Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Reading Room: "World War III with the Ants"

...but never anything like this ant-ageddon (or ant-pocalypse) from Youthful's Captain Science #6 (1953)!
As for who was responsible for writing and illustrating this cult comic classic, theories run from Harry Harrison (who became a major sci-fi novelist and editor), to Dick Ayers to Lou Cameron, but nobody knows for certain.
BTW, this story came out over a year before the classic giant-ant film THEM!


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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Reading Room: SPACE ADVENTURES "Homecoming"

Space, the final frontier...
...where being a pioneer sometimes means "first to go, last to arrive", as seen in this tale from Charlton's Space Adventures #10 (1954)!
The art is by future Amazing Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko, during one of the busiest times of his career (1954-55) as he penciled (and inked) almost 100 stories (plus covers) in little over a year!
Unfortunately, the writer of the story is unknown.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Reading Room: LOST WORLDS "Outlaws of Space"

Some say space operas are just Westerns with rayguns instead of six-shooters...
...and here's a story that plays with those cliches, even down to the characters mentioning the parallels!
While we don't know who wrote this never-reprinted story from Standard's sci-fi anthology Lost Worlds #6 (1952), the art is by Alex Toth (pencils) and Al Rubano (inks).

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The Perfect Halloween Treat: Monstrous Mini-Buttons!

These Halloween-themed 1"-diameter Mini Buttons are just the thing to use as trick-or-treat bag stuffers or Halloween party favors!
And they won't rot kids' teeth!
A "win-win" for parents!
Your house will become Halloween Central when everyone discovers you're giving away these unique items, which kids trade and collect and stick on everyting from jackets to backpacks to sweatshirts to hats!
You can mix-and-match with several different design 10-packs at $19.99 each or a 100-pack of a single design for only $84.99 (That's less than 9 cents per button! Cheaper than most brand-name candy!)
Order now, to get them in time for Halloween!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Reading Room: SPACEHAWK "Moon Justice"

Basil Wolverton really enjoyed doing SpaceHawk...
...and even took a crack at writing a short text story starring the character, as seen in this tale from Target Comics #15 (1941)
The same issue this prose piece appeared, the SpaceHawk strip's format was changed in a direction Wolverton was not happy about; moving the hero from outer space to Earth to use his advanced technology to battle threats from thinly-disguised surrogates of the Axis powers.
(This was pre-Pearl Harbor, and we weren't at war at the time, so the stories were still set in the future!)
Once America entered the war, SpaceHawk was actually transported thru time to the "present day" (1942) to fight the real Hitler, Hirohito, Mussolini, and their minions.
So you might consider this text story to be Wolverton's last try to convince the editor to keep the strip in deep space.
It didn't work.