Showing posts with label Monday Mecha Madness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monday Mecha Madness. Show all posts

Monday, September 8, 2025

Monday Mecha Madness ROCKET SHIP X "Robot Rebellion"

We're DOOMED, do you hear me?
DOOMED, because 2035 will bring a...
...as shown in this never-reprinted tale from Fox's one-shot sci-fi anthology Rocket Ship X (1951)!
It's actually a decent little tale whose creators, regrettably, are anonymous.
Think James Cameron read it as a kid?
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Vol 3
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Monday, September 1, 2025

Monday Mecha Madness CRAZY "Robert the Robot!"

Here's a long-lost tale from the era when MAD comic clones filled America's newsstands!
(Which bring up the question...does anybody under 30 even know what a "newsstand" is?)
While the story's not a classic, it's not bad, either!
The amazingly versatile Joe Maneely handled the art for this never-reprinted tale from this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Crazy V1N7 (1954), but the script is not by Stan Lee...who would've had his name on it if he had penned the story!
Maneely could do anything; sci-fi, horror, war, romance, western, even humor, as this story demonstrates!
If not for his tragic death falling from a New York suburban commuter train, he would have been one of the major talents of Marvel Comics in the 1960s.
Atlas had no less than three MAD clones going at once; CrazyWild, and Riot!
MAD themselves commented on the proliferation of clones, not only from Atlas, but virtually every other publisher with this opener for their spoof of the 1950s movie Julius Ceasar by Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood...
When MAD converted to a b/w magazine, Atlas dropped the three color comics and launched the b/w Snafu,which only lasted three issues!
Atlas/Marvel would revive Crazy twice more!
First, in early 1973 as a reprint book of Not Brand Echh stories.
Then, in late 1973 as a b/w magazine going head-to-head with MAD, and surviving until 1983 for 96 issues!
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Monday, August 25, 2025

Monday Mecha Madness SHOGUN WARRIORS "Mech-Monster" Conclusion

When Last We Left our Mecha...

...while reviewing the capabilities of their mecha, the new human pilots discovered each has specific, unique, transformational capabilities!

Meanwhile, Maur-Kon, disappointed that his mystic-powered creations had failed to defeat the Shogun Warriors, decided to match their technological power with a new mechanical menace of his own...a move that not all his associates approve of!
To Be Continued...Next Month!
In its' original Japanese incarnation, Combatra (aka Combattler V) is, like the various Voltrons and Power Ranger Zords, a multi-part/multi-operator robot!
Here's a pic of the original team...
...and here's the TV series' opening sequence, demonstrating how the separate vehicles merge...

Monday, August 18, 2025

Monday Mecha Madness SHOGUN WARRIORS "Mech-Monster" Part 1

 When Last We Saw Our Mecha...

...they had finally defeated the first creature (which became multiple creatures) the villainous Maur-Kon threw against them!
But Dr Tambura, leader of the alien Followers of the Light who recruited the three human pilots for the mecha is concerned about the fact it took three issues to achieve victory...


The following page shows how each of the Shoguns can transform into another form (as established in their respective Japanese animated series)...

Trivia: Raideen and Dangard Ace are solo pilot mecha in both American and Japanese versions, but Combatra has five pilots in Japan and only one in America!
But both Raideen and Dangard Ace have support teams/aides who assist the pilot!
None of the Japanese characters or plotlines are carried over to the American Shogun Warriors!





To Be Continued Next Monday!
Coming up with Toho-style kaiju/mecha threats to the Shogun Warriors was a trying task to writer Doug Moench and penciler Herb Trimpe!
But, they were chosen for the project due to the success of Marvel's ongoing Godzilla series...which they were responsible for!
Oddly, while the Godzilla series embraced continually-utilizing Marvel characters as guest-stars, Shogun Warriors resisted doing so until the very end of the series!

Monday, August 11, 2025

Monday Mecha Madness WORLDS UNKNOWN "Farewell to the Master" Conclusion

Cover art by Rich Buckler & Wayne Howard (with additional art by John Romita Sr)

Reporter Cliff Sutherland and photographer Ann O'Hara may be on to the scoop of the century.

An alien robot, which went inert after Klaatu (the alien humanoid it accompanied) was shot and killed (without provocation) when he tried to initiate contact with people of Earth isn't as unmoving as the US government believes!
The duo conceal themselves nearby, hoping to catch the automaton in motion...which they do!
They witness the robot enter the alien vessel...which sealed up and apparently deactivated after Klaatu was killed.
And now things get really weird...
Cue the Twilight Zone theme...
The original story by Harry Bates appeared in Street and Smith's Astounding Science Fiction V26N2 (1940) with the following illustrations by Frank Kramer...all of which feature Gnut!
"Farewell to the Master" has been reprinted numerous times, usually in anthologies about Astounding Science-Fiction magazine, or compilations of stories which were adapted into films or TV shows.
But the graphic adaptation from Marvel's Worlds Unknown #3 (1973) has never been reprinted, and no other comic book/comic strip version has ever been done!
However, there was another prose adaptation of the short story...

This book, written by Arthur Tofte, published by Scholastic Books in 1976, combined "Farewell to the Master" with the screenplay for the 1951 movie into a new novel which presents Klaatu and a rather verbose Gnut (not "Gort") as a pair of equal partners, representing their respective civilizations within a galactic organization calling themselves "The Watchers"!
Finally, Lux Radio Theatre produced a one-hour radio adaptation in 1954, narrated by Paul Frees and starring Michael Rennie as Klaatu!
Regrettably, it doesn't use Bernard Herrmann's magnificent soundtrack but it's still worth listening to.
You can link to it HERE!
KLATTU BARADA NIKTO!
Which translates to:

Shogun Warriors Return Next Monday!
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(Contains both the 1951 and 2008 versions plus kool extras)
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