Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Magnet of Magneto"

Nope, it's not the mutant villain/anti-hero/hero of X-Men fame, but an entire planet...

...hell-bent on conquering the universe!

Written by Joe Gill and illustrated by Steve Ditko, this tale of menace and magnetism from Charlton's Space Adventures V2N5 (1969) is scientifically-inaccurate, but fun.

and isn't that what comics are all about?

You may recognize the splash panel as the cover for this issue...

...which we ran when we presented the other cover-featured story two days ago.

Charlton had a tendency to re-use/recompose interior art for covers, especially with their anthologies.

Whether it was for budget or deadline reasons has been lost to the mists of history.

Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Order...

Steve Ditko Archives Volume 5

Dripping with Fear

Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Horrible Enemy"

I was going to run the cover-featured Steve Ditko story about the "Menace of Magneto"...

...but then I saw the tale plugged by the vignette at the bottom of the cover!

This never-reprinted tale from Charlton's Space Adventures V2N5 (1969) looks like manga, but it's not!

It's "manhwa"...Korean comics!

The art for this cliched Joe Gill-scripted story is by noted Korean artist Sanho Kim, in his second story for Charlton.

Sanho Kim (or Kim San-ho) was already an acclaimed writer/artist in South Korea before coming to the US in 1964.

Illustrating a wide variety of genres including romance, horror, war, and martial arts, Sanho worked primarily for Charlton, with occasional work for Warren (where he also wrote the tales he illustrated), Marvel, and Skywald, totaling several hundred stories.

Sanho returned to South Korea in 1996 and continues to write and illustrate at the age of 75.

He received the Order of Cultural Merit (much like the Kennedy Center Honors in America) in 2008.

You can read a gothic romance tale he illustrated in the 1970s for Charlton HERE.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Immortal Record

by Sanho Kim

Reading Room OUTER SPACE "For Amusement Only"

Ever wonder if all the natural disasters we experience...

...are truly "natural" in origin?

"As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods;

They kill us for their sport."

King Lear Act 4, Scene 1

"Submitted for your approval...
A tale by writer Joe Gill and artist Steve Ditko from Charlton's Outer Space #18 (1958) that Repugs would love since it disproves "global warming".
But, it replaces it with something else cons don't believe in...life on other worlds!
A conundrum that may never be solved...at least not in...The Twilight Zone!"

Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Steve Ditko Archives Volume 5

Dripping with Fear

...which reprints this tale and numerous other long out-of-print short stories illustrated by Ditko!

Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Surrender Earth!"

Now this is the way to tell a high-adventure space opera story...

...quick synopsis, then jump into the action!

A rather nasty variation of the "rabbits in Australia" story that classic Star Trek treated humorously in "The Trouble with Tribbles"!

Sadly, this Joe Gill-written, Pat Boyette-illustrated tale from Charlton's Space Adventures V2N4 (1968) has never been reprinted, but I think it's make a helluva episode of a sci-fi anthology TV series or portmanteau movie, keeping the retro-50s/60s look but using current makeup and sfx technology!

Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Order...

Charlton Arrow #1

Reading Room UNUSUAL TALES "Night of the Red Snow"

As near-record cold finally leaves America...

Art by Steve Ditko

...we present a chilly comics tale, illustrated by the creator of Dr Strange and co-creator of Spider-Man, Steve Ditko!

Unfortunately, due to Charlton Comics' legendarily-bad printing, the "red" effect on the canvas is muted almost to uselessness, diminishing the ending's effectiveness!

BTW, did you note the sneaky "red herring" (or was it) on the sides of the moving van on page 3?

Beautifully-rendered by Steve Ditko, this tale from Charlton's Unusual Tales #9 (1957) has no credited writer, but many researchers/historians believe the scripter is the prolific (and underrated) Joe Gill.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Steve Ditko Archives Vol 1

Strange Suspense

Monday Madness UNUSUAL TALES "Man Who Could See Tomorrow"

When you want a tale that exemplifies "madness" visually...

...it's hard to go wrong with Steve (Doctor Strange) Ditko!

Originally-appearing in Charlton's Unusual Tales #7 (1957), this simple (but effective) story by writer Joe Gill and illustrator Steve Ditko leaves the reader wanting more.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Steve Ditko Archives Vol 1

Strange Suspense