Reading Room JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY / WHERE MONSTERS DWELL "Ruler of Earth!"

We had something much different for today's post...

...but after Don the Con's announcement at the United Nations that the US government would now refer to Artificial Intelligence only as "Super Intelligence",  my mind immediately returned to this article we posted last year at fellow RetroBlog Hero Histories!

So, let's travel to the "future" year of 1990...as seen from 1962...

Appearing as the cover-featured story in one of the final pre-Mighty Thor issues of Atlas' Journey into Mystery (#82 in 1962), this story by plotter/editor Stan Lee, writer Larry Leiber, penciler Jack Kirby, and inker Dick Ayers is a clear Cold War/anti-Communist parable!

But, when the tale was reprinted at the end of the Cold War in Marvel's Where Monsters Dwell #25 (1973)...

...editor Roy Thomas had the hammer and sickle and red star insignias removed from the Russkies' hats...

...and replaced with an "H", which was explained with the change in the dialogue balloon above!

HYDRA???

Why not AIM...who were always more tech-oriented?

So, presumably, there are at least two worlds in the Marvel Multiverse where ROE presides, to this day, over a peaceful Earth!

Bonus for putting up with this all this fanboy mishigas...the lovingly-detailed original art for the spash page by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers!

BTW, did you note how warm, cuddly, and almost teddy-bear-like the cover's RoE is, compared to the version in the story itself?

Friday Fun JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Comic Strip!"

Did a Comic Strip Creative Ever Hold the Power of Life or Death...

...over everyone around him, or was this just a power-trip fantasy of writer Stan Lee and/or artist Steve Ditko?




Regrettably, we can't ask either of the creatives of this story from Marvel's Journey into Mystery #81 (1962), as they've both passsed beyond this mortal coil!
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Halloween Reading Room JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Shadow from the Steeple!"

We Have Already Seen...

...in this case, the splash page narration covers the matter pretty succinctly!

Writer (and noted pulp/comics historian) Ron Goulart adapted all three tales in this Cthuthu Mythos trilogy!

(The earlier two appeared HERE and HERE)!

Penciler Rich Buckler and inker Frank Giacoia handled the artwork in this tale from Marvel's Journey into Mystery V2N5 (1973) which orgiinally appeared in prose form in Weird Tales V42N6 (1950), fifteen years after the previous two parts of the trilogy.

Interestingly, Marvel's never-reprinted these three stories as part of an anthology of adaptations of famous fantasy/sci-fi authors' works!

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Wednesday Worlds of Wonder JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Haunter of the Dark!"

Yesterday We Presented the First Entry in a Trilogy of Stories...

...from one of the first "shared universes" in fantastic fiction!

Now, another author we've all heard of adds to the storyline...

Appearing the issue after Robert Bloch's "Shambler From the Stars", this adaptation of H P Lovecraft's response to that tale by writer Ron Goulart, penciler Gene Colan and inker Dan Adkins, continues building on elements and aspects of the Cthuthu Mythos, mentioning events, items, and even characters that played roles in future stories!

However, the man who began the exploration of the universe of the Elder Gods, Lovecraft humself, passed away shortly after writing this story!

Tomorrow: the Conclusion of the Trilogy...by Robert Bloch!

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Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos by HP Lovecraft and Others

(Which features all three of the prose stories adapted into this graphic trilogy!)

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Halloween Reading Room JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Shambler From the Stars!"

This is the First Part of a Horrifying Trilogy by Two Legendary Authors!

It's also part of one of the first fictional "shared universe" series featuring related/linked characters, concepts and history by various authors!

Adapted by writer Ron Goulart, penciler Jim Starlin and inker/colorist Tom Palmer from legendary horror author Robert Bloch's novelette originally-published in Weird Tales V26N03 (1935), this story from Marvel's Journey into Mystery V2N3 (1973) sets up a sequel which would appear several months later in Weird Tales, scripted by Bloch's friend...H P Lovecraft!

Sadly, it was Lovecraft's final story.

You'll see that tale, which appeared in the next issue of Journey into Mystery, tomorrow in Wednesday Worlds of Wonder!

But remember, we mentioned this is part of a trilogy!

You'll see the final part in the Halloween Reading Room on Thursday!

Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos by HP Lovecraft and Others

(Which features all three of the prose stories adapted into this graphic trilogy!)

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