The Virginia Giant!!!

Here is The Virginia Giant!!! from Gold Key's 1978 issue of UFO & Outer Space, #16.

Click this link to go to a web page discussing the reported, unresolved mystery.

Free Comic Book Day 2012

Modified from Mighty Mouse 58: 1954

The first Saturday in May each year is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY at your local comic shop. Participating stores will have some free stuff for you. Now, when will we start a Free Cheese Cake Day?

Here is a list of this year's offerings. Not all titles will be avalaible in every store. Comic book stores buy the comics to give away; so that is why stores do not have everything and often limit how many free books you can take.

Spooky the Tuff Little ghost 78

Spooky promises a diamond necklace to his gal, Poil, as he gets mixed up with Uncle Safari to look for treasure in 1964's "The Lost Jewels." I will guess this art is by Howie Post; but it doesn't have the high degree of craziness found in some of his art. The inking here is a bit smoother also; but the cartoony Gollywonks make me think it was Post who drew this story.

Spooky and Poil from Spooky 107: 1968

Happy Valentine's Day!












Thanks MASTERBOWLER for the scans.

Speed Carter: Spaceman 03

In the early 1950's comic books were, once again, under attack for contributing to the delinquency of children. Horror and crime books were specifically being targeted. One result of the negative national focus on comic books was the cancellation of many titles.

Atlas', later to become Marvel Comics, Speed Carter: Spaceman only ran for 6 issues, covers dated from September 1953 to July 1954. This time period was at the height of the concern about the effect of comics on youth. Did stories like this mash-up of space and horror have anything to do with its short run?

I wonder if this story was an attempt to produce a horror story in a fantasy sci-fi setting of the future to avoid being targeted as a horror book. Fantastic space monsters and aliens may have been a way to keep the "weird and horrific," that was still popular, without the worry. It could be interesting to look at how other comics publishers at this time were trying to keep creepy monsters in their books and if the percentage of sci-fi books increased at this time. Stan Lee, editor, writer, art director at Atlas, has said that they did comics of whatever the trends at the time were. My guess is that Atlas was just trying to combine two successful genres of early comics, horror and sci-fi, to increase sale.

EC comic's publisher Bill Gaines mentioned in interviews that his line of science fiction books were never as financially successful or popular as his horror books. EC was notorious for its horror books and by the mid 1950's Gaines had ceased publication of comic books to focus on his one remaining title, Mad Magazine, which was now transformed into a magazine format to avoid the censorship from the newly organized Comics Code Authority. Stan Lee at Atlas continued to survive the 50's by publishing westerns, war, and sci-fi monster comics.

Joe Maneely did very good art in these books. Maneely's solidly drawn figures and distinctive inking seemed well suited to this series. He seems to have been having a good time with this one. Dig that hairstyle on Speed!!

Several stories are signed by Maneely, with story by Hank Chapman. This 6-pager doesn't have Chapman listed as the writer, but it has a funky, fun, fifties space opera feel similar to other stories in the series with Chapman credited for the story. Enjoy!




Thanks to the original scanner for sharing.

Stumbo and Dr. Cesspoole

I am lucky to own a few pages of original art by one of my all-time favorite comic book artists, Warren Kremer. These are not among any of the pages I own, but even in these scans from the Internet you can see the solid drawing and fluid inking his work had. With the creepy face on the bad guy, this is a nice story for October. That Dr. Cesspoole is one great villain. This story is from Hot Stiff Sizzlers #40.

Zombie: from Crazy #4, 1954

Super Duck #84

From the March 1958 issue of Super Duck. Here is a story for all of you who try to get away to relax during the hot, busy summer. Supes has that same frustration level as another, more famous, canard; but I don't think he has quite the same volatile nature Donald has. Comic Book Catacombs is posting some Super Duck stories also.

©1958 Close-Up Inc