Fuzzy Memories

One thing i enjoy perusing during my Comic Archeology digs is the old advertising. We've taken a peek or two, and we'll certainly go diving into old adverts in the future.
Today, let's look at a narrow group - some comic book back covers from  50  51 years ago in 1967 -

Hmm...

Perhaps those are not quite how my fellow geezers remember them? Let me offer a bit of aid in remembery with the front covers to those same comic books -

Surely that helps, right?
If not, then join us later today when take a look inside - and outside - of these little '60s oddities.

indicia to follow (1967)

Not to be confused with Tony Hale, Captain Zep, Lance Lewis, or the upcoming animated movie from Swamp Media Group.

Once upon a time in the 1950s...

Though many have claimed the title over the decades, Rod Hathaway is my Space Detective. Well, technically, he's the secret identity and Avenger is the Space Detective. Teena is Teena - she doesn't need the extra name.
Together they starred in four issues from Avon in 1951:

Their first adventure was written by Walter Gibson (creator of The Shadow), and drawn by comic legends Joe Orlando and Wally Wood. That's some serious pedigree papers.
Let's go ahead and take a look at that story:

The title also featured back up tales, like this one starring Lucky Dale, Girl Detective with art from Warren Kremer:

There was also the occasional bit of silly fun...

(Actually, that was a reprint from 1938's Cocomalt Big Book of Comics)

Orlando and Wood didn't stick around long on the title, just the first issue and the frontpiece for #2. Somebody did a nice job taking over for them, but nobody knows who drew most of the remaining stories. Greg Fawcette did some nice work, as seen in the 3rd frontpiece at the top of the page, but most tales are uncredited. Up until less than 10 years ago, they had been attributed to Wally Wood, but that has since been established as incorrect. Here's a short tale from #3 for a look at the work:

If only we could hire Space Detective to investigate the mystery artists...

pages from Space Detective #s 1-4 (1951)

Mooning for the Girl

Hm...

I've needed a feature title for a while now - what to call those great old characters that i'd purely enjoy seeing revived in modern times. Maybe a nice movie or three. Of course, my Odd brain tends towards totally obscure titles, like perhaps The Buck Board. Treated as a bulletin board upon which to post these characters, that name references Frank Buck, the big game hunter who popularized the phrase "Bring 'em Back Alive" as a nod to the hunt for these old characters to revive.
Sure, a feature title like that could work - but it's not very intuitive, is it?

So, for now, the notion percolates and we go without until something tasty bubbles to the top. (Who knows? Maybe it'll happen in the next 12 hours or so, and i'll modify this post before  you see it!)

Meanwhile (70 years ago)...
As astute readers might already suspect, today's feature is one such character. Two, if you count her sidekick. Ladies, Gentlemen, and Other Determinations - may i present, fresh from 1947, the amazing Moon Girl (and the Prince). (The real Moon Girl, not some Janie-come-lately using the name)

Comic History Footnote:* Moon Girl is sporting the high heel sandals look here, a year before Wonder Woman adopted the look. Was this where WW's team got the idea?**

Though filled with potential, Moon Girl lasted only 8 issues in her own title. One issue of Moon Girl and The Prince...

...five issues of Moon Girl...

...and two issues of Moon Girl Fights Crime!:

Moon Girl was well ahead of the cultural curve, not only holding her own title in the '40s, but with a male sidekick to rescue for turnabout-

Hey! Look at that.
She even beat Captain America, actually managing to rescue her sidekick from the rocket.
The "Lady" above, Satana, was arch-nemesis to Moon Girl, with her debut in the first issue:

Interestingly, Satana's first appearance was the only time Prince Mengu got top billing.
The typical issue contained 3 stories, so there's about two dozen Moon Girl tales (including an appearance in International Crime Patrol #6). She faced a wide variety of often impressive foes in those tales...

Perhaps, by this point, you are wondering about our hero's origin/back story, hm? Fortunately, the first story covered that for us:

It likely comes as no surprise that the Queen informs the Princess that she is the "direct descendant of the daughter of King Kaidu! It is decreed that the man who takes you for his wife must first prove his superior strength."
"No man can do that!"
But is that true? After all, Prince Mengu is "a true son of Hercules". But while wearing the moonstone, her power is increased and she defeats the Prince in all his trials. But, as he leaves, she regrets having defeated him, finding that in winning, she has lost what she desired...

...and so began their epic adventures.

Moon Girl was initially scripted by Bill Woolfolk with art by Sheldon Moldoff and covers by Johnny Craig. Gardner Fox joined the team on issue #2, writing half the stories, and by #3 he was the primary author on the book. Shelly Moldoff took over the covers and, oddly enough, Johnny Craig stepped inside to do a story or two.

But, alas - it seems Moon Girl was too ahead of the cultural curve. Issue #9, the title changed once again...

Yeah, Feldstein's got a neat signature, but i'd have preferred more Moon Girl.

Roy Thomas was a fan, too. After Crisis On Infinite Earths he wanted to use Moon Girl to replace Wonder Woman in the restructured Justice Society. But the rights weren't secured and he wound up using Miss America instead.***

I'd wager a revived version of Moon Girl and The Prince, done well, would find a lot of fans in today's market and could kick some serious movie butt.

all pages from Moon Girl #s 1-9 (1948-9)

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*(Sometimes those bad puns just cannot be resisted)
**(Thanks to Luke Blanchard over at Captain Comics for pointing out the timeline)
***( Thanks, also, to Phillip Portelli for offering that info tidbit over at the Captain's forum)