Number 2424: Lance Lewis and the overgrown amoebas

I think I mentioned once that in the early '70s upon first acquiring some Nedor comics for their Alex Schomburg covers, I was somewhat appalled by the contents, with what I thought were dopey characters and dopey stories. I've read so many comic books since then that I am practically immune to that sort of thing, which means, I suppose, that I am becoming de-sensitized to dopeyness. In those long ago days Lance Lewis was one of the characters I thought to be below my dignity as a “mature” comic book connoisseur to be reading. How things have changed.

Lance didn’t last for long in comic books. He was in two issues of Mystery Comics, and nine issues of Startling Comics.

In its listing for Lance Lewis, Space Detective, Public Domain Super Heroes includes this:

“The Nedor comics were renewed by Popular Library, which was eventually bought out by Fawcett Books. When Fawcett went out of business, Popular Library was sold to Warner Bros. A number of different publishers, however, are currently/have been using these characters without any lawsuits from Warner Bros., so any action over them is (probably) unlikely. They are still, however, ‘use at your own risk’ characters.”

I admire those comic book fans who take the time to look up information like the above. I understand why someone would modernize a public domain hero for their own character, but much of the charm for me in the original is that it comes across as naïve and silly, and of its time.

From Mystery Comics #4 (last issue, 1944). Grand Comics Database doesn’t list an artist, but art spotter extraordinaire Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr says it is Bob Oksner, and I agree.

Number 2035: Lance Lewis battles Mr Potato Head

Lance Lewis, Space Detective, was born of the Buck Rogers tradition. In this untitled adventure he and his girlfriend, Marna, zip off to Mercury (just like a trip to the corner grocery is the impression given by the old school of science fiction) to track down a force dragging both Venus and Earth into the sun.

That is when Lance and Marna meet the Mercurians, who look a lot like Mr Potato Head. You remember Mr Potato Head, don’t you? He was invented in 1952, but now is much improved from my childhood. My parents bought me the parts, and then Mom handed me a real potato to play with. Oh, what joy...a 'tater rotting in your hand after a couple of days of play time. (Digression over.)

Artist Bob Oksner, who eventually went to work for DC Comics, could draw funny. Adventures of Bob Hope and Adventures of Jerry Lewis — no relation to Lance — stand out for me. It looks like he had fun with the Sun King of the story, making him as silly as possible. It is the mustache that does it for me.

The story is from Startling Comics #47 (1947), and the bondage cover is by Alex Schomburg.

Number 2005: Wonderman: Anthrozoons say “Ge-Yak! Yakka yakka!”

Oh, wonderful Wonderman. As I explained in 2013 in another post (see link below), this character has grown on me over the years. I have either seen the light behind the madness of the Wonderman stories, or dementia is overtaking me and the stories now make sense.

Dr. Voodoo, Lilith, the vacuum spiral...the smiley-faced Immortal Emperor, the reptilian anthrozoons...all included in a plot hatched in some fever dream.

Drawn by Bob Oksner, with no scripter listed by the Grand Comics Database. Cover by Alex Schomburg. From Wonder Comics #9 (1946).

Another Wonderman story, originally posted in 2013:

Number 1934: By vacuum spiral to Mars

A “secret current” has turned Brad Spencer into Wonderman. Any good superhero needs a villain, and Wonderman’s main villain is Dr Voodoo. Dr Voodoo has invented a “vacuum spiral” for instant travel to other planets.

Since I haven’t read Wonderman’s origin story I’m not sure what any of it means or how it works, but in the 1940s someone did. Wonderman appeared in the four issues of Nedor’s Mystery Comics, and then Wonder Comics. The art is by a young Bob Oksner, who went on to comics fame with funny comic books published by DC, Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, and others.

In this story, from Mystery Comics #3 (1943) a race of primitive Martian dullards had a genius born amongst them “thousands of years ago.” The genius, Yondok, looked at Earth through his atomic telescope and decided to duplicate the climate and atmosphere. After that this particular group of primitive Martians evolved into humans, and by the time Brad and his girlfriend arrive on Mars the Martian/humans not only speak English (!!) but have subjugated the unevolved Martians. I’m not sure I how any of that works, either. In the main no one cares, and certainly not Brad, because in best comic book fashion Wonderman handles the problem the way he knows best, mano a mano. In comic books there is no time for diplomacy; every problem is handled wth guns or fists.

It’s not a scene from the story, but the nifty cover is by the master of action covers, Alex Schomburg.

I showed another Brad Spencer Wonderman story in 2013. Just click on the thumbnail.