Space Secret Agent Saturdays MYSTERY IN SPACE "Operation Phobos"

We presented the first Interplanetary Investigations tale from the Swinging Sixties HERE...

..now here's their second, final, never-reprinted adventure from DC's Mystery in Space #102 (1965)!

Note Sean Connery-lookalike Damos appears again.

Also note (from the ad at the end of the story), this month also saw the Strange Adventures premiere/origin of "The Man with the Animal Powers" who would morph a couple of issues later into superhero Animal Man, who's still active in DC's comics and tv series over 50 years later, unlike the secret agents of Interplanetary Investigations!

Written by Dave Wood, illustrated by Gil Kane, the series had a lot of potential.

Jan and Davos could've been a futuristic Man from U.N.C.L.E./Wild, Wild West/I Spy duo...

Ah, what could have been...

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Mystery in Space

Pulp Fiction Library

(which contains only a couple of stories from this previously-listed volume)

Space Secret Agent Saturdays MYSTERY IN SPACE "Secret of the Double Agent"

It was 1965, and secret agents were everywhere...

...even DC's Mystery in Space, whose 100th issue, introed a cover-featured "space spy" series!

(With a cover by Dick Dillin and Sheldon Moldoff!)

Written by Dave Wood, illustrated by Gil Kane, and guest-starring a Sean Connery-lookalike, an ongoing Interplanetary Investigations series seemed like a sure bet, but it disappeared after only one more appearance two issues later!
(BTW, neither of them have been reprinted!)

Instead, a new character, Ultra: the Multi-Alien took over the book until cancellation with #110!

Pity, since the Interplanetary Investigations strip showed such promise.

Considering DC had the rights to James Bond (which is why there were no comic adaptations of any of the 007 flicks after Dr No, which didn't do well due to being released months before the movie came out), could you imagine what Gil Kane could've done illustrating any of the other pre-Roger Moore Bond movies?
Sadly, we'll never know.
Two notes:
1) The comic rights to 007 eventually lapsed and Marvel did two movie adaptations in the 1980s, For Your Eyes only and Octopussy.
Neither were big sellers.
2) DC released Doctor No as part of the Showcase tryout comic as shown HERE.)

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Order...

Mystery in Space

Pulp Fiction Library

(which contains only a couple of stories from this previously-listed volume)

It's James Bond Day!

On this date, 55 years ago, the cinematic James Bond made his debut!

...so why not celebrate by re-reading the long out-of-print comics adaptation of that premiere tale?

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Conclusion

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James Bond Collection

Complete Movie Series from Doctor No to Spectre!

Note: Does not include Never Say Never Again or Casino Royale (1967)

James Bond! Man from UNCLE! Secret Agent! Doctor Who! All in ONE Movie!

You think I'm joking?

It happened!

Sid James, Patrick McGoohan, Sean Connery

And you can see it Saturday on Turner Classic Movies at 9:45 pm ET!

This historic meeting of genre acting talent occured in the 1957 movie...

Besides the above-named performers, there's also David McCallum (Man from UNCLE. NCIS, Sapphire & Steel), Jill Ireland (Star Trek Classic, Man from UNCLE) , Peggy Cummins (Curse of the Demon), and Gordon Jackson (Spectre, Supernatural [1977], Madame Sin)!

NOT available on Region 1 DVD, so fire up the DVRs (or in my case, DVD recorder)!

Happy Birthday, Mr Bond! Now Die...

It's Sean Connery's 83rd Birthday...

Inside cover of Showcase #43

...so why not celebrate by visiting our "brother" blog Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™ where you can read the never-reprinted DC Comics adaptation of Sean's 007 debut in Doctor No!

Before you say "But, that's a reprint of the Classics Illustrated version available only in England!", I'll point out that numerous changes (which are compared in the blog posts) were made by DC in both text and art!

And, while the Classics Illustrated version has been translated and printed all over the world, the DC version has never been reprinted!

