Sunday, April 21, 2013

Design of the Week: GangBusters!

Each week, we post a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another!
This week, celebrate the law-enforcement professional in your life with this retro-kool comic cover from the long-running GangBusters radio show.
Note: there was also a movie serial, TV series, plus two features re-edited from the TV show!
Trivia, the last season of the radio show was narrated by narrated by Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr., retired head of the New Jersey State Police and father of US Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Reading Room: OUTER SPACE "Planet Which Had Everything--Almost!"

Here's a tale that takes a concept from one of H.G. Wells' novels...
...a concept which was based on real-life events from Earth's history!
Yep, it's the classic ending from War of the Worlds!
Note: The movie version of Wells' First Men in the Moon also incorporates the "germs kill aliens who haven't been exposed to them" concept, but it's not in the original novel!
As to real-life, European settlers inadvertently brought a plague to North America and caused an epidemic that decimated a number of native tribes that had contact with them.
While the writer of this tale from Charlton's Outer Space #1 (1968) is unknown to me, the art is by Charles Nicholas and Vince Alascia.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Reading Room: SUSPENSE "Raving Maniac"

People blaming pop culture for violence and evil in society is nothing new...
...as seen in this 60-year old short story from Atlas' Suspense #29 (1953)!
Writer/editor Stan Lee is the model for the story's editor.
Though artist Joe Maneely doesn't use Dr Fredric Wertham's likeness for the screaming loon, the character is clearly based on the impression the "good doctor" made on comics industry workers.
This was the final issue of the pre-Comics Code horror title.
When the similarly-named Tales of Suspense debuted a couple of years later, it was a Code-approved science-fiction/fantasy title until the arrival of superheroes Iron Man and Captain America.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Reading Room: SPACE PATROL "Stranded on the Sands of Mars"

Spacehawk wasn't Basil Wolverton's only sci-fi comic series...
...he also created and produced this strip, which was the first of numerous unrelated series in various media to use the title "Space Patrol", including three different TV series!
The multi-talented Basil Wolverton wrote, illustrated, lettered, and probably colored, this wild tale from Amazing Mystery Funnies #23 (1940).
I'd love to see someone animate these classics of surreal storytelling.