Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Reading Room VLAD THE IMPALER "I am Dracula" Conclusion

Having avenged the murders of his father and older brother at the hand of his uncle, young Vlad Dracula holds a celebration of his victory...
You thought George RR Martin was being innovative with Game of Thrones' "Red Wedding"?
Vlad did it first!
The conclusion of Topps' Vlad the Impaler #1 (1993) was brought to you by writer Roy Thomas and illustrator Esteban Maroto, who, unhindered by the Comics Code Authority, got a chance to cut loose in a way the Marvel Comics version had been unable to do, even in b/w magazines!

Monday, October 13, 2014

Reading Room VLAD THE IMPALER "I am Dracula" Part 2

We hope you went to see...
...this past weekend, so you can compare its' version of Dracula's "origin" to this one.
When last we left our future Lord of Vampires, he and his family were beginning a diplomatic journey to visit their Moslem overlords...
Written by Roy Thomas, illustrated by Estaban Maroto.
BTW, for other comic book versions of the legendary vampire, check out...
and

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Halloween Goodies for Young (and Young-At-Heart)!

We at Atomic Kommie Comics™ have told you about our Horror Comics of the 1950s™ and Seduction of the Innocent™ sections, PLUS the Martians, Martians, Martians™ category of The Future WAS Fantastic™, all of which have kool retro horror-oriented goodies year-round for the older kids.But what about something Halloween-themed for the younger crowd, the tweens and pre-teens, the toddlers and babies?
Well, never let it be said we ignored a target demographic!
We have a kool Haunted Halloween collection specifically-for those little ones who want a slightly-scary take on the spectral and spooky, as well as one for the 7-13 category who want a bit more meat on the bone (as it were).
We're offering Yard Signs and Banners, plus; invitation cards, and greeting cards!
Note to the older crowd, sorry, but the shirts 'n stuff are kid-sized only!
Have a look and order now, before the late-October rush!

Saturday, October 11, 2014

I Love Zombies!

ZOMBIES!
Call them the undead, the unliving, reanimated corpses, or even the ultimate carnivores, zombies are HOT, HOT, HOT!
With The Walking Dead returning to tv screens tomorrow, zombies have never been more popular!
But it, as well as all the other films and tv series currently featuring zombies owe a debt to the visual depictions of the shambling undead from the horror pulps and comics of the Golden Age (1930s-1950s)!
Like video games today, those periodicals were deemed so harmful to the psyches of impressionable youths that the government held hearings about possibly banning them altogether! 
The comics industry barely survived, but ended up toning down horror comics to a mere shadow of their blood-dripping selves, only recently, in the 1990s,  returning in all their gruesome glory!
Even with modern technology, today's zombie flix are hard pressed to match these classic comics for visceral visual thrills.
So, it's with pardonable pride that Atomic Kommie Comics™ re-presents some of the creepiest and koolest covers from those bygone days, digitally-restored and remastered, on a line of collectibles including mugs, hoodies, iPad/Kindle/messenger bags, and a 2015 12-month calendar!
If you're looking for a birthday or holiday present for a fan of the life-impaired (or a Halloween treat for yourself), why not combine one of our kool kollectibles with one of the books or DVDs available on-line or at brick-and-mortar stores?
(We'd provide links, except Amazon cut us as an affiliate due to our home state forcing tax collection for Internet sales)

Friday, October 10, 2014

Reading Room VLAD THE IMPALER "I am Dracula" Part 1

Dracula Untold, opening today, tells one version of how Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, went from "Impaler" to vampire...
...this mini-series, not seen for almost two decades, tells another version...
Roy Thomas' penchant for combining history and fiction served him well, using many rarely-told facts (such as Vlad's being a middle child with two brothers) and emphasizing the Christian/Moslem (Muslim) conflict that tore Europe apart in the 15th Century, to create drama and conflict within the story.
Of course, the always-superb storytelling and rendering of Esteban Maroto certainly didn't hurt, either.
Topps' Vlad the Impaler #1 (1992) came out shortly after the company released a mini-series adapting the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula, featuring art by the movie's production designer and noted comic artist Mike (Hellboy) Mignola.
Vlad was reprinted in 1995 as The Dracula Chronicles when Marvel went on a vampire binge with their Midnight Sons line including NightStalkers, Morbius, a new Blade mini-series as well as one-shot reprints of all of Dracula's previous crossovers with the X-Men, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, and Dr Strange, among others.
BTW, for other comic book versions of the legendary vampire, check out...
and