Space Hero Saturdays LARS OF MARS "Secret Origin"

What if 1950s sci-fi shows like Captain Video or Space Patrol were real?

Or if the aliens shown on the screen were real aliens?

And what if the alien was the Space Hero???

As you've just read, that was the premise of the short-lived (two issues) Ziff-Davis series Lars of Mars!

Created by Jerry (Superman) Siegel and Murphy (Buck Rogers) Anderson, this premiere story from the first issue of his own title (which, oddly enough,  was #10!) established the somewhat-silly premise.

During his run, Lars battled Commies, crooks, and other interplanetary aliens while protecting his "secret identity" from his nosy producer (who bore a disturbing resemblance to Lois Lane).

You'll be seeing all of Lars' stories here (including his final tale from the 1980s (in 3-D, no less) over the next six months.

Watch for them!

Trivia:

The cover paintings for both issues of Lars of Mars were painted by Allen Anderson...who was not related to interior artist Murphy Anderson!

Here's a "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon"-style factoid (done in only four degrees)...

• 1) Ziff-Davis also published a short-lived adaptation of an actual 1950s sci-fi tv series, Space Patrol, illustrated by Bernie Krigstein.
• 2) Krigstein illustrated the first issue of another Ziff-Davis sci-fi series: Space Busters!
• 3) Bernie was replaced on interior art for the second (and final) issue of Space Busters by...Murphy Anderson!
• 4) Allen Anderson did the painted cover for the Space Busters issue (#2) illustrated by Murphy! (Norm Saunders had painted #1's cover!)

Visit our

MARTIANS! MARTIANS! MARTIANS!

Comic Collectibles Shop

featuring the covers of both issues of Lars of Mars!

Space Hero Saturdays CAPTAIN KEN BRADY: ROCKET PILOT "Boy Who Wasn't There!"

We met Captain Ken Brady and his co-pilot-sidekick Buzzy HERE...

...in his premiere appearance, conceived and produced by the co-creator of Superman and the definitive Bronze Age artist of Dracula!

This tale from Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #11 (1951) was written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Gene Colan.
It's both the character's second (and last) appearance and the second (and last issue) of the comic!
While the series isn't anything particularly innovative, it's a classic example of 1950s-style sci-fi.
And Gene, who was doing a little of everything from horror to romance to Westerns, showed his versatility with this too-brief strip's run.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Buy...
Secrets in the Shadows
Art and Life of Gene Colan
Trade PaperBack Edition
Paid Link

Space Hero Saturdays CAPTAIN KEN BRADY: ROCKET PILOT "Pirates of the Airways!"

If you look carefully, you can find a Space Hero almost anywhere...

...even someone who's a spacegoing FedEx driver, as shown in this story from the co-creator of Superman and the definitive artist of Dracula!

This back-up tale about a cargo-ship pilot and his buddy just doin' their jobs from Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #10* (1951) was written by Jerry (Superman) Siegel and illustrated by Gene (Tomb of Dracula) Colan.

*Though it's number "10", this was actually the first issue of Lars of Mars.

We're not sure which other Ziff-Davis title's numbering this run continues from.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Secrets in the Shadows

Art and Life of Gene Colan
Trade PaperBack Edition

Monday Mars Madness: When the Co-Creator of Superman Helped Mars Invade Earth...TWICE!

The writer who co-created the most famous alien in pop culture...

...tried twice in the 1950s to introduce ongoing Martian superheroes to comics (and potentially other media)!
First up was Lars of Mars!

What if 1950s sci-fi shows like Captain Video or Space Patrol were real?

And the aliens were real aliens, including the TV show's hero who was a heroic Martian secret agent pretending to be an American actor playing a heroic Martian superhero?
That was the "meta-before there-was-meta" premise of the 1951 short-lived (two issue) series, Lars of Mars.
During his run, Lars battled other aliens, Commies, and crooks, while protecting his "secret identity" from his nosy producer (who bore a disturbing resemblance to Lois Lane).
That's not suprising since the writer was also the editor of the Ziff-Davis comics line...Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman!
Despite first-rate art by Murphy Anderson (who would later become a major Superman illustrator in the 1970s) the premise didn't sell.
So Siegel tried again the next year, adding a couple of twists to the concept!

Tarka, the Crusader from Mars, was the first Martian to commit murder in over half a century.
(It was actually manslaughter since it was an accidental killing while fighting with another man over a woman.)
Instead of being imprisoned, he was sent to Earth, where he (and the woman he was fighting for) were given cover identities as a businessman and his secretary.
The pair were given assignments by the Martian government with the caveat that if they failed, the Earth (with them still on it) would be obliterated rather than allow a threat they couldn't stop to spread to other worlds!

You can read the entire Lars of Mars series...including a never-reprinted conclusion (in 3-D, no less) by clicking HERE!
You can read the entire Crusader from Mars series by clicking HERE!

Visit our

MARTIANS! MARTIANS! MARTIANS!

Comic Collectibles Shop

featuring the covers of both issues of Lars of Mars!

Reading Room LARS OF MARS 3-D "When Terrorists Die..."

Get out the 3-D glasses, kiddies...

...as we present the final, never-reprinted Lars of Mars tale...from 1987???

Eclipse Comics and 3-D expert Ray Zone were using a number of old comic strips as the basis for a series of 3-D comics.

But this was an entirely-new tale created specifically for Eclipse's Lars of Mars 3-D #1 (1987), as detailed below...

The rest of the book were reprints of "EarthShaker" and "Terror Weapon" modified to 3-D.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit our

MARTIANS! MARTIANS! MARTIANS!

Comic Collectibles Shop

featuring the covers of both issues of Lars of Mars!

Reading Room LARS OF MARS "EarthShaker!"

It's time for another adventure with the Martian posing as an actor playing a Martian on TV...

...in a story of world-shaking (literally) menace!

Lars was co-created by writer Jerry Siegel and illustrator Murphy Anderson, as shown HERE.

This terrifying tale of tectonic turnabout from Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #11 (1951) was, sadly, the character's final published appearance.

But, there's still a tale hidden away for decades, so be here next Thursday as we unearth it...and don't forget your 3-D glasses!
You'll need them!

Visit our

MARTIANS! MARTIANS! MARTIANS!

Comic Collectibles Shop

featuring the covers of both issues of Lars of Mars!

Reading Room LARS OF MARS "Crucial Game"

Even a Martian pretending to be a TV actor playing a Martian reveres the Great American Pastime...

...and won't allow anybody to sully or demean the sport's image...even if it means cheating to do so!

The ends justify the means even if it involves alien manipulation of peoples' minds, eh?
Great lesson for kids!
Written by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, illustrated by noted DC Comics artist Murphy Anderson, this tale appeared in Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #11 (1951), the second (and last issue) of the series!
Considering the moral lessons the series apparently taught, perhaps it was for the best...

Visit our

MARTIANS! MARTIANS! MARTIANS!

Comic Collectibles Shop

featuring the covers of both issues of Lars of Mars!