Showing posts with label martians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label martians. Show all posts

Monday, November 29, 2021

Monday Mars Madness STORY OF OTHER WORLDS "Amazon of Barsoom"

Concluding our re-telling of long-unseen Barsoom (Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars) stories...
...here's the final never-reprinted Barsoom tale that ran in DC Comics' Tarzan Family in 1976!
This story from DC's Tarzan Family #60 (1975) was written by Robert Kanigher and illustrated by Noly Zamora.
The Heliumites in this tale are blue-skinned, not red (as in all other Barsoom stories), and these red "demon apes" who carry spears and talk have never appeared in any other Barsoom tale!
As we mentioned earlier, this story and the Secret Diaries of John Carter mini-series have never been reprinted since their publication in 1976, even in the recent Dark Horse trade paperback that presented all the other Barsoom-based stories that appeared in DC Comics!
(It's rumored that dissatisfaction with them was the reason ERB Inc pulled the license from DC!)
Next Week:
It's Christmas...on Mars!
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Monday, November 22, 2021

Monday Mars Madness JOHN CARTER OF MARS "Lights of Doom"

...well that pretty much covers it, so let's rejoin Carter as he faces imminent peril!

This all-new tale from DC's Tarzan Family #64 (1976) was written by Bob Kanigher, penciled by Noly Zamora and inked by Vic Catan with several panels modifed/redrawn by editor Joe Kubert.

Unfortunately, the story ends on a cliffhanger as the remaining two issues of Tarzan Family featured reprints of Carter's first DC Comics appearances from Tarzan #207-208!
DC then cancelled both of their Burroughs-related titles as ERB.Inc announced plans to publish their own line of comic books which, unfortunately didn't work out, as seen HERE.

In 1977, Marvel Comics was granted the license for ERB characters, doing both Tarzan and John Carter as stand-alone titles ignoring any storylines DC had produced (including adaptations).
When those titles were cancelled in 1979, unused artwork for both of them was adapted (ironically) into other licensed-property titles!

The unused Tarzan story became, with rescripting and additional art, a two-part BattleStar Galactica tale!

John Carter's unpiublished tale was modified into a two-part Star Wars story (#53-54) with Carter becoming Aron Peacebringer, Dejah Thoris relabeled Alisande, and Tars Tarkas losing his extra arms, becoming orange, and renamed Keral Longknife!

As we mentioned earlier, the "Secret Diaries" mini-series has never been reprinted since it's publication in 1976, even in the recent Dark Horse trade paperback that presented all the other John Carter stories that appeared in DC Comics!
There is one more never-reprinted Barsoom tale (without John Carter or any established characters) from DC which you'll see next week!
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Monday, November 15, 2021

Monday Mars Madness JOHN CARTER OF MARS "Death has Three Heads"

Continuing the Secret Diaries of John Carter...
...her's the second chapter of the never-reprinted "Secret Diaries" mini-series that ran in DC Comics' Tarzan Family in 1976!
The Adventure Concludes...Next Monday!
Of course, it goes without saying that since these are the "secret diaries" of John Carter, that he must have survived in order to write them...
This all-new tale from DC's Tarzan Family #63 (1976) was written by Bob Kanigher, penciled by Noly Zamora and inked by Vic Catan..with several panels redrawn by editor (and comics legend) Joe Kubert!
As we mentioned earlier, this mini-series has never been reprinted since it's publication in 1976, even in the Dark Horse trade paperback that presented all the other John Carter stories that appeared in Tarzan and Weird Worlds!
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Monday, November 8, 2021

Monday Mars Madness JOHN CARTER OF MARS "Secret Diaries of John Carter"

As we mentioned earlier, there are John Carter of Mars tales that have never been reprinted...
 ...and now we're re-presenting them...the "Secret Diaries" series that ran in DC Comics' Tarzan Family in 1976!
 The adventure continues...
next Monday!
There are a couple of inconsistencies with the established John Carter/Burroughs Universe canon.
The Myposans are actually a Venusian race from Burroughs' Carson of Venus series!
The girl should be red-skinned or pale white, not Caucasian-flesh colored.
It's not clearly-stated when this story takes place, but because Carter is still wearing his Earth-produced pants, it's implied that it's shortly after he arrives on Mars.
(The Comics Code didn't allow him to show up stark naked on Barsoom!)

This all-new tale from Tarzan Family #62 (1976) was written by Bob Kanigher, penciled by Noly Zamora and inked by Vicatan.
As we mentioned earlier, this series has never been reprinted since it's publication in 1976, even in the recent Dark Horse trade paperback that presented all the other John Carter stories that appeared in Tarzan and Weird Worlds!

Monday, October 25, 2021

Monday Mars Madness WAR OF THE WORLDS "Part V: End of the Invaders"

(This was Dave Cockrum's presentation piece for the Martians and their tripods, looking decidedly-different from the aliens and war machines from the then-recently cancelled Killraven: Warrior of the Worlds series!)
You know the story.
Guy meets alien!
Alien conquers planet!
Alien suddenly ghosts guy...
Overall, not a bad job by the creatives, eh?
The Marvel Classic Comics series ran 36 issues from 1976 to 1978, the first 12 of which were reprints of the b/w Pendulum Press Now Age Books comic adaptations of literary classics which had been sold directly to schools and libraries.
(Note: Classics Illustrated had ended in 1971, leaving a void in the retail comic market that Marvel attempted to fill.
Sadly, sales of the books after the reprints in 1-12 didn't warrant continuing the ambitious project.
The Direct Sales/Comic Book Shop market was just beginning, and if the project had survived another couple of years, it might have found a successful niche, but the timing was off.)
Like Classics Illustrated, the Marvel adaptations included text pieces about the original authors...
...and other goodies like the Dave Cockrum model sheet seen at the beginning of this post!
The adaptations featuring new material (13-36) have never been reprinted in America.
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Monday, October 18, 2021

Monday Mars Madness WAR OF THE WORLDS "Part IV: Earth Under the Martians"

...this ain't no treat, but the mother of all tricks, as the Martians have effectively conquered the Earth!
(Though you have to admit, this painted cover for the German edition, based on Gil Kane/Dave Cockrum's pen-and-ink art, is a treat, indeed!)
...what's the answer?
Another trick?
Or a life-saving treat?
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(the First [and extremely-unauthorized] sequel to the HG Wells novel)

Monday, October 11, 2021

Monday Mars Madness WAR OF THE WORLDS "Part III: the Rout of Civilization"

When Last We Left our Protagonist...

...as this amazingly-kool Gil Kane/Dave Cockrum cover for the British edition shows, the Martians are here, and they're kicking Mankind's collective ass!
That's really all you need to know!
...we're safe for the moment...only...as we shall see>>>
NEXT MONDAY!
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(Including Leonard Nimoy, Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, John DeLancie and other Star Trek castmembers!)