Wednesday Worlds of Wonder WEIRD FANTASY "Judgement Day"

This 1950s comics tale is considered the gold standard in utilizing a sci-fi motif for social commentary...

...rightfully-so, I must say!

Perhaps it's a tad slow-paced, even pedantic, by today's standards and the pay-off isn't as shocking as you might expect, but this oft-reprinted tale by writer Al Feldstein, artist Joe Orlando and colorist Marie Severin from EC's Weird Fantasy #18 (1953) was quite controversial when it first appeared.
Even when it was reprinted in the Comics Code-approved Incredible Science Fiction #33 (1956), it caused hassles.
The Code wanted Tarlton changed to a White guy!
Publisher Bill Gaines refused!
The Code tried to get EC to, at least, remove the beads of sweat from Tarlton's brow!
Bill Gaines, again, refused!
The Code refused to approve the comic.
Gaines said he didn't care.
As it was, "Judgement Day" was a reprint fill-in for a new story ("An Eye for an Eye") the Code refused to approve, and, since it was EC's last color comic ever, they'd print it without the Code stamp.
The Code gave in and approved the reprint without changes.

No less a personage than Ray Bradbury praised "Judgement Day" effusively in the final letter (among many...except one...that praised the tale) in Cosmic Correspondence...

Public praise from one of the Masters of Science Fiction/Fantasy!

Can't argue with that...

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Judgement Day and Other Stories
Illustrated by Joe Orlando

Fantagraphics' EC Comics Library

Friday Fun SPOOF "What If...Celebrities Were the Last People on Earth?"

You know you're a baby boomer...

...if you recognize all the celebs in this never-reprinted tale from Marvel's Spoof #5 (1973)!

 Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip!

 Julia Child, one of the first TV chefs!

 ABC sports announcer (and really annoying guy who deserves his fate) Howard Cosell!

And, finally...longtime comedy icon Bob Hope, whose annual tours to entertain our troops overseas are satirized!

Written by Marv Wolfman, penciled by master (or is that "mistress") caricaturist Marie Severin, and inked by John Costanza (a damn good cartoonist who made more money as one of the speediest letterers in the business), this piece was part of Marvel's failed 1970s attempt to return to the humor color comics market!

After trying three times with Spoof, ARRRGH! (horror humor), and Crazy (reprinting material from Not Brand Ecch), Marvel decided to switch their humor efforts to a b/w book...with the resulting revival of Crazy in that format running  over a decade with 94 issues and an oversized Special!

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Sincerest Form of Parody

Monday Madness ARRGH! "Fangs for the Memory!"

We ran out of Spanish Dracula one-pagers...

...so we're presenting this never-reprinted comic (in more ways than one) tale of urban vampire terror from Marvel's ARRRGH! #1 (1973)!

Let's see what lurks under this kool Marie Severin/Tom Sutton cover...

Written by Russ Jones (as "Jack Younger"), penciled by Mike Sekowsky (some of his last comic book work before going into TV/movie animation full-time), and inked by Tom Sutton (who usually inked his own work), this was an attempt to do a new MAD-style four color comic due to the early 1970s loosening of editorial restrictions by the Comics Code Authority!

Sadly, the book only lasted five issues...

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Sincerest Form of Parody

ESQUIRE Marie Severin's "The Higher Truth of Joe Namath"

Never-reprinted art by Marie from the October, 1969 issue!

Cover

Title page insert art

Saint?

Sinner?

Render Unto Namath That Which is Namath's!

Absolutely amazing stuff, eh?

Read the issue HERE.

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Marie Severin

Mirthful Mistress of Comics

Marie Severin (1929-2018)

We ran this never-reprinted 1970s tale only a year ago...

...but now it's in memory of the amazing lady who co-penciled (with Stu Schwartzburg) and inked it!

Written by Stu Schwartzberg, penciled by Stu and multi-talented, award-winning penciler/inker/colorist/designer Marie Severin and inked by Marie, this never-reprinted tale from Big Apple Comix #1 (1975) perfectly captures the "Noo Yawker" love-hate dichotomy!
Since one of Marie's many talents was caricature, she was also the only choice to handle movie/tv spoofs like this never-reprinted one from the appropriately-named Spoof #4 (1973)!

(BTW, the doctor on the Frank Giacoia-inked cover was Robert Young as tv sawbones Marcus Welby M.D., also the subject of a parody in this issue!)

Just a couple of samples from a talented and charming lady.
Note: the regular Friday Fun feature, Rex Dexter, will return next week.

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Marie Severin

Mirthful Mistress of Comics

It Was 50 Years Ago Today...

...that The Beatles released their "magnum opus", Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!

Considered by many (myself included) to be their finest work, it left an impact on an entire generation that reverberates to this day!

Less than a year later, writer Gary Friedrich and illustrator John Verpoorten (with an assist on caricatures by Marie Severin) produced this amazingly-detailed send-up in Marvel's Not Brand Echh #12 (1969)...

Enjoy, True Believer!
BTW, here's a list of all those who appeared on the cover...

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Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Deluxe Edition

(4 CDs/DVD/Blu-Ray/Hardcover Book/Posters/etc)