Space Hero Saturdays JET POWERS "Fleets of Fear!"

When Last We Left Jet Powers...

...oh, heck, I'll let writer Gardner Fox and artist Bob Powell explain what happened in the previous story...

He stops alien invasions and solves matters of the heart!

Jet Powers is truly a Renaissance Man!

Sadly, this was his final appearance in sci-fi...but not in comics.
When next he appeared, several months later, it was as "Army Air Ace" Jet Powers in the revival of Magazine Enterprises' WWII title American Air Forces!

Though he looked and sounded like the space-adventure hero, down to the curly white hair, there was no reference to his being a scientist, nor any use of sci-fi elements in the new Korean War-set stories!
This particular tale from Magazine Enterprises' Jet Powers #4 (1951) was one of two sequels to separate cliffhangers featuring the hero in the previous issue.
It's unusual that a series would have a pair of unrelated cliffhangers for one character in the same issue, but that's what writer Gardner Fox and artist Bob Powell did!

Considering the previous issues had inter-related stories in the same book, I wonder if this was a case of the first parts of a pair of two-part stories being completed, but the second parts weren't ready when the deadline crept up on them.

(In those days, comics had to come out on schedule since they were dependent on their status as periodicals to qualify for lower postage/shipping rates.)

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Tales Twice Told STRANGE WORLDS "Lost Kingdom of Athala"

Here's a tale that would make a great "popcorn" CGI action flick!

It's hokey, doesn't make much sense, but boy, it's loaded with action and it looks great!

Written by Gardner Fox, penciled by Joe Orlando & Wally Wood, and inked by Wood, this fast-paced story from Avon's Strange Worlds #4 (1951), would make a great Saturday afternoon flick, thanks to current state-of-the-art special effects!

EXTRA: Here's the b/w inside cover for this issue, which featured an illustrated preview of all the stories in the issue by Wally Wood.

Note the heavy use of "craftint" texturing which Wood used to create a distinctive "look" for his art...

The script was re-used, almost verbatim, in 1970 by Eerie Publications, but the artwork for the retelling was nowhere near as good.

You'll see that version on Thursday!

Space Hero Saturdays MAJOR INAPAK: SPACE ACE

Buckle On Your Blaster Belts, Kiddies...

...as we hurtle through the depths of outer space (and learn invaluable scientific facts) with the one-and-only Major Inapak and kid stowaway-turned-sidekick, Robin John!
Our tale begins in the far-distant year of 2031...













Sadly, there were no further adventures of Major Inapak and Robin John/"Master Rocketeer"!

Illustrated by Bob Powell and scripted by Powell, Gardner Fox or the two in collaboration.

We presented background info about Major Inapak and Inapak Chocolate Drink  HERE and HERE!

You may note the cover doesn't have a price on it!

It wasn't sold on newsstands or in candy stores!
It was likely handed out at licensing trade shows to show merchandisers how publisher Magazine Enterprises could produce a tie-in comic with their products, just as DC and Marvel do today!

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Space Hero Saturdays SPACE ACE "Nothing Weapon!"

Buckle Up for EXCITEMENT in the Far-Flung Reaches of Space...

...as Magazine Enterprise's Space Ace 2.5 makes his initial appearance, and he's looking good!

Al Williamson does the penciling, showing off his superb design and anatomy skills.
The inking is by Williamson plus the legendary Fleagle Gang (Frank Frazetta, Angelo Torres, Roy Krenkel, George Woodbridge).
If that weren't enough, the script is by Gardner Fox, taking the somewhat more juvenile concepts of "Space Ace 2.0" (as seen HERE and HERE) and making them a superb example of classic, epic space opera.

BONUS #1: the original art for page one...

Is that magnificent, or what? ;-)

Bonus #2

This story in 3-D

Get your Red/Blue glasses out...

From 3-D Zone #10 (1988)
"ZoneVision" conversion by Ray Zone.

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Wednesday Worlds of Wonder CROM THE BARBARIAN "Giant from Beyond!"

Return to a time before Atlantis sank with comics' first barbarian...

...as we present the third and final chapter in the saga of Crom, from Avon's Strange Worlds #2 (1951)

 

Thus do the tales of Crom come to an end, two decades before the coming of Conan in 1970...

His last adventure was produced by co-creators Gardner Fox (writer), and John Giunta (artist).

None of his stories were reprinted, even after the success of Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian, and others made sword and sorcery a hot genre!
One bit of barbarian trivia; around this time, artist John Giunta took on a 15-year old apprentice who would later illustrate many fantasy characters including Conan, Kull, John Carter of Mars, and Tarzan!
His name?
Frank Frazetta!

Next Wednesday!

A New World of Wonder!

Past, Present, or Future?

This Universe or an Alternate Reality?

The Only Way You'll Find Out is to Be HERE!