Reading Room LOST WORLDS "Visitors from Space" and "Space Platforms--Way Stations of the Future!"

Besides comic stories, comic books often ran one-page features like these...

Standard's Lost Worlds #5 Art by Ross Andru & Mike Esposito

...based on historical or scientific information available at the time...

Standards' Lost Worlds #6 Art by Rocco Mastroserio

...or speculation about future developments, again, based on then-current knowledge!

(I love that third panel, showing spacesuit-garbed scientists on a balcony on the satellite!)

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Taylor Illustrated History

Science Fiction Comics 

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder WOLFF "World of the Witches"

Return to the post-apocalyptic future Earth of Wolff the Barbarian...

...where technology and magic are both considered "dark arts" by the majority of inhabitants of this barbaric future!

Is it just me, or does the Sorceress of the Red Mist remind you of our previous Wednesday Worlds of Wonder feature, the sexy space heroine Agar-Agar, who was also published in the Dracula anthology magazine (and was also written by Wolff co-scripter Luis Gasca under the pen-name "Sadko")?

Or was that eye-makeup thing just a European fashion trend in the early 1970s?

This tale from  New English Library's Dracula #2 (1971) was superbly-illustrated and co-written by Esteban Maroto.
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Wolff et la Reine des Loups

(aka Wolff and the Wolf Queen)

French Graphic Novel reprinting this storyline with superb printing!

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder WOLFF "Path of the Dead"

Welcome to one of the best "barbarian in a post-apocalyptic future Earth" strips...

...as we present the saga of Wolff the Barbarian.

Written by Luis Gasca (under the pen-name "Sadko") & Esteban Maroto, illustrated by Maroto.

Published in England in Dracula (1971), a 12-issue partworks magazine* by New English Library, the first 6 tales made their American debut in Warren Publishing's HTF Dracula TPB in 1972 which reprinted #1-#6 of the British Dracula's run.

The remaining tales from #7-#12 have never been published in the US.

We'll be running the complete Wolff strip (including the never-seen in US tales)!

Watch for it!

*Partworks magazines are a limited series issued from weekly, fortnightly, or monthly.

They usually run 12-24 issues for each volume.

When the final issue in a volume is published, the publishers offer a wraparound cover to make the complete set into a hardbound book. 

The buyer is offered the option to bind the magazines themselves or send the set to the publisher who professionally-binds the mags and sends the bound volume back to the customer.

This concept is extremely popular in Europe, but has never caught on in America, despite numerous attempts.

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Dracula Annual
(The Incredibly-HTF British Hardcover with all 12 issues of the comic)

Best of Holiday Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Mummers from Mercury"

70 years ago, the world almost ended on New Year's Day...

...but it was saved by the participants of the annual Mummers Parade!

This never-reprinted story from Charlton's Space Adventures #1 (1953) was illustrated by Albert Tyler and Dick Giordano.

The writer (who was probably from Philadelphia) is unknown.

The Mummers Parade is usually held every New Years Day in Philadelphia.
Mummers tradition dates back to 400 BC and the Roman Festival of Saturnalias where Latin laborers marched in masks throughout the day of satire and gift exchange.
This included Celtic variations of “trick-or-treat” and Druidic noise-making to drive away demons for the new year.

Reports of rowdy groups “parading” on New Years day in Philadelphia date back before the revolution.
Prizes were offered by merchants beginning in the late 1800s.
January 1, 1901 was the first “official” parade offered about $1,725 in prize money from the city.
January 1, 2021 was the 120th Anniversary of the event, but, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was cancelled.
The Parade returned in 2022, and will happen on New Years Day, 2024!

Merry Christmas

Santa Claus' World War II-era attempt at updating his transportation...

...doesn't quite go as planned in this wraparound cover from Dell's Santa Claus Funnies #1 (1942).

Unfortunately, the artist didn't sign it, and the experts at various comic indexing sites have been unable to offer possible illustrators.

Personally, I'm thinking Walt Kelly.

(The snarky reindeer are an obvious giveaway)

Any suggestions?

Merry Christmas to All!

And Now, a Note from Santa Himself...

...from Dell's Santa Claus Funnies #1 (1942).

See you tomorrow with a long-unseen cover by a comics legend!

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AGAR-AGAR "Over the Rainbow"

It's all been leading up to this...

...and to paraphrase what they say about Las Vegas; what happens in the Temple of Love stays in the Temple of Love!

