Monday, December 26, 2022

Russkie Savers SPACE ADVENTURES "Captain Atom: 2nd Man in Space"

Putin didn't take a holiday over Christmas, continuing to attack Ukrainian targets...

...but we Americans are far more benevolent than the ex-KGB putz and his allies!
So, in the spirit of the season...
This tale from Charlton's Space Adventures V3N34 (1960) was published almost a year before the USSR's Yuri Gargarin became the first man in space on April 12, 1961.
Note: Not to minimize the achievement, but Gargarin made only one orbit before returning to Earth.
But the fact the Soviets had put both the first satellite (Sputnik) and the first man into space made America all the more determined to beat them to the Moon...which we did!
BTW, the "vaccine" in this tale written by Joe Gill and illustrated by Steve Ditko is total hogwash.
No drug would've counteracted the effects of acceleration on a human body!
Next Week:
No More "Mr Nice Guy!"
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Monday, December 19, 2022

What If Don da Con Actually WAS a SuperHero?

We interrupt our Christmas-themed blogathon to bring you...

...an early (or late, depending on your chronological point of view) April Fool's Day presentation!
Our resident disgraced, twice-impeached ex-President presented a line of NFT "trading cards" featuring himself as (among others) a super-hero, a cowboy, and and astronaut...sort of a six-year old's wish list of future careers!
But we couldn't help wondering...Did Donald Trump, born in 1946, read comics when he was a kid?

And, if so, which hero did he dream of being?
Superman?
No, despite being one of the single mightiest beings in the universe, Superman's stories required logical thinking to enjoy, and we've seen Donnie's not big on that, even now.
Captain America?
Certainly patriotic, but not powerful enough.
Donnie thinks BIG!
So there's only one character he might have read, and whose adventures are wish-fulfillment without having to think about how it works, much like how Don the Con ran the country from 207 to 2021.
Read the following, and compare the story (and captions) to Trump's descriptions of himself and how he'd be as President...
Written and illustrated by Fletcher Hanks, this surreal intro from Fox's Fantastic Comics #1 (1939) has little logic or even sanity in it's tale of almost-magical justice, much like Don the Con's own explanations of how he would deal with real-world problems.

Monday, December 12, 2022

Holiday Reading Room WITHIN OUR REACH "Spider-Man in 'A Wolf at the Door' "

Here's a never-reprinted Yuletide classic starring the ol' Web-Head that very few of you have ever seen...

...since it didn't appear in a Marvel comic!
Plotted by David Ross, scripted by Roy and Dann Thomas, and illustrated by by Jeff (Green Hornet) Butler with assists by Gary Kato, this tale appeared in Star*Reach's Within Our Reach (1991), a Christmas charity benefit book with proceeds going equally to AmFAR and Sempervirens.
The cover was by Norm (Batman) Breyfogle, the only time, AFAIK, he's ever professionally-illustrated Spidey!
The book was also Star*Reach Publishing's final project under their own imprint.

Monday, December 5, 2022

Holiday Reading Room GREEN LAMA "Turn of the Scrooge"

How does a Buddhist clergyman celebrate Christmas?
Why not sit back with a cup of hot cocoa and find out?
This story from Spark Publications' Green Lama #7 (1946) was scripted by Green Lama creator Kendell Foster Crossen and illustrated by Mac Raboy, using Craftint paper stock to create the line effects.
If the effect looks familiar, it's because a number of artists including Wally Wood, Al Williamson and Reed Crandall used it extensively on their work for EC Comics' Weird ScienceWeird Fantasy, and Weird Science-Fantasy.
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Monday, November 28, 2022

Russkie-Smashers BLUE BEETLE "Last Chance!"

Another costumed Russkie-Smasher takes the battle against evil to the vacuum of deep space...
...just as Blackhawk, Captain Atom, and Spurs Jackson and His Space Vigilantes did!
This never-reprinted tale from Charlton's Blue Beetle #20 (1955) was part of the first batch of new stories about the character after several issues of reprints from the original Fox Comics run.
Penciler Ted Galindo, inker Ray Osrin, and an unknown writer treated the character as a less-powerful Superman, with most of the Man of Steel's powers and relationships transposed to Dan Garret/Blue Beetle and his supporting cast!
Note: for December, we're taking a break from Russkie-Smashing to do Yuletide tales featuring superheroes!
The Russkie-Smashing will resume after the New Year!
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Monday, November 21, 2022

Russkie-Smashers SUB-MARINER "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie"

Despite the fact the US government tended to blame him for Russkie actions as shown HERE...

...Prince Namor kept trying to show he was one of the "good guys"!
Namor's creator, Bill Everett, wrote and illustrated this tale from Atlas' Sub-Mariner #33 (1954) which shows the Avenging Son at his snarky best!
Next week, we return to our rotating cast of Russkie-smashers, and you'll have to be here to see who it is!

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