Showing posts with label Steve Ditko. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Ditko. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Reading Room UNLIKELY TALES "Time Machine"

When two Steves...a long-established pro and eager young up-and-comer...collaborate...
...you get this time-travel tale, set only 14 years from now, with a novel twist!
It's amazing what the comics creators of 1967 thought 70 years later would look like!
Considering that we Baby Boomers thought by 2000 we'd have bases on the Moon and flying cars, it's not unreasonable...
Written by up-and-comer Steve Skeates and illustrated by Spider-Man and Dr Strange co-creator Steve Ditko, this never-reprinted story from the Unlikely Tales anthology collection in Charlton Premiere #4 (1968) offers a surprise twist on the usual "time-traveler from the future may change history" concept.
Trivia:
Skeates wrote all the stories in this issue, a rarity for someone just starting out in the industry.
All the stories were both penciled and inked by their respective artists, also a rarity in a business where, in order to meet deadlines, creators usually either penciled or inked, but not both.
The artists in this issue included Ditko, as well as Pat Boyette, Jim Aparo, and Charlton mainstay Rocke Mastroserio.
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Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Reading Room WORLD OF FANTASY "Clock Strikes NEVER!"

Here's a fascinating Silver Age tale about time travel...
...from the period when Atlas Comics was transitioning into Marvel Comics!
Penciled and inked by Steve Ditko, this story from Atlas' World of Fantasy #18 (1959) has some intriguing concepts, including the idea that nothing can travel back before its' creation date, which would rule out time travel into the distant past (before the temporal travel device was created)!
But my big question is...who is "Fate"?
He pops up at the beginning of Page 4 and remains lurking in the background for the rest of the story, becoming a second narrator!
Besides looking visually-kool, what's his purpose?
He doesn't interfere...or even warn/advise the protaganist!
Since the story's narrator refers to Fate in the third person, we know the blue guy is not the one hosting the tale!
Like the identity of the story's writer, it's a mystery that'll never be solved...

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Thursday, May 25, 2023

Kirby Reading Room SECRET CITY SAGA "Let Sleeping Boojums Lie!" Conclusion

We Have Already Seen...

Cover by penciler Steve Ditko and inker George Perez
...actually, this scene hasn't happened...yet!
But, rather than recap, since this is the final chapter, let's jump into action...
And they did return!
Unfortunately, their comeback was cut short, with only a single issue appearing before the project was cancelled.
The KirbyVerse didn't sell well, due to changing audience tastes, and despite a revamp after this premiere mini-series, it failed to grab sufficient readers to warrant continuing.
The second mini-series, entitled Victory! was written and drawn, but, as we said, only the first issue saw publication.
There were a couple of semi-related mini-series TeenAgents and Satan's Six, also based on Kirby's concepts.
If you want to see them, we'll re-present them, so let us know!

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retelling of elements of the Secret City Saga which also combines other Kirby projects like Galaxy GreenCaptain Victory and Silver Star!

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Kirby Reading Room SECRET CITY SAGA "Let Sleeping Boojums Lie!" Part 1

...THIS was Happening!
Now, you may well ask...WTF???
Perhaps this will provide an answer...
...and even if it doesn't, we'll just have to jump right into a decidedly-deadly dilemma...

Thursday:
Back to the Secret City for the Fearsome Finale!
Who Lives?
Who Dies?
Only way you'll know is if you show up to read it, since it's never been reprinted!

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retelling of elements of the Secret City Saga which also combines other Kirby projects like Galaxy GreenCaptain Victory and Silver Star!

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Kirby Reading Room SECRET CITY SAGA "Secrets" Conclusion

Cover by penciler Steve Ditko and inker Bill Sienkiewicz.
...the outnumbered good Ninth Men have been captured by the evil Ninth Men, who have also captured President Bill Clinton and replaced him with a metamorph!

Next Tuesday:
The Cataclysmic Conclusion!
(And no, they didn't title it "War of the Weirds"!)

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Buy...
retelling of elements of the Secret City Saga which also combines other Kirby projects like Galaxy GreenCaptain Victory and Silver Star!