tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66729234928896857272024-03-28T14:10:53.053-07:00bare•bones e-zineRising from the ashes of the beloved (if erratic) print digest (that itself rose from the ashes of <i>The Scream Factory</i> magazine), we'd like to welcome you to the <i>bare</i>•bones e-zine. We look forward to offering the same irreverent reviews and commentary you've come to expect from us. And yes, we're back in PRINT, too! Click the links to the right to check out our recent issues!John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082147756474762000noreply@blogger.comBlogger1296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-84996192814916784362024-03-25T05:00:00.000-07:002024-03-25T05:00:00.146-07:00Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 108: Atlas/ Marvel Horror & Science Fiction Comics!<p> </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s1600/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Marvel/Atlas </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horror Comics</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part 93</b></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>December 1955 </b></span><b style="font-size: large;">Part II</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b style="font-size: large;">+ The Best Stories of 1955</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by Peter Enfantino</b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>and Jack Seabrook</b></span></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTii0M0q5ApxopMKmP33BnRh5LjShu-bX22nB1l_Fj2SYzL8EMdop9eL3Uo5a5J7Tuep3BsUk70yw4W4BfOTk-4FP3G3YNF_mKWV9Rq9xNBRfgn2ay8vm8tyaEP7sAzyKxub8Qfd4_vcTLEkjlwVqZpnmqvUfswgwF52RNTuhv-Go4YrRR7KC6qusn5Ed/s587/131869.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTii0M0q5ApxopMKmP33BnRh5LjShu-bX22nB1l_Fj2SYzL8EMdop9eL3Uo5a5J7Tuep3BsUk70yw4W4BfOTk-4FP3G3YNF_mKWV9Rq9xNBRfgn2ay8vm8tyaEP7sAzyKxub8Qfd4_vcTLEkjlwVqZpnmqvUfswgwF52RNTuhv-Go4YrRR7KC6qusn5Ed/s320/131869.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><b>Mystic #42</b><div><b>Cover by Bill Everett</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Man in the... Mummy Case" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><b>"Casting Problem" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Where on Earth?" (a: John Tartaglione) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"At the Stroke of Midnight!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"One Who Lived" (a: Sid Greene) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Mobster Luke Thomas and his goons have stolen precious gems in Egypt, but how will they smuggle the rocks back to the States? Luke gets a brainstorm: he'll have archaeologist Ahmed Al-Dur wrap him in bandages and ship him back to America in a mummy case. Al-Dur protests but gives in due to "so much armament" waved in his face, all the while promising the criminal that the tomb is cursed and he will pay dearly.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0u8Ige5U9GmzuaDAFcWNcG_j5BfayzAPIxTEsT0hsRzT6IBlgkfwGV6EnJyUrv91JaYfC54vOyMnFOW5I9c5e0gVzGbTaIXsrD_yRLC1KmvbJzNaa64RSftpJp47XlR8707-y3A_GSknOYSh1ezECNqayE5J_3WJcAMnSumUF3kC8q5fxz_mFJRLIfDil/s1432/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.04.26%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="1432" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0u8Ige5U9GmzuaDAFcWNcG_j5BfayzAPIxTEsT0hsRzT6IBlgkfwGV6EnJyUrv91JaYfC54vOyMnFOW5I9c5e0gVzGbTaIXsrD_yRLC1KmvbJzNaa64RSftpJp47XlR8707-y3A_GSknOYSh1ezECNqayE5J_3WJcAMnSumUF3kC8q5fxz_mFJRLIfDil/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.04.26%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The body of a pharaoh is unceremoniously dumped in the pyramid and Luke, wrapped from head to toe, is carefully placed in the sarcophagus and loaded aboard a steamer bound for the States. All goes well until a nosy captain spies one of Thomas's henchmen bringing him food and demands to see the inside of the coffin. When the lid is opened, Thomas is gone, leaving only his bandages as evidence that he was ever there. Miles away, in Egypt, Thomas opens his eyes to find himself back in the pyramid, the cops waiting patiently.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, if this were 1954, we know that Luke Thomas would be torn limb from limb by a vengeful pharaoh but, in 1955, his fate is quite boring and abrupt. That's some deadly curse the ancient Egyptians laid down: "defile the tomb and you'll get 10 to 15 years of hard labor." It's a pity that the climax is such a limp noodle, because the first four pages or so are actually intriguing and the whole story is nicely illustrated by Benulis. The splash evokes 1940s comic strips, with its named intro to all the characters.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb49O47bchyphenhyphenryRa45JA1JLjnknwlwyH3gSto6hu-n3un8fKSEz80EKHo140ljpDWSxEGRQDCKPw_7eW5hb_CLa9tJPLkyw3RWllna8nvDxQYkKB8ingYnrfQpqZ4v05wTDcv_F0WB94C62FDLaMNr92GcJoJi-lTv7I8kmOKQ_nRm1CLnmvx7HyBKFKX9/s708/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.05.09%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="444" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb49O47bchyphenhyphenryRa45JA1JLjnknwlwyH3gSto6hu-n3un8fKSEz80EKHo140ljpDWSxEGRQDCKPw_7eW5hb_CLa9tJPLkyw3RWllna8nvDxQYkKB8ingYnrfQpqZ4v05wTDcv_F0WB94C62FDLaMNr92GcJoJi-lTv7I8kmOKQ_nRm1CLnmvx7HyBKFKX9/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.05.09%20PM.png" width="201" /></a></div>In "Casting Problem," a Broadway director finds it impossible to cast the role of a "good fairy" in his new play, <i>End in Sight,</i> and the standstill is more than just a distraction to the producer and the rest of the cast. When a gorgeous brunette reads and fails, she tells Ellis, the egotistical director, that she was born to play the part and he's wrong to pass on her. "If I am," he explains, "I won't be there on opening night." Two weeks later, on opening night, the entire cast find themselves on a distant mountaintop. <i>We</i> know how they got there, but I imagine lots of little third-graders couldn't understand the abrupt finale, and would a "good fairy" teleport six innocent individuals (and one admittedly stuck-up nitwit) to a faraway mountain? Seems more like "wicked witch" territory to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Judith Barlow tests new military planes, much to the chagrin of her scientist husband, Lionel, and she manages to travel at the speed of light in her latest jet. Losing her bearings, Judith lands the craft and is immediately swarmed by a strange, foreign-speaking mob before she is taken to a palace and introduced to their king. In a quick ceremony, Judith is wed to the man on the throne and decides she needs to exit ASAP. She gets back in her plane and manages to land back at her point of origin. Her story is met with skepticism by her husband until the two are in a top-secret meeting to view footage shot on a rocket recently returned from Mars. And there's Judith!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6PLfhxhAG776ULctzIkaKuRTDW5a8zOhao9UVTVbAsvxHYU6ctKgZrnmFSJSSogRxjSovqifbUM4Jz1cQu25HMjkLDVS21BVc8NtcIoIOJqdUaXVCuMhlx_UYPZnbr5Xanms4HC-BUyPM2CWGL9ION2ZD_siZ-GvbbzVgpp7np7zf5mOuEKvmuhxUkJr/s1358/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.06.03%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1358" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6PLfhxhAG776ULctzIkaKuRTDW5a8zOhao9UVTVbAsvxHYU6ctKgZrnmFSJSSogRxjSovqifbUM4Jz1cQu25HMjkLDVS21BVc8NtcIoIOJqdUaXVCuMhlx_UYPZnbr5Xanms4HC-BUyPM2CWGL9ION2ZD_siZ-GvbbzVgpp7np7zf5mOuEKvmuhxUkJr/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.06.03%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>As opposed to the pre-code era, I'm struck by just how much <i>art</i> has become my measuring stick of quality in the Atlas post-code comics. Tartaglione's graphics for "Where on Earth?" are striking and kept my interest, even when the story sputtered out. These funny book yarns concerning science crack me up (as a Monday-morning quarterback) and make me wonder just what we all believed in 1955. Was the world still flat? Judith seems to have absolutely no guidelines for testing her jet, breaking speed limits without blinking a lengthy eyelash and dressed in a very <i>Vogue</i>-ish<i> </i>pilot suit. Hubby Lionel's Mars footage arrives back on Earth in no time flat; in fact, only days after Judith so kindly posed on Mars.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a bitter breakup with his girl, a young man travels to a coastal boarding house to chill out and forget about unrequited love. The owner introduces herself as Mrs. Perry and explains that she and her pilot husband have been married for twenty years and that they're<i> just as much in love now as the day they met</i>. She further explains that this night is August twelfth and there's a big storm raging outside. Mrs. Perry retires to her room. At exactly midnight, the door flies open and there, soaking wet, is Mr. Perry. After trying to engage the man in conversation and receiving nothing in return, our hapless protagonist knocks on Mrs. Perry's door to let her know hubby is home. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbX4hymvuLVj18WFMbQjZ_nzzStPAkrt2vA29-w3kEYOl_fpmH5g5p3rUN8OsSEbbSB7G5y85MniG-vEhlfUjt4VZx0bQgyGXTQqbAgao566wURgcTPtFAdxZY3_k61SmjJS-NNU2dakzYTJbuXn-Q8bXnGqVMhAvJBikN8NqlbP6_0MRHdtorFOnhrH4i/s740/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.07.05%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="740" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbX4hymvuLVj18WFMbQjZ_nzzStPAkrt2vA29-w3kEYOl_fpmH5g5p3rUN8OsSEbbSB7G5y85MniG-vEhlfUjt4VZx0bQgyGXTQqbAgao566wURgcTPtFAdxZY3_k61SmjJS-NNU2dakzYTJbuXn-Q8bXnGqVMhAvJBikN8NqlbP6_0MRHdtorFOnhrH4i/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.07.05%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The old woman explains that the plane Mr. Perry was piloting crashed into the nearby waters ten years ago tonight and that he's visited her every year since like clockwork. He watches as the grey-haired loon hugs her husband and then says goodbye as he heads back into the storm. Chuckling and admitting there might be something to this "love" nonsense after all, our unnamed protagonist dons his coat and heads out into the pitch black, hoping to find true romance before he trips and falls off the cliff into the sea. "At the Stroke of Midnight!" is pure syrupy garbage, with a plot device used hundreds of times and ugly artwork by Ed Winiarski. The dope doesn't even explain why he's heading out in the middle of the night rather than waiting for morning and Mrs. Perry's sumptuous ham and eggs breakfast. Maybe our hero thought this was the pre-code version where he's sacrificed by the septuagenarian to insure her hubby comes back next year?</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbI1Ru_RC9g40nSYrdOQR_xWFUqFlDIyacdJt1jx4n_N52crwmXkgsTh37eFtVwaRHGWhC5o7J7dabmIGNz8FBP6WOBY1IY3I0PB6hOPG7WPoH_63O-2QMuFGygUJvndgxfdZb6L_sjIIgLHozWawxSA9-0NRiS_zQZ2ybVWRoO7HGcw7BB7bgrD6mxPuw/s828/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.07.22%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="828" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbI1Ru_RC9g40nSYrdOQR_xWFUqFlDIyacdJt1jx4n_N52crwmXkgsTh37eFtVwaRHGWhC5o7J7dabmIGNz8FBP6WOBY1IY3I0PB6hOPG7WPoH_63O-2QMuFGygUJvndgxfdZb6L_sjIIgLHozWawxSA9-0NRiS_zQZ2ybVWRoO7HGcw7BB7bgrD6mxPuw/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%202.07.22%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Paul S. Newman is responsible for the inane "One Who Lived." After the testing of an atomic bomb, a man emerges from one of the test buildings seemingly unharmed. He exclaims that his wife is still in the building, but when the emergency crew enters the building, they find only a test dummy. The victim is taken to a nearby site, where he is tested for radiation sickness but, amazingly, he seems okay. He continues to crow about his "wife" back in the house, but the brass chalk it up to bomb fever. When the "top medical officer of the army" arrives to interview the man, they discover his cabin empty and, upon further research, they find the real identity of the survivor. He was a test dummy! So, if the effect of an atomic bomb is that window dummies come to life, how come the Mrs. remains plastic? And where did our mystery man go off to? Back to the Mrs.? Did the human being effect only last a few hours and he returned to his artificial world? Seriously, these are questions I need answered.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HRvrBHsEBBlXOnGkcXXG5bd_XGb3Q7yxSNIe8J79BWDvYioXq5onzZ5IYZ2TGb8BdGTGMnhytAa26O9IM2vkB5F-jyJnR2SXsue2UZsSZPjhF3DWxvxcLbn8Aa5SEmApOlmPSxYkPzzYt2lldDwcfJBJ3mUJofkHyUVfkeR_HovfFEUiwKe-FqxDdqJo/s606/75160.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HRvrBHsEBBlXOnGkcXXG5bd_XGb3Q7yxSNIe8J79BWDvYioXq5onzZ5IYZ2TGb8BdGTGMnhytAa26O9IM2vkB5F-jyJnR2SXsue2UZsSZPjhF3DWxvxcLbn8Aa5SEmApOlmPSxYkPzzYt2lldDwcfJBJ3mUJofkHyUVfkeR_HovfFEUiwKe-FqxDdqJo/s320/75160.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><b>Spellbound #25</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Want Ad" (a: Joe Orlando) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Storm!" (a: Dick Ayers) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Hired Man!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Look Into My Eyes!" (a: Bob Brown) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Frozen Food!" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Tad Tone, visitor from the future, has lost his co-pilot and the time machine he rode in to get to 1955 requires two operators. The advertising editor of the newspaper Tad visits balks at the man's proposed "Wanted: Dude to help me get back to 2955" ad and tells him he's a fruitcake. Not even a trip out to see the time machine convinces the newspaper man.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tad resigns himself to a life stuck in a primitive society and leaves the office, dropping a news clipping as does so. The editor takes one look at the dateline of 2955 and finally believes Tad. Well, that makes sense. This dope won't swallow the big contraption hidden in the woods but he's sold on a newspaper clipping that could easily be fabricated. Time machines are always a pain in the butt; too many rules. Like when Tad and his traveling companion, Bek, first exit the gizmo and Tad says "Let's meet back here in six hours so we can get back to the future and make dinner on time!" Huh? Doesn't the machine have a knob that dumps you any time you want? How can these guys ever be late? </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKb4WcV0xPh4QLEgjk4-Tr7lNP2yZEUr2iWFTD_gG0NWFK7VjJlvPK_m9wotm0E_pUVbxVUKYr6rjB-jIUc6GFQ_Prq2PBqdurC6UoibcgRp35DyXRK95rED0_AAJX1l8BpOEID5SU80e3vJxoW-xERjLR5UwnMxFcP3twdTUYmO0xat5uRLpdMR2Xm2lp/s1382/Screenshot%202024-03-04%20at%204.14.47%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1382" data-original-width="1378" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKb4WcV0xPh4QLEgjk4-Tr7lNP2yZEUr2iWFTD_gG0NWFK7VjJlvPK_m9wotm0E_pUVbxVUKYr6rjB-jIUc6GFQ_Prq2PBqdurC6UoibcgRp35DyXRK95rED0_AAJX1l8BpOEID5SU80e3vJxoW-xERjLR5UwnMxFcP3twdTUYmO0xat5uRLpdMR2Xm2lp/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-04%20at%204.14.47%20PM.png" width="319" /></a></div>This was the first contribution to the Atlas science fiction/horror comics by former EC legend, Joe Orlando. The script for "Want Ad" doesn't allow Joe to display the usual creepiness he's famous for (Jack and I covered Orlando's output for both the <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2016/03/its-entertaining-comic-part-one.html" target="_blank">EC</a> and <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/05/do-you-dare-enter-part-1-june-1968.html" target="_blank">DC</a> mystery lines years ago), but there's still some nice work and, hey, at least it ain't Winiarski. Orlando will illustrate a total of 37 stories for the Atlas titles.</div><div><br /></div><div>Teenage Larry Beale finds it difficult serving under his own father on the <i>Baltimore</i>, all the more because the old man forces his crew to carry lucky amulets to ward off disaster. But Larry's outlook changes drastically after the <i>Baltimore </i>is dashed by "The Storm!" More feel-good schmaltz from Carl Wessler and the "House of Ideas." </div><div><br /></div><div>Despite (or maybe<i> because of</i>) her husband's protests, boarding house landlord Eva Simpson hires a handyman to help cook, clean, and wash up after her boarders. The stranger agrees to be paid upon completion of his work, but that's the catch: the work is never-ending. No, seriously, that's the hook of "The Hired Man!" The poor schmuck doesn't put an apple in Eva's mouth and cook her for the guests or vacuum up the rug with her bloody skeleton or anything cool like that. He simply shrugs, smiles, and readies himself for a life of hard work and no pay simply because he said he'd wait for his remuneration. The pits. Speaking of the pits, the one-two punch of Ayers and Winiarski back-to-back reminds me that I'd be better off reading these things without my glasses on.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMikgdeHG3rKUNC3-U_6mI6JVMieQ2qfp9D5PAYeArbXjuRyjaAtP4HRzg723BSfPX1NG5LQXKAe48fpqRVtncIJhlmSOsFIewwX5FwEJlYEt5-ZfkIpbfFi396fGad7vzZTH4AbtAZXA8nUVm3H4YmntCy9xNWvUMgFbces0mW2xplsQGpcI-ji3Holj4/s708/Screenshot%202024-03-04%20at%204.15.38%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="708" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMikgdeHG3rKUNC3-U_6mI6JVMieQ2qfp9D5PAYeArbXjuRyjaAtP4HRzg723BSfPX1NG5LQXKAe48fpqRVtncIJhlmSOsFIewwX5FwEJlYEt5-ZfkIpbfFi396fGad7vzZTH4AbtAZXA8nUVm3H4YmntCy9xNWvUMgFbces0mW2xplsQGpcI-ji3Holj4/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-04%20at%204.15.38%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The wasteland of bad scripts and even worse art continues with "Look Into My Eyes," about a losing pitcher who takes a hypnotism course (the Marvel School of Mesmerism) and then puts a spell on opposing batters. From there, it's a no-lose season until he faces the final hitter in the seventh game of the World Series. Turns out<i> this</i> hitter is the guy who invented the Marvel School! Another Carl Wessler loser. Oh, and Ayers... Winiarski... Brown... three strikes, this reader is out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Henry Prewitt has a really big problem. Every night he fills the freezer in the basement with frozen food and every morning the food has disappeared. Henry's convinced that his wife Martha is stealing "The Frozen Food!" but the poor woman only weeps and cries out her innocence time and again. Something has to be done so, one night, Henry camps out in the basement to see if he can nab the perpetrator. Long after midnight, Henry awakens to hear a strange sound coming from the locker. He opens the freezer and finds his food missing again but the bottom of the contraption partly open.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEADh2zNT2Woqmn1f2almcbMBFe7-IWzK94htWHqmMX-f3y36LtJitdfyEeYVRdjzjtzDpfdFoame_BQf3vsnrjxrT7cel4CsfnriP0Fghs0y5DOlzxENNZrTgz209_KWoDfDNZ7hcqeKuiFyj2ivMnPQtscUyUK2Gq7WOtVG0MbwSQHQdccylfp4Z5FKf/s1378/Screenshot%202024-03-04%20at%204.16.17%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="1378" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEADh2zNT2Woqmn1f2almcbMBFe7-IWzK94htWHqmMX-f3y36LtJitdfyEeYVRdjzjtzDpfdFoame_BQf3vsnrjxrT7cel4CsfnriP0Fghs0y5DOlzxENNZrTgz209_KWoDfDNZ7hcqeKuiFyj2ivMnPQtscUyUK2Gq7WOtVG0MbwSQHQdccylfp4Z5FKf/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-04%20at%204.16.17%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Henry climbs in and discovers a long passageway down into the Earth (walking through pitch black, I should add!), where he stumbles upon a race of small critters eating his vittles. They spy the intruder but, rather than drop their spare ribs and munch on Henry, the creatures telepathically thank their benefactor for his "donations" and urge him to stay. Henry agrees but adds that he must first take care of a few things up on the surface. </div><div><br /></div><div>When Henry climbs back up to the basement, he finds his wife crying and declaring love for her missing husband. Henry decides that love is more important than Swanson Frozen Dinners and remains with Martha, swearing he's through handing out free food. A pretty dopey tale, one which illustrates how dry the idea pool was in the bullpen but is entertaining and elicits at least a couple of chuckles. John Forte's graphics end the issue on a high note, but this is still one mediocre comic book.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXBBMBQQeK9hXMY3p-tEDzOzupwHINV1f095cZjsdBDl_C9PDsuyz8tJoxeYmqUnhDSxVEYDWj-lpmagwdAJNVB7BNiBlT28DNej6RG77fcdgnQydwZ2qMi3JiCbgkjd99H-H5KLQczQjY2qtXVo2H5krLGHE6KfGIpIbXKHtKOq12J9sgpA6kRpCwUm2/s594/184796.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXBBMBQQeK9hXMY3p-tEDzOzupwHINV1f095cZjsdBDl_C9PDsuyz8tJoxeYmqUnhDSxVEYDWj-lpmagwdAJNVB7BNiBlT28DNej6RG77fcdgnQydwZ2qMi3JiCbgkjd99H-H5KLQczQjY2qtXVo2H5krLGHE6KfGIpIbXKHtKOq12J9sgpA6kRpCwUm2/s320/184796.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><b>Strange Stories of Suspense #6</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Illusion!" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Totem!" (a: Bill Everett) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Power!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"I Dare You to Look!" (a: Robert Q. Sale) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><b>"The Third Arm!" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>An astronomer predicts that a comet will hit Earth but no one will believe him. Knowing doomsday is imminent, the scientist digs a hole in the ground and lowers a capsule large enough to hold one man. He then waits for the inevitable. Two days after the comet destroys life on Earth, the man exits his sanctuary and wanders from town to town looking for life. </div><div><br /></div><div>He stumbles on a small town filled with people, but the crowd disappears as he approaches, a figment of his imagination. A really good science fiction tale that borrows heavily from SF fare of the time (chiefly <b><i>When Worlds Collide</i></b>) but avoids sappiness and, incredibly enough, a happy ending. That ending (our protagonist discussing his new life with a therapist, a man we presume is another mirage, but it turns out the astronomer is "The Illusion!") makes no sense whatsoever, but it doesn't torpedo a good read.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeDPxN1gP8hfp5Ej57G_A8gKeSELLyJFPI6rKLhcaRnIEtZiZYchEo3kkfuvMi3-eVHhgYY7QWQp5RfOfn6hGFa2x5pC_4VpAEnUB_7v3IOX0j-9uZIqJrVODx_NUBXZiRmbknsFVHajPMY4GmUfwk8cE7FJACAnILWXGIaU5Bdr99GKQUqvq-gZv2vUJ/s664/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%201.30.57%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeDPxN1gP8hfp5Ej57G_A8gKeSELLyJFPI6rKLhcaRnIEtZiZYchEo3kkfuvMi3-eVHhgYY7QWQp5RfOfn6hGFa2x5pC_4VpAEnUB_7v3IOX0j-9uZIqJrVODx_NUBXZiRmbknsFVHajPMY4GmUfwk8cE7FJACAnILWXGIaU5Bdr99GKQUqvq-gZv2vUJ/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%201.30.57%20PM.png" width="289" /></a></div>Four fortune seekers invite the wrath of the Alaskan gods when they steal an Eskimo's golden totem pole. "The Totem!" is made up of equal parts "old standard" (this plot was used virtually <i>every</i> month by <i>every</i> comics company churning out horror comics in the 1950s) and charming visuals. I love Bill Everett's graphics, so Stan didn't even have to put captions and word balloons in the story to make it work out just fine.</div><div><br /></div><div>For an example of what happens when you don't have an artist of Bill Everett's capabilities to enliven a bad script, look no further than "Power," the tale of a poor yokel who inadvertently conjures up evil spirits with his divining rod. This stuff is as indigestible as moldy oatmeal, with its near-indecipherable doodles by Ed Winiarski; it's the comic art equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. </div><div><br /></div><div>Stephen Adams has a fanciful imagination and tells whoppers now and then, but Percival Crane sees the exaggerations as out-and-out lies and thinks his adversary should be punished. Sure enough, the <strike>CCA</strike> Puritan Council lets Adams know that if he doesn't keep on the straight and narrow, he'll be sitting on the ducking stool. Next day, the best storyteller in Massachusetts is telling the good folk of the town that the council and Percival are afraid of him and that they'll let him do as he pleases. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIl_hS2168OcdEvYIEBe2Ib-FZyvleKZpt8vItti3CiXnxtr_TSEwGKuAlsexaZkmZHUGDqjJg8m9B2P_KztNUk0bQ17b4nVZWm7teSZJLoVjuEK_xItlYtMTeUsoVPkOklUIbirLOaPUndFV4CMHXAX-OmVJrRW5YD3SAqESgMO-nLbq7SVPUPnaAIOI/s818/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%201.32.02%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="818" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIl_hS2168OcdEvYIEBe2Ib-FZyvleKZpt8vItti3CiXnxtr_TSEwGKuAlsexaZkmZHUGDqjJg8m9B2P_KztNUk0bQ17b4nVZWm7teSZJLoVjuEK_xItlYtMTeUsoVPkOklUIbirLOaPUndFV4CMHXAX-OmVJrRW5YD3SAqESgMO-nLbq7SVPUPnaAIOI/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%201.32.02%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Unfortunately, the same Percival Crane is within earshot and fetches some councilmen to give chase to the lyin' fool. Stephen ducks into a tree hollow and emerges later to tell the story of a future metropolis where buggies travel without the aid of horses. To prove he's telling the truth, he beckons Crane to follow him and, sure enough, they exit through a manhole cover to see present-day America. Percival promises to back Stephen's story when they get back to town, but the final panel reveals that the council is having none of it. "I Dare You to Look!" turns out to be a pretty funny tale and Robert Q. Sale (an artist we don't tout much here) turns in a job that's oddly reminiscent of the detailed work of Krenkel, Williamson, and Frazetta.</div><div><br /></div><div>Johnny Evans has a secret he'd like to get out in the open but he doesn't like people, so there's no one around to tell it to. Then, one moonlit night, after Johnny has hit the skids and hangs out in Hobo Town, he finds a man who's willing to listen to his fantastic tale. You see, Johnny was a rotten, vicious type (think, maybe, closing the door in a girl scout's face when she's selling cookies), but he was also an adventurer and his goal was to find the bottom of the supposedly bottomless lake near his home town. