In
the 1940s, superheroes were the primary genre in both comic books and
pulp magazines.
The skies and streets of pop fiction were filled with
people in capes, cowls, leotards, or some combination thereof.
And, of course, a superhero had to have a super-power or gimmick that would set him (or her) apart from the crowd.
Which leads us to our feature character today...
We at Atomic Kommie Comics™thought highly-enough of Sky Wizard that we added him to the Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ lineup without hesitation!
Why?
1) He's "the Master of Space"! Catchy, eh?
2) He's a scientific genius! (Funky weaponry and modes of transport a speciality!)
3) He can't make up his mind about what costume to wear!
He wore a different
costume in each of his four cover appearances!
No fashion victim he!
(And you thought Marvel's Janet Van Dyne-Pym and Henry Pym had bulging
wardrobes!)
4) He appeared in Miracle Comics! ("...and if it's a good comic, it's a Miracle! Thank you! We'll be here thru Sunday! Try the veal...")
With a name like that, you know we had to find a spot for him, and his book, in our kitchy lineup!
So,
if you're looking for a unique, Golden-Age superhero-oriented gift
(shirt, mug, blank sketchbook) for your pop-culture craving sweetie, you
can't go wrong with a Sky Wizard gift under the tree (or maybe above it)!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
SCORPION "Devil Doll Commission" Conclusion
Art by Ernie Colon |
...freelance "problem solver" Moro Frost aka The Scorpion, is engaged by the wife of missing financier Jules Reinhardt, who dabbles in the occult.
The Scorpion finds Reinhardt...murdered!
Frost learns that the dead millionare was once smuggler Max Cervantes, who "disappeared" after plastic surgery...becoming the respectable Reinhardt!
The Scorpion finds Reinhardt...murdered!
Frost learns that the dead millionare was once smuggler Max Cervantes, who "disappeared" after plastic surgery...becoming the respectable Reinhardt!
But who ordered the death of Cervantes/Reinhart..and why?
The answer to both those questions is Buddy Lyle, a crooked nightclub owner owed a fortune in gambling debts by the dead mllionare...who hadn't paid up!
Lyle used the powers of a voodoo mambo to kill Reinhardt, then killed her, but not before she cast a curse on him.
Though Lyle had the numbers for Reinhart's foreign bank accounts, only the dead man's wife could draw funds from them.
Lyle's men kidnap Bishop, The Scopion's aide, impersonating Mrs Reinhart, and are about to board a plane for Panama when the Scorpion strikes and kills Lyle's aides and pilot.
The criminal is about to force The Scorpion to pilot the airplane or he'll kill his far-from-helpless hostage...
The Scorpion was the creation of Howard Chaykin, a young writer-artist who was already a recognized talent in the comics industry.
Unfortunately, while he was (and is) good, he was also slow, and the deadline for this issue crept up on him.
To
get the issue out on time, a group of friends including Mike Kaluta,
Walt Simonson, Ed Davis, and Berni Wrightson jumped in doing whatever
needed to be done, so the book is a fascinating amalgam of styles.
The next issue solved the deadline problem by replacing Chaykin and his version of The Scorpion with a present-day costumed super-hero who was more Spider-Man than anything else.
That Scorpion disappeared after his one issue.
Chaykin would revive the character at Marvel with modified garb and a new name; Dominic Fortune, who continues occasionally-appearing in both present-day and flashback tales.
The Scorpion (in any form) wasn't included in the recent short-lived revival of the Atlas/Seaboard characters.
BTW, here's another, never-used cover for #2 by Howard Chaykin...
The next issue solved the deadline problem by replacing Chaykin and his version of The Scorpion with a present-day costumed super-hero who was more Spider-Man than anything else.
That Scorpion disappeared after his one issue.
Chaykin would revive the character at Marvel with modified garb and a new name; Dominic Fortune, who continues occasionally-appearing in both present-day and flashback tales.
The Scorpion (in any form) wasn't included in the recent short-lived revival of the Atlas/Seaboard characters.
BTW, here's another, never-used cover for #2 by Howard Chaykin...
Monday, November 4, 2013
SCORPION "Devil Doll Commission" Part 2
Unused cover from Scorpion #2 (1975) by Howard Chakin finally used as cover for Comic Book Marketplace #77 (2011). |
...freelance "problem solver" Moro Frost aka The Scorpion, is engaged by the wife of missing financier Jules Reinhardt, who dabbles in the occult.
The Scorpion finds Reinhardt...murdered!
And Frost learns that the dead millionare was once smuggler Max Cervantes, who "disappeared" after plastic surgery...becoming the respectable Reinhardt!
The Scorpion finds Reinhardt...murdered!
And Frost learns that the dead millionare was once smuggler Max Cervantes, who "disappeared" after plastic surgery...becoming the respectable Reinhardt!
What does crooked nightclub owner Lyle see?
Be here Wednesday to find out...
The Scorpion was the creation of Howard Chaykin, a young writer-artist who was already a recognized talent in the comics industry.
Unfortunately, while he was (and is) good, he was also slow, and the deadline for this issue crept up on him.
To
get the book out on time, a group of friends including Mike Kaluta,
Walt Simonson, Ed Davis, and Berni Wrightson jumped in doing whatever
needed to be done, so the issue is a fascinating amalgam of styles.
Friday, November 1, 2013
SCORPION "Devil Doll Commission" Part 1
In the 1970s there were a number of pulp-style heroes in comics...
...and here's a never-reprinted story featuring one of the best of them against an occult menace!
...murdered via voodoo doll!
This spooky tale continues Monday...
This spooky tale continues Monday...
The Scorpion was the creation of Howard Chaykin, a young writer-artist who was already a recognized talent in the comics industry.
Unfortunately, while he was (and is) good, he was also slow, and the deadline for this issue crept up on him.
To get the book out on time, a group of friends including Mike Kaluta, Walt Simonson, Ed Davis, and Berni Wrightson jumped in doing whatever needed to be done, so the issue is a fascinating amalgam of styles.
Friday, October 18, 2013
CAPTAIN TRIUMPH "Werewolf" Conclusion
Lost and stranded in a small town, Lance Gallant and his friends encounter superstitious townsfolk who claim a werewolf stalks the nighttime streets!
It turns out there is a lycanthrope, and only Lance's super-powered alter-ego, Captain Triumph, saves his friends from being shredded by the inhumanly-strong furry fiend, who escapes into the night!
They also meet Rafferty, an expert in lycanthropy, whose arrival in the town a year ago coincided with the werewolf's appearance.
After Lance is attacked a second time, he and his twin brother Michael's ghost (who merges with Lance to become Captain Triumph) confer...
Illustrated by Reed Crandall, this never-reprinted tale from Quality's Crack Comics #51 (1947) was apparently an attempt to boost sagging sales by introducing horror elements.
Curiously, though the Captain Triumph character himself is supernatural-based, the werewolf in the story is a creation of science run amok and belief in the unseen is mocked as mere superstition!
Go figure...
which features his first AND last cover appearances along with two other classic images!
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