Holiday Reading Room PICTURE STORIES FROM THE BIBLE: NEW TESTAMENT "Story of Jesus: Part One"

The origin tale of Jesus Christ has, usually, been presented tastefully, even reverently!

...and we'll be re-presenting some of them (including never-reprinted material) on Thursdays for the next few weeks!

Let's start with the most-reprinted one of all...

The story continues with a caption mentioning that Mary and Joseph escaped and then takes up with Jesus as a 'tween.

Originally published by All-American Comics under the DC Comics logo in 1942, later editions were done by EC Comics after publisher MC Gaines sold his rights to most of the All-American line to National Allied Publications who combined the two groups into National Periodical Publications.

(National Allied and All-American had been marketing and distributing their books together, usually using the DC Comics logo, which was the result of an earlier buyout of Detective Comics Inc by National!)

Retaining the rights to the Picture Stories series, Gaines used it as the cornerstone of his new EC Comics imprint.

Note: EC Comics, now famous (or infamous) for its horror/sci-fi titles and MAD was originally conceived as Educational Comics with lots of wholesome, young-kid oriented material like Tiny Tots Comics and Land of the Lost!

Don't remember them?
Their sales (except for the Picture Stories of the Bible) were pitiful.

That's why "Educational" Comics became "Entertaining" Comics, though they continued reprinting Picture Stories (but without the EC logo on the front after the whole "Seduction of the Innocent" scare...)

Note: the entire Picture Stories series (including this tale) was written by Montgomery Mulford & Edward Wertheim and illustrated by Don Cameron!

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Marie Severin (1929-2018)

We ran this never-reprinted 1970s tale only a year ago...

...but now it's in memory of the amazing lady who co-penciled (with Stu Schwartzburg) and inked it!

Written by Stu Schwartzberg, penciled by Stu and multi-talented, award-winning penciler/inker/colorist/designer Marie Severin and inked by Marie, this never-reprinted tale from Big Apple Comix #1 (1975) perfectly captures the "Noo Yawker" love-hate dichotomy!
Since one of Marie's many talents was caricature, she was also the only choice to handle movie/tv spoofs like this never-reprinted one from the appropriately-named Spoof #4 (1973)!

(BTW, the doctor on the Frank Giacoia-inked cover was Robert Young as tv sawbones Marcus Welby M.D., also the subject of a parody in this issue!)

Just a couple of samples from a talented and charming lady.
Note: the regular Friday Fun feature, Rex Dexter, will return next week.

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Marie Severin

Mirthful Mistress of Comics

Keep Warm in Winter...

...the classic comic book way!

It's recommended you read the entire never-reprinted tale while sipping hot cocoa by a roaring fire!

Speaking of romance...
Valentine's Day is coming!
If you're looking for a gift for your pop culture-loving significant other...

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Mohammed's Cameo in Marvel Comics...

From Marvel Preview #1 (1975)...

...and a tale in tribute to the EC Comics of the 1950s called "Good Lord!".

The point in this panel was that God himself was a benevolent alien who sent representatives not only to Earth, but to all worlds!

(If anything, leaving Mohammed out of the lineup cold be construed as an insult!)

You can read the story HERE.

Art by penciler Dave Cockrum and a group of inkers known as the "Crusty Bunkers" including Neal Adams and Joe Rubinstein.

EC Comics: It Didn't Rot Our Brains

Now that's art!

(and it's by one of our faves, Francesco Francavilla!)

Mondo will celebrate EC Comics & Tales From The Crypt this Halloween with a gallery show that will run from October 25 through November 23...

Thirty-plus artists will honor one of the greatest horror television shows of all time and its origins in EC Comics, which produced some of the most original and striking horror artwork, inspiring a generation of artists and genre fans.

The show will feature both original works of art and blood-drenched screen prints.

The gallery opening on Friday, October 25 will be from 7:00 – 10:00pm with regular hours to follow for the show’s duration.

The Mondo Gallery is located at 4115 Guadalupe St. in Austin, TX.

I'm so pissed I'm not in Austin...

Holiday Reading Room: PICTURE STORIES FROM THE BIBLE "New Testament: Story of Jesus Part 2" Death & Resurrection

We Have Already Seen...

Art by Don Cameron

...betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of his own disciples, Jesus Christ is convicted on trumped-up chrarges and sentenced to death by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate...

Written and edited by Montgomery Mulford, illustrated by Don Cameron.

