Monday Mars Madness UNKNOWN WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION "Martian Odyssey"

Unlike Edgar Rice Burroughs' and Edwin L Arnolds' earlier swashbuckling "scientific romances"...

...Stanley G Weinbaum's tale was the first true "science fiction" story about humanity's exploration of Mars!

This never-reprinted adaptation from Marvel's Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction Giant-Size Special #1 (1976) was scripted by Don Glut and illustrated by Jess Jodloman (misattributed to Yandoc, who rendered a different story in the issue)

Note: Those who consider H G Wells' novel The War of the Worlds and the prequel short story "The Crystal Egg" to be the first Mars science fiction stories should remember...

1) Both are set on Earth.

2) Neither involves humans on Mars.
Now, I'm sure a lot of you (especially those under 40) are asking...
Who is Stanley G Weinbaum?
Why is he so important in the history of science fiction (consider that this tale was voted the Second Best Short Story of All Time)?
And why don't we know about him?

The answers to these (and several other questions) will be found in the next exciting installment of...

MONDAY MARS MADNESS!

(Next Monday, in case you didn't guess!)

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Best of Stanley G Weinbaum

(which includes both "A Martian Odyssey" and the sequel tale "Valley of Dreams")

Reading Room UNKNOWN WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION "Visitation"

A witch hunt with a sci-fi twist?

This never-reprinted story from Marvel's Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction #6 (1975) tells the tale!

Ruben Yandoc was one of the first wave of Phillipino artists to work on American comics.

From 1971 to 1987, his art appeared in horror, sci-fi, and war comics from all the major publishers (DC, Marvel, Warren).

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Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction

#6

(never-reprinted final issue, which includes the story we re-presented above!)

Reading Room TRAGG AND THE SKY GODS "Where Prowls the Devil Shark" Conclusion

So, what's going on with the cavemen, aliens, and dinosaurs in Tragg's prehistoric world?

...Zorek, learning that rebellious officer Fernek is still alive and that reinforcements are en-route from Yargon, decides to silence the rebel before he can tell the other Yargonians of the commander's failures.

Following the radiation from Fernek's jetpack, the Yargonian attack force comes upon...

The series ends with many open plotlines.

What happens when the other Yargonians arrive?

Do they arrest Zorek, or continue with his plans?

Does Fernek work with Tragg and the humans to resist the Yargonians?

Do he and Keera try to contact the others and tell them the truth?

Do the Yargonians end up abandoning their attempt at conquering the Earth?

Does Keera actually accept Fernek's love?

Sadly, we'll never know the answers.

Unlike most of the other Silver/Bronze Age Gold Key series, Tragg and the Sky Gods has never been reprinted or revived in new tales.

But...there is one more chapter in the story of Tragg and Lorn...a "lost tale" from their beginnings that finally saw publication just as Gold Key itself headed for extinction!

Click HERE to visit our "sister" RetroBlog Heroines! and read that final tale...

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Jurassic Classics

A Collection of Saurian Essays and Mesozoic Musings

by

Donald F Glut

(featuring the behind-the-scenes info on the creation of Tragg and the other Gold Key comic series Don worked on!)

Friday Fun TRAGG AND THE SKY GODS "Where Prowls the Devil Shark" Part 1

It's just another evening in prehistoric times...

...as Neanderthals assault a "sky goddess" (actually a stranded alien woman)!

To Be Concluded...
TOMORROW!
Ferenk was believed killed when Zorek shot at him...

...but, in the best tradition of comic book storytelling, unless you see the inert body, there's no guarantee he's actually dead!

Tragg and the Sky Gods was cancelled with the previous issue we presented, #8 (1977), but the next issue was in production when that occured!

Comics publishers are notoriously..."thrifty"...and, since the material had already been paid for, there was no reason not to use it!

Gold Key Spotlight was the "graveyard" for inventory material from various genres' cancelled titles, including sci-fi/fantasy, teen humor, and funny animals!
(It also served as filler for Whitman ComicPacs, sold in the 1960s and 70s in non-traditional markets like five-and-dime shops, supermarkets and grocery stores.

Read about them HERE and HERE!)

Unused stories from all three of writer Don Glut's books, (Tragg, Dagar the Invincible, and Occult Files of Doctor Spektor) finally saw publication in this anthology title.

Ironically, this issue of Spotlight was #9 (1977), which was the issue number of Tragg the story was intended for!

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics

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Jurassic Classics

A Collection of Saurian Essays and Mesozoic Musings

by

Donald F Glut

(featuring the behind-the-scenes info on the creation of Tragg and the other Gold Key comic series Don worked on!)