Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Reading Room GREEN GIANT COMICS "Fear the Wrath of...The Researcher!"

Next to "The Listener" (DC), "The Witness", or "The Watcher" (both Marvel), probably the least frightening name for a comic hero is...
...however, this guy could make the name synonymous with "action hero"!
“Criminals are a cowardly superstitious lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts.”
As if in answer, a book falls from a nearby shelf.
“A book!
That’s it!
It’s an omen…I shall become a RESEARCHER!”
And thus is born this weird figure of the library…this avenger of evil!
The Researcher!"
(Actually, that never happened, it's just a rephrasing of The Batman's origin from Batman V1N1 (1940)!)
Who is The Researcher?
We never learn his real name.
Everyone calls him "Researcher"...even his girlfriend.
Where did he get the money for his kool weaponry and equipment?
Is he independently-wealthy or does he bill clients?
He hob-nobs with the upper crust, including diplomats, politicians and rich businessmen.
Did he start out as a librarian?
Many are the mysteries surrounding...The Researcher!
Unfortunately, this short strip from Pelican's Green Giant Comics #1 (1940) was his only appearance anywhere!
Pity, since he has a lot of potential.
Frank Thomas, the writer/artist behind this strip created a number of detective-themed characters in the Golden Age including The EyeThe Owl, and Dr Hypno.

Monday, April 8, 2024

Monday Moon Madness BLACK CAT COMICS "Legend of the Sun Eclipse"

Why are we calling this entry "Monday MOON Madness" when the story's title has "Sun Eclipse" in it?
What do you think causes the eclipse?
THE MOON!
Marv Levy wrote and illustrated this never-reprinted tale from Harvey's Black Cat Comics #9 (1948) which combines both Greek and Norse mythology!
Remember:
Don't Look Directly at the Eclipse Without Special Glasses!

Sunday, April 7, 2024

It's National Library Week!

Whether it is print or audio...
...text and/or graphic...
...e-book or hardcopy...
...Celebrate Reading!
Enjoy a Book (or Two) This Week!

Saturday, April 6, 2024

Space Hero Saturdays SPACE MOUSE II "Secret Weapon"

Space Heroes take many forms...not all of them human!

 ...as shown in this never-reprinted introductory tale from Dell's Four Color Comics: Space Mouse #1132 (1960).

Writer Carl Fallberg and artist John Carey did such an amazing job on this intro to the character, that when it was adapted in 1963 into a cartoon short (May be NSFW/NSFS due to racial stereotyping of Siamese cats using "Asian" accents) directed by Alex Lovy shown HERE, most (but not all) of the plot, script, and visuals were kept intact!
Though the cartoon didn't result in a Space Mouse TV series (or even additional cartoon shorts featuring the character), it did spawn a number of additional comic book stories as well as a five-issue Space Mouse comic!
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Woody Woodpecker and Friends
Volume 2
(Which has the Space Mouse "Secret Weapon" cartoon!)
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Friday, April 5, 2024

Friday Fun with SPACE MOUSE II!

He's not this rodent...
...whose strip ran through several Avon Comics funny animal titles in the early 1950s!
In 1959, a year after Avon ceased publishing comics, Dell Comics introduced a new Space Mouse...
...who was published as a Walter (Woody Woodpecker) Lantz project, though Lantz had no input into the character's creation or direction!
Note: In many cases, I'm skeptical of the accuracy of Wikipedia articles, the one about this character (click HERE) rings true, so, unless anyone can disprove it, I'm sticking with it!
Movie-tv animator/comic book artist John Carey designed the character and illustrated almost all his appearances including covers, stories, and one-page features and text pieces!
Along with the cover shown above, here's a few examples of Carey's work from Space Mouse's premiere in Dell's Four Color Comics: Space Mouse #1132 (1960)...

The b/w pages are from the inside covers of the comic, which were printed without color (or just black and one other color) to save money...a standard practice in comics until the 1970s.
Ironically, the last page would've benefitted from using color to play up the bulls-eye/target joke!
Tomorrow in
Space Hero Saturdays...
The Introductory Comic Story!
Plus
A Link to the Animated Version
(which is not available on YouTube!)
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Buy...
Woody Woodpecker and Friends
Volume 2

(Which has the Space Mouse "Secret Weapon" cartoon!)
Paid Link