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4wt32x3uObzYoX-jyDoYYUOSszDCWFY5kz7nfWEFXhUvVO9bV4_8h4dg29IQ-FJ4OpzYR8xiq0a0y0IrtVUloL30a7NxaR6g2Pg06oXWNKcfrSXTn8HLVb1P5yqzlp4E0lpFheehms8Qu4HbtrOLC5E142MXEUwlsSUss5sJz7X3Oqn_e5QXCUOSTzaN/s1306/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%201.32.43%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1306" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4wt32x3uObzYoX-jyDoYYUOSszDCWFY5kz7nfWEFXhUvVO9bV4_8h4dg29IQ-FJ4OpzYR8xiq0a0y0IrtVUloL30a7NxaR6g2Pg06oXWNKcfrSXTn8HLVb1P5yqzlp4E0lpFheehms8Qu4HbtrOLC5E142MXEUwlsSUss5sJz7X3Oqn_e5QXCUOSTzaN/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%201.32.43%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>So Johnny rents a diving bell and cusses out his crew (just to add a cherry on the top of Rotten Johnny, Johnny Rotten) just before hitting the water. Down... down... down he goes until he hits solid ground. But there's something missing outside his little porthole... water! Somehow, Johnny's diving bell has landed inside an underwater cavern (good trick, that), but that won't stop the cold-blooded explorer from stepping outside the contraption and investigating. It's not long before he's accosted by a band of three-armed creatures calling themselves "The Bad Ones of the Earth" and told that this is where he belongs, amidst the rottenest souls on the planet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Johnny ain't goin' for that and hops back into his diving bell, his only souvenir being a glove dropped by one of the multi-armed monsters. He gives the order (perhaps a bit more courteously) to hoist him up. But when he emerges, his hair is a shock of white and he's muttering nonsense to himself. Two weeks later, just home from the hospital, Johnny is the victim of a burglary, but the only item taken is the glove! Back in the present, Johnny admits it's a far-fetched tale and if he had the glove maybe someone would believe him. His new friend pulls back his own coat and asks if the glove looks like the one on<i> his</i> third arm.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Third Arm" is the victim of another haphazard script that makes little sense. The fact that Johnny is one of the worst human beings on Earth is lost on me since all I witness are some semi-harsh words ("<i>Cut the chatter and do as I say!</i>") used around his associates. If that's all it takes to damn one's soul to Hell, I've probably got six extra arms on the way.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjLocpakKJ2GMkhkAOASOBtP2qTHUh3eGTRNXgQcwLTxfrvT-tcwl1xH_Vd87YqeoC48u0JPTEmb8FoP8niGqbtwAH0agXary6TGyi_mRyxXRg6Jk5rIyEt65HDSQIvuNlbpVgl9cI8OqvJBShpXxDKtb0j8CxVXHFvfEr8L4s-Pkbw8CTd6GYfLNx-eh/s599/28963.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjLocpakKJ2GMkhkAOASOBtP2qTHUh3eGTRNXgQcwLTxfrvT-tcwl1xH_Vd87YqeoC48u0JPTEmb8FoP8niGqbtwAH0agXary6TGyi_mRyxXRg6Jk5rIyEt65HDSQIvuNlbpVgl9cI8OqvJBShpXxDKtb0j8CxVXHFvfEr8L4s-Pkbw8CTd6GYfLNx-eh/s320/28963.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><b>Strange Tales #41</b><div><b>Cover by Joe Maneely & Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Riddle of the Skull" (a: Fred Kida) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><b>"The Fishman" (a: Bill Everett) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Strange Stick" (a: Robert Q. Sale) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"They Won't Believe" (a: Dick Ayers) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Man in the Dark" (a: Joe Orlando) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>A trio of scientists puzzle over "The Riddle of the Skull," wondering why we only use a quarter of our brain. If skulls could talk, the scientists would learn of an advanced civilization that created an idyllic society on a distant planet millions of years ago. When a group of people rebelled, they were sent into space, destined for a rehabilitation planet. Instead, they smashed the ship's controls and ended up on Earth, where they met cavemen and began to breed with them. Eventually, evolution led to modern civilization.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_PtoXu3g7jlV-2Az1j2RXuQBzsqzIInBjhnRal-YmwGPxdotYV9ErfFpEt7GnREEz9b85XVTtHJa69q5191yPFDVSQ3aW18bRmivQLDRPMSke9fo4l-7d0G5wxiL52Q4A_dA3XWqvyQYPhjMXBoL2T5kFhWYtQ7dLa9TRxryiBu4G9a4CoKI0WAUZdo/s360/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2002.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="273" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_PtoXu3g7jlV-2Az1j2RXuQBzsqzIInBjhnRal-YmwGPxdotYV9ErfFpEt7GnREEz9b85XVTtHJa69q5191yPFDVSQ3aW18bRmivQLDRPMSke9fo4l-7d0G5wxiL52Q4A_dA3XWqvyQYPhjMXBoL2T5kFhWYtQ7dLa9TRxryiBu4G9a4CoKI0WAUZdo/w152-h200/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2002.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>Fred Kida's art is pretty sketchy except for the last panel on page two, which looks like it could be a swipe from an Alex Raymond page. There isn't really any story and the end is unclear--is the unused three-quarters of the human brain supposed to be a remnant of the advanced brain of the alien civilization?</div><div><br /></div>During a raging storm at the water's edge, Dr. Bondy tells his fellow yacht club members the strange story of Peter Maher, "The Fishman." Bondy met Peter when Peter was a boy and learned that he was only happy in or on the sea. Peter grew up feeling called by the depths and began to explore the undersea world by means of an aqualung, but he wanted more.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dr. Bondy does research and becomes convinced that the gill slits seen in the human embryo could be restored to function through surgery. Before the doctor could operate, Peter disappeared for six months. Unbeknownst to Bondy, Peter met and fell in love with a beautiful blonde named Elsa, but she refused his offer of marriage and could not tell him why. After she disappeared, Peter discovered her in the depths of the ocean and realized that she could breathe under water through her gills. Peter went back and let Dr. Bondy operate on him so that he could stay underwater and breathe. Unfortunately, Elsa also visited the doctor and had him surgically close her gill slits so she could be with the man she loved. Dr. Bondy laments that she and Peter never met, unaware that his operations prevented them from being together.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXD-1BSk0OLNaIWMMxdcg_HxJ-VK6VMWrdKMXDLZKKhr8sQEcgvG6xIik-iv7UmqkXdL_0QOg79MHWKkeuEdnap2xdn8-ynpUFzzWiTCENiASg3rNtLUlz9hLEdDoTBXyfgBY1ypNnx7ZAwqKXS6t2nl_Z8jPZvP9way3aXKaVGNNg9aVnLXLssuIaAU/s937/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="937" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXD-1BSk0OLNaIWMMxdcg_HxJ-VK6VMWrdKMXDLZKKhr8sQEcgvG6xIik-iv7UmqkXdL_0QOg79MHWKkeuEdnap2xdn8-ynpUFzzWiTCENiASg3rNtLUlz9hLEdDoTBXyfgBY1ypNnx7ZAwqKXS6t2nl_Z8jPZvP9way3aXKaVGNNg9aVnLXLssuIaAU/w400-h194/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This is the first story I've given a four-star rating to since I joined Peter on this journey. It may only be five pages long, but it has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and they all make sense. The technique of having Dr. Bondy narrate the story is clever, as is the interlude that tells the reader a key piece of information that is unknown to the doctor and that makes the climax tragic. Best of all is the art by Bill Everett, who returns to his Sub-Mariner roots and draws the undersea panels with multiple lines going across them to suggest the murky depths. The blue/black coloring of these panels only adds to the effect. I don't think the Sub Mariner ever had a teen sidekick, but if he did, Peter would fit the bill.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHT5he6lcz2Ik3e88vvxiIWTiYwatjZiUzI3HJEFd1HI4ru2P01EdW9mmbwvH3KCv8tAbv1SzdQFh-2hPj2O3ZfpZZuZj8Aq_Dvaz_0O9A6ePmZFz3Gq6pk-Vi3tuiqD1pZ9xn5uNDZ5FgHe_2dRK8X-pAeI7FO1yuJYiKtlCt-qXf1TcL_1C0k4BVsvI/s458/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2012.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="431" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHT5he6lcz2Ik3e88vvxiIWTiYwatjZiUzI3HJEFd1HI4ru2P01EdW9mmbwvH3KCv8tAbv1SzdQFh-2hPj2O3ZfpZZuZj8Aq_Dvaz_0O9A6ePmZFz3Gq6pk-Vi3tuiqD1pZ9xn5uNDZ5FgHe_2dRK8X-pAeI7FO1yuJYiKtlCt-qXf1TcL_1C0k4BVsvI/w188-h200/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2012.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><div>A lost little boy named Larry is located by means of "The Strange Stick," a divining rod in the possession of a young man. He overcomes skeptics by having the rod locate Captain Kidd's treasure and is challenged to prove the stick's power in front of top scientists. It rises and points at the moon, where the young man reports that Earthlings have yet to develop advanced powers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet again, the payoff to an Atlas story is that the main character is from outer space. Yawn.</div><div><br /></div><div>Curt Calders is supposed to draw industrial designs for the near future (1959) but he insists on drawing them for the not so near future (1980). His boss and his father both tell him to get his head out of the clouds, so when Curt goes for a walk and stumbles onto Hope Street the way it will look in 1980, he is certain that "They Won't Believe" him, and he's right. He goes back to Hope St. in 1980 and sees a doctor, thinking that he'll get a report to show his father that he's not crazy. Instead, Curt does not come home, and the next day his parents receive a letter in the mail from a doctor, postmarked October 1980!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrRtcf2GfMvUtzLt2USH2VntZXElWP4BigNkFFkPEGxkheGzHWfnzKxKLsD68RcMGR0-URGN27bJiPuc1rRbqmywQQRKCwuZGhPBgwUsorACg1hNZu59cDS2eR3BcdIBIJKXm1xegnjLD2qsHuvlnWzCYwxlKNoOM7RMAOzeWqQ5xavCDP4ctZtB2uPs/s541/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2016.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="541" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrRtcf2GfMvUtzLt2USH2VntZXElWP4BigNkFFkPEGxkheGzHWfnzKxKLsD68RcMGR0-URGN27bJiPuc1rRbqmywQQRKCwuZGhPBgwUsorACg1hNZu59cDS2eR3BcdIBIJKXm1xegnjLD2qsHuvlnWzCYwxlKNoOM7RMAOzeWqQ5xavCDP4ctZtB2uPs/s320/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The best part about these stories set in a future that is now our past is comparing what the creators in 1955 envisioned for 1980. Smaller cars, yes; atomic powered cars, no. Solar power for heating houses, yes; cosmic ray selection bands, no. The Dick Ayers art is fine, but nothing special. The conclusion is predictable for anyone who's read a handful of Atlas comics.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2mKRrBlXWSnjhYWX-OqIg_hGeIxjynIkZ1DPAajmuccq6rUwDA-irfj-sEizVOrTCc7mj7VY6PQE0Vw1_wv5xeuIHYeuYU64G01daWNcNimdG6BowhvoWQgAkflXrA6A2MuObzd7HZbyLrZS4zWnkrItNtboS0hNWOpyxjKP6U3JInjE4dAZLfCiVNM/s901/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2019.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="901" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2mKRrBlXWSnjhYWX-OqIg_hGeIxjynIkZ1DPAajmuccq6rUwDA-irfj-sEizVOrTCc7mj7VY6PQE0Vw1_wv5xeuIHYeuYU64G01daWNcNimdG6BowhvoWQgAkflXrA6A2MuObzd7HZbyLrZS4zWnkrItNtboS0hNWOpyxjKP6U3JInjE4dAZLfCiVNM/w320-h235/strange%20tales%2041%20pg%2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>An elderly scientist named Reed rejoices over having discovered a way to see the core of the atom, which will give him control over the basic life force. On his way home to tell his wife, he recalls his younger years, when other scientists warned him not to experiment with the secrets of the universe. He realizes that he left his notebook at the lab and goes back for it, only to find the building gone. He walks home and finds his wife and children as they were forty years ago and himself young again. Is it a second chance? He decides to leave the secrets of the universe alone this time.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Peter writes, the art is the main attraction (or distraction) in these stories and Joe Orlando does a nice job illustrating "Man in the Dark!" I can't say that I'm entirely clear as to what happens, but the pictures look good and, as with "The Fish Man," at least it has a beginning, a middle, and an end, which is more than I can say for some Atlas tales.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr_-5yc-w1BVRkGwtgmdlLGe3fn9G3_EqM3aFAFPn_8RlkVxDAr5vcYi8xQ2uNVvmKIbVfW6s6MLXk9bde00xlBTfo599tzmTUqyoPQg4Pr_N_an5wdD7aVlAi5v16ffgvLNpDKpXf-FAoLX2mmkqwGmsDlBq-2K2RdyQ2Hs4BsSpFYL0NWi9wP3rR0Hn/s603/96946.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr_-5yc-w1BVRkGwtgmdlLGe3fn9G3_EqM3aFAFPn_8RlkVxDAr5vcYi8xQ2uNVvmKIbVfW6s6MLXk9bde00xlBTfo599tzmTUqyoPQg4Pr_N_an5wdD7aVlAi5v16ffgvLNpDKpXf-FAoLX2mmkqwGmsDlBq-2K2RdyQ2Hs4BsSpFYL0NWi9wP3rR0Hn/s320/96946.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><b>Strange Tales of the Unusual #1</b><div><b>Cover by Joe Maneely & Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Man Lost!" </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2 (a: Bob Brown)</b></span></div><div><b>(r: <i>Dead of Night </i>#7)</b></div><div><b>"Who Waits in the Dark?" (a: John Romita) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Gift" (a: Bob Powell) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Cry for Help!" (a: Bob McCarthy) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Experiment That Failed" (a: Don Heck) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Al is a gambler whose brother Greg, a scientist, has invented a time machine. Greg invites Al to dinner and shows him how the machine works, so Al gives Greg sleeping powder in his drink and sets the time machine's controls for tomorrow, where he learns the name of the horse that won a big race. Unfortunately, Al didn't pay close attention to Greg's instructions and now finds that he is a "Man Lost!" in time; no one can see or hear him, so he can't place a bet or even get Greg's attention to bring him back.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrROlS3swmQuJVStYfCT0is8MTYWWGckiBfxe5GNf_3tMasvqZbtPC14pvq04YlnyaNBOyFp8gkGLZVXQvdxm3hidsJQrahXsGowgs5O-AxYuqKvlD-IPjQX5Nwe8nqyiUmLJe0gfhX0g7mKNh6tccyFLbeJZ_kHGjXGn0HAWj_SIfSbfiZt_lCaFpEqc/s670/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20005.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="669" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrROlS3swmQuJVStYfCT0is8MTYWWGckiBfxe5GNf_3tMasvqZbtPC14pvq04YlnyaNBOyFp8gkGLZVXQvdxm3hidsJQrahXsGowgs5O-AxYuqKvlD-IPjQX5Nwe8nqyiUmLJe0gfhX0g7mKNh6tccyFLbeJZ_kHGjXGn0HAWj_SIfSbfiZt_lCaFpEqc/w200-h200/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20005.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Bob Brown's art is the highlight of this confusing little story, where it seems like the writer didn't have enough pages to ensure clarity. Al seems to travel a day into the future, yet he also seems to return to the present, albeit with a copy of tomorrow's newspaper in his pocket. Though no one can see or hear him, he recalls Greg saying that, if the controls are not set properly, "'it may take weeks to come back.'" By "come back," does Greg mean return to today or return to a state where he is visible and audible? It seems like Al will be fine, so it's a temporary inconvenience rather than a permanent problem.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jYZPNHQTVWzJxJpiMGvyunee3MS1cGwaXBC7cEgLcJ5WxyftVm_DxCYdiDszwtwHOP2IkcxiCWL-JYcMdEsOBtxailOhhkvvtHBcOJCcs9s3XnH40QGNDAY5Mt9iW-HZz0DQ44YgvVcmfVODrYBOzR8MyqKBJ1dWzh0aAdgfQKhLUoU8FjLJ7s40uac/s1671/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20010.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1671" data-original-width="837" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jYZPNHQTVWzJxJpiMGvyunee3MS1cGwaXBC7cEgLcJ5WxyftVm_DxCYdiDszwtwHOP2IkcxiCWL-JYcMdEsOBtxailOhhkvvtHBcOJCcs9s3XnH40QGNDAY5Mt9iW-HZz0DQ44YgvVcmfVODrYBOzR8MyqKBJ1dWzh0aAdgfQKhLUoU8FjLJ7s40uac/s320/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20010.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>Three scientists explore Darkest Africa in search of a large cache of the mysterious Element X. Their native guides abandoned them out of fear. The trio cross a natural bridge made of vines that are just strong enough to support their weight and, that night, they encounter giant creatures that must have been enlarged by the effects of Element X. The next morning, all of the creatures seem to be normal size once again and the scientists retrace their steps, not noticing that they have grown to great size overnight.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is no menace and the conclusion is left out of "Who Walks in the Dark?" What will happen to the men when they get back to the natural bridge? They are too big to cross it and will be trapped forever. Yet the final caption does not mention this inevitable fate. Instead, it says "Element 'X' is indeed a strange element!" The art by John Romita is poor, which surprises me, since I think of him as one of Marvel's more reliable artists, at least in the 1960s.</div><div><br /></div><div>What is the meaning of the strange bubbles that have started appearing all over the world, granting people's wishes? A cranky government panel thinks they are "'a spearhead for an inter-planetary invasion,'" but it turns out they are just gifts from outer space, meant to celebrate Earth's 3000th year in the solar system.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEdZLoEoLLlbEuPsff_PZNrRDmK6646L21rogzTWnhWBtu2nBw_I028_FrqXYNxLtvNLcvtcP-fm1ak0XuOXsjJGsHBnjaEms05yg_O_MI5um2iDdG0N8hCHA7tW1ZTpbl3-iD8vq3MafJE3YfK-bCB5690qrFVt-IYde0S1p6DMb6tVa7zDIYnhNAzk/s2101/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2101" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEdZLoEoLLlbEuPsff_PZNrRDmK6646L21rogzTWnhWBtu2nBw_I028_FrqXYNxLtvNLcvtcP-fm1ak0XuOXsjJGsHBnjaEms05yg_O_MI5um2iDdG0N8hCHA7tW1ZTpbl3-iD8vq3MafJE3YfK-bCB5690qrFVt-IYde0S1p6DMb6tVa7zDIYnhNAzk/w274-h400/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20018.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It's too bad Bob Powell's gorgeous art is wasted on such a banal story. He produced four pages of stunning work for "The Gift."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90jbFxiZmVIrQIaE8a-A9Jbq-imHM02hwsN-OxYkcpP2O0Q3S4pjNknrxoy75zGF07ssw0lYFTXySl6jUCDcNVndNpfOBRMC993wibaOCrItOIDF1s-3QbPIDGlverPnCZd0kWHAWj5n-ChQ_1ue4FV0vXqdgMwWAnj5eFf7FZYqqq2HTkhGPIFM3WH4/s660/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20024.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="659" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90jbFxiZmVIrQIaE8a-A9Jbq-imHM02hwsN-OxYkcpP2O0Q3S4pjNknrxoy75zGF07ssw0lYFTXySl6jUCDcNVndNpfOBRMC993wibaOCrItOIDF1s-3QbPIDGlverPnCZd0kWHAWj5n-ChQ_1ue4FV0vXqdgMwWAnj5eFf7FZYqqq2HTkhGPIFM3WH4/s320/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>James Stark is awakened in the middle of the night by a "Cry for Help!" when his phone rings. A voice on the other end says it's the mayor calling and that armed men are trying to break into his house. Stark calls the police and they rush to the mayor's house, only to find a grumpy mayor in his PJs and no armed men. The process repeats twice and, the third time, the cops actually find three crooks and apprehend them. Stark is a hero, but when his phone rings a fourth time he fails to grasp that the call is coming from a mayor on the moon!</div><div><br /></div><div>This was a predictable story until those last panels, where Carl Wessler resorts to a tried and true Atlas twist--when in doubt, involve spacemen! There is no explanation as to why the phone call is coming from the moon or why the Earth mayor's house was under siege. Just run with it. Bob McCarthy's art is adequate but nothing special.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyfYuOvETPd7VAic8sRf2nKCr_idDm2x3AUjILcsBGENcyF5mOBnOnOUKW9YzpppKAnP19IjoWZhHWkyvC4FYECEgErgb-KDp_HN5n092UHzGv0HvteF-q6W3xAvvuhHnTj73lBhNuiDYyP9x_3b4IipdZ3OsG9VNdxgMM7afDyetTwbZeCNi6TAgIN8/s597/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20030.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="425" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyfYuOvETPd7VAic8sRf2nKCr_idDm2x3AUjILcsBGENcyF5mOBnOnOUKW9YzpppKAnP19IjoWZhHWkyvC4FYECEgErgb-KDp_HN5n092UHzGv0HvteF-q6W3xAvvuhHnTj73lBhNuiDYyP9x_3b4IipdZ3OsG9VNdxgMM7afDyetTwbZeCNi6TAgIN8/w143-h200/Strange%20Tales%20of%20the%20Unusual%20001%20030.jpg" width="143" /></a></div><div>After Dr. Dennis examines a young boy who is both handsome and extremely intelligent due to the effects of atomic testing in recent years, world leaders express concern that the new generation presents a threat. They ask the doctor to find an antidote, so he shows them a machine he has created to test whether cobalt pellets can destroy dangerous radiation. Alone, the doctor runs a test and sees that the new people will create a wonderful world in the future. He lies to the world leaders and tells them of "The Experiment That Failed," assuring them that radiation will only bring good things.</div><div><br /></div><div>This story carries a positive message, but it's also a dull one. I've always thought of Don Heck as a reliable workhorse whose art is decent but rarely much more than that.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7XRFtMqB7Yn9yaCU0tKu5AvDRG-YThWXsKyhxdGJnIsradafv5LPTj_AvFhL90l6WaEfsfwa_892MjjPLQxJnkU5cxmfOqPb1j4vy7DerIbOl5VUhN3VF_FkctaRdSUyfGIfpzdCyo1Hc3M2s4VO5PQcrMeQh8ajya260uJ5ab8rQDu6noI-a0fZxb1M/s583/30239.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7XRFtMqB7Yn9yaCU0tKu5AvDRG-YThWXsKyhxdGJnIsradafv5LPTj_AvFhL90l6WaEfsfwa_892MjjPLQxJnkU5cxmfOqPb1j4vy7DerIbOl5VUhN3VF_FkctaRdSUyfGIfpzdCyo1Hc3M2s4VO5PQcrMeQh8ajya260uJ5ab8rQDu6noI-a0fZxb1M/s320/30239.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><b>Uncanny Tales #38</b><div><b>Cover by Joe Maneely</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Behind the Locked Door!" (a: Bob Powell) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><b>(r: <i>Crypt of Shadows</i> #12)</b></div><div><b>"Something in Space!" (a: Joe Sinnott) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Morgan's Magic Picture!" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>(r:<i> Crypt of Shadows</i> #21)</b></div><div><b>"Plague!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>(r: <i>Journey Into Mystery</i> #10)</b></div><div><b>"The Pharaoh Walks" (a: Manny Stallman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>(r: <i>Uncanny Tales </i>#3)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>A man named Harry drives along a wet highway at night, convinced that he is a failure. His girlfriend Kay refused to marry him because of his negative attitude. Suddenly, his car swerves and crashes. He climbs from the wreckage and makes his way to an abandoned house. Inside, he forces his way "Behind the Locked Door!" and recalls an incident from his childhood in which he saved another boy from drowning. That boy grew up to be a statesman who "'saved the world from the brink of war.'" In another room, Harry recalls being kind to a beggar on the street; the beggar later heroically saved a ship full of passengers. Harry realizes he's not a failure after all and returns to his car with his head held high. The house is nowhere to be found.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsETdQCVb9_yr17CUD0wAGJHi4d3pI7yszRGYRRLad46L1nsDOd9g1zdexEY_J0qLuRZzv-jdEWdDDb16r9hmFyIfVF23o_eccsWLrdIJma-qZOgCrKdhJvKjL-fA64ettvSBpGcubrYcWCSss9oikJW_b2bv1e53JfQbVHMwob3ON97hgJlCa6u6tws/s742/Uncanny%20Tales%20038%20007.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="596" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsETdQCVb9_yr17CUD0wAGJHi4d3pI7yszRGYRRLad46L1nsDOd9g1zdexEY_J0qLuRZzv-jdEWdDDb16r9hmFyIfVF23o_eccsWLrdIJma-qZOgCrKdhJvKjL-fA64ettvSBpGcubrYcWCSss9oikJW_b2bv1e53JfQbVHMwob3ON97hgJlCa6u6tws/w161-h200/Uncanny%20Tales%20038%20007.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><div>Once again, Bob Powell's art elevates a straightforward story that briefly explores a man's psyche. Both this and "The Gift" feature panels where a character is drawn in extreme closeup so that only part of their face is seen and other figures are shown in the distance behind them./ I usually associate this technique with Wally Wood, but Powell uses it effectively.</div><div><br /></div><div>When he almost steps on an ant on the sidewalk, a reporter meets a stranger who tells him not to crush the insect. The stranger tells the story of how "Something in Space!" had been spotted five years ago and all the nations on Earth had united to prepare a common defense. The stranger explains that he happened upon an ant hill in New Mexico containing a race of mutant ants that told him telepathically that they were taking ships to a tiny planet in outer space to escape humans. Their ships were what united all the nations, so the man never told anyone, fearful that the truth might set countries back on the warpath against each other. The reporter thinks the story is nuts but makes sure to avoid stepping on the next ant he sees.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0p03AomYV32eDbsqX0wkDrVBlllsFEoU9y0L32KDXNLJQF2JdBEzMgPFonUujjUUyUEX5GRFl9UPBoNgITSEOiiCk3oZDiWx9V-vIYjeS0op8ZlAB-c2GvRDbhX-Mo5n-eVKHdWW-CLxGvyQqUHf3Ji_FPJxZWF8JNo4zfEU57N4XdWeilyeX2x07ZpA/s663/Uncanny%20Tales%20038%20013.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="663" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0p03AomYV32eDbsqX0wkDrVBlllsFEoU9y0L32KDXNLJQF2JdBEzMgPFonUujjUUyUEX5GRFl9UPBoNgITSEOiiCk3oZDiWx9V-vIYjeS0op8ZlAB-c2GvRDbhX-Mo5n-eVKHdWW-CLxGvyQqUHf3Ji_FPJxZWF8JNo4zfEU57N4XdWeilyeX2x07ZpA/w200-h172/Uncanny%20Tales%20038%20013.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>The notion of an alien threat causing Earth's warring nations to unite is not new and was used long before <i>Watchmen.</i> The ant angle in this story is silly, but at least Joe Sinnott provides competent graphics.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fred Morgan paints a portrait of Lois Wayne. When he adds a necklace and earrings, they appear in real life! Greedy Fred tells Lois that he loves her and starts painting more and more expensive items, all of which appear. He admits to Lois that he doesn't love her and that he's only in it for the money, so she leaves. "Morgan's Magic Picture!" doesn't work with any other model, so Fred begs Lois to come back, and she agrees. To prove that he's a changed man, he burns the portrait and all of his wealth goes up in flames.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9WxgdsdPZFUhkuLgFbanI8PoiEbbPR8bNHH-jSnbkdAgGm4oKJZ1XVZTtPQ8QYDdLGNifrCB22N0UGdvDjTKdCKUzpPDl7RQ0kXcdd1lCTwvJaJ-D9MOPbd25_z-xHf_wEwAqCrdAG7-Uqne1DuYQ8k818xpP199kksKqQfkXPp08VeUcAiCxj-vZPw/s998/Uncanny%20Tales%20038%20018.