Russkie-Smashers FIGHTING AMERICAN and SPEEDBOY "Assignment Three: Duel to the Finish Line!"

We're beginning the presentation of our Russkie-Smashers' premiere issue...

...when the concept was taken (relatively) seriously!

Here's the cover-featured (though final) tale from Prize's Fighting American #1 (1954)...

A solid action-adventure tale, as were all the stories in this issue.
But Simon and Kirby were looking for something more, and as you've seen from our other posts, they certainly found it!

Russkie-Smashers FIGHTING AMERICAN and SPEEDBOY "Assignment: Investigate the City of Ghouls"

As we return to our regularly-scheduled feature...

...we're presenting this startlingly-sinister story which earned the cover spot in Prize's Fighting American #2 (1954)!
Notice on the cover it's called "Ghost City", but the actual title of the tale is the far catchier...

Note that the creatures on the cover weren't just the inbred hooded devil worshippers of the story, but actual monsters, perhaps radiation-produced mutants!

It's another example of the cover probably being the springboard for the story...which took a different turn when it was actually written and drawn later!

You can see a similar situation HERE!

Shark Week Special! THE SHARK "Sinister Secret of Pirate Island!"

When Last We Left Our Aquatic Adventurers...

....I'll just add that the adventure Neptune had with pirates was over two centuries earlier, when the old man looked like he was around The Shark's present age!

Now take it from there...

C'mon, you can't tell me you saw the Martian invasion plotline coming!

Remember, this was the beginning of the Golden Age of comics!

A creative working on these magazines could do almost anything, since there weren't any real "rules" or tropes or cliches to adhere to, so combining pirates with mutants with Martians was just another way to fill six to eight pages!
Writer/artist Lew Glanzman threw everything but the kitchen sink into this tale...because he could!
That was one of the kool aspects of those stories, and it's one of the reasons I and many others still love them!
We hope you've enjoyed this look at comics' first aquatic super-hero>
If reader response is good, we can present more time-lost tales of The Shark during next year's @SharkWeek !
It's up to you!

Shark Week Special! THE SHARK "Father Neptune and the Pirates"

We're going to conclude #SharkWeek with a rarity for Golden Age comic book tales...

...a continued story...and one with a serious plot twist!

Before you go "politically correct" on us, let me assure you that the "native" you saw a page earlier was not, in fact, human!

If you were a comic reader in the 1940s, you'd have to wait an entire month to see the conclusion to this never-reprinted story from Centaur's Amazing-Man Comics #14 (1940)!
But, in 2022, you'll be able to discover the "native's" secret on Friday, only a day later!
Ain't scientific progress wonderful?

Shark Week Special! THE SHARK "Planet of the Walking Dead"

The Shark seems to encounter a lot of scientists...mad or otherwise!

The obvious question is, why does he listen to them?

Admittedly, this never-reprinted story by creator/writer/artist Lew Glanzman from Centaur's Amazing-Man Comics #12 (1940) was written for a young audience, but several obvious questions come to mind...

• Where was this unknown planet which was obviously closer to Earth than Mars?
• Who were those three guys?
• Why didn't the unnamed scientist who sent The Shark know about their flight?

Even though we never learn the answers to those questions, we will learn something about Martians in the Centaur Comics universe...on Friday!
But first, we take a detour to a bunch of pirates (along with the return of Father Neptune) on Thursday!