Reading Room CAPTAIN QUICK AND THE SPACE SCOUTS "Mystery of the Moon of Mars"

Here's the first of three short features...

...that appeared in the second Tom Corbett: Space Cadet comic series.

Though the art for this never-reprinted tale from Prize Comics' Tom Corbett: Space Cadet V2#1 (1955) is credited solely to Marvin Stein at the Grand Comics Database, the layout appears to be by Jack Kirby, which would make sense since Simon & Kirby's studio was packaging the book for Prize.
Beyond being set in the future, there was no connection to Tom Corbett.

This "Captain Quick" is no relation to the suave secret agent character played by Adam West in early 1960s Quick commercials...

...which many attribute to causing the producers of a new show to cast him as their campy caped crusader!
BTW, in a weird bit of comic numbering, this second series' #1 is Tom Corbett's first #1!
The earlier series (from Dell Comics) began with #4 since the first three issues were part of the Four Color series (378, 400, and 421)!

Reading Room KEN BRADY: ROCKET PILOT "Boy Who Wasn't There"

Here's a never-reprinted tale of high adventure in the 21st Century...

...from the co-creator of Superman and the definitive artist of Dracula!

The second, and last, Ken Brady: Rocket Pilot tale from Lars of Mars #11 (1951), the second, and last, issue of the title.

This tale from Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #11 (1951) was written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Gene Colan.
It's both the character's second and last appearance and the second and last issue of the comic!
The "Police in Space" genre was incredibly-popular during the early 1950s with numerous tv shows and comic books dedicated to military and para-military organizations defending us from alien menaces!

While the series isn't anything particularly innovative, it's a classic example of 1950s-style sci-fi.
And Gene, who was doing a little of everything from horror to romance to Westerns, showed his versatility with this too-brief run.

Reading Room SCIENCE COMICS "Build an Arctic Schooner"

Man it's c-c-c-old outside!

How am I gonna get around?

Why, with this kool cut-out transport courtesy of an unnamed artist in Fox's Science Comics #3 (1940)!

Though the caption seems to indicate it's something we've seen before, there's nothing in any of the stories in the issue even vaguely like it!

I'll peruse the previous and later issues to see if it appeared in any of the tales...

Religious Fanatics Attack Freedom of Speech...Again!

The right to speak your mind freely received another blow...

...when the offices of the French political satire magazine Charlie Hebdo were attacked for the second time in four years by Muslim fanatics, this time with the loss of a dozen lives, including magazine staffers and policemen!

We Are Charlie!

Reading Room: LARS OF MARS "Terror Weapon" Conclusion

When Last We Left the Martian disguised as an Actor Playing a Martian on TV...

Art by Allen Anderson

...he was heading for Manchuria to stop a mad Soviet scientist from unleashing a super-weapon that could freeze anything!

After facing several deadly devices, Lars uses his ability to travel at light-speed...

Written by Jerry Siegel, illustrated by Murphy Anderson, this was the cover-featured tale from Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #11 (1951), the second (and last issue) of the series!

BTW, the cover artist is Allen Anderson (no relation to Murphy)

And, Allen also did the cover to the second (and last) issue of Ziff-Davis' Space Busters...which was illustrated by Murphy!

Weird, huh?