Because Showcase #43 came out months before the movie debuted in America, it sold poorly, and DC didn't exercise their 10-year option to do more James Bond tie-ins!

Ironically, in 1972, DC realized they were about to lose the rights to do 007 comics and considered doing an entire series of one-shot movie adaptations up to, and including, the current film, but Sean Connery's announcement that Diamonds are Forever would be his last film in Bondage (ouch) put the kibosh on those plans!

That's why there were no comic adaptations from Gold Key or Dell (who were doing comics based on every movie and TV show they could get their hands on) during the height of '60s Bond-mania!

The Oscar Tribute to James Bond's 50th Anniversary

Well, we didn't get to see six cinema Bonds on screen (not counting the '67 Casino Royale ensemble), but we did get Shirley Bassey, still going strong at 76 years young, belt out Goldfinger!

If you can't have Bond, at least have the greatest Bond song performer of all...

Happy 50th, 007!

To celebrate, here's a kool documentary from 1966...

...when BondMania was at its' height and the only 007 was Sean Connery (the first, and still the best, movie Bond)!

Don't Say "No" to DOCTOR NO!

October 5th is the 50th Anniversary of the first movie appearance of "Bond, James Bond"...

Inside cover of Showcase #43

...in celebration, our "brother" blog Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™ is running the never-reprinted DC Comics adaptation of Doctor No for the next few days.

Before you say "But, that's a reprint of the Classics Illustrated version available only in England!", I'll point out that numerous changes (which are compared in the blog posts) were made by DC in both text and art!

And, while the Classics Illustrated version has been translated and printed all over the world, the DC version has never been reprinted!

Because Showcase #43 came out months before the movie debuted in America, it sold poorly, and DC didn't exercise their 10-year option to do more James Bond tie-ins!

Ironically, in 1972, DC realized they were about to lose the rights to do 007 comics and considered doing an entire series of one-shot movie adaptations up to, and including, the current film, but Sean Connery's announcement that Diamonds are Forever would be his last film in Bondage (ouch) put the kibosh on those plans!

That's why there were no comic adaptations from Gold Key or Dell (who were doing comics based on every movie and TV show they could get their hands on) during the height of '60s Bond-mania!

The next 007 movie adaptation would be For Your Eyes Only from Marvel in 1981.

The Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™ re-presentation will conclude Friday.

Don't miss it!

LIFE Magazine's Flawed James Bond 50th Anniversary Special

LIFE Magazine has produced a 50th Anniversary special on 007...

..which I eagerly picked up.

I was severely disappointed with it on two counts.

1) Most of the pix are not from LIFE's amazing archives!

2) It's riddled with factual flaws.

Here's the most obvious...

page 51 "For some reason, in You Only Live Twice, James Bond did not pilot any kind of vehicle--first time ever."

Really?

I guess that's not James Bond in the cockpit of that mini-copter...on the POSTER?

Sure as hell looks like Sean Connery (aka James Bond: 007) to me!

That's the most obvious mistake!

I've found several other mistakes (and a number of omissions), and that's just a cursory run-through!

Sloppy work, kids.

The head of Marvel Studios doesn't know the meaning of the word "reboot"

“Look at James Bond— virtually every movie is a reboot,”

The head of Marvel Studios, Avi Arad, said that in a recent article about the rebooted Spider-Man series in USA Today.

Is he an idiot?

Or has he not seen a James Bond film?

It's perhaps the longest-running franchise in cinema history with an unbroken continuity for 40 years from 1962 (Dr No) to 2002 (Die Another Day).

This knowledge (or lack thereof) of movie history (and common sense) may explain his numerous misfires including the Punisher and Hulk franchises, several video game movie bombs, and the Hasslehoff Nick Fury tv movie.

Bunny, James Bunny

With a new James Bond movie (SkyFall)coming soon and Easter tomorrow...

...why not combine the two with James Bond hightlights as performed by animated bunnies...

Much MORE Bunny action HERE!

