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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Showing posts with label Journey into Mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Journey into Mystery. Show all posts
Friday, January 23, 2026
Friday Fun JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Comic Strip!"
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Halloween Reading Room JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Shadow from the Steeple!"
...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!
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, October 22, 2025
Wednesday Worlds of Wonder JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Haunter of the Dark!"
...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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Tuesday, October 21, 2025
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!
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Thursday, August 21, 2025
Remake Reading Room JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Alien on Earth!"
...here's an earlier rendition of the oft-used concept, with one of the weirdest-looking Jack Kirby aliens I've ever seen (and that is saying something)!
Penciler Jack Kirby and inker Christopher Rule, who did the cover of the re-do, illustrated this tale from Atlas' Journey into Mystery #51 (1959).
As for who wrote it, the consensus on various sites, including the Grand Comics Database, is that it's the work of Kirby himself.
For those clever readers who noted both this story and the reworking in World of Fantasy were both published in 1959, this one came out six months earlier, and the "job number" for "Alien" (T-165) is earlier than the one on "Gargoyle" (T-345).
Usually, Stan Lee (either as editor or writer) made sure that such similar plots or reworkings were a couple of years apart.
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Volume #4
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Sunday, January 12, 2025
Reading Room JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Perfect Crime!"
A never-reprinted cross-genre tale from Journey into Mystery...
...combining crime and science fiction, is our entry for this Sunday!
You'll note the last two panels are re-lettered.
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Thor Masterworks
Volume 1
featuring the Thor stories that appeared in front of the never-reprinted tales we're presenting!
I suspect the Comics Code Authority felt it was too cruel to allow the criminal to die for something he technically didn't commit!
This was one of the two tales backing up Mighty Thor's very first appearance in Marvel's Journey into Mystery #83 (1963).
Ah, you've heard about that story, but not this one, eh?
Don Heck penciled and inked the tale.
Stan Lee plotted it, but experts are not sure if he scripted it.
Lee usually signed the later short stories he scripted, but only Heck's signature is here.
Just about everything Lee didn't script at this point was handled by his brother Larry Lieber.
(Stan's birth name is Stanley Leiber. He used "Stan Lee" on his comics work because he wanted his real name on the Great American Novel he planned to write.
When he finally realized he would be forever known for his comics and not any prose novel he might write, he legally changed his name to "Stan Lee".)
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Volume 1
featuring the Thor stories that appeared in front of the never-reprinted tales we're presenting!
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