Reading Room: SPURS JACKSON "Sun Masters"

Once more we return to the really weird pages of Space Western Comics, where both stagecoaches and spacecraft are accepted forms of transportation!

We don't know who the writer was, but Stan Campbell did both pencils and inks on the art.

We're offering a new line of Space Western collectibles, perfect for summer wear at the beach, or the movie theatre when you go see Cowboys & Aliens. (C'mon, you know you're going!)

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and have a look below at some Cowboys and Aliens movie tie-ins from Amazon!

Comix Class featuring MOVIEMAKING ILLUSTRATED

Starting today, Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™ will present a complete chapter each Monday from this long out-of-print handbook which utilizes Marvel Comics artwork to demonstrate cinematography in storyboard fashion.
In fact, noted comic and animation artist Scott Shaw! used it in his storyboarding class...

I used to teach a class in storyboarding for the animation union here in Los Angeles. At the time, there was a tremendous influx of comic book talent from the Philippines come to work in animation. Many of these artists had no previous experience working in this field, plus there was a certain learning gap due to language and culture. Although this book really isn't particularly well-done (comics and film AREN'T as similar as some folks think), I frequently used pages from it when trying to help my Filipino students. Once they figured things out, many of 'em went on to do LOTS of professional storyboard work in the animation biz.

Considering how many current artists have problems grasping the essentials of storytelling (not illustrating, storytelling), perhaps an updated version of this should be standard reading.
Until then, this will have to do.
Class convenes today.
Don't be late and bring an Apple (iTouch or iPad will do) for the teacher. ;-)

Reading Room: THOR in "The Magic Hammer"

One more pre-Marvel Thor-themed story by Jack Kirby!

Ironically, published in Tales of the UnExpected #16 (1957), a DC Comic!

AFAIK, Jack Kirby penciled and inked this particular story.
(Usually, he just penciled, since he was so freakin' FAST!)
The Thor in this tale is visually-similar to his villainous "Thor impostor" from The Sandman story in Adventure Comics #75

 The Mjolnir, however, is a dead ringer for the Marvel Comics' Thor's...

If you want to see the Golden Age Thor, his adventures can be found in our brother blog, Hero & Heroine Histories™.

Reading Room: TARA QUEEN OF THE SPACE PIRATES in "Key of the Cuchin Van"

Click on the art to enlarge

We continue the space-spanning saga of Tara, Queen of the Space Pirates with this tale from Wonder Comics #18.
There was no origin story, but the splash pages usually gave a brief set-up for new readers.

The Grand Comics DataBase lists Gene Fawcette, who did the two previous stories, as the penciler/inker, but it looks like fellow Wonder Comics artist Jerry Scott, who used a more standardized layout and looser inking style.

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Reading Room: BARBARELLA 2.2

When Last We Left Our Heroine...

With Captain Dildano and the rest of his crew dead, and their ship a derelict, Barbarella is stranded on Lython...

There are more plot elements and characters who ended up in the movie, though at the flick's beginning, rather than midway through, as they do here.
Some characters like "Klill, the horrid little Martian", didn't end up in the film.
The explanation of why the inhabitants are dressed in mid-19th Century Earth fashions was utilized a year later in the Classic Star Trek episode "Squire of Gothos".
However, the "antique-looking" clothing and technology didn't make it into the Barbarella film's version of this sequence.
More Barbarella later...

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