Reading Room FLYING SAUCERS "Spawn of Terror"

Was Erich Von Däniken the first to tie flying saucers to ancient civilizations?

Nope!

The idea of aliens visiting us in ancient times had been popular for as long as fantasy and science fiction have been around.

Thursday:

First Contact!

Inspired by the flying saucer craze of the late 1940s-early 1950s, this 1950 Wally Wood-illustrated book was one of many one-shot titles from Avon Comics during their short, but prolific existence.

Another one-shot (though it probably wasn't intended to be such), was Fawcett's Vic Torry and His Flying Saucer (1950).

Flying saucers also popped-up in almost every already-running comic book from funny animals to mysteries.

They even appeared in Charlton's Cowboy Western Comics, which changed it's name for a year to Space Western Comics to play up the connection!

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Life and Legend of Wallace Wood

Volume One

and

Life and Legend of Wallace Wood

Volume Two

Reading Room FANTASTIC COMICS "Space Smith and the Leopard Women of Venus"

Weird we have two stories featuring both the planet Venus and evil women two days in a row, eh?

BTW, if you want to understand what's going on, read HERE and HERE before continuing.

Some call Fletcher Hanks the "Ed Wood of comics", but there's no mistaking the sheer imagination behind the primitive art.

When comic books featuring new material (they were initially comic strip reprints) first appeared in the late 1930s, it was an "anything goes" market as publishers would run whatever they could lay their hands on from comic strip and pulp magazine professionals as well as talented (read "cheap") amateurs.

Some, like Siegel & Shuster, Simon & Kirby, and Finger & Kane created what would become American icons.

Others. like Hanks, were like mayflies, briefly appearing...then disappearing, leaving little behind.

Even comics geeks had forgotten about Hanks' material, which sat un-reprinted for over half a century, until Fantagraphics produced a couple of books collecting his work from the various anthology titles it appeared in!

We're now running the entire Space Smith series every Monday, including Hanks' work and the later, more conventional tales by others (including a few surprise contributors).

Watch for them...

Support Atomic Kommie Comics

Visit Amazon and Buy..

I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets!

by

Fletcher Hanks

Reading Room WEIRD THRILLERS "SandFlower of Venus"

Alien worlds have potentially-lethal animals and plants...

...but the most dangerous creature in the Universe is...Man!

I take it back.

The most dangerous creature in the Universe is Woman!

This never-reprinted tale from Ziff-Davis' Weird Thrillers #1 (1951) was probably illustrated by a round-robin of Dan & Sy Barry, Murphy Anderson, and Frank Giacoia.

The writer is unknown.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit

The Future WAS Fantastic!

Comics Collectibles Store!

The First Korean War Comic...Published a YEAR Before the War Began!

We brought you the comics tale that predicted the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor...

...half a year before the attack!

Now, we bring you the first Korean War comic story...

...a full year before the war broke out!

Are we amazing, or what?

Friday Fun REX DEXTER "Radium Creatures of Capris"

Starting with Fox's Mystery Men #2 (1939), the legendary Lou Fine did a pair of covers...

...featuring a Rex Dexter almost totally-different from the Dick Briefer character inside the book and in situations that had no relation to the story in that issue!

But they were really kool, eye-catching pieces!

When Rex received his own one-shot title, Briefer adapted the garb Fine had designed...

...but with his own distinctive touches!

Now, on with the story!

The use of Earth-based magnetism to propel and recover un-powered spacecraft is a rather unique touch that Briefer seems to have come up with on the spur of the moment.

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Comics About Cartoonists

Stories About the World's Oddest Profession