Cora only cares about Cora

Framing illustrations for the story, Punk. Detective Fiction Weekly (March 19, 1938).

Kids say the damndest things!

Liberty Magazine (February 2, 1935).

George Carlin: 1937-2008

A Subway Named Mobius

Astounding Science Fiction (December 1950).

Sleestak's Review: The Love Guru

Ferrell, Murphy, Sanders and Meyers need to catch on that their films are better when they hand the reigns of control over to someone else.

Jeepers! That's swell!

I'm using Speedpass in the carpool lane

Sleestak's Rule of Jungle-Adventure Storytelling

"The longer a Jungle-Adventure series continues the probability of a dinosaur appearing approaches one."

Sheena #7 (December 1949).

Futura - Chapter 1

One of the better comic book magazines to come out of Fiction House was Planet Comics, a direct descendant of the wordy pulp magazines. Comic books were far easier to read, more accessible to an all-ages audience and the pages were filled with far more pulchritude than a regular text magazine could hope to contain.

The Planet Comics title ran from 1940 to 1953 and gave readers a steady exposure to impossible, fantastic science fiction and featured a few of the stories of Fletcher Hanks. While the contents of the book eventually changed near the end of its run into a one-shot anthology title it was through most of its life a book that hosted long-running serial adventures featuring a familiar stable of characters. It was a title a reader could grow up with.

Many of the characters were modeled with various successes after concepts that could be found in Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and John Carter along with stylistic elements popularly found in the super-hero comics of the Golden Age. Some of the longest running series such as The Lost World, Gale Allen, Mysta of the Moon, Space Rangers and Auro, Lord of Jupiter lasted a decade and longer.

Another series that had a multi-year life span with Planet Comics was Futura, which was serialized in that title starting in July 1946 with issue #43 and probably ending in Spring 1955 with issue #64. An over 20-issue run of nearly ten years!

Futura is the story of an office secretary named Marcia Reynolds who was shanghaied into space to serve as the test-subject of an alien seeking to repopulate his planet. In the beginning the tale of Futura, while eerily drawn, is very typical of what the market expected in a comic book story with the lead character being a female. Marcia Reynolds, as Futura, was gorgeous, scantily clad, threatened by amorous bug-eyed monsters and tied up a lot. In fact, the story could easily be interpreted as both a dream by the character and a power-fantasy for the reader, the caveat being that the typical audience for the book was male and Futura usually extricated herself from difficult situations and often lead the charge into battle herself.

The quality of the art and writing varied greatly over the next several chapters and much of the narrative added to the idea that Marcia Reynolds was in a dreaming state, in particular the story featuring forest sprites and a magic sword. But soon the creative team picked a direction that leaned more to classic Space Opera and with issue #53 began offering lush art and rich story-telling that were stylistically on par with the details that could be found in the Flash Gordon dailies. Over the course of her story Futura quickly becomes less of a victim and her journey from frightened breeding stock to strong, independent woman is a fun and interesting one.

The first chapter of Futura from Planet Comics #43 (July 1946) is presented below. As ever, click the pictures to make for easy reading. Enjoy!

Son of Hulk: Smash Jr.

I liked Skaar: Son of Hulk well enough as I'm one of those fans who couldn't get enough of World War Hulk. But I'm going to need more in terms of future characterization than that of him simply being "The Hulk Who Kills". When Skaar comes to Earth (and he will eventually, you can bet on that) it will be interesting to see how Daddy deals with him. I hope it has lots of Shatner-esque dialog. "Skaar...you must..LOVE. Not...HATE!"

Marvel has a few angry, young kiddies of heroes out there now. Maybe after Skaar is rejected Daddy he could join up with an all-new Runaways. It could co-star Kid Wolverine, Julie Power (who is calling for a violent revolution against "The Man" for denying her legal definition in marriage), Nocturne and Teen Tony Stark.

I don't know. I hate Teen Tony.

I'll take that ray gun!

Futura doesn't take any crap from no Space Pirate.

From Planet Comics #56 (September 1948).

Happy Father's Day for 2008!

Out with the family for Dad's Very Special Day with me being the honored guest. Don't know yet if we are dining at home, Trailer Trash Buffet or Fondue Fusion & Bistro (Awww..Who's got the crappiest and most annoying website interface ever? Yes, you do!). I'm leaning for the fondue joint as it has less homeless winos camping out at the tables while nursing a slice of bread all day long and doesn't serve as a make-shift day care center for out of control and poorly-behaved kiddies.

Then again, y'know...Fondue. I already lived through the 70s once and have no real desire to visit it again in real life except for those outstanding Marvel comic books and Haley Mills films.


Outer Limits television show ad from Congo Bill #4 (January 2000).

The Goose-Girl

Unlike the prose itself this illustration for the story The Goose-Girl is clear of gore. The wisdom of the artist aside there are hints that there is plenty of mess to be found by the activities of the hungry gander nibbling away at whatever might be dripping onto the ground below the severed head of the gossipy horse. It is no longer kill-or-be-killed in most societies and there are other ways to educate children and poke at the aristocracy so I understand the sanitizing of the old myths and tales for the children of today. But I sure miss the ultra-violent kiddie stories of years past. It is much more satisfying when the Big Bad Wolf is boiled alive and eaten by his intended victims instead of today's outcome to the tale of the wolf having an intervention about his pork addiction.

Art by Fritz Kredel from The World's Best Fairy Tales, Vol. 2 (1967).

That place was just full of hippies anyways

From Pizzazz Magazine (June 1978).

Help Doctor Strange!

Since the Master of the Mystic Arts won't be waving his hand and making all the Skrull problems go away here's a little puzzle to get Doctor Strange some much needed exposure. The game is easy to play and just because the writers don't know what to do with the Doc* doesn't mean you won't!

Click the sacred Orb of Agamotto to view a page suitable for entry into the Book of the Vishanti!

From Pizzazz Magazine (May 1978).

Link to answer key.


* Hint: Have fun with him!

What If...Steve Ditko never went into a career in comic books?

We'd have had to rely on another creator for weird inter-dimensional landscapes.

Jack Kirby's "Dark Dimension" from Blue Bolt #5 (October 1940).

What If...Jack Kirby never went into a career in comic books?

The King wasn't the only creator capable of the high concept character.

Joe Kubert's "Black Racer" from Eerie #9 (October-November 1952).

And yet I bought most of their albums

Oh, Doctor

Was that intriguing little thing with Sarah Jane Smith's mouth a stage direction or was that ad-libbed? I've been watching all the episodes of the Tom Baker years of Doctor Who and there were a few scenes featuring actress Elisabeth Sladen in this installment that caught my attention as they seemed a bit out of place. As a long time fan of what was basically a children's show with mature science fiction themes I never really looked at any of the characters in anything more than a superficial manner.

That has now changed.

Poised, waiting to strike