Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, EVERYWHERE!

Jurassic World ain't the only movie to feature dinosaurs, y'know...
...there was One Million Years, B.C., as we showed HERE!
The dinosaur is behind Raquel Welch (like you're complaining???), and he was animated by no less a genius than sfx legend Ray Harryhausen!
For those who wanted cowboys with their dinosaur, there was Valley of Gwangi (as seen HERE), also featuring the animation work of Ray Harryhausen!
(Before CGI, Ray was the go-to guy for this sort of thing.)
And, if you like your dinosaur to be something totally-new (like the Indominus Rex in Jurassic World), there's Gorgo (as shown HERE)!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Best of Reading Room: WEIRD THRILLERS "Cycle of Time"

With the revived popularity of dinosaurs due to the new movie Jurassic World...
...we're re-presenting one of our favorite stories; a sci-fi triple-treat: time travel, aliens, and dinosaurs!
Illustrated by Murphy Anderson, who was doing quite a bit of work for ZD including the second issue of Space Busters and both issues of Lars of Mars as well as various one-shots like this one from the HTF Ziff-Davis' anthology Weird Thrillers #2 (1951)!.
We don't know who wrote this tale, but it might be series editor Jerry (Superman) Siegel.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Reading Room KIDNAPPED BY A SPACE SHIP "Part 2 - Red Menace!"

Despite the miscolored hair and clothing, this is Jean Martin and Tom Pratt on the cover.
...in the far-flung future of 1970 (Well, it was "far-flung" when this story was published in 1959!)
Tween-ager Jean Martin and her friend, Tom Pratt, are given a tour of experimental spaceship "Starlight II" by Jean's father, Colonel Martin, the ship's pilot.
The doors suddenly snap shut and the shop lifts off!
(Note: this is one time the kids didn't accidentally hit a switch or button, as usually happens in these stories!)
So why is this chapter called "Red Menace"?
Since there aren't any Communists in this tale from Treasure Chest V14N12 (1959), I'm presuming that one of the two celestial bodies they're approaching is red!
We'll see which one they land on when the story continues next Monday!
Writer Frances Crandall followed the accepted concepts of space travel postulated by scientist Wener Von Braun and, illustrated by Chesley Bonestell in various books and magazines like Conquest of Space, and popularized in numerous 1950s movies like Destination Moon and Angry Red Planet!
Artist Fran Matera was also the art director/art editor for Treasure Chest, but is best known for his long run on the Steve Roper and Mike Nomad newspaper strip.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Design of the Week: DINOSAUR!

Each week, we post a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another.
This week, we ask the question: What kid doesn't love dinosaurs?
The idea of being a huge, unstoppable creature rampaging, devouring, and stepping on everything and everybody in your path has an undeniable appeal to little ones, who usually feel helpless in a world too big for them! (Why do you think the new Jurassic World flick had such a great opening day or that Godzilla is still going strong after 50 years?)
This week we say...
Dinosaurs!
Once they ruled the planet!
Now they'll dominate your wardrobe!

Snap them up...before they snap you up!