Space Force Saturdays SPACE SQUADRON & SPEED CARTER: SPACEMAN "Famous Explorers of Space" Part 3

Both Atlas' Space Squadron and Speed Carter: SpaceMan had "future history" features...

...covering from the then-present (1950s) to the future (early 2000s) as this tale about the first manned ICBM in 1961 (yes, 1961) demonstrates!

The writer of this tale from Atlas' Space Squadron #3 (1951) is unknown, but the artist is Werner Roth.
The Famous Explorers of Space feature ran in all five issues of Space Squadron and the single issue of Space Worlds that used up material left homeless when Space Squadron was cancelled.

When Speed Carter: SpaceMan came along a couple of years later, writer Hank Chapman ignored everything done in Space Squadron, producing stories that often contradicted "history" established in the earlier series...

In 2004, we reached Venus and Mercury!

Then, in 2007, men reached another planet...

You do remember this stuff, don't you?

It was only a few years ago!

Didn't quite work out that way, did it? 

Damn!

This story from Speed Carter: SpaceMan #3 (1953) references the previous Famous Explorers tales in its' first paragraph, mentioning the explorations of Venus and Mercury.
Written by Hank Chapman, and illustrated by Al Eadeh.

Note: the astronauts in this story, which takes place three generations in the "past" of Speed Carter, have different uniforms and lower-end technology than what's shown in the Speed Carter tales.

Space Squadron also presented "future history tales" about the guy who was young, hotshot Jet Dixon's crusty Commander-in-Chief when he was a young hotshot pilot...

...rocketing thru the Solar System in the 1970s!

(Yes, I said 1970s!)

While the writer for this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Space Squadron #3 (1951) is unknown, the artist should be familiar to Speed Carter: SpaceMan fans...Joe Maneely, Speed's designer/co-creator and primary illustrator for the first half of his run!

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Complete Adventures of Lucky Starr

by Isaac Asimov

(under the pen-name "Paul French") 

Omnibus of ALL Six Space-Opera Sagas!

David Starr: Space Ranger, Pirates of the Asteroids, Oceans of Venus, Big Sun of Mercury, Moons of Jupiter, Rings of Saturn

Space Force Saturdays SPEED CARTER "Space Trap!"

"Wow! That's the second biggest robot I've ever seen!"

But, in the 1950s (or the future as seen from the 1950s), giant robots didn't transform into trucks...

This is the sort of story you wish Joe Maneely had ten pages instead of five to play with to allow a couple more pages of kool robot vs spaceship mayhem.
The series continues to play up the Saturnians as the future's equivalent of the Chinese Communists of the 1950s.
This never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Speed Carter, Spaceman #2 (1953) is written (as are all the Speed Carter stories) by Hank Chapman and illustrated by original artist Joe Maneely.

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Space Force Saturdays SPEED CARTER "Who Stole the Sun?"

If you think it's cold now, read about what happens...

...when the sun is hijacked in this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Speed Carter: SpaceMan #2 (1953)!

A "Giant Gravity Magnet" that looks like a big horseshoe magnet?

And, if you destroy the magnet which was towing the Sun (without at least turning it around to head back where it came from), the Sun will continue, unabated, in whatever direction it was going!

With all due respect, Hank and Joe, this was not your finest hour.

The series continues to play up the Saturnians as the future equivalent of the Chinese Communists of the 1950s

Written (as are all the Speed Carter stories) by Hank Chapman and illustrated by Joe Maneely.

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Space Force Saturday SPEED CARTER "Half-Horrors of Hyades!"

We skipped last Saturday to present a tribute to the late, great writer/artist Richard Corben...

...but we're back with a never-reprinted story that gives new meaning to "split personality" from Atlas' Speed Carter: SpaceMan #2 (1953).

This tale takes several cliches, including hero/heroine tied to a buzz-saw and the idea that, since different sides of the brain control different aspects of memory and personality, physically dividing it would result in different personas and mixes them together.

It's an interesting concept, but doesn't quite work.

Written (as are all the Speed Carter stories) by Hank Chapman and illustrated by Joe Maneely.

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Space Force Saturdays SPACE SQUADRON & SPEED CARTER: SPACEMAN "Famous Explorers of Space" Part 2

With a series set in the year 2000...

...it's not surprising it's early history occurred in the 1960s!

Of course, it was the 1960s as seen from 1951!

You have to admire the innocent optimism that would have us performing such advanced space travel in only nine years...

Neither the writer nor artist(s) for this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Space Squadron #2 (1951) are known.

A couple of years later, in the future of an alternate universe
Remember when, in 2005, we landed on Mercury?

Me neither.

But, it must have happened, since it's history!

Look! I'll prove it...

See?

Told ya!

Writer Hank Chapman and artists Bill Benulis & Jack Abel wouldn't lie to us!

Chapman, who wrote the entire Speed Carter series, apparently wanted to emulate writers like E.E. "Doc" Smith and Issac Asimov in creating a cohesive universe with an established backstory.

Today, it's more or less standard practice for any ongoing series in print, movies, or tv, but back then, it was far from the norm.

This story from Speed Carter: SpaceMan #2 (1953) references the previous Famous Explorers tale in it's first paragraph, mentioning James Carter and the exploration of Venus.
(Though saying Carter "discovered" Venus was inaccurate.) 

Note: the astronauts in this story, which takes place three generations in the "past" of Speed Carter, have different uniforms and lower-end technology than what's shown in the Speed Carter tales.

BTW, Space Squadron actually ran two "Future History" strips in each issue, one about Famous Explorers of Space, plus a series about the adventures of young Blast Revere, who in the Jet Dixon strip was the elderly commander of the Space Squadron! but apparently was a real hell-raiser in his early days..which were the then-distant 1960s!

As shown in many military-themed strips, most overly-cautious senior officers were brain-dead maniacs when they were just cadets.

This never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Space Squadron #2 (1951) just transposed it to the near future!

Neither the writer nor artist are known.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics

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Complete Adventures of Lucky Starr

by Isaac Asimov
(under the pen-name "Paul French") 
Omnibus of ALL Six Space-Opera Sagas!
David Starr: Space Ranger, Pirates of the Asteroids, Oceans of Venus, Big Sun of Mercury, Moons of Jupiter, Rings of Saturn

Space Force Saturdays SPEED CARTER "BirdMen of Uranus"

The 1950s, when heroic astronauts fought for Truth, Justice, and the American Way...

 ..against the Uranians, who apparently are the space-age counterparts of the Chinese Communists, as least until the end of this lead story from Speed Carter: SpaceMan #2 (1953)!

While physics isn't my strong point, they must still be in the atmosphere, not the vacuum of space, or Kondor's wings wouldn't work!

Written by Hank Chapman, illustrated by Joe Maneely!

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Space Force Saturdays SPEED CARTER: SPACEMAN "Robots' Revenge!"

The 1950s, when heroic astronauts fought for Truth, Justice, and the American Way...

 ..even in their pajamas, as seen in the final story from Speed Carter: SpaceMan #1 (1953)!

The Saturnian wore the Martian ambassador's skin?

Now that's gonna screw up interplanetary diplomatic relations!

Written by Hank Chapman, illustrated by Joe Maneely!

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