James Bond 007 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray Set or "AGAIN? NEVER!"

WTF?

I got the complete VHS set in the early 1990s (up to GoldenEye), two different sets of DVDs (the set up to World is Not Enough, and the 2-disc per title Ultimate Special Edition set up to Die Another Day) and the three-disc Casino Royale release!
And the VHS and two different 1967 Casino Royales and Never Say Never Agains!
Now you want more money from me?

So, where's George Lazenby (On Her Majesty's Secret Service)?
Yeah, the movie is in the box set, but where is he in the trailer?
Even Timothy Dalton gets a couple of shots!
And, the box set is missing the two previous versions of Casino Royale (1953 tv production with Barry Nelson & 1967 feature film with everybody), as well as Sean Connery's Never Say Never Again!
Sorry, I'll not buy this set until it hits the "used" racks.
Maybe, just maybe, if you had included new commentary tracks with Sean, Roger, Timothy, Pierce, and of course, George...

The New Miss Moneypenny in Action!

Naomie Harris as "Eve" aka Miss Moneypenny in a scene with Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Whether "Eve" is a code name or Moneypenny's first name is unknown at this point.

None of the previous Bond novels or films give her a first name, though a spin-off novel series, The Moneypenny Diaries, does..."Jane".

Moneypenny didn't appear in either of the previous Craig James Bond 007 movies Casino Royale, which rebooted the series from the early days of Bond's spy career before he received his "00" designation and license to kill or Quantum of Solace.
(Note: Moneypenny did appear in both the novel and 1967 movie versions of Casino Royale.)

Bond Girls on TCM Tonite!

Two of the best Bond Girls headline flix on TCM...

Ursula Andress 

(Honey Ryder in Dr No) 

in

She

(Who Must Be Obeyed)

and

Martine Beswick

(Zora in From Russia with Love 

& 

Paula Caplan in Thunderball)

 in

Prehistoric Women

(aka Slave Girls)

Starting at 8pm (ET) tonight!

Uncut with NO commercials!

Hi-rez of these posters can be found at the ultra-kool website

Wrong Side of the Heart!

Our Valentine's Day Gift to You...Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson

Halle Berry IS Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson in Die Another Day.

Oh yeah, Pierce Brosnan's there, too.

Bond Girls Illustrations by Magdalena Babińska

Here's an interesting series of illustrations of "Bond Girls" (actresses who've appeared as heroines, villainesses or, to be polite, set decoration in the 007 film series by talented artist Magdalena Babińska.
Shown is Halle Berry as Jinx from Die Another Day.

Buy Bonds...James Bonds!

Here's a link to an amazing auction of James Bond collectibles including original art for movie posters (used and unused) first editions of the Fleming novels, posters from around the world, and much more.
I'd tell you more, but my drool is causing the laptop to short circuit!

"Kill Bond...NOW!"

 "It took almost fifty years, but we will have the last laugh, Mr. Bond!"

A feature article in the Financial Times makes dire predictions about the fates of the film versions of James Bond 007 and The Hobbit(among others)...
"Its most prized property – James Bond – has been left to stagnate, a casualty of the uncertainty about MGM’s future.

Sam Mendes signed on to direct the next film in the series, which reignited spectacularly with Daniel Craig as the new Bond in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace – films that generated a combined $1.2 billion (emphasis mine) at the box office.
But the series is in limbo, postponed indefinitely by the Broccoli family of producers, which shares the rights with MGM, because of the uncertainty surrounding the studio".

It's a pity, because interest in the character is higher than it's been in years, thanks to the Ian Fleming Centennial celebration, with books literally flooding the stores!
Among them, a reissue set of the original Fleming novels both in hardcover and paperback with an incredibly-kool cover design motif based on the 1967 Casino Royale movie poster concept...

Sadly, they're only available in England, or (as in my case), thru the NY branch of a British SF/comic chain...
"Hee-hee-hee" he chortled ominously as he stroked the cat on his lap.