JOHNNY DYNAMITE "Wire Trap"

Did you know there was a Johnny Dynamite prose story?

Told in hard-boiled style, of course...

This never-reprinted short by Ken Fitch (with a Pete Morisi spot illustration) from Comic Media's Dynamite #8 (1954) makes us regret Fitch never tried doing a Johnny Dynamite novel.

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Johnny Dynamite

by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty

JOHNNY DYNAMITE "Eye for an Eye!"

We showed you Johnny's premiere...

...but this cover should tip you off that a major change would occur in his second issue!

There's hard boiled...and there's HARD BOILED!

This was HARD BOILED!

If there was any doubt Johnny Dynamite was the equal to Mike Hammer or any of the other private dicks of the era, this story wipes it out!

Co-creator/writer Ken Fitch worked in comics from the earliest days (National Allied Publications' [Later DC Comics] New Fun Comics in 1935) to the early 1960s at Dell Comics doing movie and TV adaptations!

Along the way, he co-created several characters besides Johnny Dynamite including DC's Tex Thompson: AmeriCommando, and HourMan!
Be here tomorrow for a one-of-a-kind text story starring Johnny Dynamite !

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Johnny Dynamite

by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty

JOHNNY DYNAMITE "I'll Find That Killer!"

The closest Golden Age comics came to Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer was...

...Johnny Dynamite, who, appropriately-enough, appeared in Comic Media's Dynamite!

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From this first appearance in Dynamite #3 (1953) onward, writer Ken Fitch (using the pen-name "William Waugh") and artist Pete Morisi went full-tilt hard-boiled/film noir in comic book form.

(In the pre-Comics Code days, you could do this sort of thing.)

But, this was nothing compared to what was coming in the very next issue, as you'll see tomorrow!

For more background on the short-lived, but still popular shamus go HERE!

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Johnny Dynamite

by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty

REAL CLUE CRIME STORIES "America's Most Heinous Crime"

150 years ago today...

...what was, until 1963, America's most henious crime occured...

Published in Hillman's Real Clue Crime Stories v2#8 (1947), this Bob Fujitani-illustrated tale wasn't considered important enough to be given the cover illustration...or even a blurb on the cover!

The writer of this never-reprinted tale is, regrettably, unknown.

BTW, when President John F Kennedy was assassinated almost 100 years later, that event was labeled "America's Most Heinous Crime".

NORTHWEST MOUNTIES "Mountie Guns Break the Snow Siren's Secret!"

Meet the guys who maintain law in the land of the Polar Vortex...

...and remember, they always get their man (and/or woman)!

Pencilled and inked by Chuck Miller, this tale from St John's Northwest Mounties #4 (1949) was typical of the high quality work St John was noted for.
Regrettably, this issue was also the last of the title...until a one-shot reprint several year later that featured a Matt Baker cover supposedly-illustrating this tale...

...even though there are no wolves in the story (and no snow in the cover art)!
Sure looks dramatic, though!

Christmas Comics Repost VAULT OF HORROR "...and All Though the House..."

Since the original post's links to the videos are no longer working...

...we're re-presenting this sordid story from EC Comics' Vault of Horror #35 (1954) with new links!

This horror-day classic (sorry, couldn't resist) written and illustrated by Johnny Craig had been reprinted numerous times and been adapted twice, once as part of the 1970s anthology movie Tales from the Crypt...

and as the second episode of the1990s Tales from the Crypt TV series...

We'll be back after the New Year with more proof that Crime Does NOT Pay..but it sure is FUN!

Merry Christmas

&

Happy New Year!

The Gifts are Afoot, Watson!

OK, it's a silly paraphrase of a classic line, but we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ take our Sherlockania VERY seriously...
As part of our Crime & Punishment™ collection, we've given The Greatest Sleuth of All™ his very own section!
12 different designs, including several with Basil Rathbone, the man who is to Sherlock Holmes as Sean Connery is to James Bond, not the first, but to many (including myself), the definitive portrayer!
Add to that, several classic comic book covers, a variety of other movie posters (including the campy A Study in Terror with Holmes as "The ORIGINAL Caped Crusader"!), the coolest cigar box art I've ever seen (based on William Gillette), and 1st Edition covers from A Study in Scarlet and His Last Bow!
If you're looking for a cool Christmas gift for the Holmesian, Sherlockian, or Baker Street Irregular in your life, you can't go wrong with one of these mugs, bags, t-shirts, e-reader covers, or other goodies!