Space Hero Saturdays CAPTAIN AERO "Moon That was Motionless"

Two weeks ago, we asked: "What do you do with a wartime aviator character after a war?"

 In the case of fighting aviator Captain Aero, you make him into a shirtless (and pantsless) extraterrestrial fighter!

Art by Rudy Palais, writer unknown.

I'm not sure if it was a coloring glitch or the character was supposed to be really comfortable running around in outer space wearing just helmet, shorts, and boots! 

At any rate, this never-reprinted tale from Holyoke's Captain Aero Comics #26 (1946) was Captain Aero's final issue, and his last appearance in comics (except for an occasional reprint).

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Thrilling Science Fiction Tales

featuring the cover art from this issue of Captain Aero Comics by LB Cole!

Space Hero Saturdays CAPTAIN AERO "Alien Invasion"

What do you do with a wartime character after a war?

In the case of fighting aviator Captain Aero, you make him into a space-going fighter!

Art by Rudy Palais, writer unknown.

Captain Aero was one of numerous independent costumed aviators who fought the Axis in comic books during World War II.

His few distinctive traits included a mustache that came and went depending on the artist and an aircraft that could use its' propeller like a buzz-saw.
(The laws of physics were rarely-followed in Golden Age comics!)

In his early days he was assisted by the Sky Scouts, a gang of tweens and teens who wanted to be aviators, and who were popular enough to briefly have their own backup strip.

By the time of this never-reprinted story's publication in Holyoke's Captain Aero Comics #25 in 1946, WW II was over, and sales on military-themed comics were dropping.

A number of them, like Blackhawk, shifted to battling criminals and/or Communist spies.

But not Captain Aero!
He was destined for bigger things...like interplanetary conflict!

The series' change of concept was taken even further in the next issue...as you'll see in two weeks!
But be here next week as space-going hero SpaceHawk begins his descent from spanning the galaxy of the far future to patrolling (then0 present-day Earth!

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Thrilling Science Fiction Tales

featuring the cover art from this issue of Captain Aero Comics by LB Cole!

Best of Wednesday Worlds of Wonder LOST WORLD "Enter Hunt Bowman"

The Dreaded Deadline Doom has ensnared us...

...but we don't want to deprive you of Lost World, so here's a re-re-presentation of the premiere adventure!

Before KillRaven!

Before Kamandi!

There was...Hunt Bowman, the first post-apocalyptic series hero in comics!

This tale from Fiction House's Planet Comics #21 (1942) written by "Thorncliffe Herrick" (a Fiction House pen-name) and illustrated by Rudy Palais pretty efficiently introduces the main characters and concepts behind the series, which lasted from this issue to #70 in 1953!

The strip evolves over its' run, so be prepared for some surprises to go along with the cliches!

BTW, we mentioned KillRaven in our opening.

Roy Thomas' initial concept for Marvel's 1970s War of the Worlds sequel (which evolved into KillRaven) was inspired by this strip along with H G Wells' novel and Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter and Carson of Venus series!

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Roy Thomas Presents

Planet Comics

Volume 6

(which includes this story and other kool space-oriented stuff)

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder LOST WORLD "Enter Hunt Bowman!"

Before KillRaven!

Before Kamandi!

There was...Hunt Bowman...

...the first post-apocalyptic series hero in comics!

This tale from Fiction House's Planet Comics #21 (1942) written by "Thorncliffe Herrick" (a Fiction House pen-name) and illustrated by Rudy Palais pretty efficiently introduces the main characters and concepts behind the series, which lasted from this issue to #70 in 1953!

The strip evolves over its' run, so be prepared for some surprises to go along with the cliches!

BTW, we mentioned KillRaven in our opening.

Roy Thomas' initial concept for Marvel's 1970s War of the Worlds sequel (which evolved into KillRaven) was inspired by this strip along with H G Wells' novel and Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter and Carson of Venus series!
Note: We left off our re-presentation of Harsh Realm in March when the CoronaVirus pandemic hit critical level.
We're returning to that series next week, presenting a complete issue in three parts, then running a Lost World story as a "palate cleanser" between issues!

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Roy Thomas Presents

Planet Comics

Volume 6

(which includes this story and other kool space-oriented stuff)

CoronaVirus Comics SCIENCE COMICS "Walter Reed: the Man Who Conquered Yellow Fever"

We told this tale once before...

...but here's another version of true events, with a somewhat different emphasis...

Rudy Palais, one of the more gruesomely-graphic artists of the Golden Age illustrated this never-reprinted tale from Ace's Science Comics #2 (1946).

In fact, some of Palais' work is excerpted in Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent!

And, yes, the subject of the story is the Dr Walter Reed the hospital in Washington DC is named after...and this is why it's named after him!

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Yellow Jack

How Yellow Fever Ravaged America and Walter Reed Discovered its Deadly Secrets