Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder LOST WORLD "Among Us Walks...a Traitor!"

...Spoiler...the guy in the blue robe is the traitor!
(Guess the shadow gives him away...)

Bet you thought "Juggernaut" was just the name of an iconic Marvel super-villain!
In the14th century, Franciscan missionary Friar Odoric brought to Europe the story of an enormous carriage that carried an image of the Hindu god Vishnu (whose title was Jagannath, literally, "lord of the world") through the streets of India in religious processions.
Odoric reported that some worshippers deliberately allowed themselves to be crushed beneath the vehicle's wheels as a sacrifice to Vishnu.
That story was probably an exaggeration (or misinterpretation) of actual events, but it spread throughout Europe anyway.
By the 19th century, Europeans were using "juggernaut" to refer to any massive vehicle or any other enormous entity with powerful crushing capabilities!
Though it's often been used, along with "blitzkrieg", in historical texts and pop culture to describe the Nazi army's tactics during World War II, it is not a German word!
(But it sure sounds like should be...)
Who says comics ain't educational?
Discover MORE Amazing Factoids...
Next Wednesday!
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Order...

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Jealousy on Kano"

One of comics legend Bernie Krigstein's few non-EC art jobs...
...which was probably unused material that Charlton purchased when they bought out some of Ziff-Davis' inventory when the company closed their comics division in 1953.
Note Panel 3 from the last page.
Though there's a ZZZAAAAB! sound effect, and Dr Lexikon slumps over, there's no ray from the gun or impact on his body.
This was not an uncommon edit on material produced before the Comics Code went into effect, but published after companies complied with its' rules.
Though not explicitly-stated in the very generic regulations, one request the Code made to publishers was to not show a gun or bow being fired and the victim of the shot in the same panel.
This was relaxed a couple of years later for ray guns or other fantasy weapons, but not for bows, crossbows, guns, or other realistic weapons.
The rule of thumb was, if a kid could imitate it using a real weapon, don't show it.
From Charlton's Space Adventures #16 (1955), it has the same look as Kreigstein's Ziff-Davis SpaceBusters or Space Patrol material from the early 1950s, not his much tighter and more-detailed EC work!
It's also his only artwork published by Charlton.
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!

Monday, January 25, 2021

Monday Madness THE STAND: NIGHT HAS COME "Finale & Epilogue"

...the Dark Man (Randall Flagg) has been destroyed.
Stu and Frannie's baby, Peter, is born...with the disease, but quickly recovers!
Is The Stand 2 Coming?
Only Stephen King knows...
BTW, the Epilogue is only in the extended/expanded edition, not the original published text!
Behind-the-scenes info from the comics mini-series creatives!

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics!
Visit Amazon and Order...
collecting all six miniseries and the SketchBook plus an exclusive Companion in one huge HTF and OOP two-volume slipcased set!

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Do You Want a KOOL NEW PPE Face-Mask?

We're still going to need face masks, ...at least for awhile!

Each double-layer mask is reusable, washable, and built for comfort.
Every one-size-fits-all adult or kid mask features a pocket for optional filter use...and comes with two free carbon filters!
PLUS: these are exclusive designs, not available anywhere else on-line or in brick-and-mortar stores!
(Even Amazon doesn't have them!)
Click
to see them all!

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Space Force Saturdays SPACE SQUADRON & SPEED CARTER: SPACEMAN "Famous Explorers of Space" Part 3

Both Atlas' Space Squadron and Speed Carter: SpaceMan had "future history" features...
...covering from the then-present (1950s) to the future (early 2000s) as this tale about the first manned ICBM in 1961 (yes, 1961) demonstrates!
The writer of this tale from Atlas' Space Squadron #3 (1951) is unknown, but the artist is Werner Roth.
The Famous Explorers of Space feature ran in all five issues of Space Squadron and the single issue of Space Worlds that used up material left homeless when Space Squadron was cancelled.
When Speed Carter: SpaceMan came along a couple of years later, writer Hank Chapman ignored everything done in Space Squadron, producing stories that often contradicted "history" established in the earlier series...
In 2004, we reached Venus and Mercury!
Then, in 2007, men reached another planet...
You do remember this stuff, don't you?
It was only a few years ago!
Didn't quite work out that way, did it? 
Damn!
This story from Speed Carter: SpaceMan #3 (1953) references the previous Famous Explorers tales in its' first paragraph, mentioning the explorations of Venus and Mercury.
Written by Hank Chapman, and illustrated by Al Eadeh.
Note: the astronauts in this story, which takes place three generations in the "past" of Speed Carter, have different uniforms and lower-end technology than what's shown in the Speed Carter tales.
Space Squadron also presented "future history tales" about the guy who was young, hotshot Jet Dixon's crusty Commander-in-Chief when he was a young hotshot pilot...
...rocketing thru the Solar System in the 1970s!
(Yes, I said 1970s!)
While the writer for this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Space Squadron #3 (1951) is unknown, the artist should be familiar to Speed Carter: SpaceMan fans...Joe ManeelySpeed's designer/co-creator and primary illustrator for the first half of his run!
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Order...
(under the pen-name "Paul French") 
Omnibus of ALL Six Space-Opera Sagas!
David Starr: Space Ranger, Pirates of the Asteroids, Oceans of Venus, Big Sun of Mercury, Moons of Jupiter, Rings of Saturn