Number 2275: Mix-ing reality with fantasy

Tom Mix was a Western star of silent movies. He made dozens of movies, but only nine after the silent era was over and sound came in. He made a lot of money and spent it. He died in a car wreck in 1940, age 60. Interestingly, he lived on after death in radio programs, performed by other actors, and in comic books. One comic book was a premium from the cereal company Ralston-Purina, and then a 10¢ series from Fawcett Publications which lasted until 1953.

He looked great in a cowboy hat. Not every man can wear a hat like Tom Mix.

I mention it because in the 9-page story Mix is shown in his trademark 10-gallon hat in only two panels.

Fawcett had a bunch of B-movie Western stars under contract for their line of B-movie Western comic books. William “Hopalong Cassidy” Boyd got two comics, one as Hopalong, the other as Bill Boyd. Unlike Tom Mix, I don’t believe any of the other comic book cowboys from Fawcett comics at that time were deceased. I probably need not say they are now.

“The Deal of Death” is from Tom Mix Western #17 (1949). The cover was painted by illustrator Norm Saunders. Artwork for the story is by Carl Pfeufer.

Number 1009


Ellery Queen and the corpse that killed


We featured the Saint on Friday, Perry Mason on Monday, and we're following it up with Ellery Queen. The Saint, Mason and Ellery Queen were born in the golden era of the pulps as leads in detective novels. The Saint was created by Leslie Charteris. Mason was created by prolific Erle Stanley Gardner (who got to a point where he had six secretaries transcribing his tape recorded story dictation). Ellery was created by Manfred Lee and Fred Dannay under the name Ellery Queen.

Unlike this comic book story, which depends on the pseudo-horror angle and less on detecting, the Ellery Queen of the novels is a detective in very clever whodunnits with clues provided for the reader. There was much less finesse and writing skill in this comic book story, but it's still entertaining. The art is by an artist so far unidentified. The style looks familiar, one of those things where I can almost put my finger on whodunnit, but not quite. That's the biggest mystery of "The Corpse That Killed": whodrewit?

At least we know that Norman Saunders did the painted cover for this Ziff-Davis comic.

From Ellery Queen #1, 1952:

Number 782


Science Fiction Week: Amazing Adventures #3


This August I'm doing themes for four weeks. I'm kicking off my theme month with a Science Fiction Week.

First up, Amazing Adventures #3, from 1951, a Ziff-Davis publication that is pulp all the way through. Four different stories, all of them with familiar pulp themes: people shrinking, body transference, a disembodied brain gone amok, and space opera. The futuristic stories have the usual guys in capes and skintight costumes, and chicks in bikinis! Really, what more does a fan want? Oh yeah...and a painted cover by Norm Saunders, which packages it nicely.

The only other art credit the Grand Comics Database lists is "Parker" for the first story. That would probably be Paul Parker.

Tomorrow, Science Fiction Week continues with John Buscema, drawing a 1959 tale that swipes a famous story.