Best of Reading Room MAN O' MARS

Here's a kool klassic from the 1950s...the lead story from a 1953 one-shot that combined all the great cliches of space opera (spaceships, ray guns, aliens, half-naked space babes) in one tight ten-page tale...

These days, this story would be a six-issue mini-series with tie-ins to several other titles.

The rest of the book was made up of unrelated reprints from earlier issues of Planet Comics.
The interior artist is Maurice Gutwirth, but the writer is unknown.
The cover was done by Maurice Whitman, one of Fiction House's more prolific artists.

The First Earthman on Mars...

With The Martian hitting theatres today...

...we thought it'd be fun to re-present a much earlier tale of a human on Mars.

In fact, it's so old that it wasn't even called "science fiction"!

It was a "scientific romance"!

...and, unlike The Martian, this Earthman found the Red Planet teeming with life!
Start HERE, and you'll be able to see the entire saga by clicking on the links at the end of each chapter!

Reading Room COMMANDER BATTLE AND THE ATOMIC SUB "Day in the Life of an Atomic Commando"

Did you know the leader of the Atomic Commandos, Commander Bill Battle, was...

...an ex-spy, not a Navy officer?

Was it really wise of President Eisenhower to give command of America's first atomic submarine to a guy with no military, much less naval, training or experience?

Talk about on-the-job training!

This backup tale from ACG's Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #3 (1954) was produced by series creators Richard Hughes (writer) and Sheldon Moldoff (illustrator).
There are a few more "Day in the Life of an Atomic Commando" shorts featuring other members of the team fighting various Commies.
We'll run them from time to time.
Trivia: there was another Bill Battle,who not only had his own comic book from Fawcett, but was even more of a Commie-Crusher than Commander Bill Battle!

...However, "The One-Man Army" fought only Koreans!

Also, since his series ended after only four issues in 1953, when Fawcett closed their comic book division, the character name was available for anyone to use!

Support Hero Histories
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub

Reprinting issues #1-#5
Paid Link

Reading Room COMMANDER BATTLE AND THE ATOMIC SUB "Death of the H-Bomb!"

We Have Already Seen...

When an atomic bomb launched from the Moon hits Earth, the Atomic Sub is hastily converted to an atomic spaceship.
The Atomic Commandos journey to the Moon, where they discover a race of humanoids angry at Earthmen since other Earthmen (Russians) built an atomic missile base there, while killing curious moonpeople who tried to communicate with them!
Sentenced to death by the leader of the Moonmen, the unarmed Commandos face a huge lizard, while the sub is about to be destroyed by atomic plasma fire.
However, aboard the sub is a young "Become a Junior Atomic Commando Contest" winner...who's developed a telepathic transmitter/receiver!
Whatta guy!

(And don't worry!

There are Russkies lurking about, just waiting to be smashed!)

So now the kid's a full-time member...

This tale from ACG's Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #3 (1954) was produced by series creators Richard Hughes (writer) and Sheldon Moldoff (illustrator).

Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub

Reprinting issues #1-#5
Paid Link

Reading Room COMMANDER BATTLE AND THE ATOMIC SUB "Journey to the Moon!"

If you thought spaceships with propellers were weird...

...how about using an atomic submarine to get there!

(You read that right!)

Be Here Next Monday
for the astounding conclusion...

I'm surprised Irwin Allen never did a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode like this!
Making a submarine into a spaceship seems like the sort of thing he would've loved to do.
Adding a kid sidekick, though, is never a good idea.

They end up taking over the spotlight, and the series' emphasis goes from soft sci-fi to kid-show.
Note: SeaQuest DSV did have it's sub go into outer space...transported by aliens to their homeworld at the end of the second season/beginning of the third season!
This tale from ACG's Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #3 (1954) was produced by series creators Editor Richard Hughes (writer) and Sheldon Moldoff (illustrator).

Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub

Reprinting issues #1-#5
Paid Link