Monday Madness MIGHTY MARVEL COMICS STRENGTH AND FITNESS BOOK "Posture and Balance Exercises from The Silver Surfer"

 The full title is Stan Lee Presents the Mighty Marvel Comics Strength and Fitness Book...

...but that was too long for the post header!

The book is actually pretty clever and its' use of specific characters for particular easy-to-do exercises is nicely done!

Written by Ann Picardo and illustrated by Joe Giella, this never-reprinted 1976 trade paperback from Fireside/Pocket Books was part of their extensive line of Marvel titles that included the original Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Siver Surfer: the Ultimate Cosmic Experience graphic novel, the four-volume Origins reprints series, and assorted individual character reprints as well as How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way and oddball titles like Marvel Fun Book and Mighty Marvel SuperHeroes' Cookbook!

Reading Room NIGHT OF MYSTERY "Giant from Earth!"

Though this never-reprinted tale appeared in a one-shot 1950s horror anthology comic book...

...it's really a straight sci-fi tale with no horror elements whatsoever!

I can't be certain, but it looks like the artists for this tale from Avon's Night of Mystery (1953) are Mike Sekowsky (pencils) and Frank Giacoia, Joe Giella, or Bernard Sachs (inks).

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Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3

Monday Mars Madness STRANGE ADVENTURES "Science-Fiction Convention on Mars!"

You gotta ask: how can three of the best creatives of the Silver Age of Comics...

...make such an exciting concept so dull?

Writer Gardner Fox, penciler Gil Kane, and inker Joe Giella (together and separately) produced some of the koolest tales of the Silver Age!

Yet, this story from DC's Strange Adventures #73 (1956) almost put me to sleep!

The premise is great, the concepts are well-thought out, but the rendering of it is...well...drab!

Why aren't the Martians more visually-interesting?

They're just bald guys!

Couldn't they be using disguises (either masks or holograms) while on Earth and then reveal themselves to be Martians when the convention-goers arrive on Mars?

It's not like penciler Gil Kane has any problem with rendering kool-looking humanoid aliens, as shown HERE!

And would it have killed them to give the creatives an extra page?

Jamming in all that exposition into the last page really limited Gil into what he could present.

(Remember, DC worked "full script", so Kane knew how much room the captions and dialogue balloons needed to take!)

Using two pages for that last sequence would've helped enormously!

And what about the weird rays that destroy any spaceships?

Natural?

Artificial?

We'll never know...

In comparison, this tale from Dell's Four Color #1288: Twilight Zone has a less-epic, but much more "fun" feel to it!

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Showcase Presents

Strange Adventures

Volume 1

(which reprints this tale...but in black and white)

Reading Room: ZORRO "Spaniard's Secret: Please Believe Me"

We Have Already Seen...

Fear not, Faithful one!
You haven't missed a post!
The first part of this tale appeared yesterday at our "brother" blog Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™!
...now we continue the adaptation of this three-episode arc of the classic 1950s Zorro tv series featuring guest star Annette Funicello!

Visit our "brother" blog Western Comics Adventures™, tomorrow, for the thrilling conclusion!

This never-reprinted tale from Dell's Four Color Comics #1037 (1959) was illustrated by Warren Tufts and Joe Giella, but the scripter of the adaptation is unknown.

Now, the episode itself...