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

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Reading Room CRUSADER FROM MARS COMICS "Tower of Jacob Dis"

What if someone discovered the Ultimate Power?

Would he use it for good...or evil?

This tale, unseen for over 65 years, holds one possible answer!

Underrated artist George Roussos and an unknown writer told this story which appeared as filler in the back of Ziff-Davis' Crusader from Mars #1 (1952).

If this tale was created today, Jacob would be seen as almost idiotically-idealistic, and his wife as a pragmatic realist.

Sad, isn't it!

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Pre-Code Classics

Lars of Mars / Crusader from Mars / Eerie Adventures

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Reading Room SPACE BUMS "Venus or Bust"

Abbott & Costello were the most popular comedy team of the late 1940s - early 1950s.

So, it's not unusual that there were numerous attempts to capture their style of humor on the comics page, including this feature from Ziff-Davis' Crusader from Mars #2 (1952)!

This one-shot tale was not one of the successful attempts.

It does, however, predate the movie Abbott & Costello Go to Mars by a year.

The flick features them going (by accident) to Venus, which is populated by scantly-clad, beautiful women.

Did the strip inspire the movie?

I have no idea.

In fact, nobody seems to know who wrote or drew this strip.

So many questions...so few answers.

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Pre-Code Classics

Lars of Mars / Crusader from Mars

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