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!"

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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!

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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.

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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.

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Steve Ditko Archives Vol 1

Strange Suspense

CoronaVirus Comics FLASH GORDON COMICS "Real Enemy"

Though deliberate use of disease as a weapon is forbidden by all civilized countries on Earth...

...sometimes inadvertent use against a technologically-superior enemy may be the only thing that saves us!

Written by Joe Gill and illustrated by Pete Morisi (who signed his work "PAM" because comics were his moonlighting gig after his full-time job as a member of the NYPD), this backup tale from Charlton's Flash Gordon #16 (1969) takes the concept from the finale of HG Wells' War of the Worlds and shows Earth disease destroying the entire population of the alien homeworld, not just an invasion force as in Wells' novel!

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War of the Worlds

Illustrated by Alex Nino

Pendulum Press/Now Age Books

CoronaVirus Comics OUT OF THIS WORLD "Plague!"

Even when (believe it or not) created for benevolent purposes...

...a deliberately-contagious virus is no laughing matter!

OK, how can we read other peoples' thoughts in our own dreams, as happens on pages 2 and 3?

Beyond that deliberately-deceptive plot element, this tale from Charlton's Out of This World #6 (1957) written by Charlton mainstay Joe Gill and illustrated by future Spider-Man and Dr Strange co-creator Steve Ditko hangs together fairly well!

Would someone deliberately-conceive and implement a biological weapon (whether for good or evil) today?

Some Reich-wingers believe the current coronavirus epidemic was engineered by North Korea and/or Communist China!

What do you think, dear reader?

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Steve Ditko Archives Volume 3

Mysterious Traveler

(which reprints this tale!)

Reading Room SPACE WAR "Exiled to Earth"

Usually, characters in sci-fi stories are exiled from Earth...

...but, then, those characters usually aren't Venusians!

While the writer for this story from Charlton's Space War #5 (1960) is believed to be Joe Gill, the illustrator is clearly Steve Ditko, at one of the artistic high-points in his career as he bounced between freelance assignments for Charlton and Atlas/Marvel, enjoying the diversity of work in various genres.

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