Monday, September 9, 2024

Russkie-Smashers CRUSADER FROM MARS "Mission Through Space"

Lars of Mars wasn't the only Jerry (Superman) Siegel co-created Martian to battle Russkies!
Art by Allen Anderson
This guy, along with a female "friend and companion" was sent to Earth to do similar work...but for a very different reason!
If I follow the "logic" of this concept correctly, the Martians send a proven murderer (along with someone who may be either an accessory to murder or an innocent who had nothing to do with the crime except having a murderer obsessed with her) to fight evil on Earth.
Send a convicted killer with emotional control issues (and advanced weaponry) to a primitive planet and tell him to clean it up?
And then, when he screws up. send a fleet of flying saucers in to straighten out the mess.
(Martians apparently don't have a non-interference Prime Directive.)
Also note that the American military seems to be made up of idiot bureaucrats!
The writer for this premiere tale from Crusader from Mars #1 (1952) is unknown, but probably is the book's editor, Jerry (Superman) Siegel, who co-created another short-lived Martian crime-fighter, Lars of Mars, the year before.
The artist is believed to be Marvin Stein, but the layouts have a strong Jack Kirby feel to them.
Considering Stein was doing a lot of work for the Simon/Kirby studio at the time, and Jack was reputed to be very generous in terms of helping his friends, it seems likely he provided roughs for Stein to render full pencils and inks over.
BTW, you may note that Tarka wears a very Superman-style costume in this tale, but on the cover, and in the next (and last) issue, the colors are reversed.
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Monday, September 2, 2024

Russkie-Smashers AMAZING ADVENTURES "Escape on a Planetoid"

What if the Russkies had won the Cold War?
That's the premise of this never-reprinted tale from Ziff-Davis' Amazing Adventures #3 (1951)
Oddly, they never asked Rulak what happened to the second ship...
The writer and artist are officially unknown, but I see a great deal of Murphy Anderson's penciling style in a number of panels.
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Monday, August 26, 2024

Russkie-Smashers BLACKHAWK "Creatures from Outer Space!"

Don't be deceived by this Chuck Cuidera cover...
...even though the Blackhawks have previously-faced aliens and robots...and alien robots!

You didn't really think they were alien robots, did you?
Though inked by Chuck Cuidera, the writer and penciler for this never-reprinted, cover-featured story fron Quality's Modern Comics #101 (1950) are both, sadly, unknown!

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Monday, August 19, 2024

Russkie-Smashers DANGER "Duke Douglas in 'Intrigue' "

When You Want a No-Nonsense, Basic, Extremely-Effective Russkie-Smasher...

...Look No Further than kick-ass Secret Agent Duke Douglas!
Co-creators Ken Fitch (writer) and Don Heck (illustrator) produced this cover-featured tale from Comic Media's Danger #9, 1954.

Monday, August 12, 2024

Russkie-Smashers / Chi-Com Crushers LARS OF MARS "Terror Weapon" Conclusion

Art by Allen Anderson
...he was heading for Manchuria to stop a mad Soviet scientist from unleashing a super-weapon that could freeze anything!
After facing several deadly devices, Lars uses his ability to travel at light-speed...
Written by Jerry Siegel, illustrated by Murphy Anderson, this was the cover-featured tale from Ziff-Davis' Lars of Mars #11 (1951), the second (and last issue) of the series!
BTW, the cover artist is Allen Anderson (no relation to Murphy)
And, Allen also did the cover to the second (and last) issue of Ziff-Davis' Space Busters...which was illustrated by Murphy!
Weird, huh
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