Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "By the Dark of the Moon"

The cover depicting this tale has a gothic horror feel...

...but, in fact, the story is hard science fiction!

No ghosts or ghoulies at all!

(Halloween was over a week ago!)

Was this story's ending rewritten to conform to the Comics Code?

Scripted by Carl Wessler and ilustrated by John Giunta, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) features a last panel with a rather convoluted explanation that seems, as the saying goes "out of left field".

Or is it just the result of trying to cram a lot of story into only four pages?

We'll never know...

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "When the Creature Escapes"

Is a "sea monster" a mindless animal...or something more?

That's what this story from Atlas' World of Suspense #7, 1957 asks...

Penciled by Al Williamson, inked by Ralph Mayo, and written by a currently-unknown scripter, this tale leaves the matter open-ended, practically begging for a sequel!

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Taylor Illustrated History

Science Fiction Comics 

Reading Room WORLDS OF SUSPENSE "Dead End!"

Automobiles like this kool prototype aren't a new idea...

...but this particular one has a potentially-deadly feature for the unwary...as these thieves are about to discover!

I know I've seen the 1950s gull-wing concept car used as the prototype vehicle, but I'll be damned if I can find it on the 'Net.

Anybody recognize it?

The art for this never-reprinted tale of greed, gasoline, and goof-ups from Atlas' World of Suspense #8 (1957) was by Howard O'Donnell, whose career in comics was brief (1953-1958), but whose art career continues to this day as a noted painter of maritime and Western subjects!

The writer is unknown.

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From Creative Failures to Breathtakingly Ugly Disasters!
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Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Forbidden!"

Here's another never-reprinted tale from the Atlas Comics vault...

...illustrated by longtime comics book artist Ed Winiarski and scripted by a writer whose name is lost to the sands of time, though it may be Ed himself!

This never-reprinted story from Atlas' World of Suspense #8 (1957) is one of Winiarski's last stories in comics before either retiring or switching to other media like advertising after a 20-year career in comics!

Trivia: Ed is one of the creators cited in Stan Lee's book (really a booklet) Secrets of the Comics as shown HERE!

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Ten-Cent Plague

Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Men in Glass"

This tale is about a recent immigrant to our shores...

...and how his actions have consequences for both the United States...and the entire Earth!

The Star Spangled Banner has always been a difficult tune to sing, but who knew it could be used as a weapon?

Illustrated by Don Heck, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) takes the "high note can shatter glass" trope to a whole new level.
OTOH, if the aliens' helmets had been made of plastic or "transparent aluminium" or some such instead of glass, we'd all be chanting "Hail Zarki!"

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Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "While Simon Slept"

If you go by the never-reprinted Carl Burgos-illustrated cover, these are horror stories!

But, you'd be wrong.

Let's present a story shown on the cover as a small vignette on the right, but still given the first spot in the book!

I'm compelled to ask "Why would anyone be carrying around both theirs and their brother's birth certificates?"

Illustrated by Bill Everett, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) has some serious plot holes.

But, hey, what can you expect in only four pages?
BTW, the scripter is unknown, but could've been Everett himself.

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Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Mechanical Man!"

As artificial intelligence advances into almost every aspect of daily life...

...let see how the creatives of the 1950s envisioned how it might occur!

Yes, it's the "It was all a dream!" cliche!

The writer of this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #1 (1956) is unknown, so we can't directly heap scorn upon him for using such a timeworn trope to get out of his own plotting without really solving it!
OTOH, artist Chuck Miller, who broke into comics illustrating a single story before being drafted, then returned after the war to work steadily until the industry almost collapsed in the mid-1950s due to the "Seduction of the Innocent" debacle, does a commendable job with what he's given to work with!

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Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Very Old Man"

Despite Marvel Entertainment's extensive reprinting program...

...there's an incredible amount of Timely/Atlas material that hasn't seen the light of day since the 1940s-50s!

This is one such tale...

Edited (and likely plotted) by Stan Lee, and penciled by Sol Brodsky, this never-reprinted story from Atlas' World of Suspense #8 (1957) is a typical morality tale from the Comics Code-controlled era.

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Science Fiction Comics

Taylor History of Comics

Vol 3

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Brain Trap"

We conclude our look at Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) with...

...a tale of brains, business, and betrayal!

And so, the world had to wait, until the mind-reading side-effects were filtered out, for Rogaine...

This never-reprinted, story was illustrated by George Roussos, but the writer is, mercifully, unknown.

BTW, there's one more tale in the issue, but since it's a Cold War spy story, it'll appear in our brother RetroBlog Crime & Punishment next week!

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Lead-Lined Box!"

What lay hidden in the back of Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956)...

...something so hideous that it couldn't even be hinted at on the cover?

Wow!

I hope the SPCA or PETA never sees this tale illustrated by Chuck Miller (aka Charles F Miller)!

The writer is unknown.

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "By the Dark of the Moon"

This cover-featured tale has a gothic horror feel...

...but, in fact, it's science fiction!

Was this story's ending rewritten to conform to the Comics Code?

Scripted by Carl Wessler and ilustrated by John Giunta, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) features a last panel with a rather convoluted explanation that seems, as the saying goes "out of left field".
That's the danger of trying to cram a lot of story into only four pages.