Wednesday, July 16, 2008



Number 343


Man O' Mars


The cover above is one of my favorites. The Grand Comics Database guesses it's by Sid Check, but it looks more like Gray Morrow to me. It looks like it was inspired by Famous Funnies #212, a Buck Rogers cover by Frazetta.

Man O' Mars is a reprint of a Fiction House one-shot from the early '50s. The original cover from Fiction House is also good, but I'm not sure of the artist on that one either. Maybe Maurice Whitman?

While the 10-page lead story, "Man O' Mars" looks to have been new in 1953, the rest of the comic is made up of reprints from Planet Comics.

I.W. Comics (later Super Comics) was Israel Waldman, who would buy printing plates and the rights to reprint from the original publisher, then issue the books three to a bag for 25¢. Since he wasn't going through newsstand distribution channels he didn't have to deal with the Comics Code. I have great affection for these comics. I bought the I.W. comics in 1959. I was too young to have read their original printings, so they were my introduction to those wicked pre-Code comics. I became an innocent seduced!










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4 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:18 AM

    You might also note that a prior story cites the "Martian chronicles" and the girl in the story is named Ylla, after another character by Ray Bradbury. Ray's book was pubbed in 1953.

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  2. Mr. Karswell8:25 AM

    Really really good story Pappy. Stuff that rollicks like this one makes me want to search out more SF. I'm actually doing a SF theme myself this weekend so I'll be sure to link back to your post today.

    Also! First panel page 8, did Bill Everett suddenly step in for a sec and draw Ylla's face?! Wow.

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  3. william wray9:00 PM

    this looks like Gastly Grahm Ingles to me...

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  4. Unknown9:59 PM

    The cover is by Angelo Torres - he told me himself!

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