Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Halloween Horrors AMAZING DETECTIVE CASES "Ghost Story"

Here's a never-reprinted 1950s comic book tale...

... that's both about law enforcement and justice from beyond the grave!
You may note the Joe Maneely-illustrated cover doesn't really match the Bill Everett-rendered tale from Atlas' Amazing Detective Cases #13 (1952)
There are several possible reasons for that.
1) the cover and interior art were done at two different points in time, sometimes months apart!
2) The cover artist didn't have copies of the interior pages as visual reference, only plot descriptions from the editor!
3) the cover was done before the interior art as a "springboard" and the actual writer/artist(s) made changes when they were creating the story!
All three of these reasons could (and did) apply to Atlas Comics' books if the story's artist didn't do the cover...as was the case most of the time!
From issues 1 to 10, Amazing Detective Cases was a "true crime" pulp magazine, then a comic, telling tales of (allegedly) real criminals!
From 11 to the final issue, 14, it became a horror comic, ending in 1952.
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Tuesday, February 21, 2023

The Russkies are Coming! ATOMIC SPY CASES "Operation H.M."

Think we're paranoid about the (unnamed, but obvious) enemy discovering our atomic secrets?
Look at how nutso we were back in the 1950s!
(BTW, the "Based on TRUE Stories" caption is a total lie!)
The lead story from this Avon Comics 1950 one-shot with a Norman (Mars Attacks) Saunders cover exemplifies the "Russkies/Chinese under the bed" paranoia of the era!
With imperialist running dog Putin going Don da Con-level bonkers, perhaps it was, in fact, justified!
Regrettably, neither the writer nor artist(s) are known.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Crime College PUBLIC ENEMIES "Graduation for Murder!"

It's June and school graduations are happening every day this month!
But some "graduates" flunked basic civics, like this couple from DS Publishing's Public Enemies V1N2 (1948)!

Though allegedly based on true events, due to the name and locale change for this never-reprinted story, I've been unable to verify tale's authenticity!
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Monday, February 14, 2022

Valentine's Day Violence HEADLINE COMICS "To My Valentine"

You thought we wuz gonna send roses?
Hell, no!
We bring you the sordid story of the most famous crime ever perpetrated on the Day for Lovers!
In 1947, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby took over editorial control for several titles of the Prize Comics line, giving them much-needed revamps, upping the action and violence quotient.
This tale was from Prize's Headline Comics #23 (1947), the first issue under their stewardship.
When this story was published, the massacre was less than twenty years earlier, and the incident wasn't history, but news the authors read and heard as kids and now re-presented in four-color form.
It's not totally historically-accurate, but then, what dramatization of a real-live event is?

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Tuesday, February 16, 2021

LOVE MYSTERY "Death Take All!" Conclusion

Sports reporter Don Black becomes romantically-involved with Norma Brisbey, whose father owns Buckeye, the odds-on favorite to win in the $100,000 Gold Cup Horse Race.
But threats to both the owner and Spider, the horse's jockey, and an attempt on Mr Brisbey's life convince Black there's a conspiracy to rig the race.
Returning home from visiting her father in the hospital, Norma sees someone lurking outside the house, and Don goes to investigate...
This tale of love and legal matters from Fawcett's Love Mystery #3 (1950) was illustrated by Bob Powell, an ideal choice since he was expert at both romance and crime tales!
The scripter is unknown.
Fawcett tried things no one else would attempt including this title and Negro Romance, hoping to find untapped markets.
Unfortunately, in both cases, the audience never materialized, and both books were cancelled after only three issues.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

LOVE MYSTERY "Death Take All!" Part 1

Crime has been combined with many genres in comics...
...like westerns, war, sci-fi...even horror and the supernatural!
But only once did comics combine mystery with romance, in the appropriately-named Love Mystery!
Who's lurking outside?
Be here next week for the thrilling conclusion!
This tale of love and legal matters from Fawcett's Love Mystery #3 (1950) was illustrated by Bob Powell, an ideal choice since he was expert at both romance and crime tales!
The scripter is unknown.
Fawcett tried things no one else would attempt including this title and Negro Romance, hoping to find untapped markets.
Unfortunately, in both cases, the audience never materialized, and both books were cancelled after only three issues.