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="515" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9WxgdsdPZFUhkuLgFbanI8PoiEbbPR8bNHH-jSnbkdAgGm4oKJZ1XVZTtPQ8QYDdLGNifrCB22N0UGdvDjTKdCKUzpPDl7RQ0kXcdd1lCTwvJaJ-D9MOPbd25_z-xHf_wEwAqCrdAG7-Uqne1DuYQ8k818xpP199kksKqQfkXPp08VeUcAiCxj-vZPw/w103-h200/Uncanny%20Tales%20038%20018.jpg" width="103" /></a></div><div>Peter has noted how Bill Benulis is one of the more consistently good artists we're seeing at this stage of our Atlas journey, and this story shows that he's right. Wessler's plot has been used before, but the depictions, especially of Lois and the other models, are above average.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the future, mankind acts as one to search for the carrier of the "Plague!" Peace has reigned for centuries and now the carrier must be found before the plague can spread. The trail leads to a shabby building and a frightened man and the source of the plague is found--it's a revolver!</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not often surprised by the ending of an Atlas story and I admit that when I saw this one was three pages long and drawn by Ed Winiarski, my expectations were low. I did not expect a message against gun violence; I'm impressed!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNE-UXL5aiGC9H8DBzLiwiM4QXK_lCZ1HpPE2jkGrcy-3KJjU9Ad2pqi-Bqt-HT43G0c7A31qqboz8wspybLyqKC_NM7FI2O9EFzCPfqf0fo2vGDrxyWzP08wth1KyKhMbZP0PoYYXg3A_HlhnG3HOp5QOm3kxgeqxplxW-ylqugWLSLY1CcX7B0Y_Ns/s727/Uncanny%20Tales%20038%20029.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="722" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNE-UXL5aiGC9H8DBzLiwiM4QXK_lCZ1HpPE2jkGrcy-3KJjU9Ad2pqi-Bqt-HT43G0c7A31qqboz8wspybLyqKC_NM7FI2O9EFzCPfqf0fo2vGDrxyWzP08wth1KyKhMbZP0PoYYXg3A_HlhnG3HOp5QOm3kxgeqxplxW-ylqugWLSLY1CcX7B0Y_Ns/w199-h200/Uncanny%20Tales%20038%20029.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div>When two rich men offer to pay a million dollars for a genuine solar ship to carry them into the afterlife, just as Egyptian pharaohs did, bookkeeper Amos Clifton promises to fulfill their request. He flies to Egypt and finds a guide who will take him to such a ship, but Amos ignores the usual warnings. Workers dig all night and find a solar ship; Amos climbs aboard to rest and finds the ship carrying him into outer space. The ship lands on another world, where a pharaoh sets Amos to work as a bookkeeper.</div><div><br /></div><div>Manny Stallman's art reminds me in spots of the work of Basil Wolverton and is the only bright spot in yet another meandering story by Carl Wessler.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">THE BEST STORIES OF 1955</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div> 1 "The Devil-Man" (<i>Astonishing</i> #37)</div><div> 2 "Hail the Hero" (<i>Marvel Tales </i>#132)</div><div> 3 "What Happened in Midville" (<i>Mystic</i> #35)</div><div> 4 "The Fishman" (<i>Strange Tales </i>#41)</div><div> 5 "While Death Waits" (<i>Marvel Tales </i>#131)</div><div> 6 "Man Alone!" (<i>Journey Into Unknown Worlds </i>#37)</div><div> 7 "The Locked Drawer" (<i>Journey Into Mystery</i> #24)</div><div> 8 "Return to Nowhere" (<i>Mystic</i> #39)</div><div> 9 "The Locked Room" (<i>Astonishing</i> #41)</div><div>10 "They Wouldn't Believe Him" (<i>Journey Into Mystery</i> #28)</div><div><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-00r4hEWAcUx5DDifRM2JpSmGCxhcT-LOrxfcz5iGNAVmkO93AGDAZRSEt-C1pxVZoAcA4GbTPSl7BtxpkStF-2CzmcykShGl6WD-NAWsQ6k5-4fMqLB1BuKDX_7uTLcpvuPhbxlzxPjbnfMU-zVAoBC1bNd5tis_7szfq0qkKeBn71zF9f3N8LAz1FAr/s668/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20at%2010.09.16%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="610" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-00r4hEWAcUx5DDifRM2JpSmGCxhcT-LOrxfcz5iGNAVmkO93AGDAZRSEt-C1pxVZoAcA4GbTPSl7BtxpkStF-2CzmcykShGl6WD-NAWsQ6k5-4fMqLB1BuKDX_7uTLcpvuPhbxlzxPjbnfMU-zVAoBC1bNd5tis_7szfq0qkKeBn71zF9f3N8LAz1FAr/w365-h400/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20at%2010.09.16%20AM.png" width="365" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />The Triumphant Return of<br />The Cat-Man!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-57928685995894426202024-03-21T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-21T03:00:00.139-07:00The Hitchcock Project-Calvin Clements, Part Two-The Old Pro [7.8]by Jack Seabrook<div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6bNQQTvjBeYtgAb1qnwY9WQxsOT91wG7o3M56hWPb4Zx_xnI5RJNVMSIz5lIjCxPvshOEh0Dn_0uZ7rHvUdrkRCrkfTeXq9ePzYIpmX3SQMH08NfXLGuvYtAY1NuZm79yunrN4_RhGcbJkci7lHyvrxcZalVqg0bs50pwbsoxjQ77s6-uPkItACC19U/s768/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h59m56s891.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="768" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6bNQQTvjBeYtgAb1qnwY9WQxsOT91wG7o3M56hWPb4Zx_xnI5RJNVMSIz5lIjCxPvshOEh0Dn_0uZ7rHvUdrkRCrkfTeXq9ePzYIpmX3SQMH08NfXLGuvYtAY1NuZm79yunrN4_RhGcbJkci7lHyvrxcZalVqg0bs50pwbsoxjQ77s6-uPkItACC19U/s320/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h59m56s891.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><div>The second and last teleplay by Calvin Clements for <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents </i>was "The Old Pro," which<i> </i>aired on NBC on Tuesday, November 28, 1961, just two weeks after <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-hitchcock-project-calvin-clements.html" target="_blank">"Beta Delta Gamma,"</a> the first teleplay that Clements wrote for the series. "The Old Pro" is based on a short story of the same name by H.A. DeRosso that was published in the December 1960 issue of <i>Manhunt.</i> Clements did a fine job retaining the story's plot and expanding it for the small screen.</div><div><br /></div><div>The story begins as Ralph Whitburn, who calls himself Burns, telephones a man named Mike Sargasso to hire a hit man to kill someone near Walton Lake this weekend. Whitburn lives in a small town in Wisconsin near the Michigan border. He has retired to the country after a life spent in cities, and when his partner, a beautiful redhead named Loretta, notices that he seems preoccupied, Whitburn tells her that he plans to spend the weekend alone at the lake.</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XFuehazq-cW3OGFBU4dQa7LRt8aW3a_RvQQ2vxutOeBvT1v_nPLB6MwhQk_RQlDElfUNBu5_C-mt5wsSQTi1_aOMq_dqVBkU3mt5U2vtnBZFJV9-ZFO3u6dLGd3K4hZy8mdEpPveD83K-NRoBiCtemXTA61eiKRO3AynbWOLK48L3gUChstma8mMqrE/s537/manhunt_196012.jpg" style="clear: left; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XFuehazq-cW3OGFBU4dQa7LRt8aW3a_RvQQ2vxutOeBvT1v_nPLB6MwhQk_RQlDElfUNBu5_C-mt5wsSQTi1_aOMq_dqVBkU3mt5U2vtnBZFJV9-ZFO3u6dLGd3K4hZy8mdEpPveD83K-NRoBiCtemXTA61eiKRO3AynbWOLK48L3gUChstma8mMqrE/s320/manhunt_196012.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"The Old Pro" was first published here</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>That weekend, he kills time by fishing while waiting for the hit man to arrive. Whitburn returns to his cottage to find the hit man, named Mace, already there. Mace quickly grasps that Whitburn is being blackmailed by Earl Cullenbine, a former police reporter with underworld connections, and that Whitburn wants Cullenbine eliminated. Whitburn asks Mace to make the death look accidental and Mace suggests that Whitburn accompany him to make sure that he kills the right man. Whitburn reluctantly agrees.</div><div><br /></div><div>The men approach an island by boat, expecting to find Cullenbine waiting for his weekly Saturday night blackmail payment. Mace follows Whitburn through thick underbrush. Surprised to find Cullenbine unfazed by the appearance of Mace, Whitburn discovers that the blackmailer called Sargasso first and that Mace is there to kill Whitburn. Mace explains that he knows that Whitburn used to work for Sargasso before retiring and comments that he was "'his best.'"</div><div><br /></div><div>Mace tells Whitburn to start walking back the way they came and Mace follows him. Whitburn turns the tables and succeeds in drowning Mace. He takes Mace's gun, returns to Cullenbine, and kills him, too.</div><div><br /></div><div>Time passes and Whitburn is living happily with Loretta when Sargasso telephones and insists that he come out of retirement and commit another murder for hire. The boss threatens Loretta to make sure that the assassin will cooperate. Whitburn hangs up, aware that his happy life is at an end and that, eventually, he will be killed as well.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukdnlTnFQChdsTxZ5icuJ2YCuqDes5eLgtNv1oi8z2nhqzlJHWsTS-VZkQhSLKzEtG5-plGJykRtAimKymH7Ldz43Y1gFStUtKuVvRwdY814C0aoR3Qf5P8znyRy6AmKcNiPQBQk1Pf1rSEgtWJPlnkiwxU65wVghHLnHNSunup3VIf4ji-bWo53ktzg/s768/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h57m50s397.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="768" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukdnlTnFQChdsTxZ5icuJ2YCuqDes5eLgtNv1oi8z2nhqzlJHWsTS-VZkQhSLKzEtG5-plGJykRtAimKymH7Ldz43Y1gFStUtKuVvRwdY814C0aoR3Qf5P8znyRy6AmKcNiPQBQk1Pf1rSEgtWJPlnkiwxU65wVghHLnHNSunup3VIf4ji-bWo53ktzg/s320/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h57m50s397.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Richard Conte as Frank Burns</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>"The Old Pro" uses inference and subtlety to create surprise after surprise. Initially, Whitburn asks Sargasso to send "'an engineer experienced in removing obstructions.'" When Whitburn meets Mace, it becomes clear that he has hired a hit man to kill a blackmailer, but when they meet Cullenbine, the situation is reversed. Whitburn succeeds in killing both men and only toward the end of the story does it become apparent that he is a retired hit man himself. The final irony comes when Sargasso pressures him to go back to work; had Whitburn never called the boss in the first place, he could have continued to enjoy his retirement from killing, albeit with the annoyance of having to pay a blackmailer.</div><div><br /></div><div>H.A. DeRosso (1917-1960) was known for western short stories and paperback original novels that were published in the 1940s and 1950s. His novels explored noir themes and there is a good article about him <a href="https://pulpflakes.blogspot.com/2012/12/HADeRosso.html" target="_blank">here</a>. He also wrote a handful of crime stories, such as "The Old Pro." One other story of his was adapted for television as an episode of a western series in 1957.</div><div><br /></div><div>The TV adaptation of "The Old Pro" is an excellent mix of suspense and black humor that features memorable performances by Richard Conte as Frank Burns (Ralph Whitburn in the short story) and John Anderson as Joey "Nick" Nicholson (Sargasso in the story). The show begins with some new scenes that have been added to the story to provide background. The idyllic married life of Frank and Loretta (her first name is never mentioned until the end credits) Burns is shown as the two chat briefly at their home on the lake before he leaves to go fishing. Burns takes a small motorboat across the lake, where he meets Cullen (Cullenbine in the story), the blackmailer, who holds a rifle in his lap.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJvSR2gY0DOOKeRTJKHSbO0t8bDZl2KOtyr3wMr3TIljF3Elak1BuLs1equSzfl3cIF-_KG3_Giwh9YQREpOL9QFi_7SKD2UArXEJ9vRV8_TRe1D_YOl5kKeCy2v0iH96vdUKvPZI_3Bjxcsa1P3KMMJBLLWeA2C3gsToC9QIOEFVWhiKjiCWIHystPw/s768/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-16h09m05s698.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="768" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJvSR2gY0DOOKeRTJKHSbO0t8bDZl2KOtyr3wMr3TIljF3Elak1BuLs1equSzfl3cIF-_KG3_Giwh9YQREpOL9QFi_7SKD2UArXEJ9vRV8_TRe1D_YOl5kKeCy2v0iH96vdUKvPZI_3Bjxcsa1P3KMMJBLLWeA2C3gsToC9QIOEFVWhiKjiCWIHystPw/s320/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-16h09m05s698.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Anderson as Nick</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Cullen refers to Burns as a retired killer, thus removing one of the short story's surprises, since Whitburn's prior job is not revealed until later in the story. Cullen adds that Burns married a "'junior league beauty'" who thinks that her husband is a "'retired engineer.'" In Clements's teleplay, the short story's euphemism of "engineer," which is used in place of "hit man," is greatly expanded; gradually, as the episode plays out, it becomes clear that Burns has created an elaborate fiction about himself that Loretta believes to be the truth. Burns has paid Cullen $40,000 in blackmail so far and at first refuses to pay any more, but he quickly relents and promises to bring the money later that day, around five p.m.</div><div><br /></div><div>Burns returns home to his wife and he and Loretta seem as happy as ever, but he goes into another room and telephones "Nick" Nicholson (Sargasso in the story); this is how the short story begins. In the first instance of the humor that will enliven the show's final scene, Nick takes Burns's call while receiving a vigorous massage from a heavy-set man. As in the story, Burns asks Nick to send an "'engineer'" to the lake; he requests that the service be provided at about 4:30 that day, half an hour before he promised to return to meet Cullen with the money. Nick hangs up and asks the masseur, who looks like a criminal henchman, to "'get a hold of Mace.'"</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguH8brm64szR7Ay2Ua4vKsVRn_mDvpJVL9AkDCRaTdE0xK0GUP4GSnCdmDAWJ15to-FamcZYIuuaz5RYihlCV6M7T1TgOTnf1AJTjQNjKOSucWeIld9mRMKheYtMfiStCMEi5QFyRBzus204LhEDHZ3oROhcdo_mWrPTdxT1o5YOhdJB4pqgG9E_3XEVQ/s768/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h44m18s278.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="768" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguH8brm64szR7Ay2Ua4vKsVRn_mDvpJVL9AkDCRaTdE0xK0GUP4GSnCdmDAWJ15to-FamcZYIuuaz5RYihlCV6M7T1TgOTnf1AJTjQNjKOSucWeIld9mRMKheYtMfiStCMEi5QFyRBzus204LhEDHZ3oROhcdo_mWrPTdxT1o5YOhdJB4pqgG9E_3XEVQ/s320/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h44m18s278.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sara Shane as Loretta</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Later, Burns again drives his motorboat to the same landing spot and meets Mace, who waits at the dock in a suit and tie that seem out of place in the rural environment. Mace is a fish out of water, a slick criminal more used to a city environment, and this will soon play to Burns's advantage. Mace tells Burns that "'Nicholson says you were the best in the business and I'm always willing to learn from an old pro,'" again underlining the fact that Burns was formerly a hit man himself, something that has not been revealed at this point in the short story. They walk toward the clearing where Cullen waits; as in the story, Burns turns the tables by the lake and kills Mace by drowning him. He returns to the clearing where Cullen waits, but Burns's murder of the blackmailer is not shown, just as in the story.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the short story, the murders of Mace and Cullenbine are followed by a short phone call between Whitburn and Sargasso that takes place at a later date. The TV show takes the narrative in a more interesting and entertaining direction that reaches the same conclusion after strengthening the roles of Loretta and Nick. Back at home the day after murdering two men and making both killings look accidental, Burns watches with delight as Loretta models three news hats. In passing, she mentions the "'two men who drowned yesterday,'" and the viewer realizes that she is referring to Mace and Cullen. Loretta goes inside to make lunch and Nick suddenly appears on Frank's deck. Burns looks down to the lake and sees two men with a boat by the dock (one is the masseur/henchman); he remarks to Mace, "'I see you brought your muscle along.'"</div><div><br /></div><div>Nick admires Burns's way of living and, when Loretta emerges with lunch, the crime boss introduces himself to her; she asks him to stay for lunch and he agrees. As Nick and Burns chat, there is an underlying tension that Loretta fails to grasp. When she is inside the house, Nick lightly but ominously mentions another woman who had nice skin like Loretta's, "'before the affair with the acid.'" Nick is jovial, a charming rogue with a violent, dangerous undercurrent. Nick tells Loretta that he's there on business but she insists that her husband is retired. Nick says that he's hoping to talk Frank out of retirement and Loretta responds that she doesn't want to spend nights alone while her husband is away on a job.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1q0KQuwjkIYiy1z2I9am32i3ivWulBedDtlNAhDMG2WZUZlipJL07jnhoV6eSRFsiYOKC5QchMlbXSE_Wj6fIPrUefIRAwbcdWdg7snZM8Dah_oGqsm0kxOeDPczPOOWJoP6IzlLywdSHhOQuYMDfDxzNG9NgOV1Xnc_KJKQSm84kLVD0dele8EWgNI/s768/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h56m00s005.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="768" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1q0KQuwjkIYiy1z2I9am32i3ivWulBedDtlNAhDMG2WZUZlipJL07jnhoV6eSRFsiYOKC5QchMlbXSE_Wj6fIPrUefIRAwbcdWdg7snZM8Dah_oGqsm0kxOeDPczPOOWJoP6IzlLywdSHhOQuYMDfDxzNG9NgOV1Xnc_KJKQSm84kLVD0dele8EWgNI/s320/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h56m00s005.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Stacy Harris as Cullen</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Nick tells her, with a smile, "'I always say an old pro never retires.'" She goes to the kitchen and Nick says that he needs Frank for a job in Vegas. Frank declines and Nick again mentions Loretta's lovely skin, implying that she could have an accident with acid if Frank refuses to return to the fold. "'Welcome home to an old pro,'" says Nick, and the show ends with the camera focused on Frank's face--he is clearly trapped.</div><div><br /></div><div>The TV adaptation of "The Old Pro" adds new opening scenes, removes the mystery about Frank's former line of work, and adds the long final scene in which Nick pays a visit to Frank. In the story, he simply telephones sometime after the murders; the new scenes add greatly to the enjoyment of the show, as the words exchanged between the two men hide their subtext. The middle section follows the short story closely. Richard Conte, as Frank, is terrific, intense when he needs to be yet relaxed when he's alone with his wife. John Anderson, as Nick, is a delight, a cold-blooded criminal with a charming, affable demeanor.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjod3KUm3HM2T9X8qDrRv7PLWJjIJMN9FhEMq_e1wso1SWZ-ZLu2ss0CiicOFZ0_3fjoKCiaoBhT2XJxhbimWcFQD-MmmcZIyCHEjpHZtWldixrb0jn8hre2RAlO7o2bMPQPMQEPIf2_8kyOWNTaEGBag4zQ4I7cst-3Lq4H2XcwLEEz7ZCktqYZTK5R00/s768/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h55m38s084.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="768" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjod3KUm3HM2T9X8qDrRv7PLWJjIJMN9FhEMq_e1wso1SWZ-ZLu2ss0CiicOFZ0_3fjoKCiaoBhT2XJxhbimWcFQD-MmmcZIyCHEjpHZtWldixrb0jn8hre2RAlO7o2bMPQPMQEPIf2_8kyOWNTaEGBag4zQ4I7cst-3Lq4H2XcwLEEz7ZCktqYZTK5R00/s320/vlcsnap-2024-03-11-15h55m38s084.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Richard Carlyle as Mace</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>"The Old Pro" is directed by Paul Henreid (1908-1992) who began his career as a film actor. He started directing in the early 1950s and he directed 29 episodes of the Hitchcock show, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-hitchcock-project-robert-c-dennis.html" target="_blank">"A Little Sleep."</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Richard Conte (1910-1975) was born Nicholas Conte and served in the Army during WWII. He started out on Broadway and on film in 1939 and began appearing on TV in 1953. This was his only appearance on the Hitchcock show; he was also in Fritz Lang's <i>The Blue Gardenia</i> (1953), the <i>Twilight Zone</i> episode, "Perchance to Dream," the film <i>Assault on a Queen </i>(1966), which was adapted from a Jack Finney novel, and <i>The Godfather</i> (1972).</div><div><br /></div><div>John Anderson (1902-1992) served in the Coast Guard during WWII and started his acting career on Broadway in 1937. He began appearing on TV in 1950 and on film in 1953; in addition to a role in <i>Psycho</i> (1960), he was seen in many classic TV shows, such as <i>The Twilight Zone, Thriller, The Outer Limits</i>, and <i>Night Gallery.</i> Besides "The Old Pro," he was in two episodes of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,</i> one of which was Robert Bloch's <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2012/05/robert-bloch-on-tv-part-sixteen-alfred.html#:~:text=Robert%20Bloch's%20teleplay%20for%20%E2%80%9CThe,the%20elements%20at%20his%20command." target="_blank">"The Second Wife."</a></div><div><br /></div><div>In smaller roles:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sara Shane (1928-2022) as Loretta; she was on screen from 1948 to 1964 and also appeared on <i>The Outer Limits,</i> as well as in an episode of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,</i> <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-hitchcock-project-william-link-and_027779419.html" target="_blank">"Captive Audience."</a></li><li>Stacy Harris (1918-1973) as Cullen; he was a busy voice actor on radio from 1946 to 1960 and appeared in numerous TV shows and a few films from 1950 to 1972. He was also in two episodes of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i>, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-hitchcock-project-richard-matheson_22.html" target="_blank">"The Thirty-First of February."</a></li><li>Richard Carlyle (1914-2009) as Mace; he appeared mostly on TV, from 1950 to 1994. He was on an episode of <i>Star Trek</i> and he appeared in one episode of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, </i><a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-hitchcock-project-alfred-hayes-part_19.html" target="_blank">"The Paragon."</a></li></ul><div>Oddly, while making his closing comments at the end of the episode, Hitchcock is buried up to his neck in sand as the tide is coming in. This would have fit much better with "Beta Delta Gamma," the other episode written by Calvin Clements, which aired two weeks before "The Old Pro."</div></div><div><br /></div><div>"The Old Pro" has the distinction of being the last episode of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> to air in prime time; it was rerun on NBC on Tuesday, September 18, 1962, and <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i> premiered two nights later, on September 20, 1962, on CBS, where <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> had aired for its first five seasons.</div><div><br /></div><div>Watch "The Old Pro" online <a href="https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/5cc011c3fb585259a51670bf49bf9cab/alfred-hitchcock-presents-s7-e8-the-old-pro" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Burwell, J. Charles. "The Seeker in the Shadowlands: Three Novels of Western Noir by H.A. DeRosso." <i>bare*bones</i> #3, summer 2020, 70-82.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br />DeRosso, H.A. "The Old Pro." <i>Hard-Boiled: An Anthology of American Crime Stories</i>. Ed. Bill Pronzini and Jack Adrian. NY: Oxford UP, 1995. 405-417.<br /><br />The FICTIONMAGS Index, www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/0start.htm.<br /><br />Galactic Central, www.philsp.com/.<br /><br />Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion</i>. OTR Pub., 2001.<br /><br />IMDb, www.imdb.com.<br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">"The Old Pro." <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i>, season 7, episode 8, NBC, 28 November 1961.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;">S, Sai. “H. A. DeRosso - Western Noir Pulp Author.” <i>Pulp Flakes</i>, 14 Dec. 2012, pulpflakes.blogspot.com/2012/12/HADeRosso.html.</p>Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "The Cream of the Jest" <a href="https://aadl.org/ahp63" target="_blank">here</a>!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>In two weeks: "Don't Interrupt" starring Chill Wills and Cloris Leachman!</b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jack Seabrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-59718797588644633322024-03-18T05:00:00.000-07:002024-03-18T05:00:00.145-07:00Batman in the 1960s Issue 18: November/ December 1962<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/s350/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="350" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/w400-h154/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Caped Crusader in the 1960s<br />by Jack Seabrook<br />& Peter Enfantino</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPH_nD1rQ7z-NR3y_0dadNnms8QMzzMaWVez7kXTh8J8iiAGlRVGRBqbbfktlLdjfWKh-Zb2Po375k5ytP1MtnB8sxdPDS5sHa0D0FdJzb3eQ6UdQXLIVJGvlTT-3lyXxYAgl70PP6di5TdGYEdK9Nrv4pvwdwAxtFkUc84qr43M5ouV4Lk2VIx1QBbb_/s593/2613.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPH_nD1rQ7z-NR3y_0dadNnms8QMzzMaWVez7kXTh8J8iiAGlRVGRBqbbfktlLdjfWKh-Zb2Po375k5ytP1MtnB8sxdPDS5sHa0D0FdJzb3eQ6UdQXLIVJGvlTT-3lyXxYAgl70PP6di5TdGYEdK9Nrv4pvwdwAxtFkUc84qr43M5ouV4Lk2VIx1QBbb_/s320/2613.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff/Paris</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #151</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Batman's New Secret Identity!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Mystery Gadget from the Stars!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jerry Coleman</b></div><div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Batman and Robin are involved in a car crash when Batman drives in front of another vehicle that is heading straight for a stalled school bus. The Dynamic Duo are dazed; Batman's cowl falls off and a passing newspaper reporter notices that his secret identity is Bruce Wayne. Back at the Batcave, Batman tells Robin that he'll have to wind up Bruce Wayne's affairs, so he sells all of his holdings and clears out, even saying goodbye to Kathy Kane.</div><div><br /></div><div>A headline reports that Bruce Wayne has disappeared, so "Batman's New Secret Identity!" becomes Bret Wilson, cab driver. The cabbie happens upon the hijacking of a freight car at the Gotham Freight Terminal, so Batman springs into action and foils the robbery. Bret Wilson drives back to the Gotham Hills Garage, which sits above the new Batcave, where <strike>Alfred</strike> Edward the butler meets Bret/Batman. Meanwhile, Robin is no longer allowed to be Dick Grayson, so he has assumed the identity of Ted Grey, a resident at the Wickham Boarding School for Boys.