Saturday, April 30, 2022

Space Hero Saturdays SPACEHAWK "Martian Election Mayhem"

If you think elections on Earth are hotly-contested...
...wait'll you see how things are handled on the red planet, Mars (which, strangely, is colored green!)

This action-packed tale of electoral mayhem from Novelty's Target Comics #9 (1940) was written, illustrated, and lettered by the one-and-only Basil Wolverton.
The sheer unfettered imagination of the man was astounding, creating vistas and aliens far beyond anything the technology of moviemaking at the time (except for animation) could match.
With the current fascination for high adventure and fantasy, SpaceHawk would be an ideal project for either theatrical or streaming video...and I'm surprised no one is doing it!

Friday, April 29, 2022

Friday Fun CRAZY "Bull Thrower"

For all those who requested...nay, demanded...we post a comic story about bullfighting...
...well, your needs have been answered with this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' Crazy V1N3 (1953)
If the writer ain't Stan Lee, the script reads enough like him (even though his signature doesn't appear on the splash panel) that it's probably a "Stan the Man" editorial revision of someone else's story!
The art is by Al Hartley, who did sign the splash panel.
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Sincerest Form of Parody

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Reading Room SPACE ACTION "Dangerous Migration of the Baalites"

Where did they come up with some of these weird titles?
Perhaps this never-reprinted tale from Ace's Space Action #2 (1952) will clear up some of the mystery...

The "migration" is a minor plot point.
Personally, I would've gone with something like "The Outlaw Who Saved the Earth" or "Seek Treasure, Find Death!"
But that's just me.
Art is by Bill Molono, the writer is unknown!
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Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder ADVENTURERS' CLUB " 'Scortch' Jordan's Tommy Gun"

The first ongoing feature during Adventure Comics' short-lived 1970s return to an anthology format...
...was this strip with a Boris Karloff-lookalike host.
It's unclear whether writer John Albano (who had been scripting Supergirl until it left Adventure) or Adventure Comics editor Joe Orlando conceived the series.
This never-reprinted tale from DC's Adventure Comics #426 (1973) clearly shows the "ghost" to be of non-supernatural origin, but later stories lean towards supernatural elements.
When The Spectre was reintroduced in Adventure, for a memorable run by Michael Fleisher and Jim Aparo, the cover title (though not indicia) became Weird Adventure Comics.
I mentioned the visual of the host, Nelson Strong, was "Karloff-esque".
Here's Karloff from his one-season 1950s tv series Colonel March of Scotland Yard.
Does he look like the visual inspiration for Nelson Strong?
I'd be willing to bet on it...

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Reading Room STRANGE WORLDS "Octopus-Kings of the Lost Planet"

Sometimes the cover of a comic doesn't match the contents...
...until you look closer!
While there is no comic tale called "Octopus Kings of the Lost Planet" in Strange Worlds #2 (1951), there is a text story...
Written by "W Malcolm White", a name that only appears in three text stories in Avon Comics, so its safe to state that it's a pen-name.
The illustrators for the cover and interior spot illustrations are unknown.
Regrettably, the files and records of Avon Comics are long gone, so we'll probably never know.
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