Reading Room: "Premonition of Death"

Some things just can't be explained by current science...

...but that doesn't make them any less real!

Is this a lost "Kirby Klassic" from the 1950s?

When Prize Comics' Monster of Frankenstein title was revived during the horror comic boom of the early 1950s, besides a wonderfully-gruesome version of Dick Briefer's previously-humorous Monster, it featured a number of two to four page "fillers".

Most of these tales appear to be, at the very least, laid-out by Jack Kirby.

This never-reprinted story from V3N3 (1954) is a prime example.

The Grand Comics Database lists the story's illustrator as Marvin Stein, who worked primarily for the Simon & Kirby studio, so this most likely was an S&K "inventory" story laid-out by Kirby and meant for insertion wherever editorial page count came up short.

Sadly, the writer of the story is, as in so many cases, unknown...

Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Order...

Marvel Masterworks

Atlas-Era Journey into Mystery

Volume 1
Paid Link

Reading Room: SPACE ACTION "Prisoners on Solar"

Solar power is cheap and easy to access, right?

At least until someone takes control of the Sun (or a reasonable facsimile thereof)!

Considering that, even in the 1950s, we knew the Sun wouldn't die out for billions of years, you have to wonder when this story from Ace's Space Action #1 (1952) is set!

Apparently the unknown writer didn't know or didn't care, since no date is given.

But the art by Lou Cameron and Rocco Mastroserio shows technology only a couple of hundred of years ahead!

Go figure...

The Secrets of GULLIVAR JONES

Back when the ill-fated John Carter movie came out...

...we ran the never-reprinted adventures of his predecessor, Gullivar Jones: Warrior of Mars, but we indavertantly left out these kool examples of otherworldly art, like this promo piece by George Perez and Frank Giacoia from Monsters Unleashed #7 (1974)!

...or the painting by Frank Frazetta for the Ace paperback that re-introduced Gulliver/Gullivar to 1960s audiences eager for pulp high adventure!

and, last, but not least...

...George Perez's rejected splash page (page 2) for the Gullivar Jones tale that appeared in Monsters Unleashed #8 (1974).

The story ran without a splash page, probably due to tight deadlines.

Reading Room: SPEED CARTER: SPACEMAN "Kiss of Death"

We originally intended to run this story around Valentine's Day...

...but after reading the tale, you'll understand why we decided against it...

This story of futuristic male/female relations from Speed Carter: SpaceMan #6 (1954) was scripted (as were all Speed Carter tales) by Hank Chapman, and illustrated (as were all Speed Carter tales in #6) by Bob Forgione.

Reading Room BLACK MAGIC "Slaughter-House"

If you think finding employment is difficult now...

...imagine what it'd be like when your boss is an invading tentacled alien!

This tale of interstellar labor relations from Prize Comics' Black Magic #31 (1954) was illustrated by the legendary duo of Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, though who penciled what and who inked what has been disputed by aficionados.

Personally, I think Kirby penciled and Simon inked.

As to who wrote it, since both Simon & Kirby co-edited the book, it's more than likely they both scripted it.

Note: this story had never been reprinted until it's recent second publication in IDW's Haunted Horror anthology title.