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdtAqStw2sXLRTDq7JJFAx5c6aGf_aMx_R3m6yy3R24vq9og2oefWVc382W4QC3K5v9G5yKsWskt3r0Mj4ptuEJYT93oLsIoZCQCUv1kD5ppRCF5aYwmyARqGISk2XoCW5tnZhPKc7n3j1jhVFKbxsbcqiVjYvOOqNS4H2Y-CMgea4-AznW11IAWwj5U/s431/scan0010.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="431" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdtAqStw2sXLRTDq7JJFAx5c6aGf_aMx_R3m6yy3R24vq9og2oefWVc382W4QC3K5v9G5yKsWskt3r0Mj4ptuEJYT93oLsIoZCQCUv1kD5ppRCF5aYwmyARqGISk2XoCW5tnZhPKc7n3j1jhVFKbxsbcqiVjYvOOqNS4H2Y-CMgea4-AznW11IAWwj5U/w200-h185/scan0010.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>The next day, the boys watch a televised social studies lesson that is suddenly energized by video of a gang holding up the Gotham Foundry Plant! Batman and Batwoman appear and thwart the holdup; Batwoman says they make a great team and she and Batman kiss on camera, causing <strike>Dick</strike> Ted to shed a tear when he realizes he's been replaced as the Dark Knight's partner. In the days that follow, the papers carry one story after another about the new team defeating crooks. Batman's new identity is exposed when a highway construction crew accidentally blasts the mountainside behind Gotham Hills Garage, exposing the new Batcave.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crooks hold Bret at gunpoint and tell him to drive to a nice, quiet farm. Another radio report reveals that Ted Grey is really Dick Grayson--and thus Robin--so Dick/Ted celebrates by showing off his athletic skills to the other guys at school. He rushes to the Batcave, where <strike>Alfred</strike> Edward says he's worried about Batman. Twenty miles south of Gotham, Bret drives at gunpoint to an abandoned farm, where a bald crook pulls off the cabbie's fake mustache to reveal that he's really Bruce Wayne before ripping open Bret/Bruce's shirt to reveal his Batman costume.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpffgNNQA5JXiS6xPDdiB5P1enFZhJt-9EEmprCGSXZvj02p07dDCwNMB-KeY7ot02TCgbLB9BIP7HViAa-s0_r8Zznl_RYOXsK91D_BDpnPcaQ5ZLdyTRFuGgSo31uE3Qn4Ke4Y2p0f1ZCTUBpRr9omAHZCrwt6H92IAqx48f0bFN-JVY4rzxaaE-z0w/s444/scan0015.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="444" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpffgNNQA5JXiS6xPDdiB5P1enFZhJt-9EEmprCGSXZvj02p07dDCwNMB-KeY7ot02TCgbLB9BIP7HViAa-s0_r8Zznl_RYOXsK91D_BDpnPcaQ5ZLdyTRFuGgSo31uE3Qn4Ke4Y2p0f1ZCTUBpRr9omAHZCrwt6H92IAqx48f0bFN-JVY4rzxaaE-z0w/w200-h178/scan0015.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>Robin and Batwoman arrive and save the day! Fortunately, Batman had turned on a radio transmitter in his Bat-Belt that alerted the Boy Wonder to his location. Batman wonders what they'll all do now...and Bruce and Dick enter Alfred's study, where they find the butler typing out another one of his imaginary stories. This one is not about the second Batman and Robin team, however; since the Joker recently almost discovered Batman's secret identity, Alfred used his imagination to posit what might happen if Batman needed a new alter ego.</div><div><br /></div><div>It took me five paragraphs to summarize this story, which runs sixteen pages (two chapters), twice the length of a typical story in <i>Batman</i>. Frankly, it's pretty bad. The GCD credits the art to Bob Kane and Charles Paris, but I found an online site where the original art for page 16 is for sale, and it credits it to Moldoff and Paris. As I read the story, I thought it looked like sub-par Moldoff, so I wondered if it really could be by Kane, but I have trouble accepting that he'd suddenly decide to draw a Batman story after years of letting ghost artists do all of the work. The most interesting thing about the story comes at the end, when Alfred mentions a story from several issues back. That's extremely rare in this era of stories that seem to exist in a vacuum.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcglKOXqC1TMEbTGZj8SevhjkeH02kI-hXjWYHvhLkJZZpRB_5YNUT7IBqDo9Py6HYShmdUUXwIjJH3-2A0P115qZehCXdvO2o4UPKGuRhwtvUN5Az3q2Bg3T5ouB6GJqHBshIYmkPl0tP4OIWPdsskDckBk5-rgvpY9HSwFCUE513aFDdj9-hE24J3sc/s888/scan0016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="888" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcglKOXqC1TMEbTGZj8SevhjkeH02kI-hXjWYHvhLkJZZpRB_5YNUT7IBqDo9Py6HYShmdUUXwIjJH3-2A0P115qZehCXdvO2o4UPKGuRhwtvUN5Az3q2Bg3T5ouB6GJqHBshIYmkPl0tP4OIWPdsskDckBk5-rgvpY9HSwFCUE513aFDdj9-hE24J3sc/w400-h183/scan0016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">They moved the giant penny to the new Batcave,<br />but where's the dinosaur?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>While out collecting rare herbs, Ed Manos finds "The Mystery Gadget from the Stars," a red box that emits a beam of light when he picks it up. The light hits a nearby outcropping of rock and water gushes forth. Batman and Robin are summoned to the site of the discovery, where Batman figures out that the ray from the box speeds up natural development by centuries. Batman is concerned because he knows that, in a few centuries, the tiny flaws in the bedrock under Gotham City will cause disastrous earthquakes. He doesn't want the box to speed up that development!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Se8YiTvtnl_lpl73Ky4ILxFVyGOqivRyaJpxMG7GW29y8pZQ6oducJp4_Ggkv12B4Fc1ivqIU8ZVGQEfy2Bm-BwjAT-qhfGHw4u5zMPssSFqQ5cEfqq29qCfk_LFJtNa3AyFO4pJF9SKCGUOKmC-oGI4bOPQL7onkiSDHgSz0TxyMQA_CwBXTSlSdto/s488/scan0028.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="488" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Se8YiTvtnl_lpl73Ky4ILxFVyGOqivRyaJpxMG7GW29y8pZQ6oducJp4_Ggkv12B4Fc1ivqIU8ZVGQEfy2Bm-BwjAT-qhfGHw4u5zMPssSFqQ5cEfqq29qCfk_LFJtNa3AyFO4pJF9SKCGUOKmC-oGI4bOPQL7onkiSDHgSz0TxyMQA_CwBXTSlSdto/s320/scan0028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The box falls into the hands of a crook after he sees its ray turn a hunk of coal into a diamond. Batman tracks the crook to an animal preserve, where the ray causes three small, harmless animals to grow to giant size and suddenly become violent. Batman manages to reverse the ray and shrink them back to safe size. He then takes the box back to the Batcave and smashes it with a sledgehammer.</div><div><br /></div><div>When Batman finds the crooks in the animal preserves, the head crook exclaims, "Great griddle cakes!" I had a similar reaction to this awful story which, if anything, was worse than the one that preceded it. For once, we have an explanation, however silly, for the presence of giant-sized items in Gotham City!<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Peter-</b>Alfred definitely saved the day for Bill Finger, since nothing that preceded the climax made much sense. Batman's secret identity as Bruce Wayne is revealed and he goes out and gets another secret identity? How does that work when the whole world knows who Batman is for as long as he works the streets? These "Alternate Universe by Alfred" stories are genius; the writer can toss out any goofy stuff he wants to and then write it off as Alfred's lunchtime break. In the second story, Batman steps on some big toes when he hypothesizes that aliens are responsible for our rapid evolutionary development. Oh heavens, I wonder what Wertham made of that. Scary to think that all animals will grow to giant size in a few centuries.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiAETtIESBAUUAo7d8vJcQrZwIr9ygZd1EH_suT8tFNL43DSg7iMOeQA8hO6NZKqokGM6O5HtBD39zn9mdXYboIhFCSnxqdVMayeTGVdPkosN15jzN6uSZWubnEaslihJuaQAWMwDgT2j_0zvLnnOmAt68r_0t4C6-gdagJIJamYR3B39fJcxPCDFTe3k/s589/5414.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiAETtIESBAUUAo7d8vJcQrZwIr9ygZd1EH_suT8tFNL43DSg7iMOeQA8hO6NZKqokGM6O5HtBD39zn9mdXYboIhFCSnxqdVMayeTGVdPkosN15jzN6uSZWubnEaslihJuaQAWMwDgT2j_0zvLnnOmAt68r_0t4C6-gdagJIJamYR3B39fJcxPCDFTe3k/s320/5414.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #309</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Mystery of the Mardi Gras Murders"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Saved Earth"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Dangerous criminal Mike Kelso has escaped Gotham State Pen (I guess waiting to serve out his maximum three months for Murder-One was getting to him) and his cellmate confesses to Batman and Robin that Max bragged that he'd be doing a big deal at the Gotham Mardi Gras. The Dynamic Duo hop in the Batmobile and drive down to the fest. Bats quickly realizes that broadcasting the news that Kelso is among the participants in the carnival would only start a riot, so he goes to the Mardi Gras office and speaks with its promoter, J.J. Ashley.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1NA7rMJ7yZFx1yoS-lgyUjgnOWjcPBhYtmJEAwDxj_9PnjXM8Vq31fAKbrPGTWyYrcL8y9tOOxwCGueJzodLNN4eCOHjOgtS85lrQ0XwTgSLE1n5UkCNRMMPTEzhEa4dz-zqjBJ3b27GrvziyLWdal1x_sD3zxi_2Ijr1ujQEqtfGoM7TEGglCMMi0Kp/s726/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%204.53.09%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="726" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1NA7rMJ7yZFx1yoS-lgyUjgnOWjcPBhYtmJEAwDxj_9PnjXM8Vq31fAKbrPGTWyYrcL8y9tOOxwCGueJzodLNN4eCOHjOgtS85lrQ0XwTgSLE1n5UkCNRMMPTEzhEa4dz-zqjBJ3b27GrvziyLWdal1x_sD3zxi_2Ijr1ujQEqtfGoM7TEGglCMMi0Kp/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%204.53.09%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Ashley introduces Batman to Ed Burton who, with partner Tom Hawes, runs concessions and rides. The two men agree to keep their eyes open and report back to the masked avenger. The duo mingle with the crowd but Bats is soon accosted by ace photographer, Vicki Vale, just returned from a hot assignment overseas. As the two are flirting, a man falls off the carousel... dead. Batman examines the corpse and deduces that it's Mike Kelso and that he was murdered with a poison dart! </div><div><br /></div><div>Tom Dawes approaches, introduces himself, and apologizes for having not met up with the superhero as he was on the mend in the doctor's office. Vicki Vale intrudes, telling Batman she had snapped several photos before the crime and her award-winning photography might just have captured something integral to the case. Batman agrees and has a look at Vicki's Polaroids. In one, Kelso is clearly handing a package to a man dressed as a musketeer. "This is our main suspect," exclaims the world's greatest detective.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8I4gNyAKKR577rmK6bgHwNZ6-olqwyPPCosJJ9IIRpdaf6VOxcQTqvbZiCc-yy4aCnRNNPxte0Xplry_LKdWxC6R79VDXmOYT7vMWHTvxfvy5zcuT_DvlVaFJ2eQQpLz6U6d_yVtaiUbdQ5QT4Dzjy6gfWQaccGg0F5DAa6zbSqRBSVele6phliYUgC6/s674/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%204.53.17%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8I4gNyAKKR577rmK6bgHwNZ6-olqwyPPCosJJ9IIRpdaf6VOxcQTqvbZiCc-yy4aCnRNNPxte0Xplry_LKdWxC6R79VDXmOYT7vMWHTvxfvy5zcuT_DvlVaFJ2eQQpLz6U6d_yVtaiUbdQ5QT4Dzjy6gfWQaccGg0F5DAa6zbSqRBSVele6phliYUgC6/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%204.53.17%20PM.png" width="309" /></a></div>The boys scour the crowds for any suspicious musketeers and voila! one is seen running from the cops. The Caped Crusaders chase him down to the dinosaur ride, but the Duo are attacked by an Arab riding a T. Rex (granted, the thing is on wheels and hooked up to a rail, but it<i> looks </i>dangerous!). Our heroes duck out of the way just in time but this enables the Arab to blow a dart at the fleeing musketeer, killing him immediately. The murderer escapes and the boys are left with a warm corpse. Unmasked, the dead man is... Ed Burton! The plot thickens (and so does the dialogue).</div><div><br /></div><div>Investigating Burton's trailer, Batman runs across a puzzling artifact... a map of the United States with X's and mythological beasts written on certain cities (Boston=Unicorn, Chicago=Dragon, etc.). Remembering an exhibit on the carnival grounds, Batman races over to the Wax Museum of Mythological Creatures and heads straight to the Unicorn. Twisting the horn reveals a trap door on the body, where Robin finds the Vanderdine Necklace, stolen in Boston the week before! "Golly!" enthuses the Boy Wonder.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ7ylg2tF496Vyhr9d2BGj4BUTfe5H7RhDELmH7cH7pYNbT3Mpp3ofrC8u-y016A5DcIl2R9PgKxqoElvuq3ICrFsyEARoldMr_I0bbsy1ZrDklxQxHjuzj2DVAmKq8ywzeSKWemA1XOUtKbRF_PFp6-hp1ri-zC4_AK1oljCcSrA53ue4t_GRQSRg3Y5/s868/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%204.53.28%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="868" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ7ylg2tF496Vyhr9d2BGj4BUTfe5H7RhDELmH7cH7pYNbT3Mpp3ofrC8u-y016A5DcIl2R9PgKxqoElvuq3ICrFsyEARoldMr_I0bbsy1ZrDklxQxHjuzj2DVAmKq8ywzeSKWemA1XOUtKbRF_PFp6-hp1ri-zC4_AK1oljCcSrA53ue4t_GRQSRg3Y5/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%204.53.28%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Batman hypothesizes that the carnival is being used as a front for a fencing operation and that the other mythological beasts will give up even more riches stolen across the nation. Following up on a clue, the boys head over to the "Crazy House," where Batman is entrapped in the grip of a giant metal hand and Robin is held tight by a pair of costumed goons. The musketeer emerges from the shadows and pushes the lever operating the giant hand to "Full Force," thus squeezing the Dark Knight even tighter. But Batman is too clever for a common criminal and breaks free, delivering a killer left upper cut to the chin of the musketeer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Unmasked, the culprit is revealed to be none other than... J. J. Ashley, who was hiding gorgeous ten-dollar counterfeit plates in the Crazy House in hopes of getting very rich. Once back at the precinct, Ashley confesses to the murders of Kelso and Burton. Batman is crowned king of the Mardi Gras and Batwoman is his queen. When Bats proves just how much he knows about females and suggests that the queen's crown should be shared with Vicki Vale, who broke the case wide open with her candids, he opens a huge can of worms with his female counterpart.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxarXFjl3atgkC3cYCoaeV2-E9eXmTVv9rLKx45bvguOHOxHtk6l8F_ptl_5PuAq6vimsQdC0vqSPygHkhDtjaVv0RGHaCK8anDYdYjcUDXIgp28VljJho5tYeoVwzHODQYNVqn9QQdTqkpHpryEp-CQhmxsNl2-VdbptbhauYwglQBBI9UeEq3-UKCOjq/s912/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%204.57.15%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="724" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxarXFjl3atgkC3cYCoaeV2-E9eXmTVv9rLKx45bvguOHOxHtk6l8F_ptl_5PuAq6vimsQdC0vqSPygHkhDtjaVv0RGHaCK8anDYdYjcUDXIgp28VljJho5tYeoVwzHODQYNVqn9QQdTqkpHpryEp-CQhmxsNl2-VdbptbhauYwglQBBI9UeEq3-UKCOjq/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%204.57.15%20PM.png" width="254" /></a></div>"The Mystery of the Mardi Gras Murders" was a somewhat dreary yarn that seemed to go on forever. I absolutely hated the numerous interludes where Batman had to explain (to us) what the hell was going on. You know when the action stops for a rundown that your plot is too complicated. That hand on the wall visual is pretty lame. It looks like the paw is higher up the wall in the second panel. At least there was a bit of violence to break up the unending string of alien-starring stories. Honest-to-gosh murders in the age of the CCA. Dead horse department: this Moldy-Paris art is about as simplistic and childish as it gets. In a lot of action panels, Batman and Robin seem to be on a loop: waving their hands in the air and running in place.</div><div><br /></div><div>While investigating the disappearance of cute cop Diane Meade, John Jones stumbles across an invasion of Earth by aliens from the planet Centuria (three miles past Pluto, turn right at the asteroid belt). In an effort to find out just what the Centurians plan, J'onn disguises himself as earthling Horace Reeves (the man Diane was searching for) and lets the invaders fly him to Centuria. Unfortunately, on the way, he discovers Diane has been tossed on board as well. Once on Centuria, the Martian Manhunter discovers his problems are only beginning as he finds himself in the middle of a military coup. How can J'onn juggle a coup and Diane at the same time?</div><div><br /></div><div>For the first time in history, I actually enjoyed the Martian Manhunter backup more than the headliner. I won't go overboard and say this is among the best stories of the year, but "The Man Who Saved Earth" at least kept a smile on my face. That Diane... (growl)... I wonder if she's ever actually saved anyone. And does she wear a gun? And how many more times will J'onn have to divert attention from his earthbound alter ego?<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Jack-</b>I also preferred the Martian Manhunter story to the Batman story, but it's not the first time that has happened. J'onn's ability to transform himself into anyone certainly increases the story possibilities! I was thinking he was going to become Diane Meade, but that may be too progressive for DC in 1962. Once again, I feel like I see Mike Sekowsky's handiwork in random spots. He was drawing the Justice League, which includes the Martian Manhunter, so it's certainly possible he might have cleaned up a few panels.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexT8dmblgvf52mp6asQlwNR5QJ4-dJieg6_K2JCbRf9FDXfealYRKiuiDbkl5kbsx3Zwbkq6pY-CoIwEZxZNJLISXCeMJs7Z4WI6AGhncRdMH_gAqsQdHS3yBgrffvdbt0YD2BYXoVyFPIqrr-QVORcx3rwCf7osH1Gyzm5EmbhXZBH2EXpId7yq9Pcs/s1126/DETECTIVE%20COMICS%20309%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="1126" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexT8dmblgvf52mp6asQlwNR5QJ4-dJieg6_K2JCbRf9FDXfealYRKiuiDbkl5kbsx3Zwbkq6pY-CoIwEZxZNJLISXCeMJs7Z4WI6AGhncRdMH_gAqsQdHS3yBgrffvdbt0YD2BYXoVyFPIqrr-QVORcx3rwCf7osH1Gyzm5EmbhXZBH2EXpId7yq9Pcs/w400-h185/DETECTIVE%20COMICS%20309%20015.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As for the Batman story, it's not great but at least it's better than what we got in this month's <i>Batman</i>. I was struck by the comment that the first day's receipts at the Mardi Gras were going to charity. It seems like every dollar earned in Gotham City goes to charity! How did anyone make a living? The highlight of the story was the Vicki Vale reappearance and Batwoman's jealousy at the end. I can't wait to see those two battle it out!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEDnZOlWkIW-0Z4ojyfGlNgINKLWv31EQj1bhD4t02j4lgUPlC_EWQElB7ci5fDZC-n0mzlQ9A6bZNft81KIQe37VzeQRoxC2d4zxQezY-s6R27bSW41gdZMIB4oW3KnP4eTSJWnssQpGzBOL8R3f4Sst8CX_3AldJLZMoSvysPy58Xo6HGFdC5E5Hvky/s590/2614.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEDnZOlWkIW-0Z4ojyfGlNgINKLWv31EQj1bhD4t02j4lgUPlC_EWQElB7ci5fDZC-n0mzlQ9A6bZNft81KIQe37VzeQRoxC2d4zxQezY-s6R27bSW41gdZMIB4oW3KnP4eTSJWnssQpGzBOL8R3f4Sst8CX_3AldJLZMoSvysPy58Xo6HGFdC5E5Hvky/s320/2614.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #152</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Formula for Doom"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The False Face Society"</b></div><div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Memorial to an Astronaut"</b></div><div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Bat-Hound tracks down a renegade scientist named Arnold Taney, who confesses to having been hired by a European named Kuzak to create a chemical formula. Batman and Robin trail Kuzak to the Greek island of Hydra, where they discover a second formula after Kuzak escapes. In the Swiss Alps, Kuzak confronts a scientist who had been the assistant to a Nazi scientist named Krueger. The Nazi was working on a formula for an explosive "'with the force of a tiny atomic bomb,'" and mixing the ingredients provided in the formulas will complete the project. Batman and Robin ski to the rescue and Bat-Hound makes a mighty leap and grabs the vial containing the explosive from Kuzak's hand just in time.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdftt-9PpNIFoMMSgSruvbo3z-W5_d08hVIElv3ps_1m81hxnWZdUF6y0MWRh90Orwsg2rsYckrkQKvzMHDvhDmmTFNMn0bRbVb0RdEgMCIfL1ehlKwvq4-agpu3wurLcz69JhpXOmK9BbX64GAQDEuaf7iZzP8Z0XhlNsMhvgCSXvPSqhMFLx8FDaKk/s671/BATMAN152%20008.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="671" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdftt-9PpNIFoMMSgSruvbo3z-W5_d08hVIElv3ps_1m81hxnWZdUF6y0MWRh90Orwsg2rsYckrkQKvzMHDvhDmmTFNMn0bRbVb0RdEgMCIfL1ehlKwvq4-agpu3wurLcz69JhpXOmK9BbX64GAQDEuaf7iZzP8Z0XhlNsMhvgCSXvPSqhMFLx8FDaKk/w200-h166/BATMAN152%20008.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>It's nice to see a Nazi menace instead of more aliens! It's also good to see Bat-Hound back in action and wearing his mask. He was getting a little bit bored hanging around Stately Wayne Manor, being fed kibble by Alfred. </div><div><br /></div>A mysterious crook has set up a contest for criminals! Each must wear a costume and commit a crime; they will all meet and vote on the best heist. The winner gets most of the loot, except for a percentage that the organizer will take. First, a man dressed as a deep-sea diver steals a valuable necklace and gets away from Batman by swimming underwater. Next, a man dressed as a knight robs a painting from an art exhibit and gets away on horseback.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0WlV0krgdnqcORXmCH_raOTrvOL_mRHOtV_3RychXjj8DhRkQ1Ac1Z8dgQuOqDW2ObXer8JZPMJrOJRyavMnisLr8576Qy2IE3_fKRU_ulMyuL6RywJbvWrZu_lglFmj2xOtA77RiU2lCevQM5THJCX8EiWMw9OCYxntb3QHBtY-kA0J386UpTz2OmU/s596/BATMAN152%20021.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="596" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0WlV0krgdnqcORXmCH_raOTrvOL_mRHOtV_3RychXjj8DhRkQ1Ac1Z8dgQuOqDW2ObXer8JZPMJrOJRyavMnisLr8576Qy2IE3_fKRU_ulMyuL6RywJbvWrZu_lglFmj2xOtA77RiU2lCevQM5THJCX8EiWMw9OCYxntb3QHBtY-kA0J386UpTz2OmU/s320/BATMAN152%20021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Batman disguises himself as Nick Bayles, a "'crook that nobody knows is dead,'" and infiltrates the underworld, quickly learning about the crime contest and "The False Face Society." The next night, a bold crook disguised as Batman tries to steal a rare violin, but the real Batman captures him, unbeknownst to anyone. Batman plans to attend the meeting of the False Face Society in costume, pretending to be a crook masquerading as the Caped Crusader. A night later, Batman and the other crooks are taken to an abandoned lighthouse, where a crook in a mask and top hat conducts a vote and declares Batman the winner!</div><div><br /></div><div>The bad guys quickly realize that Batman is the real deal and Batman convinces them that the contest was rigged in his favor by the organizer. Robin appears with the cops to round everyone up and the crook who set up the contest is revealed to be the Joker!</div><div><br /></div><div>The random appearance of the Joker in the story's final panel surprised me, since nothing else about this story seemed consistent with his usual M.O. Still, it's a fun tale with some unusual situations, and I was glad to see Batman go undercover as a crook, even though his disguise just consists of a mustache and some stubble.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPkuOtrnU3tnDM4Xdb2Ghu0E3ptNZUiuE4S3E4Ba3GJTBuTYTAmFdxotFAYNDzNrJVNFPmjTKis8zxep-9_XksjayOnHlbqtdKtC7pPS1H3mkZydIYmun0IrCntdhDJjh7yj2usehjj_m6R0_6I_Q16k3vBckGKaKyrVoBI9G11PY8LrUHV8BK5UIX70/s849/BATMAN152%20031.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="849" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPkuOtrnU3tnDM4Xdb2Ghu0E3ptNZUiuE4S3E4Ba3GJTBuTYTAmFdxotFAYNDzNrJVNFPmjTKis8zxep-9_XksjayOnHlbqtdKtC7pPS1H3mkZydIYmun0IrCntdhDJjh7yj2usehjj_m6R0_6I_Q16k3vBckGKaKyrVoBI9G11PY8LrUHV8BK5UIX70/s320/BATMAN152%20031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><div>Batman's old friend, mineralogist Luke Haley, is on death's door and has always dreamed of being on the first rocket ship to travel to outer space, so Batman makes his dream come true by rigging up a movie prop spaceship and tricking Luke into thinking that he and the Dynamic Duo really fly to Mars! When they supposedly reach the Red Planet, actors dressed as Martians welcome the trio, but three criminals hiding nearby put on the Martian costumes to make off with gold and platinum that had been planted for Luke to find. Just as the crooks disguised as Martians are about to shoot Batman and Robin, Luke rips off his space helmet and throws it at them, spoiling their aim. He collapses and dies without ever knowing it was all fake.</div><div><br /></div><div>A fitting "Memorial to an Astronaut" indeed! Finger's story manages to work in some Martians without having to send Batman to Mars. The whole thing reminds me of <b><i>Capricorn One</i> </b>or the wacky conspiracy theories espoused by folks who think the moon landing was staged. Of interest to me is the panel at the bottom of page five where the head crook announces that they'll "'take a tip from the False Face Society we read about in the newspapers.'" This is the second time in one post where a character refers to another story. The DC Universe is becoming self-referential!<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPYmPzUKiYvboR8wKg2M60GarSxUYgxkiCfDI65pd2NTKicOwc4iV4jH_P4otVAPEprw2UFFeHmh0VohjnTA3xlaiIQv_rdBLdTZj8jebJC1XEvg4yKG5EULZ20138FqVoUkm0a1cg7w6iCr6UK_2Gf3z8OCxhBL-1gipTwXV9TE_W_PTC_bMCXGGl1Vp/s770/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20at%205.47.48%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="770" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPYmPzUKiYvboR8wKg2M60GarSxUYgxkiCfDI65pd2NTKicOwc4iV4jH_P4otVAPEprw2UFFeHmh0VohjnTA3xlaiIQv_rdBLdTZj8jebJC1XEvg4yKG5EULZ20138FqVoUkm0a1cg7w6iCr6UK_2Gf3z8OCxhBL-1gipTwXV9TE_W_PTC_bMCXGGl1Vp/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20at%205.47.48%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Peter-</b>I thought "Formula for Doom," albeit densely packed with expository dialogue, was pretty good, certainly more interesting than any other Bat-adventure this month. Bat-Hound is right up there with Bat-Mite for annoying gimmicks. Why don't the boys bring the dog on every escapade? Why are only certain cases dog-worthy? I had high hopes for "The False Face Society," but the story was dopey and complicated (just try to make sense of the dialogue in the panel I've reprinted here) and, yet again, an appearance by the Joker is wasted. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Memorial to an Astronaut" is enjoyable because it's so dopey. Batman could have probably sponsored an actual trip to Mars with what he must have spent on the faux journey. The every-panel explanations about "Luke doesn't know that Martian soil is actually brown and not red" are annoying, but the whole adventure is worth reading just to get to the climax where Luke dies and is buried on the movie set! That Batman will do anything for a buddy.