Saturday, December 3, 2011

"The Gifts are Afoot, Watson..."


OK, it's a silly paraphrase of a classic line, but we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ take our Sherlockania VERY seriously...
As part of our Crime & Punishment™ collection, we've given The Greatest Sleuth of All™ his very own section!
12 different designs, including several with Basil Rathbone, the man who is to Sherlock Holmes as Sean Connery is to James Bond; not the first, but to many (including myself), the definitive portrayer!
Add to that, several classic comic book covers, a variety of other movie posters (including the campy A Study in Terror with Holmes as "The ORIGINAL Caped Crusader"!), the coolest cigar box art I've ever seen (based on William Gillette, the definitive stage Holmes), and 1st Edition covers including A Study in Scarlet and His Last Bow!
PLUS:
NEW: Sherlock Holmes Throw Blankets & Snugglies!
The Basil Rathbone IS Sherlock Holmes! 2012 12-Month Calendar!
The Sherlock Holmes: the Greatest Sleuth of All! 2012 12-Month Calendar!
With the NEWEST Robert Downey jr/Jude Law movie opening December 16th, if you're looking for a cool, retro Christmas gift for the Holmesian, Sherlockian, or Baker Street Irregular in your life, you can't go wrong with one of these calendars, mugs, bags, shirts or other goodies! (Let him/her go to the flick "secret chic" style with a vintage Holmes sweatshirt or hoodie!)

Friday, December 2, 2011

What We MUST Do to Avoid the Disaster of Inflation!

Is it 2011 or 1946?
The more things change, the more they remain the same!
This dire warning from Picture News #4 in 1946 frighteningly-mirrors the state of America in 2011!
Bowles was the head of the Office of Price Administration, set up by President Franklin D Roosevelt just before World War II began.
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Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Woman Who Loved Scrooge!

When you think of Ebenezer Scrooge, "lovable" is probably the last word you'd associate with him.
Yet, one woman gave her heart to him...was engaged to him...and had her heart broken by him!
Her name was Belle!

She appears twice in A Christmas Carol, during Scrooge's journey with the Ghost of Christmas Past.
First, we see how the young Scrooge choose between his love of money and love of her.
Second, we see how, after the breakup, she married a good man and together they raised a loving family, giving Scrooge a look at what "might have been" had he chosen to remain with her!

Almost every dramatic adaptation shows the first incident, but omits the second scene (usually due to time constraints), thus many people have never known how Belle's life turned out after Scrooge left her!
(You'd be surprised how many people never actually read the story, only seen tv or film versions!)

Most of the illustrators of the many editions that have been printed over the decades have also bypassed the conclusion of Belle's plotline.
But not Arthur Rackham!
The legendary illustrator did not one, but two color illustrations just for the short conclusion to Belle's story in Stave Two!
And we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ just had to include both of them in our A Christmas Carol collection!
One, Belle & Children shows Scrooge's once-love playing with her kids.
The other, Belle's Family portrays the children crowding around their father (whom Scrooge could have been, had he chosen differently) as he comes home, laden with presents!

They're absolutely beautiful pieces, some of the best work Rackham ever produced!
Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

YouTube Wednesday: FANTASTIC FOUR "Galactus"

It's the 50th Anniversary of Fantastic Four #1...
Reprint of FF #49 Art by Sal Buscema
...and I wanted to present the first media adaptation of the greatest FF story of all...The Galactus Trilogy! (FF Volume 1 #48-50) as shown on the Hanna-Barbera Fantastic Four cartoon in 1967!
Reprint of FF #48 Art by John Buscema & Joe Sinnott
Regrettably, the complete episode is not available on YouTube, only a 4-minute "highlight" clip.
Scroll down and you'll see it.
Reprint of FF #50. Art by Gil Kane & Frank Giacoia
BTW, if you're wondering why I'm showing the covers from the Marvel's Greatest Comics reprints of the stories instead of the originals, it's because many fans under 40 have never seen these covers from 1972, and everyone's seen the (admittedly-classic) Jack Kirby/Joe Sinnott original editions from 1966!

The voice cast includes Ted Cassidy (Lurch from Addams Family) as Galactus, Vic Perrin (Control Voice/Narrator of Outer Limits) as Silver Surfer, and Paul Frees doing double-duty as both The Thing and The Watcher!
The script was 95% lifted directly from the Stan Lee comic book script, and the character designs and storyboarding were adapted/simplified by Alex Toth based on the Jack Kirby/Joe Sinnott art.
Regrettably, the actual animation was a tad crude, but considering the sheer volume of material Hanna-Barbera had on all three networks that year, it's a miracle it's as good as it is.
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Retro-Style Christmas Collectibles!

It's time to reveal the coolest Christmas goodies ever, exclusively for your shopping pleasure! (Don't ya just love soft-sell?)

Ornaments, greeting cards, clothing, mugs, throw blankets, shopping bags, magnets, and many other items with stylish retro graphics that will make great under-the-tree gifts or stocking stuffers!
12 different 1960s Kris Kringle designs (for the 12 days of Christmas!) that will bring back nostalgic memories of your Baby Boomer childhood!
Along with St. Nick, our frosty friend is one of the most recognizable symbols of Winter and the Christmas Season!
5 different Frosty designs!
A Christmas Carol brought to life with images from...
the very FIRST edition EVER
the famous Arthur Rackham-illustrated edition
and the 1951 movie starring Alastair Sim!
Bah, Humbug!
Ten different designs featuring famous comic characters celebrating Christmas!
Green Lama!
Lone Ranger!
Fast Willie Jackson!
Edison Bell: Boy Inventor!
Two different SuperSnipe designs!
Santa's Elves on Strike!
Western Rider Rusty!
3-D Comic Christmas!
and MORE!

Happy Holiday Shopping from Atomic Kommie Comics™

Sunday, November 27, 2011