mere" human who could take down aliens several times his size and strength only made him even more fearsome to his foes...

BTW, you may have noticed a change in our sub-head to "Space Hero" rather than "Space Force".
That's because we're switching over to the lone wolves of the spaceways as they battle against those who would dominate or destroy the universe!
Since the response to Basil Wolverton's Space Patrol strips has been...dare we say...stellar, we decided his best-known strip, SpaceHawk will be the "anchor" strip every two weeks, with other characters popping up for limited runs!
Who are the "other characters"?
Be here next week to find out the first one!

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Space Force Saturdays SPACE PATROL "Cannibal Monster of the Pygmy Planet"

Rockets on full for ACTION in the far future...

...on the maiden voyage of a new Space Patrol ship (after we saw their previous vessel get trashed HERE)!

The story really doesn't make much sense, but, hoo-boy, is it fast-paced FUN!

The multi-talented Basil Wolverton wrote, illustrated, lettered, and probably colored, this final tale of the Space Patrol from Centaur's Amazing Mystery Funnies #24 (1940).

There's a change in direction for our ongoing Saturday feature, and you'll have to be here next week to see where it's going!
Don't Miss It!

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Basil Wolverton in Space
Reprinting the entire Space Patrol series along with other kool tales and extras!

Space Force Saturdays SPACE PATROL "Balloon Men of Jupiter"

Just when you think you've seen the weirdest art Basil Wolverton could create...

...you find something even weirder!

The multi-talented Basil Wolverton wrote, illustrated, lettered, and probably colored, this wild tale from Amazing Mystery Funnies #21 (1940).
I'd love to see someone animate these classics of surreal storytelling.
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Basil Wolverton in Space
Reprinting the entire Space Patrol series along with other kool tales and extras!