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHd3FNP_n_m4sMiBTQSwsexhIWARWOOPr43I0HKQt-YL4Lq7x4SkibtSmRxKLHph79oI8fVq_twXXAZrmJJ1c69W7NpMMOXD-_4k2z3aGiIb5o18owyXlCVdMnNi_gkGVn1DfHpuo8zPhz238ArAbGWPzoe84TpDA2mhthYG4AAg4OWVJEqU03vEMArcIs/s593/5415.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHd3FNP_n_m4sMiBTQSwsexhIWARWOOPr43I0HKQt-YL4Lq7x4SkibtSmRxKLHph79oI8fVq_twXXAZrmJJ1c69W7NpMMOXD-_4k2z3aGiIb5o18owyXlCVdMnNi_gkGVn1DfHpuo8zPhz238ArAbGWPzoe84TpDA2mhthYG4AAg4OWVJEqU03vEMArcIs/s320/5415.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #310</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Bat-Mite's Super-Circus!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Miniature Manhunter"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Bat-Mite is bored! Usually this means a dangerous adventure is in store for the Dynamic Duo. Sure enough, opportunity presents itself to the mischievous cosmic imp in the form of three wanted criminals: Tate, Graff, and Dorn. To make the impending battle fair, Bat-Mite gives the Terrible Trio superpowers. Gone are three slightly demented crooks and in their place are Strongman (really strong and a caveman skirt to prove it!), Rubberman (he can stretch all over the place just like Elongated Man!), and the Cannonball (rolls himself up into a big ball and flies!). All three really don't like Batman and Robin and prove it by pounding the Caped Crusaders into dust. Round one goes to "Bat-Mite's Super-Circus!"</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvkCcUJToXOarJUt-a8NlHsUa1XR1HmeNsPj9RyaBMl4ofcfwJBYET3AeqbmlymItAnFqrYt3C0uedlwK0p1xf_PKpprty6_s8-urFfq3sJ5SLvhCia8BWznVR7U9IjBMFNDIvpsjIiDG5RofQNJW7crMjSlvFeVoPRx7UzyJEwGt7GQaQTuLhGqrjF7v/s782/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20at%202.38.32%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="782" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvkCcUJToXOarJUt-a8NlHsUa1XR1HmeNsPj9RyaBMl4ofcfwJBYET3AeqbmlymItAnFqrYt3C0uedlwK0p1xf_PKpprty6_s8-urFfq3sJ5SLvhCia8BWznVR7U9IjBMFNDIvpsjIiDG5RofQNJW7crMjSlvFeVoPRx7UzyJEwGt7GQaQTuLhGqrjF7v/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20at%202.38.32%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Unfortunately, everyone's favorite Bat-costumed leprechaun gets knocked upside the head and loses his power to turn the trio back into normal thugs. Bat-Mite, Batman, and Robin are tossed into a water tank and left to drown while the Terrible Trio head to Gotham to pull off a string of robberies. Only Batman's incredible detective skills (and Bat-Mite's relative weightlessness) allows our heroes to escape a watery death. Batman and Robin curtail the heists of Rubberman and Strongman while Bat-Mite (who suddenly regains his powers) eradicates the Cannonball's plot to steal a rare Rembrandt just before he detonates a huge cache of explosives. Bat-Mite congratulates himself for a job well done and heads back to his dimension while Batman sighs and predicts we'll see more of the pesky gremlin.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of that I am sure as well. The Batman stories of the 1960s, for the most part, are juvenile and aimed at a younger audience. I get that. But a lot of the Bats yarns we're reading are filled with magic and imagination. These Bat-Mite adventures push my patience to the limit. There's a pattern to them that's grating (Bat-Mite becomes weary of whatever it is he does when he's not here and cooks up a danger for B&R to navigate) and it feels as though Bill Finger couldn't give a flying *%#@ about this character but knows the boss wants the little shit in the picture now and then. The art is as awful as usual (see the panel reproduced below for some strange anatomy lessons re: the human bicep) and if these guys can't give it their best, why should I?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVmQpDn1MEKO1GWH976skayBjUG9whC3DCCxxrg0CvHjEJ0qPowS6tz_gOEn03A6Fu-rPKz2kYdXlM9e3pWRzkJmtBlkRwiGGvyd5HEi7Ujbq4g7CLTqRyNoJoyTcrq0z3AYHaOD-oGT2HPxn0TDK005VMiKjixd1vW6iZfCtf_1db9hwBr4Xv3vgFQhT/s1472/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20at%202.38.15%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="1472" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVmQpDn1MEKO1GWH976skayBjUG9whC3DCCxxrg0CvHjEJ0qPowS6tz_gOEn03A6Fu-rPKz2kYdXlM9e3pWRzkJmtBlkRwiGGvyd5HEi7Ujbq4g7CLTqRyNoJoyTcrq0z3AYHaOD-oGT2HPxn0TDK005VMiKjixd1vW6iZfCtf_1db9hwBr4Xv3vgFQhT/w400-h179/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20at%202.38.15%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>J'onn J'onzz, Manhunter From Mars, faces the deadliest danger he's ever come up against since emigrating from the Red Planet: the crazed genius/scientist Victor Vance, who's perfected a machine that can both shrink and enlarge an item in its path. The Manhunter tries to sneak up on Vance but the loony crook is too fast for him and reduces J'onn to the size of a Barbie doll. The Martian superhero must now prevent Vance from getting his hands on an experimental "Force-Field" machine that will make him the most powerful man in the galaxy.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7VibNrOy3hVsYWU9vEqmGdFWaRMsFnd2K5SMNkRUl4-JiEloQBS2Io9JUKZSMT0g48itf82p2dLMuu0cI0VarXN-h4E6e0C-s5kuEP6XAVQNMTk9o1PzHrEk0onMd9FBNMTcOEAr5g00atDjEDJep4d2EcZAYuBOXNwVIdlfi6Smg3ZiazDMBi37a3VY/s758/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20at%202.53.10%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="758" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7VibNrOy3hVsYWU9vEqmGdFWaRMsFnd2K5SMNkRUl4-JiEloQBS2Io9JUKZSMT0g48itf82p2dLMuu0cI0VarXN-h4E6e0C-s5kuEP6XAVQNMTk9o1PzHrEk0onMd9FBNMTcOEAr5g00atDjEDJep4d2EcZAYuBOXNwVIdlfi6Smg3ZiazDMBi37a3VY/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-29%20at%202.53.10%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The big brain criminals in these things are always either one can short of a six-pack or short-sighted. Why doesn't Vance travel to the police precinct and shrink it down to microscopic size, thereby eliminating the police force? The hero of "The Miniature Manhunter" is not much brighter; police warn him that Vance is super-sizing and shrinking stuff left and right and JJ goes after the cycling psycho without flipping on his invisibility switch. What a dope.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Jack-</b>Bat-Mite must have been reading DC comics, since it turns out in the end that he was only pretending that being knocked in the head took away his powers. He tries to tell Batman that a second head knock (of course) caused them to come back, but Bats is too smart for him and points out that the timeline makes no sense. The Martian Manhunter story once again demonstrates the fascination at DC for giant things. The entire premise of the Atom is based on a man shrinking so that <b>everything</b> seems giant sized. Here, the Manhunter never really seems to be in much peril, so the story is an excuse to turn him into a green Atom for ten pages or so. The year 1962 ends with a whimper for Batman; we are slowly approaching the 1964 reboot and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvrc5OAJOFWIBimN62nprfDUK1GboEN2n1iMeDa3l2WWH6iU2L_BIQRRXgAbH3RZX795kHKoRmJ5fN6o5x40oikYOvofm5bsZKpcPAdhtR3aEcpo6wSC1RXsAFHFDjYsTil5hCYTjaMDlN9zIydfGSaJ7CEtiW1sYbnmUpZ9IZN1ZjJsTsDzXi_6Zojpx/s690/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20at%2010.13.18%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="690" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvrc5OAJOFWIBimN62nprfDUK1GboEN2n1iMeDa3l2WWH6iU2L_BIQRRXgAbH3RZX795kHKoRmJ5fN6o5x40oikYOvofm5bsZKpcPAdhtR3aEcpo6wSC1RXsAFHFDjYsTil5hCYTjaMDlN9zIydfGSaJ7CEtiW1sYbnmUpZ9IZN1ZjJsTsDzXi_6Zojpx/w400-h389/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20at%2010.13.18%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Joe Orlando Joins<br />the Atlas Bullpen!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-91840465852379019842024-03-11T05:00:00.000-07:002024-03-11T05:00:00.251-07:00Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 107: Atlas/ Marvel Science Fiction & Horror Comics!<p> </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s1600/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Marvel/Atlas </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horror Comics</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part 92</b></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>December 1955 </b></span><b style="font-size: large;">Part I</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by Peter Enfantino</b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>and Jack Seabrook</b></span></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCF7ym2r3t-H5CZwbuwHhupIXtMYvXkoHjJsioeK0aLvKFEy8jhOrbmRVRMVJE213gdqnMWqkg9VUTmoFzsLPMqAj7vgh21ENAb9_y2lqzsaBxc-WXCERhLWtmW9nBNkuLBO5lA6vImDfMVYV5fXXXYU8u2LWc7A74y6TkW2u3qPKLXXuGM4gmZ2QOJj1z/s581/155564.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCF7ym2r3t-H5CZwbuwHhupIXtMYvXkoHjJsioeK0aLvKFEy8jhOrbmRVRMVJE213gdqnMWqkg9VUTmoFzsLPMqAj7vgh21ENAb9_y2lqzsaBxc-WXCERhLWtmW9nBNkuLBO5lA6vImDfMVYV5fXXXYU8u2LWc7A74y6TkW2u3qPKLXXuGM4gmZ2QOJj1z/s320/155564.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><b>Astonishing #44</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Abra Cadabra!" (a: Art Peddy) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Nightmare!" (a: Jack Katz) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Something in the Sea" (a: Bob Powell) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Through the Veil!" (a: Robert Q. Sale) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Inside the House!" (a: Doug Wildey) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>With the wave of a wand, The Great Emery has become a washed-up magician. The icing on the cake was his final evening on stage, when he carelessly forgot to lock the door during the "disappearing maiden" trick and the door swung wide, revealing his assistant fleeing through a trap door.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crestfallen, Emery heads out into the night, pondering his future. It's during this brainstorm that he stumbles onto a bank heist and accidentally makes the getaway car vanish with a simple "Abra Cadabra!" Perhaps his career isn't over? Cute, but much too short for the reader to become involved with Emery's plight. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhWBTQ7njYSJnCVHwwzXfHNrGULxnxbzMpaaED6tReZNXJDpMu_uHcHvXvZmsPb0JkAtXPeS2TuQC29Rwsknm2GWrVx4qbzT2CNALmsTcScgA44-ckqKcNXWxMNJu2WO64zN1ohThS-U5hQ_MzAAzTbyAS7omb-k0iNr7p-5FiRm2h5q_ZZgDI1EmoD4P/s1348/Screenshot%202024-02-22%20at%203.09.22%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="1338" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhWBTQ7njYSJnCVHwwzXfHNrGULxnxbzMpaaED6tReZNXJDpMu_uHcHvXvZmsPb0JkAtXPeS2TuQC29Rwsknm2GWrVx4qbzT2CNALmsTcScgA44-ckqKcNXWxMNJu2WO64zN1ohThS-U5hQ_MzAAzTbyAS7omb-k0iNr7p-5FiRm2h5q_ZZgDI1EmoD4P/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-22%20at%203.09.22%20PM.png" width="318" /></a></div>International racing phenom Faletti never shows his emotions, even after one of his colleagues is killed while rounding the "Coresci Turn," an infamous curve that has taken the lives of many skilled drivers. The death of von Grantz doesn't seem to faze him, at least not to the outside world. But deep inside, the tragedy eats at Faletti.</div><div><br /></div><div>That night, while driving a perilous stretch of road, Faletti loses control of his sports car and the vehicle violently leaves the road. The driver manages to gain control of the car and put it back on the road but the horizon looks odd and unfamiliar to Faletti. Before long, he comes across a race track and, sitting in their autos, all the drivers who died on the Coresci Turn! Faletti turns tail and tries to outrun the dead men but they quickly catch up. With death in his rearview mirror, Faletti exclaims that he's always carried the weight of death on his shoulders but can't display those emotions as it wouldn't be part of the "game."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77ulQow4ufvhST8WfLMIKK_0ziQmTjfc2ijjzK1EMQLAHiAkq3uqCmm3B_F0muPVUnmfbdhqOOQs2da8hLpJbfaD-Azz9dQeNo6G_9Cpir2SKywuJrT_Ws-l_5SWNdpXKMzjr_pt1d_42dj9r94gzf_22TQ0xvkZbCYlHrV6Fz8FTfC_aFli-axNWHz0T/s1352/Screenshot%202024-02-22%20at%203.45.45%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1352" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77ulQow4ufvhST8WfLMIKK_0ziQmTjfc2ijjzK1EMQLAHiAkq3uqCmm3B_F0muPVUnmfbdhqOOQs2da8hLpJbfaD-Azz9dQeNo6G_9Cpir2SKywuJrT_Ws-l_5SWNdpXKMzjr_pt1d_42dj9r94gzf_22TQ0xvkZbCYlHrV6Fz8FTfC_aFli-axNWHz0T/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-22%20at%203.45.45%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Suddenly, the other drivers fall back and Faletti finds himself back on the road, his car a mangled mess. But the incident has taught him something about himself. What that something is, I have no idea. I'm not sure if the entire Death Race was taking place inside Faletti's brain or if there really was a video game landscape stretched out before him. The Jack Katz art is nice but the script is maudlin junk; I suppose the moral of "Nightmare" is that, if you're a famous race car driver, open up about the sorrow you feel deep inside or else it will come back to haunt you in the end. Yep, that's what it's about.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Something in the Sea" is a deadly dumb fantasy about a dope who falls in love with a gorgeous mermaid while on a sea cruise. The Bob Powell graphics are some of his worst ever, as if the artist never had the time to finish.</div><div><br /></div><div>In "Through the Veil," test pilot Tod Barclay ponders whether what he's doing is for the good of mankind or if it will hasten the apocalypse. He gets his answer when his jet breaks through the sound barrier and ends up 200 years in the future. A sparkling, bright future! At that moment, Tod realizes that war is not so bad and weapons are pretty cool. This is the kind of jingoistic claptrap Stan Lee was famous for in the 1950s and, while I do not have evidence before me, I kinda think "The Man" had a hand in this one. The Robert Q. Sale art, at times, very much resembles Reed Crandall's work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Dale are notified that they've won a dream house, all expenses paid, in a national contest. Mrs. Irvin thanks the hubby for having the good sense to enter but Irvin shakes his head and says "I thought it was you!" The couple move "Inside the House!" and begin their new life, but there's one strange, circular room that Jane refuses to enter. There's something about the room she just doesn't trust.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1lENvYkCO2U3fVHKVjm_7lKezx0kA_If2lEVi8G67iF5pYTJgTmVzEV3OHpgElLpITWe5syR5NOvVQtZ_UfDFgVbXwU5HJl3U6rNwHBrojTT8Nkgo5ugf527AgefMvuSX84cj6LbA2UqTrewmnyZeRYPKUxQQCEshVXsVcUPmR9KffDuAwScVx_drFFl/s650/Screenshot%202024-02-22%20at%204.26.27%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="472" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1lENvYkCO2U3fVHKVjm_7lKezx0kA_If2lEVi8G67iF5pYTJgTmVzEV3OHpgElLpITWe5syR5NOvVQtZ_UfDFgVbXwU5HJl3U6rNwHBrojTT8Nkgo5ugf527AgefMvuSX84cj6LbA2UqTrewmnyZeRYPKUxQQCEshVXsVcUPmR9KffDuAwScVx_drFFl/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-22%20at%204.26.27%20PM.png" width="232" /></a></div>One day, as Irvin is walking through the house, he hears an odd, hollow sound below the floor. Grabbing a convenient concrete drill, Mr. Dale chips away at the foundation and discovers a mass of machinery below the house. Irvin opines that it must be some newfangled kind of heating system. That night, the couple are visited by two strangers who introduce themselves as Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Dale! Irvin II insists that the house is theirs, since he was the party responsible for entering the contest. Irvin I tells Irvin II to blow and Irvin II tells him he'll see them in court.</div><div><br /></div><div>But what with all the pain that goes into owning a new house (and the gardener just can't get grass to grow in that crappy soil), Irvin and Jane decide to sell the house to their namesakes and enjoy the extra funds the free house gained them. Unbeknownst to either couple, the house is actually a trap set by outer space aliens who needed one of each sex to complete their study. Once the Irvin II couple step into the circular room, the house blasts off into space! A fun, imaginative little SF yarn that has a few holes large enough to blast a house through (Who built the house? Who signed the deed? Who pays the utilities?) but possesses enough charm to make those speed bumps null and void.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvysayhMAs41xm_gM9cX1qWdh0Hry8mT9k1jZr29LsxyV8A91kMxiq45Dxj7FS5bgLIQPj9EfKoy33-JaR_5mSjfewIpvoc86c5gaT4YY8ZiPFd1L3gciJM_SPh0_fh-Bf6iORhzh5Dh-O8YyAK91QvljerKbTuBREKO4kZEn3lgxFSTSrZNiGEptSVwt/s585/155150.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvysayhMAs41xm_gM9cX1qWdh0Hry8mT9k1jZr29LsxyV8A91kMxiq45Dxj7FS5bgLIQPj9EfKoy33-JaR_5mSjfewIpvoc86c5gaT4YY8ZiPFd1L3gciJM_SPh0_fh-Bf6iORhzh5Dh-O8YyAK91QvljerKbTuBREKO4kZEn3lgxFSTSrZNiGEptSVwt/s320/155150.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><b>Journey Into Unknown Worlds #40</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Who Dwells Inside the Mountain?" (a: Dick Ayers) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2</span></div><div><b>"Not Quite Human!" (a: Vic Carrabotta) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"In Your Hat" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The House of Secrets!" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"He Went Too Far" (a: Art Peddy) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Big Hank Blatt has dreamed of finding a vein of gold all his life. Then, while exploring caves one day, Big Hank runs into a solid wall of gold deep inside a remote cavern. Dream has become reality! But before Big Hank can so much as count the millions, his glee is interrupted by tiny voices. Yep, the biggest gold strike since the Beatles is being guarded by leprechauns!</div><div><br /></div><div>The little people tell Big Hank that no one sees the gold and returns to the outside world, so he's got a choice: die or remain in the cave with the little guys forever. Big Hank vocalizes the latter but strategizes his escape inside his devious mind. No way a bunch of midgets are going to keep Big Hank from his riches. The leprechauns rejoice when they hear Big Hank's decision and propose a toast with some potent bubbly. After Big Hank downs his quaff, he hightails it for the cave exit and heads for a nearby field to make his re-entry strategy. It's then that he falls asleep, dreaming of gold, unaware that the bubbly has caused him to shrink to leprechaun size. "Who Dwells Inside the Mountain!" is more evidence that Dick Ayers was a really bad penciller. The outcome at the finale must be guessed at since no explanation is provided but, seeing as how Big Hank is tiny, it's pretty obvious. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHXiJWB1Raf889-_3FfX5dDEORWeMgIlX4fYcpnXLWw9A_9ZL8BjOdORRtl9DzySSOIhWdiTtR_EtcYIPZc4etEIViZOvVPh2b-eOtaJZJKPw0djtCRWW0zhcZYi-HkxmyGMKDzsYQKEvt5dOs4svaScXY99qYGT9ZKnLt8uvnoPdsGW_XDzSCFH3LEPc/s1382/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20at%205.07.21%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1382" data-original-width="1376" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHXiJWB1Raf889-_3FfX5dDEORWeMgIlX4fYcpnXLWw9A_9ZL8BjOdORRtl9DzySSOIhWdiTtR_EtcYIPZc4etEIViZOvVPh2b-eOtaJZJKPw0djtCRWW0zhcZYi-HkxmyGMKDzsYQKEvt5dOs4svaScXY99qYGT9ZKnLt8uvnoPdsGW_XDzSCFH3LEPc/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20at%205.07.21%20PM.png" width="319" /></a></div>Android #2166 is aboard a ship bound for Venus. All the androids on Earth have been rounded up for what #2166 believes is a final trip before they are decommissioned. But, after #2166 stages a riot on board, he's notified by the ship's captain (who is also an android) that the ship is actually bound for Venus, where humans cannot exist. It will be the new Eden for plastic men and women. Though the happy ending borders on schmaltzy, "Not Quite Human!" actually comes off as sweet and compassionate. I always wonder what these scripts would have looked like had they been produced a year earlier. The mini-riot on board the spaceship doubtless would have been more violent and the climax darker.</div><div><br /></div><div>The raft of shipwrecked magician The Great Sandini hits the shore of an uncharted island somewhere south of Borneo and the showman knows he's in trouble when he's greeted by a band of very unfriendly-looking natives. Realizing he'd better dazzle them with his skills, Sandini dons his garb and whips out his wand, making an egg appear out of the medicine man's hat. He's got his audience eating out of his hands yet again!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ39ZhSQI48ut2BtbrF5bcj-xokr4q7CS17gVVY3j3wGhwB4dHQoWzvqc8gDmxibiOa1EyoZ9OdQI2GK5DjElTO527vK44X0nZnb8Et1jhAZcy_b99mMQSBSaOcftuzG0Z9v_TFbLTBcsE9NKB-HVIXdBUTJDiQxU_-lSMC4KzLI1XQ3Fu7Qf2ik0lp-YF/s1352/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20at%205.08.18%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1352" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ39ZhSQI48ut2BtbrF5bcj-xokr4q7CS17gVVY3j3wGhwB4dHQoWzvqc8gDmxibiOa1EyoZ9OdQI2GK5DjElTO527vK44X0nZnb8Et1jhAZcy_b99mMQSBSaOcftuzG0Z9v_TFbLTBcsE9NKB-HVIXdBUTJDiQxU_-lSMC4KzLI1XQ3Fu7Qf2ik0lp-YF/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20at%205.08.18%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>It's then that Sandini notices the pearls hanging around the necks of his hosts and decides he just has to have them. In exchange for more tricks, the natives happily hand over more and more pearls. Before long, Sandini has them diving for the precious objects. Finally, a ship comes and Sandini flags them down. The natives do not want him to leave, but the magician offers his magic hat and paraphernalia for his freedom. He stashes the pearls in a sack and climbs aboard the ship. Once underway, the captain demands payment, but when Sandini opens the sack, a rabbit pops out. Back on the island, the natives have nothing but pearls.</div><div><br /></div><div>The climax of "In Your Hat" is confusing. Well, I think I understand but, like "Who Dwells Inside the Mountain," it's open to interpretation. I love how The Great Sandini is shipwrecked but manages to get what looks like a very heavy luggage trunk on what looks like a raft constructed from logs. First, how did this guy get his magician's locker from a sinking ship and, more important, who helped him build the raft? </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKc2nKMH0PwVJip9v2waTZj-jM5jEplxCSwG5KsXpXHo_QiQiqL_gBMjknOygpw1xPl3DUVNzDx3LM7aHpCtq14q7Jm3S_q5eAb4cBvhXcxcYPASmNi1blHBvEbJPEUNQJkyZRnhx8UR_Ti-moFsbF9tWKzuGkHL8XnASr_j1K6HqWmzs71vcpdDX8AJG/s688/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20at%205.09.06%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="688" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKc2nKMH0PwVJip9v2waTZj-jM5jEplxCSwG5KsXpXHo_QiQiqL_gBMjknOygpw1xPl3DUVNzDx3LM7aHpCtq14q7Jm3S_q5eAb4cBvhXcxcYPASmNi1blHBvEbJPEUNQJkyZRnhx8UR_Ti-moFsbF9tWKzuGkHL8XnASr_j1K6HqWmzs71vcpdDX8AJG/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20at%205.09.06%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>In the supremely dopey "The House of Secrets," Harvey and Faye Tanner adopt Michael Bryant, a boy they stumble upon on an airport tarmac (!!!) and raise him as their own. Though they love Michael, they refuse to tell him their secret and, for Michael's part, he loves them too but refuses to give up hope that his real parents will come back for him. Then, on his 18th birthday, the Tanners decide to tell Michael everything. At night, they grow whiskers and a cat nose because they're actually from the planet Mars. But that's okay, sighs Michael, because he's from Jupiter and his parents should be back soon to pick him up because a round trip to Jupiter takes eight years. So, for eight years, Michael never saw the Tanners at night? Pulpmaster Carl Wessler was responsible for this knee-slapper, a script that could have written itself.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the finale, "He Went Too Far," Matt Heggerty sees fortune teller Madame Ulga, who predicts that the man will go far in his work life if he steps on his co-workers and spares no emotion. Matt does just that and ends up where he belongs. Awful, sketchy art and a convoluted script make "He Went Too Far" the perfect capper to a dismal issue of <i>Journey.</i><b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrPCbcEtj9R7ucsonT0VjVcChEBYQGXOXgdQgRFlhJrdmCaAOSnRdBJSBZejuxOoKjAvG_C6BMVWN0Fd7GxFGJusPclAyZgEAr4JTaBSxMVz9kpAV0u41vpdMnCaCiyoJ61NXTElxzyVj0abfFkM7uW61qxBq3g36Tl-9sHxAhr48aMEf6NQTbsQDK2NY/s600/23787.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrPCbcEtj9R7ucsonT0VjVcChEBYQGXOXgdQgRFlhJrdmCaAOSnRdBJSBZejuxOoKjAvG_C6BMVWN0Fd7GxFGJusPclAyZgEAr4JTaBSxMVz9kpAV0u41vpdMnCaCiyoJ61NXTElxzyVj0abfFkM7uW61qxBq3g36Tl-9sHxAhr48aMEf6NQTbsQDK2NY/s320/23787.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Journey Into Mystery #29</b><div><b>Cover by Joe Maneely</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Three Frightened People" (a: Reed Crandall) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Black Book" (a: Manny Stallman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Mr. Know-It-All" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Into Thin Air!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Someone is In My Room" (a: Bob Brown) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Joe and Helen Barkley are so glad that their G.I. son Ken is coming home from Korea that they invite the young man's girlfriend, Barbara, over to celebrate with them. Unfortunately, at that moment, three thugs (led by Doyle) break into the house and hold a machine gun on Pop Barkley, demanding sanctuary. They've just escaped prison and need to lay low for a few days until the heat is off. Pop explains that his tough-guy son will be there any minute, but the hoods pay no mind. Moments later, a telegram comes informing Pop that Ken will be delayed due to weather but that he'll be there in spirit. That leaves just "Three Frightened People" and suits the convicts just fine.