Showing posts with label retro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retro. Show all posts

Friday, November 6, 2026

Friday Football Fun JETTA OF THE 21st CENTURY "Pardon My Power!"

It's a Frosty Fall Friday, so Let's Talk...High School Football!
But, as you may have guessed, when we talk football, it's football as shown in the "future" (our present), as presented in 1952...almost 75 years ago!

If the art style of this tale from Standard's Jetta of the 21st Century #6 (1953) looks familiar, it's the work of Dan DeCarlo, who helped establish the iconic "look" of Archie Comics!
Dan actually started at Atlas Comics (the 1940s-50s predecessor to Marvel Comics) doing a variety of humor strips before beginning a long-term run on various Archie titles in 1951.
Even then, he continued to work for a number of other publishers, including Standard Comics, who asked him to create, write, and illustrate a teen-humor series.
(Every publisher had at least one of them!)
Exactly whose idea it was to set it in the "far future" of the 21st Century is unknown, but the resultant strip, though extremely derivative of Archie, was unique in the teen-humor genre for it's Jetsons-style setting and "futuristic" slang.
Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...
Dan DeCarlo's Jetta
Paid Link

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Reading Room THRILL-O-RAMA "Old Hulk"

A never-reprinted tale from an influental artist...
...whose greatest contributions were to animation, not comics!
(And no, it's not Alex Toth!)
During the mid-1960s, Harvey Comics jumped back into superhero and sci-fi/fantasy comics with several titles combining a mixture of reprints and new material.
This tale from Thrill-O-Rama #1 (1965) was one of the "new" ones, though it's likely left over from Harvey's previous sci-fi anthology, Race for the Moon (1958).
Though the writer is unknown, the artist is Doug Wildey, who spent several years in comics, but found working in tv animation steadier and more profitable!
His many credits include Jonny Quest, Godzilla, and, Return to the Planet of the Apes!
Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...
Jonny Quest
the Complete Original Series
Paid Link

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder ATTACK ON PLANET MARS "Chapter One: Tarrano Strikes"

In the 1950s Avon did a number of one-shot comic books...
...based on sci-fi novels.
While most were of tales (then) recently-reprinted by their paperback division,  this one was not!
Does a Fate Worse than Death Await Elza?
And...What is Tarrano's Plan?
Be Here Next Wednesday to Find Out!
Based on the novel Tarrano the Conqueror by Ray Cummings, this chapter of the 1951 comic adaptation was penciled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Joe Kubert, the team who would illustrate the first Silver Age Flash story in DC's Showcase #4 several years later!
The writer of the adaptation is unknown.
Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...
...which reprints only this chapter of the story, since it's the only one in the book that Kubert worked on!
(But there's lots of other kool stuff by the legendary editor/writer/artist in the book, so it's a must-have for any comics fan's library!)
Paid Link

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder DEATH RATTLE "Xenozoic!" Conclusion

...actually we haven't seen this...nor will we!
It's a "symbolic" cover, designed to hook you into reading the comic.
And, hoo boy, does it work!
On a post-apocalyptic Earth several centuries from now, a rescue team checks up on a scientific research outpost that went mysteriously silent.
They find one mutilated survivor, and the group splits up to search for others...
Wow!
Now THAT'S an introduction!
Up-and-comer Mark Schultz created, wrote, and illustrated this tribute to dinosaurs in general and EC Comics of the 1950s in particular.
Dennis Kitchen, editor-publisher of Kitchen Sink was so sure of the potential for this series, he didn't even wait to see how the sales were on Death Rattle #8, as shown by this ad in the back of the book...
The book ran for 14 issues, and sold well.
There was also a one-shot 3-D issue adapting earlier stories to the 3-D format.
Problem was that Mark Schultz, like Dave Stevens, Mike Kaluta, Neal Adams, and a number of other creatives, though incredibly-talented, was also exceedingly sloooooowww, so the book went from bi-monthly to quarterly to semi-annually.
Kitchen Sink tried using back-up tales (overseen by Schultz) by other writers and artists while Schultz did the lead stories, but the book always had trouble keeping a regular schedule.
Even with that, the series built up a devoted following and tie-in merchandise like t-shirts, action figures and other goodies were grabbed off comic store shelves as fast as they were stocked.
Marvel's Epic imprint reprinted the early b/w tales in color under the name Cadillacs & Dinosaurs.
Interest from licensees in this version resulted in mainstream media tie-ins including a popular arcade game, home video console games, and an animated tv series...which resulted in its' own comic series from Topps that did new stories based on the tv show and sequels to Xenozoic Tales comic stories!
The stories continue to be reprinted (most recently in an IDW "Artists Edition"), and there are rumors of a feature film that could lead to an ongoing franchise!
Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...
Paid Link

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder DEATH RATTLE "Xenozoic!" Part 1

With one simple, invented word and a passion for dinosaurs and EC Comics...
...a young writer-artist named Mark Schultz created one of the more successful comic series of the 1980s!
What has Jack discovered?
Find Out...
NEXT WEDNESDAY!
Plus, we'll toss in some background about both the series and the creator!
Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Xenozoic
by Mark Schultz

Paid Link

Monday, October 19, 2026

Monday Mecha Madness JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Orogo!! The Nightmare from Outer Space!!"

Behind this Jack Kirby-penciled/Don Heck-inked splash...
...lurks a mystery. which we'll delve into after you read the story!
When this Stan Lee-scripted, Don Heck-illustrated (except for the splash) tale was reprinted in Marvel's Fantasy Masterpieces #2 (1967), the cover played-up Heck's Cyclopean robot (and Dashin' Don himself)...
...but when it was first published in Atlas' Journey into Mystery #57 (1960)...
...and reprinted a second time in Marvel's Where Monsters Dwell #12 (1971)...
...it used the original Kirby cover that seems to be a reverse-angle of the splash page above and shows a radically-different Orogo with two eyes!
Did editor/art director Stan the Man have The King do the cover and splash and then pass the rest of the story to Heck to finish,...but, for whatever reason, didn't give Dashing Don the cover as reference for Orogo, so Heck came up with his own version of the robot...with only one eye?
There are several Atlas-era monster stories where Kirby would do splashes, then another artist would complete the tale.
Bookmark us and keep an eye out as we attempt to solve the half century-old mystery....
Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Buy..
Paid Link

Saturday, October 17, 2026

Space Hero Saturdays NORGE BENSON...plus DINOSAURS in ""Plutonian Prehistoric Peril"

When Last We Left Our Hapless Hero...
...he was returning to Pluto after spending a couple of issues on a jungle planet where he met the scantly-clad Princess Jolie...

This tale starring Space Hero Norge Benson from Fiction House's Planet Comics #22 (1943), while out of reprint order, proves artist Al Walker and whoever the writer is haven't lost their sense of the ludicrous!

Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Buy...
Planet Comics
Volume 6
Paid Link