Friday, October 11, 2013

Reading Room: ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN "Vampire Spider"

Here's a tale that combines two of the most popular themes of sci-fi/horror...
Art by Ken Bald
...science-induced mutation in human beings and giant arachnids (which includes both insects and spiders)!
This never-reprinted cover story from ACG's Adventures into the Unknown #50 (1953) was written by Richard Hughes and illustrated by Robert McCarty, who, unfortunately, doesn't do a very accurate (most panels show the arachnid with only six legs) or scary spider...

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Reading Room: STUART TAYLOR IN WEIRD STORIES OF THE SUPERNATURAL "Faustus"

Despite the title, the series is actually sci-fi about a time traveler and his machine...
...who occasionally run into mystical menaces.
IIRC, The Time Tunnel TV series did the same thing, encountering Merlin, the ghost of Nero, and others along with the usual silver-skinned Irwin Allen aliens...
This series started in Jumbo Comics #1 (1939) as Diary of Dr Hayward, illustrated by Jack Kirby under the house pseudonom "Curt Davis" (which was used for every story in the series).
With #5, Lou Fine assumed the art chores, and several issues later the title changed to Weird Stories of the Supernatural as lab assistant Stuart Taylor took center stage and old Doc Hayward became a supporting character.
(In fact, the series title sometimes listed "Stuart Taylor" above the "Weird Stories..." logo, playing up the action-hero aspect.)
As of 15, a rotating lineup of artists contributed art but no other "big names" worked on the series which continued for almost the entire run of Jumbo, ending at #140 (1950).
You'll be seeing more of this multi-titled series here, so bookmark us for a daily dose of classic comics fun!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Reading Room: STRANGE STORIES OF SUSPENSE "Uncle Ed and the Men from Space"

Telling stories about monsters from outer space is common around Halloween...
...just ask Orson Welles!
But when real aliens show up, things aren't quite what they seem...
A simple little tale from Atlas' Strange Stories of Suspense #5 (which was the first issue of the title)
Oddly, the GCD lists "Bill LaCava" as the artist, but the work is clearly John Forte (whose signature is at the bottom of the first panel!)
Forte is best known for his work at DC Comics including long stints on Superman Family series, particuarly Tales of the Bizzaro World and Legion of Super-Heroes.
The writer is unknown.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Reading Room: AMAZING ADVENTURES "Red Hills of Uganda"

Remember the scary-cool giant-ant movie THEM!?
This never-reprinted tale from Ziff-Davis' Amazing Adventures #5 (1951) predates it by three years!
While the writer is unknown, the art is by Ray Bailey, a long-time newspaper strip and comic book artist with a long string of sci-fi credits including Tom Corbett: Space Cadet, Bruce Gentry, and UNDERSEA Agent.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Reading Room: BRANT CRAIG "Legion of the Dead"

"In space, no one can hear you scream..."
...with a story of interplanetary terror that would frighten even the toughest hard-boiled dick in the galaxy.
This never-reprinted story from Youthful's Captain Science #4 (1951) was the only one with an overt "horror" theme added into the already-cross genre series, and was probably illustrated by Bill Molno.
The writer is unknown.
This completes our run of the never-reprinted adventures of space sleuth Brant Craig.
You can read all of them by clicking HERE.