Commie-Clobbering Kaiju KONGA "Evil Eye" Part 1

We Begin Our Countdown to Halloween 2024 Blogathon participation with a non-Asian Kaiju...

...who began "life" as the star of a 1961 British movie!

To Be Concluded TOMORROW!

Konga (1961) was one of England's two entries into the blossoming kaiju genre begun with the coming of Gojira (aka Godzilla) in 1954.

(The other was Gorgo (1961), who also had an American comic adaptation from the same publisher as Konga...Charlton Comics!)
Steve (Spider-Man/Dr Strange/Captain Atom II) Ditko illustrated the first issue of Charlton's Konga, which adapted the movie, then some, but not all, of the two sequel series which ran 25 more issues!
Besides battling other kaiju and extraterrestrials, Konga fought humans, including Commies (both Russian and Chinese) as in this issue, #15 from 1963, illustrated by Ditko and likely written by Charlton workhorse scripter Joe Gill!

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Countdown to Halloween 2024 Blogathon!
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Russkie-Smashers OPERATION: PERIL "Time Travelers in 'Nostradamus!' "

This Wild Series From the Cold War Era...

...which appeared in the AGC adventure anthology Operation: Peril combined Russkie spies, time travel...and the prophecies of Nostradamus!

Operation: Peril was a multi-genre anthology featuring on-going strips about time travel (as seen above), a hard-boiled private eye (Danny Danger), and high adventure in the Pacific (Typhoon Tyler), as well as a historical short story in each issue.

Though Time Travelers didn't appear on the first few covers, by issue #4, they took over the cover spot until their final appearance in #12, after which the book changed focus and became a war comic for the remainder of the run.
But the Russkie spy aspect in TT only lasted for a couple of issues!

This premiere tale from Operation: Peril #1 (1950) was written by Richard Hughes and illustrated by Ken Bald.

October Is Halloween Month Here at Hero Histories!

But That Doesn't Mean the Russkie-Smashing and ChiCom-Crushing is Stopping!

It Just Means We're Gonna Let Monsters Do It!

Be Here Next Monday as We Introduce

Commie-Crushing Kaiju!

Russkie-Smashers SUB-MARINER "and the Secret Tunnel!"

While Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner is easily one of the most powerful Timely/Atlas/Marvel heroes...

...he ain't one of the brightest...or is he???

Written and illustrated by Subby's creator, Bill Everett, this tale from Atlas' Sub-Mariner Comics #40 (1955) was a classic example of the tricksters themselves being tricked!

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Russkie-Smashers CAPTAIN ATOM II "An Ageless Weapon"

When You Need Vitally-Important Defense Plans Safely-Delivered...

...Only One Man Can Do the Job...Guaranteed!

Written by Joe Gill and illustrated by Steve Ditko, this is a short-but-sweet tale from Charlton's Space Adventures #39 (1961) about beating the Commies at their own game of deceit and deception by utilizing something...or rather someone...they don't expect!

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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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