Spooky Space Force Saturdays KENTON OF THE STAR PATROL "Monster-Men of Space!"

It's time for more spooky interstellar adventure with Kenton of the Star Patrol...

...as another talented artist takes the reins from Wally Wood and Joe Orlando for Kenton's final tale!

This Kenton story from Avon's Strange Worlds #6 (1952) is penned by Gardner Fox and rendered by Everett Raymond Kinstler, who left comics for fine art (including numerous official portraits of US Presidents).

Previous Kenton artists Joe Orlando and Wally Wood did the cover for the issue...

...but, when the cover was reused for IW/Super's Eerie #1 (1958), which contained stories from Spook Comics, the art looked decidedly-different!

Was the Eerie cover the original version, which was modified to make the alien match the Kinsler-drawn aliens?
Ironically, when the Kenton story was reprinted, it had a totally-new cover by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito featuring aliens who looked nothing like the Monster-Men...

And there's yet another twist to the tale of this tale, which we'll tell...next week, when we go from Strange Worlds and Strange Planets to Strange Galaxies!

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Reading Room: STRANGE WORLDS "Death on the Earth-Mars Run!"

"Murder on a cruise ship" is a classic mystery story trope...

...but transposing the plot from an ocean liner to a space liner emphasized the "trapped with a killer" aspect!

This tale of murder and mayhem on the high seas in deep space appeared in Avon's Strange Worlds #8 (1952) and was rendered by Everett Raymond Kinstler, who eventually left pulps and comics for fine art (including several official portraits of US Presidents).
Unlike most pulp/comic artists who moved into fine art, Kinstler is happy to discuss and display his early work.
You'll note a lot of swipes of Flash Gordon art by Alex Raymond.
This wasn't unusual, since Raymond (along with Milton Caniff, Hal Foster, and Noel Sickles) were seminal inspirations for the first generation of comic book artists.
Note, the writer of the tale is, sadly, unknown.
When the story was reprinted in the back of Skywald's The Heap #1 (1971), the Comics Code forced a couple of odd changes...

Page 3 Panel 1

Making Santley's adopted daughter his stepdaughter and eliminating the "he signed for me" quote!

Page 5 Panel 1

Adding a "Space Police" sig to the note, emphasizing the "official" aspect of the order.

Why did they do it?

I have no idea!
As a special treat, be here Thursday, when we re-present the re-illustrated version of this tale from a b/w horror magazine from 1972!

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Tales Twice Told STRANGE WORLDS "Mystery of Asteroid 9!"

Tuesday, we brought you the 1970s tale "Terror Asteroid"...

...today, we're presenting the original version of the story...from 1952!

It's not as visceral (even thought this was the era of horror comics), but still quite cool!

Penciler Gene Fawcette and inker Vince Alascia illustrated the first telling of this tale in Avon Comics' Strange Worlds #9 (1952).

The writer is, sadly, unknown.

The issue also had this kool inside cover contents page illustrated by Everett Raymond Kinsler...

...who also illustrated the story Ransom--One Million Decimars! in that issue.

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Cover Gallery: STRANGE WORLDS Inside Front Covers featuring "Kenton of the Star Patrol"

Avon Comics often put their "contents page" on the inside front cover...

Issue #3 art by Wally Wood

...with an all-new illustration by the best artist available, instead of clip-art from the stories, as this gallery of the ifcs of Strange Worlds issues featuring Kenton of the Star Patrol shows!
(Note, BTW, that Kenton gets top billing, being the first image on each IFC!)

Issue #4 art by Wally Wood

Issue #5 art by Wally Wood

Issue #6 art by Everett Raymond Kinstler

Marvel, and several other publishers, now use the inside front cover to do a contents or synopsis page, but they usually use existing art from previous stories or from the current issue.

FYI, when stories from Avon Comics were reprinted by IW/Super Comics in the late 1950s-early '60s, the reprints usually left out the ifcs, since the film negatives and photostats for covers weren't stored with "repro" (as it's called by printers) for the interior pages.

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Reading Room: STRANGE WORLDS "Ransom--One Million Decimars!"

Spaceships, ray guns, beautiful barely-clad women, and...secret agents???

It's an atypical (but kool) example of 1950s pulp/comic book sci-fi!

(Plus, it's illustrated by a guy who ended up doing official portraits of several Presidents of the USA!)

The writer of this tale from Avon Comics' Strange Worlds #9 (1952) is unknown, but the illustrator is Everett Raymond Kinstler who went from comics and pulps to fine art, specializing in portraits of the rich and famous.

In fact, he's painted every American President from Nixon thru George W. Bush!

Presumably, when President Obama has a free afternoon (he's been rather busy with projects like disposing of Bin Laden.)...

Kinstler's Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan paintings are the official White House portraits for them!

Unlike many other "fine" artists who started out doing commercial art, Kinstler happily acknowledges his comic book work.

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Reading Room: KENTON OF THE STAR PATROL "Monster-Men of Space"

It's time for interstellar adventure with Kenton of the Star Patrol...

...as another talented artist takes the reins for his final tale!

This Kenton story from Avon's Strange Worlds #6 (1952) as penned by Gardner Fox and rendered by Everett Raymond Kinstler, who left comics for fine art (including numerous official portraits of US Presidents).
Previous Kenton artists Joe Orlando and Wally Wood did the cover for the issue...

...but, when the cover was reused for IW/Super's Eerie #1 (1958), which contained stories from Spook Comics, the art looked decidedly-different!

Was the Eerie cover the original version, which was modified to make the alien match the Kinsler-drawn aliens?
Ironically, when the Kenton story was reprinted, it had a totally-new cover by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito featuring aliens who looked nothing like the Monster-Men...

And there's yet another twist to the tale of this tale, which we will tell...tomorrow, when we go from Strange Worlds and Strange Planets to Strange Galaxies!

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The Future WAS Fantastic!

Comics Collectibles Shop