Friday, March 6, 2015

Reading Room: VIC TORRY AND HIS FLYING SAUCER "Catastrophe!"

Ace test pilot Victor Torry and his aviation-enthusiast girlfriend Laura are bequeathed a flying saucer by a dying alien.
Operating on automatic pilot, the spacecraft returns to it's home on Mercury, where they discover a civil war under way against the tyrant Szzz, who has plans to conquer the entire solar system!
Vic and Laura manage to commandeer another ship, override the controls and leave.
But now, they are returning to Mercury...
Art by Golden Age great Bob Powell.

The tale has been reprinted twice, in Vic Torry & His Flying Saucer (2000) and
Mr Monster's Hi-Voltage Super-Science (1987)
Vic himself appears in a cameo in the SkyWolf back-up story "Bachelor Party" in AirBoy #36 (1986)

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Reading Room: VIC TORRY AND HIS FLYING SAUCER "Evil of Szzz"

Ace test pilot Victor Torry and his aviation-enthusiast girlfriend Laura are testing a new jet when they encounter a flying saucer!
They pursue it and, when it lands in the desert, they also land, then go aboard the alien ship where they meet an elderly alien.
Unable to return to Mercury (his home world) in time to regenerate, he bequeaths the spacecraft to Vic and Laura, then disintegrates.
Exploring the ship, they accidentally activate the propulsion system and the ship, operating on automatic pilot returns to Mercury, with them aboard.
It lands, and a group of Mercurians greet the ship.
They are not pleased to see Earthlings instead of one of their own exiting the ship...
Script by Roy Ald, who also edited Fawcett's Captain Video!
Art by Golden Age great Bob Powell.
Be here tomorrow for the final chapter of Vic Torry!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Reading Room: VIC TORRY AND HIS FLYING SAUCER "Captive Planet"

One of the weirdest one-shot comics ever...
...art by Golden Age great Bob Powell!
We'll come back to Vic and Laura tomorrow...
Published in 1950 during the flying saucer craze caused by UFO sightings at Roswell in 1947, Vic Torry and His Flying Saucer was probably going to be an ongoing series, but never got past the first issue.
I have that impression because this issue is primarily an intro, detailing how Vic came into possession of the alien ship, as well as setting up an ongoing antagonistic situation with at least one extraterestrial race.
It's possible that the comic was intended as a lead-in to a toy line which never developed.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Visit Our Other RetroBlogs: Hero Histories

From the Golden Age of Comics...
...to the Bronze Age...
...with occasional stops in the Silver Age...
...we cover the comic book characters you may have never seen before, and, if it wasn't for us, would never see again!

Monday, March 2, 2015

Visit Our Other RetroBlogs: Crime & Punishment

Whether it's the Greatest Sleuth of All and His Redoubtable Companion...
...real-life crime tales...
...occult investigators...
...or the story of a guy walking a beat...
...you'll find the never-reprinted best of comics from the Golden, Silver, and even Bronze Ages here!