Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Reading Room ADVENTURE COMICS "These are the Star Men"

Here's a never-reprinted space opera saga from a surprising Bronze Age source...
...a cautionary tale about taking what's not yours!

The Bronze Age run of DC's Adventure Comics began by moving the long-running Legion of Super-Heroes feature to back-up Action Comics, while Action's back-up Supergirl, was moved to take over Adventure.

When Adventure's page count (along with all DC titles) went up as the line's price increased from 15 to 25 cents in 1971, the book featured a variety of back-ups including Zatanna, classic Supergirl reprints, and inventory sci-fi tales by noted artists.
This particular one is from Adventure Comics #420 (1972), written and pencilled by Howard Purcell, an artist/writer whose work on over 600 stories and covers spanned the Golden and Silver Ages, and inked by George Roussos.
My impression is that this was a "pilot" for an ongoing These are the Star Men anthology strip, since the title really doesn't relate to the particular story, and the opening caption states "This is Con Rikon's story...", indicating it would be one of many such tales.

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Monday, July 26, 2021

Monday Mars Madness ATTACK ON PLANET MARS "Chapter Four: Attack on Mars"

It's time for the fateful finale...
Art by Gene Fawcette
In the year 2430, Tarrano, an Earthman, has seized control of both the planet Venus and its outpost on Earth, Venia.
To that outpost, the tyrant has kidnapped Elza and Georg, children of the recently-murdered scientist, Dr Brende, along with reporter Jac Hallen.
While Tarrano plots his upcoming conquest of Earth and Mars, Georg and the captive Venusian princess Maida escape, and then aid Earth's government in planning a pre-emptive attack on Venia.
Meanwhile, back with the captive Jac and Elza...
Based on the novel Tarrano the Conqueror by Ray Cummings, this final chapter of the 1951 comic adaptation was penciled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Vince Alascia.
The writer of the adaptation is unknown.
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Sunday, July 25, 2021

You Think You Know All About the Newest Marvel Cinematic Universe Hero?

With the new Marvel movie...

opening September 3rd, we thought we'd show you the never-reprinted first "revamping" of the character who was created during the Kung-Fu craze of the 1970s.
While it's not as extreme as what the movie's doing, it was considered surprising and controversial at the time!

Begin the adventure unseen for over 40 years on Monday at...

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Space Force Saturdays SPACE WORLDS "Midnight Horror"

Our final story from Space Squadron/Space Worlds features yet another scheme by Edgar Revere...
....the strip's resident cowardly Baltar/Dr Smith-type and son of esteemed Space Squadron commander Blast Revere!
Ignore the fact that outer space itself is a vacuum, so the Earth couldn't leave a "vacuum trail", and the story's quite entertaining!
Sadly, Edgar never received his just desserts in the strip.
Illustrated by Allen Bellman, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Space Worlds #6 (1952) was the final adventure of the Space Squadron before they jetted off into publishing limbo.
Next week: we've run out of stories from Speed Carter: SpaceMan and Space Squadron, but there's still a gallery of kool covers from both series that you'll see next week, along with info about what will follow in the Saturday posting slot!

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Friday, July 23, 2021

Friday Fun / CoronaVirus Comics NEW YORKER "Self-Isolating"

...who, like most comic book/strip professionals, creates, undisturbed by others, in his own studio/office.
Besides his other work, he's been a steady contributor to The New Yorker, including covers and editorial cartoons during the pandemic like the one above from the March 30, 2020 issue!
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