Don't you just love a happy...if somewhat confusing...ending?

Trivia: I recently learned "Laurence James" has been credited in the Grand Comics Database with the English translations of all the Dracula magazine material (including the Agar-Agar strip) which had been originally-published for the Spanish market!
I haven't been able to find any other credits under this name, so I'm uncertain if "Laurence James" was a real name or a pseudonym.

Anybody out there know the answer?

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AGAR-AGAR "Martian Visitors"

When Last We Left Our Horny (yet Innocent) Sprite...

...(hey, it was the Swinging Seventies) well, all you really need know is that a good time was had by all!

Let's continue...

This story from New England Library's Dracula #9 (1971) was written by Luis Gasca under the pen-name Sadko  and illustrated in a Peter Max-esque style by Alberto Solsona.

In prepping these scans, I discovered the stories had been published out of order!
Two weeks ago, I ran the tale from Dracula #8, so logically, the tale last week should have been #9...except the storyline from #8 lead directly into the story from #10...which leads into this one from #9, and, next week, #11!

NEXT WEDNESDAY...

The Startling Conclusion to this Psychedelic Saga!

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AGAR-AGAR "Forest of Life and Death"

When Last We Left Our Horny Sprite...

If you were expecting a synopsis of what came before...why?

This story from New England Library's Dracula #10 (1971) was written by Luis Gasca under the pen-name Sadko  and illustrated in a Peter Max-esque style by Alberto Solsona.

In prepping these scans, I discovered the stories had been published out of order!
A week ago, I ran the tale from Dracula #8, so logically, this week should have been #9...except the storyline from #8 leads directly into this story from #10...which leads into #9, and finally #11!
Next week, you'll see #9, which follows up on the conclusion of this tale.

It'll be a groovy trip, baby!

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AGAR-AGAR "Fairest of Them All"

After Agar-Agar bedded superhero SuperBat, causing him to literally evaporate from exhaustion...

...well, we're off on another almost totally-unrelated storyline!

Surprised?

This story from New England Library's Dracula #8 (1971) was written by Luis Gasca under the pen-name Sadko  and illustrated in a Peter Max-esque style by Alberto Solsona.

It's the second of four tales unseen by American audiences, since Warren Magazines reprinted only the first six issues of Dracula in their 1972 trade paperback.
But you'll see the remaining stories here over the next few weeks! weeks.

It'll be a groovy trip, baby!

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder AGAR-AGAR "Even Heroes Get Tired!"

When Last We Left Our Innocent, yet Horny, Heroine...

...oh, c'mon!

You really think there's a coherent narrative link in this strip?

So that's why Clark and Lois never...you know...until recently!

This story from New England Library's Dracula #7 (1971) was written by Luis Gasca under the pen-name Sadko  and illustrated in a Peter Max-esque style by Alberto Solsona.

It's the first of four tales unseen by American audiences, since Warren Magazines reprinted only the first six issues of Dracula in their 1972 trade paperback.
But you'll see the other three on the next few Wednesdays!

It'll be a groovy trip, baby!

Friday Fun SANTA CLAUS FUNNIES "Santa in Wonderland" Conclusion

When Last We Left Santa Claus and Alice...

The night before Christmas Eve, Santa was disturbed when a little girl named Alice appeared at his door at the North Pole and pleaded for him to "bring Christmas to Wonderland".

The blonde girl lead Santa to the rabbit hole/entrance and showed him mushrooms that reduced both of them in size.

Once in Wonderland, Santa encountered inhabitants including the Mock Turtle and the White Rabbit, who shrank while using a white fan which Claus inadvertently also uses...

This story originally appeared in Dell's Santa Claus Funnies #2 (1943), but was not the cover feature!

It was reprinted in a stand-alone giveaway, Dell's Alice in Wonderland Meets Santa (1951), to capitalize on the release of the Disney animated film Alice in Wonderland, based on the Lewis Carroll stories Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass!

The reprint's new cover art (as shown at the top of the post) by an unknown artist, shows Alice rendered with the same hairstyle and blue dress as the movie version, rather than the hairstyle and violet dress shown in the comic story.
The other characters on the cover resemble their Disney versions, as well!

Since Dell was then currently-publishing licensed Disney comics (including the comic adaptation of the animated Alice in Wonderland)...

...it's likely the similarity on the cover was permitted!

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