Thursday, January 12, 2012

Reading Room: GREEN PLANET Conclusion

We Have Already Seen...
Art by Dick Giordano
Exiled by the repressive government of Earth, Jason Tolliver and other dissenters are shipped to the planet Klorath in a far distant solar system where a colony of rebels led by Tolliver's father had been established.
Upon arrival at the so-called "Green Planet", they discover a partially-completed colony encampment, totally-deserted.
The new arrivals cautiously move into the camp, and utilize the supplies to finish the camp and grow food.
Within a couple of weeks, the camp is completed and the first crop ready to harvest, but an attack by a giant pterodactyl-like creature on the farmers provides a possible answer to the fate of the previous Earthmen.
Following the creature to its' nest on a nearby cliff, Jason encounters another human...but not one of the Earthmen!
Tolliver and the fur-garbed man fight off an attack by one of the pterodactyls, then go their separate ways, having conquered a common foe, but unable to communicate.
Jason returns to the camp, calls a meeting and informs the others that they are not alone on the Green Planet...
For those who say classic sci-fi was just Westerns with spaceships instead of horses, this story, with its' "pioneers and native inhabitants" concept seems to prove them correct. (Although with a much happier ending than most settler-Indian encounters in the real Old West.)
There was never a follow-up tale, although this one was finally reprinted thirty years later, still with no credit for the original book it was based on by J Hunter Holly (Joan Carol Holly)
The writer of the comic adaptation is unknown.
The story was penciled by Charles Nicholas, inked by Vince Alascia.
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Reading Room: GREEN PLANET Part 1

Based on the then-current (1960) novel by J Hunter Holly...
...which is mentioned nowhere in the comic or on the cover!
Go figure!
But, what is the answer?
Be here tomorrow for the startling answer!
Penciled by Charles Nicholas, inked by Vince Alascia.
Based on the novel by J Hunter Holly (Joan Carol Holly), the writer of the comic adaptation is unknown.
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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Monday, January 9, 2012

Reading Room: CAPTAIN AERO "Alien Invasion"

What do you do with a wartime character after the war?
In the case of fighting aviator Captain Aero, you make him into an extraterrestrial fighter!
Art by Rudy Palais, writer unknown.
Captain Aero was one of numerous costumed aviators who fought the Axis in comic books during World War II.
His distinctive traits included a mustache that came and went depending on the artist and an aircraft that could use its' propeller like a buzz-saw.
In his early days he was assisted by the Sky Scouts, a gang of kids who wanted to be aviators, and who were popular enough to have their own backup strip.
By the time of this never-reprinted story's publication in Captain Aero Comics #25 in 1946, WW II was over, and sales on military-themed comics were dropping.
A number of them, like Blackhawk, shifted to battling criminals and/or Communist spies.
But not Captain Aero!
He was destined for bigger things...like interplanetary conflict!
The series' change of concept was taken even further in the next issue...as you'll see in a week or so.

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featuring the cover art from this issue of Captain Aero Comics by LB Cole!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Design of the Week--Somali Pirates? Bring 'Em ON!

This week...Sailors on the high seas need not fear!
The US Navy will protect them from Somali pirates, even if they are Iranian nationals!
Click HERE to browse thru an assortment of t-shirts, mugs, and other kool komic kollectibles!