Sunday Sports Special 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...

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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) in the future.

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!)
  
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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!

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Reading Room LARS OF MARS "Terror Weapon" Conclusion

When Last We Left the Martian disguised as a Human Actor Playing a Martian on TV...

...he was heading for Manchuria to stop a mad Soviet scientist from unleashing a super-weapon that could freeze anything!

 Lars uses his ability to travel between dimensions, encountering creatures like the one on the cover above, then escaping to...

Written by Jerry Siegel, illustrated by Murphy Anderson, this was the cover-featured tale from Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #11 (1951), the second (and last issue) of the series!

BTW, the cover artist is Allen Anderson (no relation to Murphy)

And, Allen also did the cover to the second (and last) issue of Ziff-Davis' Space Busters...which was illustrated by Murphy!

Weird, huh? 

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Reading Room LARS OF MARS "Terror Weapon" Part 1

Old Commies Never Die...

...they just return in the next issue working for different Commies, as the guy who doesn't just play a Martian on TV, but is a Martian playing an actor playing a Martian on TV while fighting crime in real life (got that?) discovers...

As Lars escapes one threat, he's about to run headlong into another...
Will Lars Stop Raskov?

Will Raskov Stop and/or Kill Lars?

Be Here Next Monday for the Astounding Conclusion!

You'll note the Communist Chinese were illustrated in a non-cartoony manner, unlike the overly-caricatured Japanese in most World War II comics and animated cartoons!
(The unfortunate lemon-yellow skin-tone wasn't artist Murphy Anderson's choice, I'm sure.)
Written by Jerry Siegel, illustrated by Murphy Anderson, this was the cover-featured tale from Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #11 (1951), the second (and last issue) of the series!

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Reading Room LARS OF MARS "Terror from the Sky"

Commies and atomic weapons!

As the Frank Sinatra song says, "They go together like Love and Marriage..."

 ...as the guy who doesn't just portray a Martian on TV, but is a Martian playing an actor playing a Martian on TV while fighting crime in real life (got that?) discovers...

Could this be an attempt to set up an ongoing Lex Luthor-esque arch-enemy (but with lots of hair) for our hero in this tale from Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #10 (1951)?

The duo who created this short-lived series had a lot of collective experience with the Last Son of Krypton! Writer/editor Jerry (Superman) Siegel and and artist Murphy (Buck Rogers) Anderson (who did a lot of work on Superman during the Silver and Bronze Ages) incorporated a lot of Man of Steel-style story elements.
BTW, Raskov returns next issue with even more super-scientific weapons.
And, yes, the irony of a guy from the "Red Planet" battling the"Red Menace" of Communism doesn't escape us...

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 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 illustrated by Murphy! (Norm Saunders had painted the first issue's cover!)

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Pre-Code Classics

Lars of Mars / Crusader from Mars

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Reading Room LARS OF MARS "Villain or Hero?"

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

 Or if the "alien hero" shown on the cathode-tube screen was a real alien?

As you've just read, that was the premise of the short-lived (two issues) 1951 Ziff-Davis series Lars of Mars!

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

During his run, Superm...ahem Lars battled Commies, crooks, and other aliens while protecting his "secret identity" from Lo...ahem June, his nosy producer.
(But then what would you expect from the guy who co-created Superman?)

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Visit Amazon and Buy...

Pre-Code Classics

Lars of Mars / Crusader from Mars
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