Monday, January 26, 2026

Russkie Smashers HUMAN TORCH COMICS "Rekindling the Flame of Confidence!"

Besides Catching (and Sometimes French-Frying) Russkie Spies...

...the Human Torch and his teen partner Toro occasionally have to render aid to the American military in other. somewhat more unique, ways!





The Human Torch displays a power/ability in this story by writer Hank Chapman, penciler Dick Ayers, and inker Ernie Bache that he never used before...the ability to move at super-speed, thus appearing invisible to the naked eye!
Maybe because this tale from Atlas' Human Torch #38 (1954) was the final appearance of the character in the 1950s, editor Stan Lee let the introduction of a totally-new ability go without trying to keep the character within established continuity!

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Monday, January 19, 2026

Nazi-Punchers LIBERTY SCOUTS "The Sentinel: Who He Is and How He Came to Be!"

One of the Weirder Patriotic Nazi-Punching Characters of the Golden Age is This Guy...

...created from whole cloth by the Spirit of America herself!







This never-reprinted, pre-Pearl Harbor tale from Centaur's Liberty Scouts #3 (1941), illustrated by George Wilson, was one of many showing Americans were clearly worried about the Axis pulling us into the already-ongoing World War II.
A number of these new patriotic defenders of the USA were typical American citizens either possessed by, or given powers by, mystic entities embodying some aspect of America.
But this being (and Uncle Sam, who apparently was "The American Spirit" in physical form) were created out of thin air, without a human intermediary.
Unlike Uncle Sam, who's had a long existence in comics, from the Golden Age to the present via Quality Comics & DC Comics, The Sentinel made only three appearances before being drawn back into the ether!
Even when other characters from the Centaur Comics line like The Arrow, Man of War, and even The Ferret, were revived by Malibu Comics in the late 1980s, The Sentinel was nowhere to be found!
Note: the George Wilson who illustrated this comic story is not painter George Wilson who did hundreds of cover paintings for Dell and Gold Key comics as well as paperbacks featuring sci-fi/fantasy and super-heroes from the 1950s to the 1980s!
George Homer Wilson started out as a pulp magazine illustrator doing both cover paintings and pen and ink interior illustrations before adding comic books to his already-busy schedule from 1940 thru 1942!

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Monday, January 12, 2026

Russkie Smashers SOUTH SEA GIRL "Echoes of an A-Bomb"

Because Winter Has Returned in a Big Way...
...we're going to look at the tropical adventures of a sarong-clad heroine battling atom bomb-wielding Russkies in an airship!
This tale from Leader's Seven Seas Comics #6 (1947) was scripted by Manning Lee Stokes with art by legendary "good-girl" artist Matt Baker, who also illustrated most of the legendary Fox Comics Phantom Lady series (which we ran HERE).
Stokes was a pulp/paperback writer specializing in mystery and action.
His only comic book work was for various strips in Seven Seas Comics.
This strip ran for all six issues of Seven Seas Comics and some of the stories have been reprinted, usually renaming the heroine or changing the story title.
When it was reprinted in the 1950s, the heroine's name was changed to "Vooda", and her bare midriff was covered both on the new cover art and the modified story pages...

When it was reprinted in the 1960s, she was once more "Alani" and her tummy was uncovered (in the interior pages)...
...but not on the new cover art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito!
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Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Nazi-Punchers SPACE WESTERN COMICS "Spurs Jackson and His Space Vigilantes in 'Tomorrow the Universe' "

Note: Curiously, there's no mention of the Martians, including their (of course) beautiful princess, Spurs and the Space Vigilantes had already encountered in previous stories!
Yeah, it's just business as usual for Spurs and his crew!
Written by Walter (The Shadow) Gibson and illustrated by Stan Campbell, this never-reprinted, beyond bonkers, tale from Charlton's Space Western Comics #45 (1953) was part of a pop culture trend in sci-fi fantasy that included movies like They Saved Hitler's Brain, and even a Twilight Zone episode, "He Lives!"

Monday, January 5, 2026

Nazi-Punchers SPACE WESTERN COMICS "Spurs Jackson and His Space Vigilantes in 'Madman of Mars' "

You've seen Cowboys and Indians, Even Cowboys and Aliens...
...but cowboys and Nazis...in outer space???
To Be Concluded, Appropriately, Tomorrow!
Written by Walter (The Shadow) Gibson and illustrated by Stan Campbell, this never-reprinted, beyond bonkers, tale from Charlton's Space Western Comics #44 (1953) was part of a pop culture trend about Adolf Hitler surviving to the (then) present in sci-fi fantasy that included movies like They Saved Hitler's Brain, and even a Twilight Zone episode, "He Lives!"
The comic itself, a mashup of Western cliches and the flying saucer fad of the 1950s set in the then-present, ran only six wacky issues before reverting to its' original title, Cowboy Western Comics!
As for how cowboy rancher (and US government vendor) Spurs Jackson ended up in outer space, well, you can read the beginning of his stellar saga HERE!

(You know you want to!)