Reading Room MYSTICAL TALES "Lair of the Thunder Lizard!"

Bernie Krigstein was one of the most under-appreciated artists of the 1950s...

...and this kool tale he illustrated just begged to be unearthed for the first time in almost 70 years!

Scripted by Carl Wessler and rendered by Bernie Krigstein, this never-reprinted piece from Atlas' Mystical Tales #8 (1957) is a low-key character study enhanced by Krigstein's naturalistic art.

Bernie was already phasing out of comics and into mainstream commercial art (including book and magazine illustration).

This tale was one of his last stories before leaving the comics field altogether.

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Messages in a Bottle

Comic Book Stories by B Krigstein

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder SILVER SURFER: THE ULTIMATE COSMIC EXPERIENCE Part 6

We Have Already Seen...

...actually, we haven't seen this, since it's an unused pencil page by Jack (King) Kirby from the sequence you're about to read.

Galactus' creation, Ardina, attempts to sway the Silver Surfer from defending Earth (and humanity) against the Planet Devourer.

But, if anything, she strengthens his resolve and he attempts to break through the barrier Galactus has placed around Earth to once more do battle with the towering alien!

However, the force field is too strong, and the Skyrider of the Spaceways plummets, drained, back to the planet's surface...

Who has saved the Surfer...and why?

Find out next Wednesday as we present the thrilling conclusion!

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Silver Surfer

The Ultimate Cosmic Experience

by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Holiday Reading Room: EVERY DAY IS A HOLLY DAY: "Independence Day"

From 1956, here's a never-reprinted tale from a unique comic...

...produced to promote, of all things, sugar!

Why is the Brevity, Inc comic entitled "Every Day is a Holly Day" instead of "Every Day is a Holiday"?

Because it was given away to kids by grocers who sold Holly Sugar!

Illustrated by John Rosenberger, it's a unique pamphlet covering a number of American holidays, including both Lincoln and Washington's Birthdays (before they were combined into "Presidents' Day"), Mothers' Day (though not Fathers' Day), Flag Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, and a couple of holidays we've largely abandoned...Pan-American Day and American Indian Day!

We'll be presenting the other chapters on the dates they fall upon.

Watch for them!

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Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-First Century

by

Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons

Monday Mars Madness MARS ATTACKS "Saucers Blast Our Jets"

We Have Already Seen...

Art by Wally Wood, Bob Powell, and Norm Saunders

...the inhabitants of Mars decide to invade the Earth.
They send an armada of flying saucers who promptly destroy satellites (both manned and unmanned), then attack a military base!

but the fun's only starting...

Sadly, we never got to see our country's capitol immolated, since this was the final issue of the series!

This advertisement from the back cover is all the public ever saw of the next two issues!

The artist round-robin continued with this issue as John Hebert illustrates what turns out to be the series' swan-song!

With the similarity in art style, Hebert might have been the previous issue's "John Green", but there's no way to verify that theory!

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Mars Attacks

50th Anniversary Collection

The RetroBlog Summer Blogathon Begins with Tales of TWO Shadows!

When You Think of The Shadow...

...this is how you envision him, right?

Well, in the 1960s, Jerry (Superman) Siegel re-envisioned him for Archie Comics!

Oddly enough, this was a year before the campy Batman TV series debuted, so it wasn't done in response to the ensuing "Bat-Mania", as many today believe!

And, for heavens sake, who came up with the blue/purple and green color scheme?

Note: the first two issues of the comic...

...written by Robert Bernstein and illustrated by John Rosenberger, hewed much closer to the then-new Shadow paperback novels put out by Belmont Books which the guys who owned Archie Comics also owned (talk about "corporate synergy")...

...and put him squarely in the world of secret agents/spies popularized by James Bond books and movies!
But the book took an abrupt turnabout with the third issue, as Jerry Siegel and artist Paul Reinman took over the title for the remainder of the run!
Note: Siegel and Reinman also assumed creative duties on the entire Archie superhero line which included Adventures of the Fly/Fly-Man/Mighty Comics and Mighty Crusaders!
Join us tomorrow at...

Hero Histories

...as we begin our weekly re-presentation of these never-reprinted comic (and comical) curiosities!

But wait!

There's more!
Each week, the day after the conclusion of the 1960s Shadow story, go to...
Crime and Punishment
...to see never-reprinted tales from The Shadow's 1970s DC run!

Compare and contrast, True Believer!