Wednesday Worlds of Wonder / CoronaVirus Comics SPACE ADVENTURES "U.F.O.: Plague"

We Have Already Seen...

Small town newspaper reporter Paul Mann researches a story about how, 100 years earlier, a flying saucer landed and aliens cured a local boy, ending a feud between two families that had gone on for generations.

With saucer sightings recently on the increase, Mann wonders if he'll encounter one...

But can Mann be prepared for the senses-shattering Secret of the Saucer?

Find Out Next Wednesday!

The second part of this book-length tale from Charlton's Space Adventures #60 (1967) was illustrated by artist Pat Boyette, an artist who usually did his own penciling, inking, and lettering, giving his work an immediately-distinctive visual style.
There's a kool tribute page to Boyette HERE.
You'll note the art is much cleaner and sharper than the previous chapter.
That's because it's not from Space Adventures, but the reprint in Charlton's Ghost Manor #77 (1984), which, curiously, left out the previous chapter entirely (but did run the final chapter, making the reprint a two-part, not three-part story)!
Here's Page One from the original printing...

Note the "Chapter Two" subhead was removed in the reprint!

BTW, all three parts of this story (and the sequel) were written by Denny O'Neil using his "Sergius O'Shaughnessy" pseudonom.

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Injection

Volume 1

(which shares a number of plot elements with this story)

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder / CoronaVirus Comics SPACE ADVENTURES "U.F.O.: Healers from Nowhere"

Here's a two-issue tale of disease and death from...elsewhere...that features a round-robin of artists...

...including one of the greatest of all time and a couple who are almost on his level!

Sooner than you think, Mr Mann...like next Wednesday!

This rather low-key story from Charlton's Space Adventures #60 (1967) was the first chapter of a three-part book-length tale that gets wilder as it goes on.

Not that unusual for comics of the Silver Age...except for three things:

1) It was a full-length story in an anthology title.

Anthology books usually had two or more stand-alone stories.

2) The story produced a three-part sequel, which was published a year later!

3) Most importantly, each chapter of this tale was illustrated by a different artist!

This premiere was rendered by "Melonius Thonk" (a play on then-popular jazz musician Thelonius Monk) a pen-name used to cover an apparent artist jam since every page has different stylistic elements.

As you'll see, the remaining two chapters were rendered by extremely distinctive artists who penciled and inked their own work!

BTW, the entire story from the final issue of this book's first run was written by future Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow scribe Denny O'Neil using his "Sergius O'Shaughnessy" pseudonom.
Note that the printing on this story is pretty bad.
Unlike other comics publishers who used outside printers, Charlton was famous for pinching pennies by printing their own books using presses that were designed to handle cardboard boxes and other pretty hard materials, not fragile newsprint!
Because the paper was heavier and slicker for covers, the printing on them was cleaner than the insides, but hardly perfect.
But the printing inside Charlton's books could be pretty spotty, as in this case...

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Injection

Volume 1

(which shares a number of plot elements with this story)

Reading Room ROCKET SHIP X "Robot Rebellion"

We're DOOMED, do you hear me?

DOOMED, because tomorrow will bring a...

...as shown in this never-reprinted tale from Fox's Rocket Ship X #1 (1951).

It's actually a decent little tale whose creators, regrettably, are anonymous.
Think James Cameron read it as a kid?

Best of Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Tale About Time: There Shall Be an Ending!"

When Last We Left Our Hero...

Art by Pat Boyette (left) and Jim Aparo (right)

...reporter Paul Mann is plucked from 1967 by the Esroms, peaceful humans from the year 4000 AD who travel in time machine/spacecraft that are mistaken for "flying saucers".

Mann and the Esroms pursue the Honjnosians (evil humans also from 4000 AD) to the time before the Big Bang when Paul falls out of the ship into the ether of the pre-universe...

You'll note the use of the "breaking the fouth wall" storytelling technique with Mann addressing the reader in several panels, (with one panel of other characters thinking Paul's a bit looney).
Denny O'Neil using his "Sergius O'Shaughnessy" pseudonom scripted this conclusion to the book-length tale from Space Adventures #2 (1968).
The art is by the highly-underrated Pat Boyette with what looks like minor redrawing by Jim Aparo in several panels featuring Paul Mann to maintain visual continuity.
Sadly, there were no further adventures of Mann and the men from 4000 AD...

Best of Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Tale About Time: Race to the End of Time"

We have Already Seen...

...actually, the characters are handling the plot synopsis shtick pretty well, so I'll just let them explain...

Not to be negative (ouch), but things aren't looking good for Paul Mann.

If you want to see how he escapes from the edge of Time and Space, be here tomorrow!

Denny O'Neil (using his "Sergius O'Shaughnessy" pseudonom) scripted this "part 2 of 3" in Space Adventures #2 (1968).

The amazing art is by none other than Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange!

At this point, Ditko had left Marvel and was freelancing for Charlton, Tower, ACG, and Warren, working in every genre imaginable, producing some of the best work of his career, much of which has, sadly, not been reprinted!

Best of Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Tale About Time: The Quest Begins"

Remember the phrase "Everything you think you know is wrong!"...

...because this sequel to the three-parter we just ran HERE, HERE, and HERE will define the concept!

The questions continue to pile up, and one of the most famous artists of the Silver Age takes over the storytelling....tomorrow!

(Not that Jim Aparo was any slouch, but this guy is known even outside comics!)

This sequel to the story from Space Adventures #60 (1967) was by the first story's scripter, Denny O'Neil using his "Sergius O'Shaughnessy" pseudonom, and appeared almost a year later in Space Adventures #2 (1968).

No, that's not a typo.

This is "Volume 2" of Space Adventures, which had been cancelled the year before with #60!

However, while this is Vol 2, #2, it's the first issue of the revival since there was no Vol 2 #1!

Geez, the time travel paradoxes in this story are easier to explain than comic book numbering!