Reading Room STRANGE WORLDS "End of His Service!"

Though Isaac Asimov had introduced his Three Laws of Robotics in 1942...

...obviously the unknown scripter of this never-reprinted tale from Avon's Strange Worlds #5 (1951) never read the story,or chose to disregard the concept!

No less than three illustrators contributed to this story.

Norman Nodell did the bulk of the art, and inked the others' pages.
Those others were John Rosenberger on Page 3 and Werner Roth on Page 4.

The reason for the artist round-robin is unknown, though it was likely a tight deadline.

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Taylor Illustrated History

Science Fiction Comics 

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Spooky Space Force Saturdays KENTON OF THE STAR PATROL "Monster-Men of Space!"

It's time for more spooky interstellar adventure with Kenton of the Star Patrol...

...as another talented artist takes the reins from Wally Wood and Joe Orlando for Kenton's final tale!

This Kenton story from Avon's Strange Worlds #6 (1952) is penned by Gardner Fox and rendered by Everett Raymond Kinstler, who left comics for fine art (including numerous official portraits of US Presidents).

Previous Kenton artists Joe Orlando and Wally Wood did the cover for the issue...

...but, when the cover was reused for IW/Super's Eerie #1 (1958), which contained stories from Spook Comics, the art looked decidedly-different!

Was the Eerie cover the original version, which was modified to make the alien match the Kinsler-drawn aliens?
Ironically, when the Kenton story was reprinted, it had a totally-new cover by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito featuring aliens who looked nothing like the Monster-Men...

And there's yet another twist to the tale of this tale, which we'll tell...next week, when we go from Strange Worlds and Strange Planets to Strange Galaxies!

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Reading Room EERIE "Dracula" Part 4

We Have Already Seen...

Dracula has made Lucy Seward a vampire!

Dr Van Helsing arrives, too late to save the poor girl, but not too late to send her tormented soul to the afterlife by staking her thru the heart.

Now, his attention turns to her master...Count Dracula!

Though there were a number of Frankenstein tales in the Golden Age, including Dick Briefer's horror series, there were only a couple of appearances by our favorite vampire (usually a cameo) before this story in 1953!
The trend continued until the late 1960s when Dracula became a supporting character in the b/w Vampirella magazine.
In 1972, when the Comics Code was revised to allow vampires and other "traditional" monsters, the Count reappeared not only in short stories, but a long-running series from Marvel highlighted by moody art by Gene Colan.

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Reading Room EERIE "Dracula" Part 3

When Last We Left the Lord of Vampires...

Dracula traveled to England, where he made Lucy Seward, his newest victim.

Meanwhile, Lucy's best friend, Mina Murray received news that fiance Jonathan Harker had been hospitalized.

Rushing to Budapest, she discovers he is speedily recovering...and the two are married that day!

To be concluded on THURSDAY!

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Reading Room EERIE "Dracula!" Part 2

When Last We Left the Lord of Vampires...

Real estate agent Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to arrange the purchase of a London townhouse by a rich, reclusive nobleman...Count Dracula.

When he is molested by the count's wives, Harker discovers that they (and Dracula) are vampires, and that he is helpless to stop them!

Meanwhile, in England, Harker's fiance, Mina, worries...

But, will they have a honeymoon...or a funeral?

Be here Tuesday to find out!

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Reading Room EERIE "Dracula!" Part 1

Did you know that Classics Illustrated did Frankenstein, but not Dracula?

However, there was an adaptation of the original Bram Stoker novel, published several years after the Classic Comics version of Mary Shelley's tale in the mid-1940s

It appeared in Avon Comics' Eerie #12 (1953), and was the only book-length story to appear in the title!

To the best of our knowledge, the story has never been reprinted, probably due to it's length.

What shall Johnathan Harker do?

Join us Thursday for the frightening answer!

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Spooky Space Force Saturdays KENTON OF THE STAR PATROL "Vampires of the Void"

Strap on your blasters and activate your ato-jets, kids...

Art by Joe Orlando and Wally Wood

...as we join our space-faring hero against gorgeous aliens who suck the life from humans!

Now that's a sci-fi horror tale...and illustrated by Wally Wood and Joe Orlando!

Gardner Fox scripted the story published in Avon's Strange Worlds #4 (1951) and it actually makes sense, given the scientific knowledge of the era.

Add a kool (if slightly misleading) cover by Wood and Orlando...and you've got a cult classic!
Hard to believe it's only been reprinted twice!
But...it has been re-told twice more!
What do we mean by that?

Be Back Next Week to Find Out!

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Strange Worlds

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