Showing posts with label Atlas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atlas. Show all posts

Monday, May 8, 2023

Russkie-Smashers MARVEL BOY II "Time-Bomb Terror!"

Though the comic was retitled Astonishing as of this issue...

...it still starred Uranian-born (but quite all-American) superhero Marvel Boy!
You'll note Marvel Boy had to deal with bull-headed ineptitude by the G-Men!
Though the actual writer is unknown, it might be artist Bill Everett, whose Sub-Mariner experienced similar problems with Americans as shown HERE!

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which includes all of Marvel Boy's 1950-51 appearances as well as the 1953 re-intro of Captain America, Human Torch and Sub-Mariner

Monday, April 3, 2023

Russkie-Smashers JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Propaganda"

Not every Russkie-Smasher is a super-hero...or even human...
...as this tale from over sixty years ago seems as timely as ever!
Note: because of racial stereotypes common to the era of publication, this may be NSFW, though it is Comics Code-approved!
This story from Atlas' Journey into Mystery #80 (1962) by plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, penciler Jack Kirby, and inker Dick Ayers, is a reworking of an earlier more horror-oriented story, also called "Propaganda", from Atlas' Uncanny Tales V1N9 (1953).
That one was reprinted in Marvel's Uncanny Tales V2N1 (1973) and can see it on our "brother" RetroBlog, Seduction of the Innocent by clicking HERE!
In the meantime, here's a special treat...scans of the complete original art for this tale!
Enjoy!
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Monday, February 27, 2023

Russkie-Smashers YOUNG MEN COMICS "Return of...the Human Torch"

When Atlas revived Timely's "Big 3" golden age heroes in 1953...
...look who got the spotlight!
(Heck, colorist Stan Goldberg couldn't even get Captain America and Bucky's costumes correct on the cover by Carl Burgos!)
Though no Russkies are seen in this tale from Atlas' Young Men Comics #24 (1953), they did supply the criminals with Solution X-R and brainwashed Toro into fighting for fellow Communists in Korea!
(And they do appear later on, though the strip emphasizes homegrown American criminals!)
Written by Hank Chapman and illustrated by Russ Heath (with the Human Torch in the splash panel rendered by his creator, Carl Burgos), this story actually handles the explanation of where the flaming felon fighters were for the previous four years very well! 
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Monday, February 6, 2023

Russkie-Smashers MARVEL BOY II "Zero Hour!"

The only thing you can trust about Russkies...
...is that you can't trust Russkies...who apparently would be happy to die to "own the imperialists" (to paraphrase Repugs)!
BTW, though the mag was called Marvel Boy for the first 2 issues, (and he appeared in issues 1 through 6), it became Astonishing as of #3, and remained that way for the rest of the title's 63-issue run!
Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Bill Everett, this tale from Atlas' Marvel Boy #2 (1950) about cooperation-then betrayal parallels what happened between the Allies and Soviet Russians during World War II (when they acted together against the Axis) and afterward (when they became hostile once the common threat had been eliminated).
You'll note, though the other side is referred to as the "Eastern" Empire, they're clearly written and drawn as Russians/Soviets!
Bob Grayson was the second character to bear the "Marvel Boy" name, the first one being a Joe Simon/Jack Kirby creation who made only two appearances during the 1940s.
Since he appeared (and disappeared) before the 1953 revival of the "Big Three" (Captain America/ Human Torch/Sub-Mariner) he could be considered Timely/Atlas/Marvel's final Golden Age superhero!
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Atlas-Era Heroes
Volume 1
(which includes all of Marvel Boy's 1950-51 appearances as well as the re-intro of the Big 3)

Monday, January 23, 2023

Russkie-Smashers MAN COMICS "Bob Brant and the Trouble-Shooters in 'Behind the False Face!' "

You don't need to be a superhero, aviator, or even a space-going cowboy to smash Russkies!
Sometimes, it just takes a group of all-American kids to do the job!
With almost all superheroes banished from the four-color pages of comic books after the ned of World War II, somebody had to take up the slack against the Russkies and Red Chinese and North Koreans!
Atlas Comics' editor Stan Lee combined the still-popular "kid gang" sub-genre with anti-Commie action in this short-lived series.
And, before you ask, they did end up battling Russkies on the Moon!
(I believe anyone who was anyone in 1950s comics had to do that at least once!)
But, that was after their premiere in this never-reprinted adventure from Atlas' Man Comics #26 (1953), illustrated by Carl Hubbell.
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Newsboy Legion
Volume 1

by
Joe Simon & Jack Kirby

The First Kid Gang in Comic Books!