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6mYBAQI33prEbXPjdCGudWjedLUbRSI0Y1eLZ4nZIS7sKbPfaU_Z5c0jh7YDyaene34uyZsbKaKPGK3kY_jgoXj8t9MDB8Ht-rc5PZ5G3jSM4NIMR1qFIwv-c2X-bClba9cHgKEcrKcB2Lm2vAZBhLyuVTIvyS7re0MoWtpbSyAjmCproQjEZdzSJTbc/s710/Screenshot%202024-02-24%20at%202.49.15%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="704" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6mYBAQI33prEbXPjdCGudWjedLUbRSI0Y1eLZ4nZIS7sKbPfaU_Z5c0jh7YDyaene34uyZsbKaKPGK3kY_jgoXj8t9MDB8Ht-rc5PZ5G3jSM4NIMR1qFIwv-c2X-bClba9cHgKEcrKcB2Lm2vAZBhLyuVTIvyS7re0MoWtpbSyAjmCproQjEZdzSJTbc/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-24%20at%202.49.15%20PM.png" width="317" /></a></div>Just then, a voice emanates from the shadows. It's Ken! The G.I. warns the hoods that they'd better hightail it pronto or face his wrath. Doyle guffaws and lets loose a volley of lead into Ken, who doesn't seem fazed. In fact, he disappears in a wisp of smoke, only to reappear again behind Doyle. The hardened convict threatens to mow down Barbara but, at the last moment, lowers his weapon. Ken vanishes, Pop calls the police, and the three cons surrender. Soon, Ken arrives through the front door and asks why no one is happy to see him. When Pop admits they were happier when he showed up to thwart the criminals, Ken admits that he just arrived from the airport a few minutes ago after being delayed in California. All involved shrug, sigh, and look to the heavens above. </div><div><br /></div><div>Reed Crandall makes a welcome comeback to Atlas after the collapse of EC several months prior. Though there's not much for Crandall to do (most of the panels involve the Barkleys and hoods standing around talking), his pencils are so <i>comfortable </i>and detailed, I'll take what I can get. The script by Carl Wessler is pure pulp nonsense. Ken's "spirit" asks Doyle to surrender his weapon but could the astral projection actually hold anything if it tried? It's a pretty cocky spirit, too, as it actually dares Doyle to empty his Tommy into Barbara. Not sure the real Ken would have liked his spirit much if Babs was reduced to rubble by the time he got there in body.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndd3SelSoD16ee1oLUM6LMDaPj-D0SVm1HVrBHKKYtXXiTkMPbSWcaAXYjNskVq7m0pIckmXI_hfEhxDhEY3hm-282jx7t2p0kl7TigR78qaeIIgM2GGi2mh4-tMxCLDPqp_j_d53WZrBOBqDsZ4CrND3DCYcCZuPqRUMVxgBRwOqmxgOhr_QhK2dBmQj/s676/Screenshot%202024-02-24%20at%202.50.03%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="498" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndd3SelSoD16ee1oLUM6LMDaPj-D0SVm1HVrBHKKYtXXiTkMPbSWcaAXYjNskVq7m0pIckmXI_hfEhxDhEY3hm-282jx7t2p0kl7TigR78qaeIIgM2GGi2mh4-tMxCLDPqp_j_d53WZrBOBqDsZ4CrND3DCYcCZuPqRUMVxgBRwOqmxgOhr_QhK2dBmQj/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-24%20at%202.50.03%20PM.png" width="236" /></a></div>With the help of "The Black Book" and its magical incantations, Josiah Stone becomes the most powerful and wealthy captain in the Atlantic but, in the end, he becomes too greedy and reads the wrong spell. Oops! The final panel (after Stone wishes for a sea "as smooth as glass," he and his ship end up in a bottle) has been done to death and better, but Manny Stallman's dark, atmospheric art at least makes the journey worthwhile.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the silly "Mr. Know-It-All," Professor of Astrology Robert Emory is a stick in the mud as far as his babe-alicious wife is concerned. Mae just wants to get on the "Rocket to the Moon" ride and have a good time, not be lectured about how many microorganisms it takes to fill a lunar pothole. Bob gives in and the ride begins, taking them to the moon, where they exit the machine and walk the lunar surface, discovering moon men and their homes. All the while, Bob can't keep his mouth shut so <strike>Mae hoists a moon-axe and cleaves Bob's head in half </strike>just listens patiently. Once back on Earth, Bob lectures the ride's owner about factual inaccuracies and the jovial man just laughs and points to the exit. Once Mae and Bob have left, the stowaway moon men disembark and take their place in the carnival. I found Bob's pretentiousness delightful (I've encountered several "Bob"s in my lifetime), but the bit I loved is that the ride took our protagonists to the moon, they got out without any kind of suit to protect them, and then returned to Earth in what must have been an hour's time. That's some rocket ship.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSORfIaVd8yIKti4U_HEbNYV3mjP-HhvSZw4bcMDIFO8b99yoNVm2Hlba5h5N-YijH5a2VovStnCbU-npesbsB1zZMxGG9bhQQuDHQ6hUP4tVEzx_pWJvnV82JgdX2ddMdkgtNAP5L7ExsAzJ7Sjt9LmgLxxkDyZX-42lydgTp39M3JzgLmK6CTp13ipm3/s700/Screenshot%202024-02-24%20at%202.50.41%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="700" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSORfIaVd8yIKti4U_HEbNYV3mjP-HhvSZw4bcMDIFO8b99yoNVm2Hlba5h5N-YijH5a2VovStnCbU-npesbsB1zZMxGG9bhQQuDHQ6hUP4tVEzx_pWJvnV82JgdX2ddMdkgtNAP5L7ExsAzJ7Sjt9LmgLxxkDyZX-42lydgTp39M3JzgLmK6CTp13ipm3/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-24%20at%202.50.41%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Elephant hunter Roger Colton is determined to track a dying elephant to see where the beasts go to die. Roger tracks the animal to the graveyard but there's no corpse. It's vanished "Into Thin Air!" That's because when elephants die their bodies teleport to another planet. And on that planet are scientists trying to figure out where these huge corpses are coming from! Oh boy.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the equally dreadful "Someone Is In My Room," George Johnson is amazed to find an extra bed in his room and evidence that someone has slept in that bed. But no matter how late George stays up, he can't catch a glimpse of the stranger. Is it Goldilocks? No, actually it's George's spirit, broken away from him during a particularly bad bout of the flu. He finally confronts himself and his two halves agree to reunite and everyone lives happily ever after. Except us. Besides bad scripts, the last two stories in this issue are graced with simply horrendous art. Winiarski's is scratchy and made me physically ill, while Bob Brown's safe, uncomplicated pencils put me to sleep.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZtN_oMWcdAZak4K50madqgQ-rczfoXhx1OEftNAmQ2LnRQan0eerewp5Bz6WDxOaFl7T9_W0XxpSlH8inBWYX19Vjv09od_Z2tdcC4cogSzL6J6Ug1NfCERiJKuj3e4bnhsBtKbdb4HGBMiGm_ysF4Q_RQhKjw57M0ymFrqo18wugGJwzgwR53CGCeMh/s582/25597.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZtN_oMWcdAZak4K50madqgQ-rczfoXhx1OEftNAmQ2LnRQan0eerewp5Bz6WDxOaFl7T9_W0XxpSlH8inBWYX19Vjv09od_Z2tdcC4cogSzL6J6Ug1NfCERiJKuj3e4bnhsBtKbdb4HGBMiGm_ysF4Q_RQhKjw57M0ymFrqo18wugGJwzgwR53CGCeMh/s320/25597.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><b>Marvel Tales #141</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"From Out of Nowhere!" (a: Dick Ayers) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Swap Shop" (a: Manny Stallman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Spelunker!" (a: Mort Drucker?) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Last Chance" (a: Pete Tumlinson)</b></div><div><b>"The Iron Brain!" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Two amorphous alien creatures arrive on Earth, study the ways of humans, and meet a lonely scholar. Transforming themselves into replicas of perfect humans (white, young), they announce their mission: to learn all they need to know about humanity, find our weak spots, and then invite the rest of their dimension's inhabitants to conquer our dimension!</div><div><br /></div><div>As time passes, they begin to discover that being human is actually pretty nice and realize they can never go back to the way they were. They tell the scholar that they want to become fully human, but he replies that their lack of emotions will prevent them from achieving their goal. Overcome by the strain of worrying about the fate of our dimension, the scholar grows weak and the aliens care for him. When he sees them shedding tears, he explains that they have finally developed emotions and can join the human race.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqmiHp0CskfJ3AxhfpKZr4d6I0FHV-ktmfZGb0Teh_HNOspAbHRFsQgZys31KbUSRd9UM19X6U4qbWr61MNUw-SmM37ix-ckL36zrpayJ2YtkkmdmGsRbKxNsgQ_4Ymavkm3TYK8hYQlaVUbc8PKEgpb4-Bxi4HXUNi8E35u2pnUhtefZMb_biK3A__Y/s1453/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20003.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="1453" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqmiHp0CskfJ3AxhfpKZr4d6I0FHV-ktmfZGb0Teh_HNOspAbHRFsQgZys31KbUSRd9UM19X6U4qbWr61MNUw-SmM37ix-ckL36zrpayJ2YtkkmdmGsRbKxNsgQ_4Ymavkm3TYK8hYQlaVUbc8PKEgpb4-Bxi4HXUNi8E35u2pnUhtefZMb_biK3A__Y/w200-h196/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20003.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>Hoo boy, if I wanted to read <i>The Velveteen Rabbit</i>, I wouldn't pick up a comic called <i>Journey Into Mystery. </i>The end of this tepid tale hardly comes "From Out of Nowhere!"--instead, it is utterly predictable.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Alice and John Marston are on a camping trip when they discover a fish tank with an unusual power--anything John puts in the tank is returned in such a way as to seem like a gift given by an intelligent being that is trying to figure out what John wants. Maybe Dr. Stevens at the observatory can help figure out what's going on! The Marstons drive through the pouring rain, ignoring a flood warning, and reach Dr. Stevens, who opines that the fish tank is allowing them to communicate with another world!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOHFxoFKdttxUtUSH0lKciOPPYuxyfWhmvChC3pMsjDUNRThAT4fx5t1tZkGG3xiWT1ti0CdauBnjSgk4fkA65iKOy_3obln-LPOHPTKDB0-Iq6nshmJIFDfK_EVgIEZ5b56fD1O6gtrImohe6p2C8lxASsA8Tdsp1S4FEl8kj7rTLnIQ8L5zeg7bexc/s1423/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20008.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="1423" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOHFxoFKdttxUtUSH0lKciOPPYuxyfWhmvChC3pMsjDUNRThAT4fx5t1tZkGG3xiWT1ti0CdauBnjSgk4fkA65iKOy_3obln-LPOHPTKDB0-Iq6nshmJIFDfK_EVgIEZ5b56fD1O6gtrImohe6p2C8lxASsA8Tdsp1S4FEl8kj7rTLnIQ8L5zeg7bexc/w200-h178/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20008.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The river overflows and flood waters approach, but the miraculous tank draws the torrent in and pumps it back out to safety. Dr. Stevens determines (don't ask me how) that the tank must be communicating with the planet Pluto, and when he looks through his telescope he sees the (then) ninth planet in our solar system enveloped by a swirling gaseous mass. Assuming the gas spells trouble and the Plutonians need help, he takes a block of uranium, the element that has done "'remarkable things for this world,'" and transports it to Pluto by means of the fish tank. Suddenly, deep in space, an atomic explosion occurs and the gas disappears from around Pluto. Back in the observatory, the mysterious tank is gone and Dr. Stevens assumes the Plutonians determined that Earth was not ready for "'permanent contact.'"</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-ffbUYUHd7fYsKXVOeGOzCdscfr6vejCGOTgdm3sDrV7kNWhwM9nzaPXkBLmOYvMfoG0HcAVgZ4vBhir9LV-2lc7Mn-cO77kf15Uuz4yKtdtpvbEe_yEKB6e0rCIevb2XYjYVMJx7yFzWu8wsOxZjvRl9y8cC1mZ-U-FkC5FV0cb0NVBQ-MdvVJ5aas/s729/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20017.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="729" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-ffbUYUHd7fYsKXVOeGOzCdscfr6vejCGOTgdm3sDrV7kNWhwM9nzaPXkBLmOYvMfoG0HcAVgZ4vBhir9LV-2lc7Mn-cO77kf15Uuz4yKtdtpvbEe_yEKB6e0rCIevb2XYjYVMJx7yFzWu8wsOxZjvRl9y8cC1mZ-U-FkC5FV0cb0NVBQ-MdvVJ5aas/w200-h180/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20017.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The title of this story is "Swap Shop," which comes from an offhand remark made by Alice when she sees that things John puts into the tank are traded for other things. A better title might have been "Nonsense." The leaps of logic that are required to go from a fish tank to Pluto needing uranium to dissolve a gaseous cloud are astounding. The GCD posits that Stan Lee wrote this but, as Peter has taught us, there are no Commies, so I have my doubts.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Spelunker!" is Jeff Cord, who explores caves beneath the Earth's surface in part because he seeks to escape the reality of his life above ground. During one expedition, he is separated from the other spelunkers and explores a shaft that goes deep into the Earth. At the bottom he finds a paradise, where the people live forever and never die. He soon gets tired of their meaningless existence and escapes back to the surface, pledging never to tell anyone what he found.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZyA9F88ySfcptIOU6GOC_XNtDqFpUrDMbZzdMX_54Sa9qW-FlSbX0Ao6lxuZidA09qY068Lw7LXso_OwFn5BO8PgfYQ7hczbLe9C4PYTpz0CEZEWRz3VXvzkcebN2VzUloiLXfVBh8K4OD6COl2U04zPd5VftdM72fEHMfEeXGpCf-8YV0sHuaS1kTc/s714/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20023.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="714" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZyA9F88ySfcptIOU6GOC_XNtDqFpUrDMbZzdMX_54Sa9qW-FlSbX0Ao6lxuZidA09qY068Lw7LXso_OwFn5BO8PgfYQ7hczbLe9C4PYTpz0CEZEWRz3VXvzkcebN2VzUloiLXfVBh8K4OD6COl2U04zPd5VftdM72fEHMfEeXGpCf-8YV0sHuaS1kTc/w200-h199/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20023.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>The GCD credits the art on this one to Mort Drucker with a question mark, but it's clearly his work, and it's easily the best thing about the story. Often, post-code Atlas stories end with a character deciding he likes his life just the way it is. It's the opposite of a surprise ending and it gets dull.</div><div><br /></div><div>A Broadway bit player named Arthur Rowland gets a starring role when a lead actor is in bad shape, but when he's offered a contract to replace the man, his conscience won't let him ruin the star's career. He gets another break three years later, but this time he refuses to play a serious scene for laughs. Finally, "The Last Chance" comes along, but a fire breaks out during the performance. Arthur sacrifices his own life saving others and, after his funeral, a brand new star is seen in the night sky.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDtQSOVGIjLu6L0LGmLIWdiaG8iUQypwAQ5Uam1cbGvfugKYljvvT8-xsiis6eqM5SQsS0R8CT15Kp1_RhAuL7JDqn_i2EN_935CwM8agDlJOnvwg55s7G3bq_3x1GROJ8A6UzJK_9EJm-bdLGSIE6h7B5b7aGjpwPVQFswqQjJ2Jlc3emZFUIpse_nM/s1916/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20028.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1916" data-original-width="1004" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDtQSOVGIjLu6L0LGmLIWdiaG8iUQypwAQ5Uam1cbGvfugKYljvvT8-xsiis6eqM5SQsS0R8CT15Kp1_RhAuL7JDqn_i2EN_935CwM8agDlJOnvwg55s7G3bq_3x1GROJ8A6UzJK_9EJm-bdLGSIE6h7B5b7aGjpwPVQFswqQjJ2Jlc3emZFUIpse_nM/w105-h200/Marvel%20Tales%20141%20028.jpg" width="105" /></a></div>Unfortunately, Pete Tumlinson is no Mort Drucker, so this maudlin four-pager fails to rise above its mediocre script.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jeffrey Donell spends ten years building Ferro, a machine equipped with "The Iron Brain." Ferro impresses all of the bigwigs in town with its ability to erect buildings with incredible speed, but all of the laborers are unhappy at being put out of work. Jeffrey gets rich until Ferro decides the money should be his. A trial is held and the jury decides that Ferro deserves the money more than Jeffrey. Ferro retires, the laborers return to work, and Jeffrey is left begging for change.</div><div><br /></div><div>I liked "The Iron Brain," partly due to the art by Bill Benulis and partly due to the tongue in cheek story. In a few places, Benulis makes good use of white space, and his design for Ferro is amusing--the robot has a big wheel instead of legs and a propellor atop its head. The conclusion, where each gets his just desserts, is satisfying.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E5HfLgsV2xxqmZ3tmLH7NJINbr38jmQU5OpHG2rjG4GygYWJWKTQGl9SeY0e6chrHTM0eokmOkgPy3OERZLKU3xsrttr7D0vV_HG_zSTHnldaAn95r3h8ocCi4qV8vj8WPw03eQdUmMS_swPJ87lAXgdq3DjFFfv43TG-8Rf4bH7rB-WmOGigYrrrKoE/s578/193258.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E5HfLgsV2xxqmZ3tmLH7NJINbr38jmQU5OpHG2rjG4GygYWJWKTQGl9SeY0e6chrHTM0eokmOkgPy3OERZLKU3xsrttr7D0vV_HG_zSTHnldaAn95r3h8ocCi4qV8vj8WPw03eQdUmMS_swPJ87lAXgdq3DjFFfv43TG-8Rf4bH7rB-WmOGigYrrrKoE/s320/193258.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><b>Mystery Tales #36</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"What Am I?" (a: Art Peddy) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Strange Sink" (a: Bernie Krigstein) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Eyes in the Night" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Man in White" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Unseen Enemy!" (a: Joe Sinnott) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>When he emerges unscathed from a building explosion, Don wonders, "What Am I?" All his life, he's never been hurt or fallen ill. Is he an alien from another planet? He's kept his secret hidden from his wife Mary, who doesn't realize that Don doesn't even need sleep. And who is the man who has been following Don for weeks, trying to talk to him?</div><div><br /></div><div>One day, Don arrives home to find Mary standing in the kitchen, staring at the milkman, who lies unconscious on the floor. She picks up the man as if he weighs no more than a feather and carries him out the back door. It turns out he was overcome by fumes from the gas stove. After the milkman leaves, Mary and Don confess to each other that they are the same! Neither gets hurt, neither gets sick, neither needs sleep. The man who has been following Don appears at their house and explains that they are products of the atomic age, formed by nature to ensure man's survival as radiation on the planet increases.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWiTnwq7JRpQHM161DXSEvV6fD86pZmQ9gzNAY-DNjaMiRBhkJysoLt3XSletC2tEUVKpwTO0Q4ZnUNApHF9Y9TLYfxoca4VvKfZ3zbRc6gr7Q_skS7_IIOZUHdy_CVlUkyFBxeZAzWoVPXeHEr3AnrXAPL-0I6MqSAmB6K6HBe02OFGd-9oZTWeO57M/s715/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20005.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="715" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWiTnwq7JRpQHM161DXSEvV6fD86pZmQ9gzNAY-DNjaMiRBhkJysoLt3XSletC2tEUVKpwTO0Q4ZnUNApHF9Y9TLYfxoca4VvKfZ3zbRc6gr7Q_skS7_IIOZUHdy_CVlUkyFBxeZAzWoVPXeHEr3AnrXAPL-0I6MqSAmB6K6HBe02OFGd-9oZTWeO57M/w200-h190/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20005.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>Well, that conclusion landed like a lead zeppelin, didn't it? I was expecting Don and Mary to be robots, but instead they're somehow genetic mutations. The oddest part of the story is the way the scientist just turns up in their living room right in the middle of their mutual confessions. Creepy.</div><div><br /></div><div>A poor old woman named Martha is astonished when she washes her ragged dress in "The Strange Sink" and, when she lifts it out of the water, it's brand new! She shows her husband, Henry, and admits that she was wishing for a new dress when she put it in the water. Henry wishes for a box of fine cigars, and they suddenly appear in his humidor! Determined to make their next wish a good one, they wish that the mortgage on their home was paid in full. Mr. Holden, the man who holds the note, appears at the door and explains that he just got rich from an oil field and is canceling their mortgage to keep himself out of a higher tax bracket.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9G2Jw0y095K57NEo73HHvNf5QWZlvNJJCaHLpNM-zPV-HVBeAiNSyf8rm8on1ZV_idwI4bRvfIU6APiKCvLeZhiieUMtrC6Q7G6fOMxHLCi0HHvtI28qjaADajucrhHwCb5BUop_5CbizSR2QXThWvadrdLN06hVkd3yEqWsSD0cm6bvM0C4XGauqGGY/s837/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20011.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="837" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9G2Jw0y095K57NEo73HHvNf5QWZlvNJJCaHLpNM-zPV-HVBeAiNSyf8rm8on1ZV_idwI4bRvfIU6APiKCvLeZhiieUMtrC6Q7G6fOMxHLCi0HHvtI28qjaADajucrhHwCb5BUop_5CbizSR2QXThWvadrdLN06hVkd3yEqWsSD0cm6bvM0C4XGauqGGY/w200-h172/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20011.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>Holden accidentally drops his pen into the sink, and the ink turns the water blue. As he leaves, Martha lets the water out so it won't stain the sink, which she then scrubs clean. She fills the sink with more water, but its wish-granting properties have vanished. On a nearby estate, young Tommy gazes down into a wishing well and remarks that the water at the bottom has suddenly turned blue.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peter handily informs me that this is the first we've seen of Bernie Krigstein at Atlas in over two years, since "The Untouchable" in <i>Strange Tales</i> #22. I'm happy for more work by a former EC artist, but I would prefer it if he were assigned a story that had some meat to it. The tale of Martha and her sink hardly warrants the artwork of the man who drew "Master Race." What's next, "The Terrible Tub?"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB07fdEX3sJf87ZSKiEGONPh5RBJTojHtVgUem3OsmpeYG-EjVCsCrYQblWmtDa1BUcLls_zvmsB0_x4v0u8mDi05vUan6PygaCFYo1lW-dn0MEKqWANF5I70R8jRJRxK9svcVFN3evLY1gKZ_9UtG1Nepw8oN1QaDE_GkQHkaTjiNLwPfklT_5Nuc7v0/s1438/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20016.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="1434" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB07fdEX3sJf87ZSKiEGONPh5RBJTojHtVgUem3OsmpeYG-EjVCsCrYQblWmtDa1BUcLls_zvmsB0_x4v0u8mDi05vUan6PygaCFYo1lW-dn0MEKqWANF5I70R8jRJRxK9svcVFN3evLY1gKZ_9UtG1Nepw8oN1QaDE_GkQHkaTjiNLwPfklT_5Nuc7v0/w199-h200/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20016.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div>No one likes Char, a black cat, and the poor kitty thinks that if only someone would trust him, he'd lead them to great riches. Char spends his nights in the basement of a deserted stone house, sitting atop a chest of gold coins. Along comes Joe Ruddey, an escaped convict on the run who is being pursued by bloodhounds. Char rubs against his leg and Joe follows the cat to the basement, where he discovers the gold. Unfortunately, when Joe is dragging the heavy chest out of the basement, a wall collapses and traps him under its debris. His calls for help alert the cops and he is taken back to jail, but Char thinks Joe will see him as an omen of good luck that led him to wealth.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's nothing wrong with "Eyes in the Night," which features some decent layouts by Bob Forgione and Jack Abel, but it suffers from the same problem so many of these post-code stories do--it's too tame. Having the cat narrate doesn't help.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OHXaCybnhlF2MpQwFpkh4dXv1a5b5Jqw2NzKhppu9HvJPqcfh8-l3H_IgJAfdqaklwZjFRFsudHQAjYJOyM3-YETbWUUzOCnEWAVynx9zDDLaVDRjvny3De9mxdRIXD9TztJgqjepWon99SN85mWhvPuDqbFKLrCUlaW8PHcCsz-Eb1XOYE_WpVKJNo/s733/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="655" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OHXaCybnhlF2MpQwFpkh4dXv1a5b5Jqw2NzKhppu9HvJPqcfh8-l3H_IgJAfdqaklwZjFRFsudHQAjYJOyM3-YETbWUUzOCnEWAVynx9zDDLaVDRjvny3De9mxdRIXD9TztJgqjepWon99SN85mWhvPuDqbFKLrCUlaW8PHcCsz-Eb1XOYE_WpVKJNo/w179-h200/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20022.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><div>When the cops respond to a burglar alarm going off at the bank, all they find is a "Man in White" who speaks Latin and is dressed in a toga. A Latin teacher is brought in to translate, and the stranger explains that he's Caius Aneas and he lives in Rome in 40 B.C. He conducted scientific investigations but his conclusions, such as demonstrating that the Earth revolves around the sun, forced him into exile. One day, a group of peasants summoned Caius to examine a strange, red box that had dials and levers inside. He got in and, the next thing he knew, he was transported to 1955. Meanwhile, in Rome of 40 B.C., a bank robber wonders what happened to the time machine he used to hide out after robbing the bank. Now he has to wait 2000 years for the bonds he stole to mature!</div><div><br /></div><div>Ed Winiarski's primitive art ruins any chance that this quickie had of being entertaining. As is so often the case, the ending falls flat. I'd like to see what happens when the Romans discover the bank robber, who wears a jacket, tie, and fedora!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCIVwBRwUKlZ_duoIQLQyV3C6Kke6ekxsh9bN-FYz5DhXSGaQTPOxp3ahVm4GC5-cCczDwGdrebDXMQWvgWNypssbeZXTMctk2_TeMawbz6F0aQ0JT4-lwQ9h6FZIY90vJgGq1C1HdGFSWo2oE89G5bhdT0poJMbEQF6-vNzvpUNmn88_qt9XVwEsvuM/s697/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20030.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="441" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCIVwBRwUKlZ_duoIQLQyV3C6Kke6ekxsh9bN-FYz5DhXSGaQTPOxp3ahVm4GC5-cCczDwGdrebDXMQWvgWNypssbeZXTMctk2_TeMawbz6F0aQ0JT4-lwQ9h6FZIY90vJgGq1C1HdGFSWo2oE89G5bhdT0poJMbEQF6-vNzvpUNmn88_qt9XVwEsvuM/w126-h200/Mystery%20Tales%20036%20030.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><div>Flight instructor Col. Luke Roehm tells his students that Earth is at war with Mars and flying saucers have been sent to spy on us. As a result, he's court-martialed. A professor of astronomy testifies that there is definitely no life on Mars. Smiling to himself, Roehm hops in his flying saucer and returns to Mars, where he reports that Earthlings are morons and the planet is ripe for takeover. Unfortunately, Martian scientists have concluded that there is definitely no life on Earth and thus nothing to conquer! Roehm is kicked out of the Martian army.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was hoping for a brief interruption in the mediocrity when I saw that "The Unseen Enemy!" was drawn by Joe Sinnott, but no such luck--it looks like he phoned it in. The end of the story, where the Martians are certain that there is no life on Earth, is kind of cute, but the story is a series of talking heads.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxQnPkEF79Zs8UX5egzbZvBt3oy66e1aYYvzlXoagMIIK7lI24EVimTlrC_r1sFA2aExm4kV6mnwIwR7Mn3Og-oWIpjwRxnOGlKiLGH7iR9iydq9Ip20motGcTPz9u8hI4sgLGZF_5MqCUkkx6cdfs8JLHVf7Dzp4EJlMpURuiDqF7pp6rFe0u9e_CZE-/s726/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%2010.23.31%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="726" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxQnPkEF79Zs8UX5egzbZvBt3oy66e1aYYvzlXoagMIIK7lI24EVimTlrC_r1sFA2aExm4kV6mnwIwR7Mn3Og-oWIpjwRxnOGlKiLGH7iR9iydq9Ip20motGcTPz9u8hI4sgLGZF_5MqCUkkx6cdfs8JLHVf7Dzp4EJlMpURuiDqF7pp6rFe0u9e_CZE-/w400-h363/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%2010.23.31%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Introducing...