Initially-published under the All-American Comics imprint, Picture Stories from the Bible was carried-over to publisher Max Gaines' new company Educational Comics, when he sold All-American outright to Detective Comics (which became National Peroidical Publications after the merger) in 1946.

EC Comics continued to reprint the Bible series both as single issues and as hardcover compilations of the complete seven-issue series and separate Old and New Testament editions.

The series inspired a host of copycats from other publishers including Atlas (Marvel), Living Bible Corporation, Nedor/Standard. and Eastern Color Corp, none of which lasted as long as EC's series.

Holiday Reading Room: PICTURE STORIES FROM THE BIBLE "New Testament: Story of Jesus Part 2" Betrayal on Good Friday

Now that's a long title...

Art by Don Cameron

...for the most unusual comic to ever come out of DC/AA/EC Comics stable!

We're starting in the middle of the book, the Tuesday before Good Friday...

Tomorrow:

Death & Resurrection

Written and edited by Montgomery Mulford, illustrated by Don Cameron.

Initially-published under the All-American Comics imprint, Picture Stories from the Bible was carried-over to publisher Max Gaines' new company Educational Comics, when he sold All-American outright to Detective Comics (which became National Peroidical Publications after the merger) in 1946.

EC Comics continued to reprint the Bible series both as single issues and as hardcover compilations of the complete seven-issue series and separate Old and New Testament editions.

The series inspired a host of copycats from other publishers including Atlas (Marvel), Living Bible Corporation, Nedor/Standard. and Eastern Color Corp, none of which lasted as long as EC's series.

D-Day Special on "WAR: Past, Present & Future"

Our "brother" blog WAR: Past, Present & Future is running a special D-Day tribute strip from EC's Two-Fisted Tales by Harvey Kurtzman, John Severin, Ben Oda, and Marie Severin.
(Normally it posts weekly on Fridays.)
It's a classic example of effective graphic storytelling, appropriately by three WWII veterans!

I'm Mooning over Moon Girl!

She was the princess of a far-off land, come to America after winning an athletic tournament!
She was super-strong, near-invulnerable, and could fly for short distances!
Equipped with exotic weaponry, she battled evil and constantly rescued her non-super powered boyfriend!
And, she wore a red-yellow-blue costume with a revealing top and VERY short blue shorts!
Sounds like Wonder Woman, doesn't it?
But, it's NOT!
It's MOON GIRL!
"WTF!!!" you may exclaim! "Who's 'Moon Girl'?"
Well, I'll tell you...
A young European aristocrat, known to all as Moon Girl or Princess of the Moon, is told of her family's legacy of woman warriors who can only marry men who defeat them in battle. She is also given a magic jewel (a moonstone) which enhances her already-considerable athletic abilities.
When Prince Mengu from an adjacent kingdom is smitten by the beautiful princess, he attempts to win her hand by defeating her in combat.
Good luck, Chuck!
She kicks his arse, but is herself smitten by his studliness.
Having learned Mengu went to America to get over his failure and heartbreak, she followed him to a private school where he took a teaching job under the name Lionel Manning. Moon Girl assumed the name Claire Lune, got another teaching job at the same school and reunited with Mengu / Lionel.
She agreed to help him toughen up in order to win her, and the two together romped around the city in matching tights getting exercise by battling evil menaces from gangsters to giant robots! (Beats doing laps at the gym!)

The origin tale you just read about was a backup story in the humor comic The Happy Hooligans #1. After another appearance in another humor comic, Moon Girl was given her own title.
That comic book was originally called Moon Girl & the Prince.
As of #2, it became just Moon Girl as Prince Mengu disappeared from all but the lead story in each issue.
When #7 came out, it became Moon Girl Fights Crime, the Prince was gone entirely, and the backups became true-crime tales narrated by Moon Girl. The lead stories were still Moon Girl adventures.
Two issues later (#9), the book became a romance title, A Moon, A Girl, Romance! (The final Moon Girl story appeared in the back.)
Finally, as of #13, the book shifted gears into science fiction and became Weird Fantasy!
Curiously, though almost all of EC's output over the years has been reprinted in both comic and book form, AFAIK, Moon Girl has yet to appear, except as a footnote in Weird Fantasy reprints!

Well. Atomic Kommie Comics™ is here to fill the void!

While we're not reprinting the comics (the copies we have are slabbed), we ARE offering some kool collectibles with two of Moon Girl's best covers emblazoned on them!
And if the demand is great enough, we'll offer the other six, as well!

Get in on the ground floor with Moon Girl...before she kicks YOUR butt!