Reading Room CRUSADER FROM MARS COMICS "Escape to Nowhere"

The idea that we should leave Earth before atomic war destroys it is not new...

...nor is the "surprise ending" to this never-reprinted backup tale from Ziff-Davis' Crusader from Mars #1 (1952)

"You blew it up!

Damn you!

Damn you all to hell!"

Almost two decades before Rod Serling had Charlton Heston scream those words to the sky at the conclusion of Planet of the Apes, artist Mike Becker and an unknown writer presented a much more mellow discovery by space travelers returning to Earth centuries in the future!

The script may be by editor Jerry (Superman) Siegel...

Mike Becker illustrated over 100 crime, horror, romance, sci-fi, sports, spy, war and western stories for various publishers including Timely, Ziff-Davis, Hillman, Youthful, and Nedor/Better/Standard from 1948 through 1956.

What happened after that is, regrettably, unknown.

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Planet of the Apes

Legacy Collection

Reading Room WEIRD THRILLERS "SandFlower of Venus"

Alien worlds have potentially-lethal animals and plants...

...but the most dangerous creature in the Universe is...Man!

I take it back.

The most dangerous creature in the Universe is Woman!

This never-reprinted tale from Ziff-Davis' Weird Thrillers #1 (1951) was probably illustrated by a round-robin of Dan & Sy Barry, Murphy Anderson, and Frank Giacoia.

The writer is unknown.

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Trump's Space Force Already Existed! SPACE BUSTERS

Don the John wants to create a "space force"...

...perhaps inspired by these comics about "space marines" from his childhood?

(I doubt he actually read any books, so it's unlikely he was inspired by Heinlein's Starship Troopers!)

Published in 1952, the series ran only two issues, with a couple of unpublished stories appearing in other mags later on.

Conceived by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, illustrated by comics legends Bernie Krigstein and Murphy Anderson, with covers by Norman Saunders and Allen (no relation to Murphy) Anderson, the series took the concept of the US Marine Corps and transplanted it to outer space in the near-future.

Though not specificially-stated, the Space Busters were Americans and Western Europeans, with no Communist countries or non-white nations represented.

Starting next Wednesday, we're presenting a complete digitally-remastered re-presentation of this apparently-groundbreaking (and still never reprinted) series at our brother RetroBlog, War: Past, Present & Future!

Don't Miss It!

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Reading Room AMAZING ADVENTURES "Exhibit One!"

One of the classic cliches of sci-fi is "aliens treating humans beings like zoo animals".

While this Allen Anderson cover indicates the story starts out that way...it ends...well, wait and see...

This never-reprinted tale from Ziff-Davis Amazing Adventures #2 (1951), takes the cliche and adds a new twist.

While we don't know who the writer is, we do know the artist is Alex Schomburg, who had a long career as a pulp and comic book artist, not only penciling and inking, but painting covers as well!

BTW, the writer, more than likely, is the book's editor...Jerry (Superman) Siegel.

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Chroma

The Art of Alex Schomburg

Reading Room WEIRD THRILLERS "Tentacles of Death"

Beneath this kool painting by Norman (Mars Attacks) Saunders...

...is an equally-kool tale by writer Jerry (Superman) Siegel and illustrator George (Iron Man) Tuska!

The cover-featured tale from Ziff-Davis' Weird Thrillers #4 (1952) has the "feel" of a chapter from an ongoing series, but there were never any other tales of Dr Mark Savant (aka "Doc Savant") and the others.

Was it a rejected "pilot" that ended up as filler?

We may never know the answer...

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Reading Room CRUSADER FROM MARS "Death in the Soil"

We've presented almost all the tales of the short-lived Crusader from Mars...

...and now, at long last, here's the only one we haven't run!

Illustrated by Henry Sharp, and probably written by editor Jerry (Superman) Siegel, the second story from Ziff-Davis' Crusader from Mars #1 (1952) continues the theme that the major example of "Evil on Earth" Tarka and Zira must battle is Communism!
Though the adventures of the earlier Ziff-Davis Martian, Lars of Mars, have been reprinted several times (including a 3-D adaptation), the saga of the Crusader from Mars has been kept from the eyes of a sci fi-loving audience for over 60 years!
We've corrected that oversight with a complete re-presentation of his too-brief stay on Earth...

"Mission Through Space" (Origin)

"Death in the Soil"

"Night of Terror"

"Beachhead on Saturn's Ring"

BTW, isn't it a shame there was never a Lars/Crusader crossover?

Best of Reading Room: WEIRD THRILLERS "Cycle of Time"

With the revived popularity of dinosaurs due to the new movie Jurassic World...

...we're re-presenting one of our favorite stories; a sci-fi triple-treat: time travel, aliens, and dinosaurs!

Illustrated by Murphy Anderson, who was doing quite a bit of work for ZD including the second issue of Space Busters and both issues of Lars of Mars as well as various one-shots like this one from the HTF Ziff-Davis' anthology Weird Thrillers #2 (1951)!.

We don't know who wrote this tale, but it might be series editor Jerry (Superman) Siegel.

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