Tom Wolfe (1931-2018) and Doctor Strange

The late "New Journalism" pioneer Tom Wolfe referenced Marvel's Doctor Strange in...

...a non-fiction book about the cross-country adventures of Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters in passages like

“Kesey is young, serene and his face is lineless and round and smooth as a baby’s as he sits for hours on end reading comic books, absorbed in the plunging purple Steve Ditko shadows of Doctor Strange.”

(BTW, dig that psychedelic cover by graphic design legend Milton Glaser!)

Several years later, writer Roy Thomas (a former English teacher and big fan of Wolfe), penciler Gene Colan and inker Tom Palmer returned the favor in Doctor Strange #180 (1969)...

You can read the whole story HERE.

Strange's "...an old friend of mine...haven't seen him since '64..." line is a reference to the year Electric Kool Aid Acid Test was published.

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Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
by Tom Wolfe

Monday Madness FANTASTIC COMICS "Space Smith and the Floating Island in the Lost Sun"

One of the truly difficult things on this blog...

...is coming up with titles for Fletcher Hanks' untitled stories!

How do you convey some of the really weird goings-on?

This Space Smith tale from Fox's Fantastic Comics #5 could've had several different titles including "The Hopping Men of the Floating Island!" or "The Hopping Men of the Lost Sun!"!
We decided on the title based on the two weird locations shown in the story.
But, like most of Fletcher Hank's stories, there's so much going on that it's hard to pin down one ot two aspects.
Best to just go along for the ride and enjoy!

BTW, you'll note we've modified the header to read "Monday Madness".
Since Monday is the beginning of the workweek/schoolweek for most of you, we felt we should dedicate our Monday entries to the weird or humorous to lighten your mood.
So, when Space Smith winds up, we'll run something equally funky or funny to entertain you and make the beginning of the week less dreary!

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I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets!

by

Fletcher Hanks

Holiday Reading Room "Mothers Day"

Ever wonder why Mother's Day is when it is...or even why it is?

Oddly, there's no entry in this comic for Father's Day!

(Perhaps because Father's Day wasn't made an official American holiday until 1972, decades after this comic was published in 1956!)

Why is this 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"), Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor 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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Cartoon History of the United States

Holiday Reading Room "American Indian Day"

Want to bet Don the John ignores this long-standing holiday?

A somewhat sanitized version of history, but it's well-intentioned.
Also note it points out "Who could blame the Indians for fighting desperately to keep their homes and hunting grounds?", disputing the still-popular concept of Manifest Destiny which goes hand-in-hand with American Exceptionalism!
Why is this 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, Independence Day, Labor 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!

Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics

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Cartoon History of the United States

Friday Fun REX DEXTER "Meets Lord Marvel"

Regular Friday Fun readers might note a couple of changes in Rex Dexter as of this story...

...from Fox's Mystery Men Comics #4 (1939) read on and see if you can find them!

Here's the two major changes...

1) the title drops "...of Mars here on Earth-2000 AD" for "...Interplanetary Adventurer".

Not a major change in itself, except the opening paragraph also says "In 1939..." then concludes with "...A century later...", moving the series several decades later from 2000 to 2039-2040, where it remains for the rest of the series!

Why?

I have no idea!

2) Rex and Cynde adapt the costumes designed by Lou Fine for the cover of Mystery Men Comics #2...

...which they'll continue to use, on and off, for the remainder of the series!

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