Number 2171: “There is only one rule in war...kill!”

Although fighting ended in 1953 between forces of China, siding with North Korea, and United Nations troops, including the United States, the war has never officially ended. And while the shooting was going on, American war comics gave their comic book version of the conflict. There were commies and good guys, and we were the good guys.

This is a good example of a bloody war tale from that era, written by Hank Chapman for Atlas Comics’ Battle #10 (1952). The “Butcher” makes his own rules for war, as he claims. The captured American troops wish to be treated in accord with the rules of war. “Rules of war” always seemed an oxymoron to me. When I was in the U.S. Army in the mid-sixties our drill sergeants told us what the rules were to them: kill the enemy and let him die for his country.* The past few years have seen saber-rattling coming from that part of the world. and more belligerent and bellicose talk from ours. In real life things just don’t wrap up in seven pages like “The Butcher of Yingkow!”

I like Paul Reinman’s artwork for this tale. Reinman, who died in 1988, was a journeyman who spent many years drawing comics. It looks like he put more into this job than I have usually seen from him.

*For the record, I served as an orderly room clerk in an artillery unit in Germany. I went where they sent me. The only shooting I did was on a rifle range.

Number 1714: Mystery Tales...or mystery fails?

Both of these short stories are from Atlas Comics’ Mystery Tales #1 (1952) and represent to me what is both fun and yet challenging about these types of comics. “The Little Black Box” is a variation on the genie mythology. The wishes granted to the one who releases the genie come with a hefty price...sometimes a life. What bothers me is that the characters, the Seven Sisters of Evil, appear on page 1, and then are just dropped. Personally, I thought they were interesting and it disappoints me they didn’t bookend the tale. They could have shown up in the last panel and said, “Hee-hee, we warned you!” or something equally as trite, just to complete the circle. I think the writer missed on this one. The art by Joe Maneely is excellent, as always.

“The Horror on Channel 15” is a story from the early days of television. The main character conducts a search of haunted places to find inspiration for his new horror programming. In both a haunted house and cemetery he sees what appear to be genuine ghostly manifestations. So why not just film the real ghosts, eh? Nowadays there are hours of “reality” programming showing people wandering around “haunted” places after dark, using their night-vision goggles, only to come up with nothing. And yet this guy sees ghosts his first time out! Too bad he didn’t bring a camera. The terrific art is by Pete Tumlinson.

Number 207


Locked Up!


This story is scanned from Crypt Of Shadows #4 (1973). It was reprinted from Atlas Comics' Adventures Into Weird Worlds #9 (1952). Carmine Infantino drew it, Sy Barry probably inked it, Hank Chapman wrote it. The ending to the this story is totally off-the-wall, like a shaggy dog story. Or I should say, it's shaggy, just not a dog.