Friday, July 18, 2014

Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "Exterminators"

It's summertime and insects are everywhere!
So, here's a story from 1969 that'll bug you...
...with its' outdated stereotypes about both humans and insects!
Illustrated by Argentinan artist "Eccio" aka Enio Legisamon, this lead tale from Charlton's Space Adventures V2N5 (1969) is a time capsule about the way our society viewed professional women during the early days of Womens' Lib.
BTW, the writer is unknown...and I suspect he'd want it kept that way...

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Reading Room: SPACE SQUADRON "Destination: Oblivion"

The Psychedelic '60s are either a little early or a little late...
...for this never-reprinted 1951 story that took place in the then far-flung future of 2000!
Letting Edgar go unpunished despite risking numerous lives was, unfortunately, a typical plot point both in this series, and in later juvenile space-based comics and tv shows like Lost in Space, where, if anyone had any sense, they would've tossed Dr Smith out an airlock without a space suit after his first attempt to kill them...
This "trip through the mind's eye" from Atlas' Space Squadron #5 (1952) was illustrated by Allen Bellman, one of Timely/Atlas' in-house staff for over a decade.
He's still around, and will be at San Diego this weekend, so stop by his table!
The writer is unknown.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Reading Room WEIRD ADVENTURES "Amazing Prophecies"

Can you guess how many of these predictions from 1951 have come true?
Answer: NONE!
The unknown writer and artist of this never-reprinted one-pager from Ziff-Davis' Weird Adventures #10 (1951) were hoping for a Jetson-esque future that still hasn't occured over 50 years later!
BTW, despite the numbering, this was the one-and-only issue of the title!

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Apes vs Aliens

Apes vs humans is so 1970s!
Why did no one think of doing this sooner?
And why did no one think of putting it on t-shirts, mugs, and other goodies until now?