13 October 2019

The Six Three Rocketeers


Three Rocketeers - Count 'Em!

1...2...3...
...4...5...6!

Hmm...

This trio got there first, back in 1952 -



But that was all there was.

A half dozen years later, a new Trio claimed the title with a tolerably awesome support trio - Jack Kirby and Al Williamson, with Joe Simon running Mission Control -




Unfortunately, they debuted in the final issue of Race For The Moon. It would be another 7 years before their adventures continued in Blast-Off -



(By the way - you can also find a couple tales from Larry Ivie in Blast-Off #1, illustrated by Al Williamson and Reed Crandall.)

However, Blast-Off lasted only a single issue, so it was another year before we saw them again in Unearthly Spectaculars as Otto Binder tells us how they got together, with Mike Sekowsky on pencils -



Amazingly, at this point, that was not Unearthly Spectacular's final issue. 

They lasted one more...


And so, apparently they parked the ship in the garage and never went speeding again.

page art by Vic for Atom Age Combat #3 and Jack Kirby, Al Williamson, Mike Sekowsky, and Bill Draut for Race For The Moon #3, Blast-Off #1, and Unearthly Spectaculars #s 2 & 3 (1952, 1958, 1965, 1966, 1967)

11 October 2019

See, Kids? When Two Fight, It Doesn't Necessarily Mean One Is Good.

So... How do we follow up on the Queen Of Evil without delving into modern politics?

Tricky.

Might as well go whole hog, eh? Let's visit Pocket Comics from 1942 and see what happens when Satan, Lord Of Evil, Meets His Equal! (Which, judging by the splash panel, is a kid with a bottle) -


Actually, that kind of feels like we went for modern politics anyway.

And, once again, there was no Next Issue so the tale does not continue. 4 appearances were all he got. 
Y'know - not counting Disney now owning Satan and his kids...

page art by Pierce Rice for Pocket Comics #4 (1942)

09 October 2019

Nagana And Kalkor - Not Quite A Love Story

Brain doesn't want to talk? Screw brain.
We'll just look instead.

The Queen Of Evil had only 4 episodes in 2 different titles back in '41 & '42. Louis Cazeneuve provides the artwork for the pseudonymous Alex Andrea -






page art by Louis Cazeneuve and possible other for Fantastic Comics #s 22 & 23 and V...- Comics #s 1 & 2 (1941, 1942)