Halloween Reading Room JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Shadow from the Steeple!"

We Have Already Seen...

...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!

(The earlier two appeared HERE and HERE)!

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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Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos by HP Lovecraft and Others

(Which features all three of the prose stories adapted into this graphic trilogy!)

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Wednesday Worlds of Wonder JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Haunter of the Dark!"

Yesterday We Presented the First Entry in a Trilogy of Stories...

...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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Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos by HP Lovecraft and Others

(Which features all three of the prose stories adapted into this graphic trilogy!)

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

We Have Already Seen...

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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Day the Earth Stood Still

3-Disc Blu-Ray Special Edition

(Contains both the 1951 and 2008 versions plus kool extras)

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Monday Madness REAGAN'S RAIDERS "...Back to Zero!" Conclusion

When Last We Left the Septuagenarian Super-President...

...he and his revitalized cabinet were about to deliver a can of whup-ass to a group of terrorists!

You'll note a cameo by a certain eyepatch-wearing, cigar-smoking soldier usually seen in ripped shirts.

The never-reprinted Solson's Reagan's Raiders #1 (1986) was written by Monroe Arnold, and illustrated by Dick Ayers, Rich Buckler, and Jason Rodgers.
Monroe Arnold was a character actor with numerous tv/movie appearances in the 60s-80s.

His best-known genre role was in the unsold pilot for Dick Tracy (1967), produced by Batman's William Dozier.
BTW, the film Monroe was listed above as writing/directing, Diary of a Terrorist, was never completed.
He suffered a heart attack after shooting a proof-of-concept reel and was unable to continue the project.

Solson Publishing was run by Gary Brodsky, son of Marvel's first Production Manager and occasional inker Sol Brodsky.
One of the many companies created during the b/w comics craze of the 1980s, it was legendary for producing parody/swipes of more-successful b/w books along with somewhat tasteless books about how to draw women.
Reagan's Raiders was one of the few original titles in the lineup, and it lasted only three issues.

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Reagan's Raiders

1-3

The Complete Series