Monday, January 9, 2023

Russkie-Smashers COMMANDER BATTLE AND THE ATOMIC SUB "Death of the H-Bomb!"

When an atomic bomb launched from the Moon hits Earth, the Atomic Sub is hastily converted to an atomic spaceship.
The Atomic Commandos journey to the Moon, where they discover a race of humanoids angry at Earthmen since other Earthmen (Russians) built an atomic missile base there, while killing curious moonpeople who tried to communicate with them!
Sentenced to death by the leader of the Moonmen, the unarmed Commandos face a huge lizard, while the sub is about to be destroyed by atomic plasma fire.
However, aboard the sub is a young "Become a Junior Atomic Commando Contest" winner...who's developed a telepathic transmitter/receiver!
Whatta guy!
(And don't worry!
There are Russkies lurking about, just waiting to be smashed!)
So now the kid's a full-time member...
This never-reprinted tale from ACG's Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #3 (1954) was produced by series creators Richard Hughes (writer) and Sheldon Moldoff (illustrator).

Monday, January 2, 2023

Russkie-Smashers COMMANDER BATTLE AND THE ATOMIC SUB "Journey to the Moon with the Atomic Commandos!"

Commander Battle and His Atomic Commandos guard democracy from the Russkies...
...even on the Moon...using their atomic submarine to get there!
(You read that right!)
Be Here
NEXT MONDAY
for the astounding conclusion...
I'm surprised Irwin Allen never did a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode like this!
Making a submarine into a spaceship seems like the sort of thing he would've loved to do.
Adding a kid sidekick, though, is never a good idea.
They end up taking over the spotlight, and the series' emphasis goes from soft sci-fi to kid-show.
Note: SeaQuest DSV did have it's sub go into outer space...transported by aliens to their homeworld!
This never-reprinted tale from ACG's Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #3 (1954) was produced by series creators Editor Richard Hughes (writer) and Sheldon Moldoff (illustrator).

Monday, December 26, 2022

Russkie Savers SPACE ADVENTURES "Captain Atom: 2nd Man in Space"

Putin didn't take a holiday over Christmas, continuing to attack Ukrainian targets...

...but we Americans are far more benevolent than the ex-KGB putz and his allies!
So, in the spirit of the season...
This tale from Charlton's Space Adventures V3N34 (1960) was published almost a year before the USSR's Yuri Gargarin became the first man in space on April 12, 1961.
Note: Not to minimize the achievement, but Gargarin made only one orbit before returning to Earth.
But the fact the Soviets had put both the first satellite (Sputnik) and the first man into space made America all the more determined to beat them to the Moon...which we did!
BTW, the "vaccine" in this tale written by Joe Gill and illustrated by Steve Ditko is total hogwash.
No drug would've counteracted the effects of acceleration on a human body!
Next Week:
No More "Mr Nice Guy!"
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Monday, December 19, 2022

What If Don da Con Actually WAS a SuperHero?

We interrupt our Christmas-themed blogathon to bring you...

...an early (or late, depending on your chronological point of view) April Fool's Day presentation!
Our resident disgraced, twice-impeached ex-President presented a line of NFT "trading cards" featuring himself as (among others) a super-hero, a cowboy, and and astronaut...sort of a six-year old's wish list of future careers!
But we couldn't help wondering...Did Donald Trump, born in 1946, read comics when he was a kid?

And, if so, which hero did he dream of being?
Superman?
No, despite being one of the single mightiest beings in the universe, Superman's stories required logical thinking to enjoy, and we've seen Donnie's not big on that, even now.
Captain America?
Certainly patriotic, but not powerful enough.
Donnie thinks BIG!
So there's only one character he might have read, and whose adventures are wish-fulfillment without having to think about how it works, much like how Don the Con ran the country from 207 to 2021.
Read the following, and compare the story (and captions) to Trump's descriptions of himself and how he'd be as President...
Written and illustrated by Fletcher Hanks, this surreal intro from Fox's Fantastic Comics #1 (1939) has little logic or even sanity in it's tale of almost-magical justice, much like Don the Con's own explanations of how he would deal with real-world problems.

Monday, December 12, 2022

Holiday Reading Room WITHIN OUR REACH "Spider-Man in 'A Wolf at the Door' "

Here's a never-reprinted Yuletide classic starring the ol' Web-Head that very few of you have ever seen...

...since it didn't appear in a Marvel comic!
Plotted by David Ross, scripted by Roy and Dann Thomas, and illustrated by by Jeff (Green Hornet) Butler with assists by Gary Kato, this tale appeared in Star*Reach's Within Our Reach (1991), a Christmas charity benefit book with proceeds going equally to AmFAR and Sempervirens.
The cover was by Norm (Batman) Breyfogle, the only time, AFAIK, he's ever professionally-illustrated Spidey!
The book was also Star*Reach Publishing's final project under their own imprint.