<br />The False Face Society!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-90462564195704790422024-03-07T03:00:00.000-08:002024-03-07T03:00:00.135-08:00The Hitchcock Project-Calvin Clements, Part One-Beta Delta Gamma [7.6]by Jack Seabrook<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5-oyIuKPUnF4qNyQrsEGnk43Gkd_dLBjeJqzubZW0spstzn2rIHod3CqIYFVMrkGU7WZO_K8l_LMJmYrupYLy54V89RbVScE8PgXjwMDWdvLRtO1anbNnI91hjWc9Qjm4ao_gv6gxkz6UHEuQIATSw6mCg-EvgLhUbn_Woji7dMJc6sGUzepsu4-h9g/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h06m59s747.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="768" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5-oyIuKPUnF4qNyQrsEGnk43Gkd_dLBjeJqzubZW0spstzn2rIHod3CqIYFVMrkGU7WZO_K8l_LMJmYrupYLy54V89RbVScE8PgXjwMDWdvLRtO1anbNnI91hjWc9Qjm4ao_gv6gxkz6UHEuQIATSw6mCg-EvgLhUbn_Woji7dMJc6sGUzepsu4-h9g/s320/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h06m59s747.png" width="320" /></a><br /></div><div><div>Calvin Clements (1915-1997) wrote the teleplays for two episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> that aired in November 1961, during the show's seventh season: "Beta Delta Gamma," an original script, and "The Old Pro," based on a short story from <i>Manhunt.</i> Born in Jersey City, NJ, Clements joined the Navy at age sixteen and traveled through South Asia and the Pacific before becoming a fireboat pilot with the New York City Fire Department. He began writing short stories, the first of which was published in 1948, and retired from the fire department after twenty years to be a full-time writer. He had four novels published between 1952 and 1956, the year his last short story was published. Clements then moved his family from New York to Los Angeles, where he began a career as a television writer. He mostly wrote westerns and his last TV show aired in 1979. His son, Calvin Clements, Jr., is also a TV writer.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9slYMYMRcnNGvGTCNNWb2i33cgDdbnhch7yGcAPN8vJxp0h6ziYjbn-i7T83kyDlQgheQSt-CuEv46dBowwLRI9ABMYGZhN0PfiIDTeRaQ_k9-s0CTjCNA2kLfoyYlVVELOt_WAQPcMJoq7PdK62iNdoSRCslbzIXLBwJaxZCO_GtiADS9o8ZtJiPFg/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h00m43s317.png" style="clear: left; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="768" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9slYMYMRcnNGvGTCNNWb2i33cgDdbnhch7yGcAPN8vJxp0h6ziYjbn-i7T83kyDlQgheQSt-CuEv46dBowwLRI9ABMYGZhN0PfiIDTeRaQ_k9-s0CTjCNA2kLfoyYlVVELOt_WAQPcMJoq7PdK62iNdoSRCslbzIXLBwJaxZCO_GtiADS9o8ZtJiPFg/s320/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h00m43s317.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Barbara Steele as Phyllis</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>"Beta Delta Gamma" begins as a college student named Alan whistles to himself as he walks across a beach after sunset and enters a house perched on the edge of the sand. The house is filled with a selection of other students, and large Greek letters on the wall above the fireplace identify it as the fraternity house of the local chapter of Beta Delta Gamma. A party is in progress, but one young man named Mark strikes a serious note, studying his lines for a play and quoting <i>Hamlet's </i>famous line, "The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king." As in the Shakespeare play, this episode will find a performance being put on that ends up uncovering the conscience of Alan, the king of the fraternity, who is referred to as a "'boy genius and valedictorian.'"</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8kF4-dPHVOScnels7y72Mvu5IXeYyYM-IOpY7m8UiGBQFzG2CbPdpjh0tindA018QAKWZMeduWRTiRt3GZg2VjH65DheiGL7Hg2grNFhqpzlNgGvAmtvCN2Kh3XbbOJIWQCkH9vmvF3Tm315Whz6qPqJvT11AmQ4-ENcHRcbTnapKSjZLjTDAQhOLbk/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h13m53s601.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="768" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8kF4-dPHVOScnels7y72Mvu5IXeYyYM-IOpY7m8UiGBQFzG2CbPdpjh0tindA018QAKWZMeduWRTiRt3GZg2VjH65DheiGL7Hg2grNFhqpzlNgGvAmtvCN2Kh3XbbOJIWQCkH9vmvF3Tm315Whz6qPqJvT11AmQ4-ENcHRcbTnapKSjZLjTDAQhOLbk/s320/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h13m53s601.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Burt Brinckerhoff as Alan</span></td></tr></tbody></table>A beautiful young woman named Phyllis dances seductively around Alan, who appears to be slightly drunk and who resists the temptation she presents. After Alan tells Phyllis that she "'want[s] to crucify anything [she] can't have,'" Phyllis responds, "'Meaning I wanted you?'" Alan replies that she "'can't bear the idea that I'm not falling on my face running after you, dear.'" Alan's refusal to respond to Phyllis's attempt at seduction will soon drive her to set a series of events in motion that will, in a way, crucify him, and that will also reveal "the conscience of the king."</div><div><br /></div><div>A pair of older beatniks enter the room and sit down; they are Franklin and Dodo, and Franklin comments on the goings-on by saying that "'We're not the lost generation, we're the stupid generation.'" The lost generation refers to Americans of the 1920s, whose youth (and many of its young men) was lost in the horrors of WWI. In a decision that proves Franklin correct, Mark challenges Alan to a drinking contest and hands him a pitcher of beer, which Alan proceeds to consume.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwixp_yHUJDJq7FaXDHjdHlbJvR16Zaah3XAYaoTTo6uKHAsMR3QVcoVDpk0m48TQa_LkeGEPjBYlHWcU2i3w5OYW2s5cQddM9eWhQlJE7VqDDsxgg3SJmWsoxHnuO-kEK6XpfEEXT_yR0T7ytOMIlyZ45EsPap0Juifa2FgPaTzjHID1NcnEKvS_z7rk/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-16h58m06s572.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="768" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwixp_yHUJDJq7FaXDHjdHlbJvR16Zaah3XAYaoTTo6uKHAsMR3QVcoVDpk0m48TQa_LkeGEPjBYlHWcU2i3w5OYW2s5cQddM9eWhQlJE7VqDDsxgg3SJmWsoxHnuO-kEK6XpfEEXT_yR0T7ytOMIlyZ45EsPap0Juifa2FgPaTzjHID1NcnEKvS_z7rk/w320-h238/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-16h58m06s572.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duke Howard as Mark</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Mark concedes that Alan has won but Alan is not satisfied and grows aggressive, insisting that Mark also drink a pitcher of beer. Mark resists and, before tensions can escalate any further, Alan passes out drunk. A woman named Beth remarks that Alan looks dead and suggests using Mark's makeup kit to make Alan look like a ghost when he wakes up, but Phyllis suggests something even darker: staging the scene so that, when Alan awakens, he will think that he has killed Mark with a fireplace poker. A fraternity brother named Robert goes next door and comes back with his father's medical bag, then injects Mark with a drug that will knock him out and slow his breathing so that it is barely discernible. Some fake blood on his forehead completes the illusion, and Mark passes out.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv52GIvO-V_V2iOLOdYA8nHG1h_SUeRsCcqER9UVGWvwXMSpQ9fzSbsSyZhfiFksFv00GYHCCXbCLj1ky-bSeqmfHKCZzWxt4X8qsDpt6VEgERufifd09qT-ICxUBdu-5SGvFCbCWsoHmvIHuIC7S9CuY-Nevx618EfB4x9MHmZLy4A05ysOcHvCYK1xI/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h13m47s152.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="768" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv52GIvO-V_V2iOLOdYA8nHG1h_SUeRsCcqER9UVGWvwXMSpQ9fzSbsSyZhfiFksFv00GYHCCXbCLj1ky-bSeqmfHKCZzWxt4X8qsDpt6VEgERufifd09qT-ICxUBdu-5SGvFCbCWsoHmvIHuIC7S9CuY-Nevx618EfB4x9MHmZLy4A05ysOcHvCYK1xI/w320-h238/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h13m47s152.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Joel Crothers as Robert</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The soundtrack, which has been free of music up to this point, features an eerie flute and drum accompaniment as the students watch Mark lose consciousness. Everyone but Phyllis leaves; left alone with the two sleeping men, she puts the fireplace poker in Alan's hand before she departs. Later, the telephone rings, waking Alan from his drunken slumber. On the other end of the line is Phyllis, the architect of the unfolding nightmare, calling from next door. When Alan answers the phone, she hangs up and tells the others that he is awake.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alan still holds the poker in his hand as he discovers Mark's seemingly dead body, looks at what he assumes is a weapon, and assumes the worst, all to more music by flute and drums, adding an early 1960s coffee house feeling to the scene. Alan heads outside in the dark and walks next door, where he tells the others that Mark is asleep. This is Alan's first act of deception, since he believes that Mark is dead but conceals it from his friends. Robert plays along with Alan's lie, telling him that they all left the fraternity house because Alan and Mark were shouting at each other. Alan says that he is going back to the house to "'sleep it off'" and, when he returns to the seeming corpse, he tries to rouse Mark without success and appears distraught.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0ccxa3ztxZvjxlqfySkI9CWizc0anedV7wM-mq4urj840HtOTllT8NF0Q81-dddwXSWrx2zTcHRMvD4C9ycc9vnYS8Y4D5jUdrnylwrgpPSY5vWclUQxN3O_kmIX9hJluXx8f_rUHir4qmtvJVHSEJPjdUUUB4f6-JObkzXyUKjOR_OLw3EIbvHFmQ8/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h09m54s077.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="768" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0ccxa3ztxZvjxlqfySkI9CWizc0anedV7wM-mq4urj840HtOTllT8NF0Q81-dddwXSWrx2zTcHRMvD4C9ycc9vnYS8Y4D5jUdrnylwrgpPSY5vWclUQxN3O_kmIX9hJluXx8f_rUHir4qmtvJVHSEJPjdUUUB4f6-JObkzXyUKjOR_OLw3EIbvHFmQ8/w320-h237/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h09m54s077.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Severn Darden as Franklin</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The sun comes up in the morning and Alan returns to the house next door, where the other students wake up from their positions sleeping on couches and chairs in the living room. Alan tells them that Mark is dead and that he does not know how it happened or why. He has been up all night trying to figure a way out of his predicament. As Alan is about to call the police, Robert tells him the truth, that they made it look like Mark was dead but that he was really alive. Alan reveals that, in an attempt to cover up his seeming crime, he wrapped Mark in a blanket and buried him in the sand! Everyone rushes out to the beach, but the tide has washed away all evidence and Alan cannot find Mark's burial place. The show ends with more eerie flute and drum music and a shot of waves relentlessly washing the beach clean.</div><div><br /></div><div>Calvin Clements's teleplay for "Beta Delta Gamma" is simple and straightforward on the surface, a cautionary tale about the dangers of excessive drinking among college students, yet it contains subtle undercurrents that increase the tragic nature of events. The conscience of fraternity "king" Alan has been revealed, as the quotation from Shakespeare at the opening of the episode promised. When faced with apparent evidence of his accidental murder of Mark, Alan chose to lie to his friends, not call the police, and bury the body in the sand. His conscience pricks him in the morning and he confesses, but by then it is too late. Phyllis, spurned by Alan at the beginning of the show, gets her revenge in a way she never intended, by making Alan a murderer and Mark a real corpse.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAjiueT21HjpN3TxPMr64iE1vbeMu-120waOa6Cq9QfrADKiH9Rmv1jjG_46zcbBJlUmW12wE_26MDZNtJ6ZsO4EoRTU4fU3RolFccN58dNi2VFIwJAnO59WGm3saaVW5KSDdPcfY2GZ1wd_paz10gQPw7GG0j3mtdA5bu1XWDSa_abDvXMuy4bcqIkk/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h15m08s399.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="768" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAjiueT21HjpN3TxPMr64iE1vbeMu-120waOa6Cq9QfrADKiH9Rmv1jjG_46zcbBJlUmW12wE_26MDZNtJ6ZsO4EoRTU4fU3RolFccN58dNi2VFIwJAnO59WGm3saaVW5KSDdPcfY2GZ1wd_paz10gQPw7GG0j3mtdA5bu1XWDSa_abDvXMuy4bcqIkk/w320-h235/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h15m08s399.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Barbara Harris as Beth</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The power of nature is revealed in the end and the viewer is left to wonder what will happen next. Will the students call the police and reveal Alan's crime and their part in it, or will they close ranks and take the chance that Mark's body will never be found?</div><div><br /></div><div>The situation in "Beta Delta Gamma" has a passing similarity to two other episodes in the series, both of which were based on stories by Robert Arthur. The first is "The Jokester," which was based on a 1952 short story and which aired in 1958; in it, a prank-loving newspaper reporter pretends to be a corpse in order to scare an old morgue attendant, but the attendant causes the reporter to become a real corpse. The second is "The Cadaver," which was based on a 1964 short story and which aired that year; in it, a law school student with a drinking problem is frightened when a corpse is planted in his bed to scare him when he wakes up. "Beta Delta Gamma" does not seem similar enough to "The Jokester" to suggest that its author was familiar with it, but "The Cadaver" shares some interesting parallels with Clements's teleplay, so perhaps Arthur may have seen the earlier show before he wrote his story.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlpSzWHrXFA_pbAT9Tdf0XGwZ6bBoC_EU-BMu6zgw9cAZP18I2V0dVYyVrTMUV4eGZC5HWj5OKAiBij1QT2lwsos2hP37hA1uW53DH8es_KcITgcr7fGZh-XGQpo9okxhPYkpyIQtFtrgq_9uYtSZLVtONVI6B5WVuhTT_f_h6tnQyVsvfnCQRgs2oo0/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h10m16s162.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="768" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlpSzWHrXFA_pbAT9Tdf0XGwZ6bBoC_EU-BMu6zgw9cAZP18I2V0dVYyVrTMUV4eGZC5HWj5OKAiBij1QT2lwsos2hP37hA1uW53DH8es_KcITgcr7fGZh-XGQpo9okxhPYkpyIQtFtrgq_9uYtSZLVtONVI6B5WVuhTT_f_h6tnQyVsvfnCQRgs2oo0/w320-h238/vlcsnap-2024-02-26-17h10m16s162.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Petrie Mason as Dodo</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>"Beta Dela Gamma" is directed by Alan Crosland, Jr. (1918-2001), who started out as a film editor, working on features from 1944 to 1954 and on TV from 1955 to 1957, then began directing episodic television in 1956. He directed 16 half-hours and three hours of the Hitchcock series, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-hitchcock-project-bryce-walton-part_18.html" target="_blank">"The Woman Who Wanted to Live,"</a> as well as episodes of <i>The Twilight Zone</i> and <i>The Outer Limits</i>. Crosland directed a handful of movies, but his main focus was on TV, and he directed his last show in 1986.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>"Beta Delta Gamma" is an unusual episode of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> in that none of its seven cast members ever appeared in any other episodes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Burt Brinckerhoff (1936- ) stars as Alan. He acted in numerous TV shows from 1954 to 1970 before becoming a busy TV director from 1971 to 2002; he also appeared on Broadway from 1958 to 1968.</div><div><br /></div><div>Playing the seductive Phyllis is Barbara Steele (1937- ). Born in England, her screen career began in 1958 and continues today with voice work. Two of her most famous roles came right before this episode, as she appeared in Mario Bava's <i>Black Sunday</i> in 1960 and in Roger Corman's <i>The Pit and the Pendulum</i> in 1961. She later was seen in Fellini's <i>8 1/2</i> (1963) and in an episode of <i>Night Gallery</i>. She is beloved among horror film fans and considered one of the all-time great scream queens. As a treat for her fans, I've included a clip of her dance from the opening scene of "Beta Delta Gamma."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwl3tyPzF7auB3U_n4L8EOR2FqyHihmHr3cgmA2UMOXXe1Q1DLho78TDbLxKZ-EjKZbzRIV79LXUu_Kz7SVyw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Mark is played by Duke Howard, who had only a handful of TV credits between 1961 and 1973; this was his first.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joel Crothers (1941-1985) plays Robert; he was on TV from 1955 to 1985 and is best known for his long-running roles on several soap operas, including <i>Dark Shadows</i> (1966-1969), <i>Somerset</i> (1974-1976), <i>The Edge of Night</i> (1977-1984), and <i>Santa Barbara</i> (1985).</div><div><br /></div><div>The oldest member of the fraternity is Franklin, who is also referred to as "'senior'"; he is played by 32-year-old Severn Darden (1929-1995), who was a founding member of The Second City comedy troupe. He appeared on screen from 1961 to 1989 and was seen on <i>Night Gallery</i> and <i>The Night Stalker.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Another former member of The Second City is Barbara Harris (1935-2018), who plays Beth. She trained with The Actors Studio and appeared on screen from 1961 to 1997; this was one of her first roles. She also appeared on Broadway from 1961 to 1967 and won a Tony in 1967 for <i>The Apple Tree.</i> Hitchcock fans know her as Blanche in <i>Family Plot</i> (1976).</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, Petrie Mason plays Franklin's companion, Dodo; this is her only credit.</div><div><br /></div><div>The beach house in "Beta Delta Gamma" appears to be the same one used in <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-hitchcock-project-william-fay-part.html" target="_blank">"The Last Dark Step"</a> and <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2011/11/robert-bloch-on-tv-part-two-alfred.html" target="_blank">"Madame Mystery;"</a> it is located on Malibu Beach.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">"Archives West Finding Aid." </span><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">Calvin Clements Papers - Archives West</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv83807.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">"Barge Girl." </span><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">Paperback Warrior</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, www.paperbackwarrior.com/2022/02/barge-girl.html.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-indent: -37.7953px;"></div></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span>"Beta Delta Gamma." </span><i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i><span>, season 7, episode 6, NBC, 14 November 1961.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">"Calvin Clements." </span><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">Stark House Press</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, starkhousepress.com/clements.php.</span></span></div><div><span style="text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">"Calvin J. Clements Sr.; Writer of Westerns for Film, TV." </span><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">Los Angeles Times</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 1997, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-19-me-39941-story.html.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><i>The FICTIONMAGS Index</i>, www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/0start.htm.<br /><br />Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion</i>. OTR Pub., 2001.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>IMDb</i><span>, www.imdb.com.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">Sweedo, Nicholas. "Calvin Clements, Jr.: A Conversation." </span><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">Calvin Clements, Jr.: A Conversation ~</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, themacgyverproject.blogspot.com/2015/04/calvin-clements-jr-conversation.html.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-indent: -1cm;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Wikipedia</i><span>, www.wikipedia.org.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "One for the Road" <a href="https://aadl.org/ahp62" target="_blank">here</a>!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Listen to Annie and Kathryn discuss "Beta Delta Gamma" <a href="Sources: Daniels, Norman. "The Door Without a Key." Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March 1961, pp. 151-162. "The Door Without a Key." Alfred Hitchcock Presents, season 7, episode 15, NBC, 16 January 1962. The FICTIONMAGS Index, www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/0start.htm. Galactic Central, www.philsp.com/. Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion. OTR Pub., 2001. IMDb, www.imdb.com. "PCL MS 001 Norman Daniels Collection." Omeka RSS, lib.bgsu.edu/finding_aids/items/show/1668. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024. Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org. Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "One for the Road" here! Listen to Annie and Kathryn discuss "The Door Without a Key" here! In two weeks: Our series on Calvin Clements begins with a look at "Beta Delta Gamma," starring Burt Brinckerhoff!" target="_blank">here</a>!<br /><br />In two weeks: Our series on Calvin Clements ends with a look at "The Old Pro," starring Richard Conte!</b></span></div></div></div></div></div>Jack Seabrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-61395511225348936932024-03-04T04:00:00.000-08:002024-03-04T04:00:00.132-08:00Batman in the 1960s Issue 17: September/ October 1962<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/s350/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="350" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/w400-h154/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Caped Crusader in the 1960s<br />by Jack Seabrook<br />& Peter Enfantino</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3l_pZy1FxeW6zORTTOnI-v-GFmWC_L1_DRfjv6pUC2r6XgNYK-7q3i08qYjtWlm9B2hkcOg_5iQkPSHyVC4PTkHE32qyun4jBsLpJ8WFjzqKmCL0QJp47iM2-2XCGoD2FEFHlGwF0e2EU18QZvZ7a__1hNbL_-dAOk4TF8dIIvMGXD0QBTWc1lY7fKz2P/s592/5412.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3l_pZy1FxeW6zORTTOnI-v-GFmWC_L1_DRfjv6pUC2r6XgNYK-7q3i08qYjtWlm9B2hkcOg_5iQkPSHyVC4PTkHE32qyun4jBsLpJ8WFjzqKmCL0QJp47iM2-2XCGoD2FEFHlGwF0e2EU18QZvZ7a__1hNbL_-dAOk4TF8dIIvMGXD0QBTWc1lY7fKz2P/s320/5412.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dillin</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #307</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Alpha, the Experimental Man!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Alias Scarface Scanlon"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Dr. Burgos has finally done it! He's created a synthetic man! But "Alpha, the Experimental Man!" is like clay and must be molded into something much better and useful for mankind, so the government suits ask Batman to teach Alpha coordination and reflex skills. Bats is only too happy to help in this monumental event in scientific history. He and Robin head to the Burgos lab to begin their work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alpha begins to get with the picture, but he has questions: why does he not have "emotions" like regular human beings? Batman explains that someday even those traits will come naturally to the walking doll. Batman suggests to Burgos that they take Alpha out for a drive to get some air and take in the Gotham countryside and, while cruising past a construction scene, they catch sight of four "armed escaped convicts" and stop the Batmobile. A kerfuffle ensues and Alpha gets to throw his first right cross. The thugs are rounded up and the day is saved.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjcpobAGujygpkpV-fgITCV8vcZvAzhF3U4z_8YLJ3fa7t7T5UNWUK60McCR2eIypfjK2RS6YyFvCqm8V1UvIpSVZLCEtY6BJpOp_8xoaLkPKOkT1559DXH15zt84q2jKgrF1-AgBufFDnxNiX8otbr-qg5Ix4HX8G6EtqrwojwNL2b4d2KHneacjLCto/s1460/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%207.45.08%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1460" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjcpobAGujygpkpV-fgITCV8vcZvAzhF3U4z_8YLJ3fa7t7T5UNWUK60McCR2eIypfjK2RS6YyFvCqm8V1UvIpSVZLCEtY6BJpOp_8xoaLkPKOkT1559DXH15zt84q2jKgrF1-AgBufFDnxNiX8otbr-qg5Ix4HX8G6EtqrwojwNL2b4d2KHneacjLCto/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%207.45.08%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Once the action has finished, Batwoman rides up on her cycle and apologizes for being late to the battle. Alpha catches one glimpse of the shapely heroine and feels a twinge deep inside. Tired of waiting for his emotions to show up, Alpha rushes back to Dr. Burgos's lab and zaps himself with the full power of the machine that created him. Suddenly, Alpha's body is granted super-powers! He rushes out into the night and somehow stumbles onto Batman and Robin trading punches with the Green Mask Bandits high atop a Gotham building. Very quickly, Alpha puts an end to the tussle, displaying his newfound strength and almost killing the crooks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Worried, Batman consults with Burgos, who tells our hero that, when the machine was turned to "Full Power," it degenerated the synthetic man's mind and body. If not found and given proper treatment, Alpha will die! Well, finding him is no problem, because the android just happens to walk up to the scientist's window and overhear part of the conversation. Misunderstanding the intent, Alpha goes on the defense and proclaims mankind his enemy! He immediately heads into Gotham and wreaks havoc, drawing the attention of Batwoman, who follows her admirer out into the country. After a mishap with her cycle, Batwoman is left hanging off a cliff, death imminent.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLHLNcbG2BisFGwOr_M-ge-zZ6jnKw_SJBAyn0iMR45d4ajQNKqVa4iZgMwDaClGeFhz_SPr-2kYpmn6hVE-q2wBqfpkgxbG5B5A9u0f7RCu7bAqEdkOLktg__iNAPY1ScFZLCP2RkTfDi0xrnP6Mi5L6C-WR0nW1egDXKLdTlzUTue3HvQVafzPyXTA7/s668/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%208.29.02%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="616" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLHLNcbG2BisFGwOr_M-ge-zZ6jnKw_SJBAyn0iMR45d4ajQNKqVa4iZgMwDaClGeFhz_SPr-2kYpmn6hVE-q2wBqfpkgxbG5B5A9u0f7RCu7bAqEdkOLktg__iNAPY1ScFZLCP2RkTfDi0xrnP6Mi5L6C-WR0nW1egDXKLdTlzUTue3HvQVafzPyXTA7/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%208.29.02%20AM.png" width="295" /></a></div>After a lengthy conversation, Alpha decides he's been wrong about the whole "evil mankind" thing and saves Batwoman, giving up his life in the process. Our heroes and Dr. Burgos grieve in front of Alpha's grave (with a really wordy gravestone) for what could have been. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's amazing to me how many genius scientists call Gotham their home. At least Dr. Burgos (a nod to famed Marvel artist Carl?) doesn't create Alpha to rob newspaper vendors and pet stores but, if I were Batman, I'd tell the government brass (who assign duties and then disappear) I was too busy catching the Joker and Catwoman to train their new toy. I love me some Batwoman cheesecake (even if she is buttoned up to the neck), but that climax was as sappy and maudlin as a Hallmark Movie of the Week. My favorite bit of '60s dialogue is when Bats tells his female counterpart that she's always late... "'just like a woman!'" Ouch! Kathy should store that one in her memory banks for the next time Bats is dangling over a shark tank.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJdJHpPWKKBT9WgveDFEVX_LA0kdX-sR4fAHTMz4BezrlRROQnRsKaQRUFb4gWDD6uO5ccEqPXyOGtWfGBqAflpRstiHFYSrdtBlDw-CqsOo9VsmoiIpBlrRdzum_J0G4unZA6HJKQ_6xoL9idw7vp3nmmLUJf87f_Bn_EPPG1NH-hCZutCYc0q4IKUtR/s814/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%208.44.47%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="814" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJdJHpPWKKBT9WgveDFEVX_LA0kdX-sR4fAHTMz4BezrlRROQnRsKaQRUFb4gWDD6uO5ccEqPXyOGtWfGBqAflpRstiHFYSrdtBlDw-CqsOo9VsmoiIpBlrRdzum_J0G4unZA6HJKQ_6xoL9idw7vp3nmmLUJf87f_Bn_EPPG1NH-hCZutCYc0q4IKUtR/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%208.44.47%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>In an effort to smoke out the "Scarface" Scanlon gang, Detective John Jones goes undercover, disguised as Scanlon (it's too long a story to go into but, basically, Scanlon took a header off a high bridge and is presumed dead), and infiltrates the gang. Unfortunately, the real Scanlon pops up and makes matters a bit complicated. With a quick change to the Martian Manhunter, J'onn is able to nab the real Scanlon, hand him over to authorities, and convince the gang that he's the real Scarface. And then, like clockwork, gorgeous patrolwoman Diane Meade stumbles into the forest cabin lair of the Scarface gang and is captured. The Martian Manhunter must save Diane and put the kibosh on the gang. No problem. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was waiting for J'onn to scold Diane with a "just like a woman. Always late to the party," but alas, MM has more manners and is a little more educated when it comes to 1960s women's lib than Bats. Though I'm not nuts enough to say "Alias Scarface Scanlon" is a good story, I will say that it was at least entertaining, in a mind-numbing sort of way. It is amazing how little energy Joe Certa put into his penciling; every one of his thugs looks alike.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><b>Jack</b>-This Batman story has it all! A cameo by Ace, the Bat-Hound, a key role for Batwoman—all it’s missing are the hijinks of Bat-Mite! I’m not sure that showing Alpha a Jerry Lewis flick is the best way to teach him about the ways of people in the outside world. I’m surprised the android didn’t start mugging for the camera! I agree that the J’onn J’onzz story is not bad. I was most intrigued by the two instances where the Martian Manhunter changes from his human alter ego back into his Martian self, right in front of a bunch of crooks. Is this the first time we’ve seen him able to take on the appearance of any human he chooses? That could prove handy!<br /><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVebQ22XyfiNzjPr4-NzqyaiBLymxHYiTn3lEXslKaIl6Q-yyFyYJzXU0x2n3R0yeiEVdRIk6T8QDPId6tCltfkDRnTHiswhPMKG_7gyzIXlrtoXRBbOL0r-mBy4GAFl95Tqf3ee9i6xxZWfe8bcduKbx7WHz_I1AuDdRVSk2zygVMUpHnmeppEJ61UDz/s581/2612.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVebQ22XyfiNzjPr4-NzqyaiBLymxHYiTn3lEXslKaIl6Q-yyFyYJzXU0x2n3R0yeiEVdRIk6T8QDPId6tCltfkDRnTHiswhPMKG_7gyzIXlrtoXRBbOL0r-mBy4GAFl95Tqf3ee9i6xxZWfe8bcduKbx7WHz_I1AuDdRVSk2zygVMUpHnmeppEJ61UDz/s320/2612.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mooney (?) & Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #150</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Secret Behind the Stone Door"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Girl Who Stole Batman's Heart"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jerry Coleman</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Robin, the Super Boy Wonder"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Jim Mooney</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The president of Global TV asks Batman to keep an eye on Chetley and Bradley, who produce TV documentaries and who are working on a big story but keeping it a secret. Batman disguises himself as Trevor Cornelius, the English nephew of the network president, and is hired as assistant to the producing duo. He and Robin follow them separately and Batman witnesses Chetley and Bradley enter a hidden valley behind a stone door that is camouflaged in the side of a mountain.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cornelius reveals his presence to the producers and learns that they've found "'a secret training center for the underworld army of a would-be dictator who intends to take over the United States'"! Chetley and Bradley are filming proof of the nefarious activities that they can turn over to the authorities. Cornelius whips off his disguise and reveals himself as Batman; he is quickly located and captured by the red and black garbed minions of the leader, who calls himself Caesar.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1T_mnvG82x7qcJJT29tufsmFcVXmOe12U2qI9IYPn5eOjJTASFAz21arZYBb5gIEp97albHbMszEM3awhOBkM_1IMVKgzWdI3OV_nCryxRYifU2Z-w4D-8J0ff2KXxuWjFuO2qHOZ52BW79HVDrxCoiCEOCzshzgid8Vb9myDIK_FNYWVoshJXbRdqk/s1122/BATMAN%20150%20009.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="1122" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1T_mnvG82x7qcJJT29tufsmFcVXmOe12U2qI9IYPn5eOjJTASFAz21arZYBb5gIEp97albHbMszEM3awhOBkM_1IMVKgzWdI3OV_nCryxRYifU2Z-w4D-8J0ff2KXxuWjFuO2qHOZ52BW79HVDrxCoiCEOCzshzgid8Vb9myDIK_FNYWVoshJXbRdqk/w400-h186/BATMAN%20150%20009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div>Batman is attacked by a huge, metal bird and Robin suddenly appears to help. Caesar then attacks with a giant metal snake that he calls the Crusher. It doesn't take Batman long to defeat him and, a week later. a documentary airs on TV about the heroic events.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Secret Behind the Stone Door" is a good example of Bill Finger throwing everything at the wall to see what will stick. It's one of the lesser tales we've encountered thus far in the '60s Batman titles. Having Batman monitor the newsmen in disguise is silly, but it's even sillier that those newsmen don't just call the cops when they discover Caesar's hidden training camp. No, they'd rather film a documentary first! Seems irresponsible.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzL3Fotu1z15IeAcZKBT7B4Ibs4s51ipCztkGR1sKQunXifQrNmjuC9bPmiLWP5n-kShoTQUtXC6HhnbOUH1q8ByRJUX8XEOzsQCSMqMIqLdF_0mZRK5s6ovQ7aVW8vdOKrWlIptavgb80yzQkbr-52Esr8CNGKljhREUsw-dQcA-TfCkfhisnuNWcv2A/s623/BATMAN%20150%20018.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="623" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzL3Fotu1z15IeAcZKBT7B4Ibs4s51ipCztkGR1sKQunXifQrNmjuC9bPmiLWP5n-kShoTQUtXC6HhnbOUH1q8ByRJUX8XEOzsQCSMqMIqLdF_0mZRK5s6ovQ7aVW8vdOKrWlIptavgb80yzQkbr-52Esr8CNGKljhREUsw-dQcA-TfCkfhisnuNWcv2A/s320/BATMAN%20150%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After three crooks steal $2,000,000 in cash and gems from an armored car, Batman is put under a spell by an old man who waves magical, ancient fumes under his nose. As a result, the Caped Crusader falls madly in love with the first woman he sees, a visiting French brunette named Elise. Robin takes over crime-fighting duties in Gotham City with his new partner, the Batman robot. while the real Caped Crusader dances the night away with Eloise, ignoring Batwoman's caution that he's ruining his career.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gangster Jack Pine uses the distracted Batman and his lady love to get a missing clue to the location of the $2,000,000 in stolen loot, but it turns out that Batman was faking the whole thing in order to follow the crooks to the cash. "The Girl Who Stole Batman's Heart" is really Sgt. Helen Smith of the Gotham P.D., and Alfred masqueraded as the old man with the magic spell.</div><div><br /></div><div>The second story in this issue is marginally better than the first, though Jerry Coleman has to go through some real plot gymnastics and spend a lot of time having Batman explain what happened to make it all work out. When you only have seven and a half pages to tell a complicated story, and page one is a splash page that doesn't advance the plot, it requires a lot of word balloons.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeW_GHnp5BKIzhwnUuvriTN9yEK5UjxlvNtZXMiH8oCbhC4nkMZkhnjh-QNXOpv-xzsFFgaOHmWZ2EQ4NP0uDHaS_c8gPryBrggtLxnF2zADBH4mHSxzDW7Gk5c6Tjilx_x0M0qx9FmMjVE7EsJxS6UJ5jSi493HTU99ZHaJB3kn6SC9LC_oTc2LWMOM/s501/BATMAN%20150%20032.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="463" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeW_GHnp5BKIzhwnUuvriTN9yEK5UjxlvNtZXMiH8oCbhC4nkMZkhnjh-QNXOpv-xzsFFgaOHmWZ2EQ4NP0uDHaS_c8gPryBrggtLxnF2zADBH4mHSxzDW7Gk5c6Tjilx_x0M0qx9FmMjVE7EsJxS6UJ5jSi493HTU99ZHaJB3kn6SC9LC_oTc2LWMOM/s320/BATMAN%20150%20032.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>Batman and Robin fly over the Yucatan jungle, searching for gangster Biff Warner. They take to their Whirly-Bats to get a closer look, but a sudden, violent tropical storm causes them to crash and they are separated. Soon, Batman is chased by three natives wielding spears, and he is shocked when "Robin, the Super Boy Wonder" appears on the scene, not knowing Batman and possessing great strength.</div><div><br /></div><div>Batman escapes and makes his way to a nearby Indian village, where he witnesses Super-Robin under the control of an Indian. The Caped Crusader is discovered and saves Robin from a thrown spear, knocking his head into a rock in the process. That brings the Boy Wonder's memory back, and he saves Batman. They chase the main bad Indian and Batman pulls off his wig to reveal that he's really the missing Biff Warner! Robin's super powers are wearing off; the Dynamic Duo say goodbye to the now-friendly Indians and take Biff Warner back to Gotham City.</div><div><br /></div><div>The only positive about this story is the Jim Mooney art, which is slightly more enjoyable than the art by Moldoff. Otherwise, it's rather dopey. A pretty weak issue of <i>Batman</i>, and no mention of the landmark number 150.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Peter-</b>"The Secret Behind the Stone Door" highlights several of the lunacies inherent in the 1960s Bat-stories. Could you imagine Frank Miller writing a yarn about Batman becoming a bodyguard for documentary filmmakers? Or how about a story where a terrorist threat has his henchmen dress in spandex? I'm surprised the Joker, who knows everything that happens in Gotham, didn't take this as the perfect opportunity to pull a Gotham Gumball Factory heist. But the biggest laugh of them all is reserved for the scene where "Cornelius" rips off his mask to reveal... Batman in his cape and cowl! How the heck did he hide those ears? "The Girl Who Stole Batman's Heart" and "Robin, the Super Boy Wonder" are convoluted, foolish nonsense and perfect examples of how low the character had sunk in between the noir period and the Adams/Rogers/Miller rebirth. Once again, the lightning bolt grants extra-special powers to its strike. The last page expositions in both defy logic and push my patience to the breaking point.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHE-zfDeaqBgwrc5c-00OxXnHGmWae4C0HRsQmrfCf1sW6-kcRJ7yAAPuCFXkdE_Wx5-I6spfKt634IuR9LsGqIr6IkNZTScN3KXYiy11mTeO2ni8DHLN4dJ_QMa5mWm_XPEOoaRdcydqECEu_SpKHKPkrGhlT5c64Fx-2vN_tHq5V_OwBfhMu-9IrWGD/s592/5413.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHE-zfDeaqBgwrc5c-00OxXnHGmWae4C0HRsQmrfCf1sW6-kcRJ7yAAPuCFXkdE_Wx5-I6spfKt634IuR9LsGqIr6IkNZTScN3KXYiy11mTeO2ni8DHLN4dJ_QMa5mWm_XPEOoaRdcydqECEu_SpKHKPkrGhlT5c64Fx-2vN_tHq5V_OwBfhMu-9IrWGD/s320/5413.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dillin/Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #308</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Flame-Master"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Dick Sprang & Sheldon Moldoff</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Day John Jones Vanished!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Hot on the trail of criminal Pete Dale, Batman and Robin find the man hiding out, disguised as a trapeze artist, in a circus in the southwest. Dale gets the jump on the Dynamic Duo and races out of the circus in a chariot (no, seriously!), eventually taking refuge in an old Indian pueblo in the desert. As our heroes arrive, Dale exits the ruins with a smile on his face and bursts into flames, proclaiming himself <strike>The Human Torch</strike> "The Flame-Master"! </div><div><br /></div><div>Dale speeds down the road to a nearby town, where a film crew is shooting a TV western. Batman and Robin arrive in time to see Dale make flame-animals in order to destroy the town. Batman unleashes a torrent of water on the criminal but, to everyone's amazement, Dale simply transforms into "Liquid Man!" and jumps into a nearby stream to escape. The Caped Crusaders give chase in a canoe but Dale lifts himself from the river and, touching the bank, becomes "Earth-Man!" He quickly causes an earthquake, destroying a nearby grain silo and then transforms into "Cyclone-Man!" Destroying the forest around him and making a general mess, he wishes the boys a good day and twirls himself to Gotham (which is a at least a couple thousand miles away!).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltYE_88ousTnJetc5inKSKWmihWD8xdn5dOek3SkTtCbCjwLwybG3lOSTy9N-EAKSSCDejVokE1eNRoZXyWZBG4gJmWAVl5VEzOyfvZk8V-tKyKI7uRWPG2-5Ixf4tSJbl0qZzrjI1JDRt5FjGvEl9de0FBHqkqsXzmbVkn4oJJ5jvF5b1mLv4wySznD7/s1474/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%209.33.36%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1474" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltYE_88ousTnJetc5inKSKWmihWD8xdn5dOek3SkTtCbCjwLwybG3lOSTy9N-EAKSSCDejVokE1eNRoZXyWZBG4gJmWAVl5VEzOyfvZk8V-tKyKI7uRWPG2-5Ixf4tSJbl0qZzrjI1JDRt5FjGvEl9de0FBHqkqsXzmbVkn4oJJ5jvF5b1mLv4wySznD7/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%209.33.36%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60L7hGGYOCScDuZyaQa551F_KVmpNj6XIh9L8lIvWxbIy8P2MQ1nS2p2DpbROqFlogQu3ccZ70A_d8vnZKhND53PiB-E8EGEigBK_VF8vMc2Xz-ofh8ldhVFQiRKMeq1WU9_KtLjECNkHZZIONKPMNFlGpQOmDyeskOAEsh7-JDASfErHFk60LFuI6gLt/s682/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%209.34.41%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="682" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60L7hGGYOCScDuZyaQa551F_KVmpNj6XIh9L8lIvWxbIy8P2MQ1nS2p2DpbROqFlogQu3ccZ70A_d8vnZKhND53PiB-E8EGEigBK_VF8vMc2Xz-ofh8ldhVFQiRKMeq1WU9_KtLjECNkHZZIONKPMNFlGpQOmDyeskOAEsh7-JDASfErHFk60LFuI6gLt/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%209.34.41%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Wondering how Dale got his newfound powers, Batman heads back to the Indian pueblo and discovers a secret passageway that leads to a room filled with Indian relics and graffiti. The symbols and the small globes on the floor (one broken open) lead Batman to the conclusion that Paul Dale was granted one month of unlimited elemental powers thanks to a gas captured inside the globes. Batman decides the only way to stop Dale is to (literally) fight fire with fire. </div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, in Gotham, Dale (as Flame-Master) has enlisted asbestos-uniformed henchmen and is robbing Gotham's largest bank. As Earth-Man, Dale stomps his foot and the ensuing tremor cracks the building in half. Just then, Batman and Robin arrive in the Batmobile and the Dark Knight exits the vehicle, transforming into Earth-Man II and immediately engaging Dale in a furious, violent, and cataclysmic war that threatens the very Earth itself. In the end, the World's Greatest Detective uses a trick taught to him by the ancient Mayans who left the powerful gas in the pueblo and defeats Paul Dale once and for all!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoYtzOaF2isx5MG5q1T4o4f0UfccP1Tf31VPBXr1AEOgbVQl7lCZTTsPpgI31MOQc0oBu0KGSOUcsluW2z5Om1Ows2KF4juMs2t3_NY8l6jiZY8uYeRB3VNA0iBHHxZgMyO4M_gOl06eSZf9LBzoSSD901xHjGqXJ8AkNeIXafcrLjhk8Q8PA8z4eqavZ/s748/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%209.04.23%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="748" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoYtzOaF2isx5MG5q1T4o4f0UfccP1Tf31VPBXr1AEOgbVQl7lCZTTsPpgI31MOQc0oBu0KGSOUcsluW2z5Om1Ows2KF4juMs2t3_NY8l6jiZY8uYeRB3VNA0iBHHxZgMyO4M_gOl06eSZf9LBzoSSD901xHjGqXJ8AkNeIXafcrLjhk8Q8PA8z4eqavZ/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%209.04.23%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Wow! Not only an exciting and intelligent script but some dynamic visual thrills as well. This could be the best Batman adventure we've seen since starting this 1960s journey. Of course, I have my nits to pick (how did Dale find the secret room, get gassed, and suddenly know everything about his new powers in the time it took the boys to get to the ruins?), but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't raise the important questions. Shouldn't Dale have monikered himself something along the lines of "Elemental Man!" or "Everything Guy!" or "Earth, Wind and Fire!"? Can you imagine how large his Wanted poster would be? Picture Gordon ringing the Bat-Phone, alerting Bats to the presence of Earth-Man in Gotham, Bats loading all his dirt weapons in the trunk, and arriving in town to find Water-Boy flooding the streets? I'm all in on Dick Sprang over Shelly Moldoff. Just look at that panel reprinted above of Batman delivering the final blow to Dale. You can<i> feel</i> the power!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMiDCK0klrgStwxJ0nzASr1iQ7imSy8dm6KsFifsYHBwJ9GxYI3smMKLib9Z1BhX0RABR44ao_KwYVQAmzl09DpHzKoHaHEhmJ_zLUBLsjCtcLeDzBuLyBlW6feAAR357cvlUUGwyrRabQ9ouPEFWw6RkMkhjkFpCKOqS-I7kLAon4uIeyl_pwvFGZO_D/s744/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%2010.06.03%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="744" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMiDCK0klrgStwxJ0nzASr1iQ7imSy8dm6KsFifsYHBwJ9GxYI3smMKLib9Z1BhX0RABR44ao_KwYVQAmzl09DpHzKoHaHEhmJ_zLUBLsjCtcLeDzBuLyBlW6feAAR357cvlUUGwyrRabQ9ouPEFWw6RkMkhjkFpCKOqS-I7kLAon4uIeyl_pwvFGZO_D/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%2010.06.03%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Detective John Jones is tasked with returning a priceless jewel box to its rightful owner, King Leo of Lavonia. Jones makes the long flight okay but his coach is ambushed by masked men as he's on his way to the palace and the box is stolen. Jones transforms into the Martian Manhunter and quietly knocks a tree down in front of the crooks (MM can't be seen thousands of miles away in the same spot as John Jones or his alter ego will be public knowledge!) but, unfortunately, he's struck by lightning and stuck in the body of J'onn J'onzz!!! </div><div><br /></div><div>At that moment, King Leo rides up with his band of merry men and is handed his box by the local constabulary. J'onn hides but overhears the king mention that the box is in good shape but the ring within is missing. King Leo looks around, sees no American detective, and puts two and two together. "Bring Me the Head of John Jones!!!" The Martian Manhunter knows he can't show his face in Lavonia, so he rockets back to Captain Harding's office, where he discovers the news of John Jones's theft has already reached America. Can the Martian Manhunter find the missing ring and restore his Earthbound alter ego's good name and reputation? </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPAVWqGvo_TOjSO5OLY_cZHvwCvmyoAa4XvjJRKDP6pMmWnXRJH9kR7jJsZnciNAL7j77FnUWWEopX0HwCZwbrhgpJnKXYmTocinyrvaqgKHrRU7wYCe88W7vyn44M7dGkiLocLjw4ruJOrK3pIpsqPrNiGtsCNNBPVD8nvLN9Y4F0KOdSU3hDKq7hI55/s1474/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%2010.06.19%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1474" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPAVWqGvo_TOjSO5OLY_cZHvwCvmyoAa4XvjJRKDP6pMmWnXRJH9kR7jJsZnciNAL7j77FnUWWEopX0HwCZwbrhgpJnKXYmTocinyrvaqgKHrRU7wYCe88W7vyn44M7dGkiLocLjw4ruJOrK3pIpsqPrNiGtsCNNBPVD8nvLN9Y4F0KOdSU3hDKq7hI55/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-19%20at%2010.06.19%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Just as silly (maybe even sillier) than the previous MM sagas, "The Day John Jones Vanished" does have one clever little bit, in which MM flies back to America and gets Harding to plead for his help locating Detective Jones, thus making it natural that both would be in the same faraway place. But the reveal that Diane made the flight to "help" in the search is pretty lame, adding fuel to the notion that the character is only kept around to use in hostage situations and for a little eye candy. Jack Seabrook will be happy to see the ol' "One electrical shock is bad but the second one negates the effects of the first one" trope used yet again in the sappy, crappy climax.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Jack-</b>I am shaking my head in wonder at your positive review of the Batman story, which I thought was one of the worst I've read. Dick Sprang is among my favorite Bat artists, but this story looks rushed and most of the panels include tiny figures that are hard to make out. The story is absurd, and this is coming from someone who got a kick out of Bat-Baby! I was really disappointed. The J'onn J'onzz story was slightly better, mainly because the characters were drawn big enough to make out. You're right about the electric shocks--they're as dumb as the knocks to the head.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifySKMUJ4hOdUyP8ceyD-djEEg01CMKsO_C7ZLJMCXP2psYFwMQ-XGSdBegtmOflnn09XIUw3Ycwtb7lU8Sbb8owwnJh98QJsWWt2I0WcggxnvtS25RMZEeBsSPL13BPQGp3BytK97d0_Aukkg3v1iS4uyikQiB2F6sar_TUon5t9hsPo4rSaUNJ4gS3HA/s802/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%204.07.54%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="802" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifySKMUJ4hOdUyP8ceyD-djEEg01CMKsO_C7ZLJMCXP2psYFwMQ-XGSdBegtmOflnn09XIUw3Ycwtb7lU8Sbb8owwnJh98QJsWWt2I0WcggxnvtS25RMZEeBsSPL13BPQGp3BytK97d0_Aukkg3v1iS4uyikQiB2F6sar_TUon5t9hsPo4rSaUNJ4gS3HA/w400-h325/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%204.07.54%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />The Return of Bernie Krigstein!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-81109779137058813152024-02-26T04:00:00.000-08:002024-02-26T04:00:00.150-08:00Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 106: Atlas/ Marvel Horror & Science Fiction Comics!<p> </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s1600/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Marvel/Atlas </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horror Comics</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part 91</b></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>November 1955 </b></span><b style="font-size: large;">Part II</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by Peter Enfantino</b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>and Jack Seabrook</b></span></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EH9r9UBKxHbWFDWpMbRFeTSkMdWgbky5gxY7L3ehVmb3RqhHf0NoMvfBcQVzLaSkOvyQyaRHGkOtTtyVTMomCOLhAL1J1hdrcOII_tOdUNKdyrww5NxLQ_OXwamcDqeDW6tk90Gm-9Mz7Hd9hTYHBRvm89FCECd6AHSAPcsFVbN75H8M6S182DdPOXw1/s589/193257.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EH9r9UBKxHbWFDWpMbRFeTSkMdWgbky5gxY7L3ehVmb3RqhHf0NoMvfBcQVzLaSkOvyQyaRHGkOtTtyVTMomCOLhAL1J1hdrcOII_tOdUNKdyrww5NxLQ_OXwamcDqeDW6tk90Gm-9Mz7Hd9hTYHBRvm89FCECd6AHSAPcsFVbN75H8M6S182DdPOXw1/s320/193257.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><b>Mystery Tales #35</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"It Walks By Night!" (a: Manny Stallman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"A Stranger in Our Midst!" (a: Tom Scheuer) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Old Man!" (a: Gene Colan) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Wrong Face!" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Something in the Sky!" (a: Bill Everett) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Poor old Dan Foresby. He loves his house, but the city has condemned the property so it can build a new super highway. Dan mopes until he gets a great idea: he'll hire a company to move his house to another piece of property. It won't be ideal but, hey, it's better than living in a trailer, right? </div><div><br /></div><div>So Dan pays to have 609 Hollow Grove moved to a nice piece of land and settles in. The next morning, Dan awakens to find his house on the edge of a river. But there was no river the day before! In fact, the whole landscape is different. But what's a poor old man to do? The next day, the exact same thing happens again; Dan finds his home has moved to a new locale. In fact, every day, Dan rises to a new view out his bedroom window. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcFIJFyFmp2QNX7PNUWR0UQTEeLgnNrL7dkBtTp-TSb8NNU94GVeWMllKqgb2k-uZ5K5YwuM8KqPcjSb6uvNO9DEiEnfG4NxFM9i_ezySshIB8CgVn9RAzCXFSSPiZML-mJZMOtVCeaU7ml3noBxMLowJLyP6-YYqdJnlJ2QlxJfbZJndoevKbmi0uJk0/s1360/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%204.08.31%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1360" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcFIJFyFmp2QNX7PNUWR0UQTEeLgnNrL7dkBtTp-TSb8NNU94GVeWMllKqgb2k-uZ5K5YwuM8KqPcjSb6uvNO9DEiEnfG4NxFM9i_ezySshIB8CgVn9RAzCXFSSPiZML-mJZMOtVCeaU7ml3noBxMLowJLyP6-YYqdJnlJ2QlxJfbZJndoevKbmi0uJk0/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%204.08.31%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>But when 609 Hollow Grove settles itself down on private property one day, that's when the proverbial poop hits the fan. The police are called in and, despite evidence before their very eyes, the cops don't believe the house has legs and a brain. When the police bring Dan back to the site, the house is gone! It's not long before the authorities track down the wandering abode; it's sitting right smack dab where it started. But now it's surrounded by the new freeway!</div><div><br /></div><div>The cover illo for "It Walks By Night!" sure is a cheat, showing a mysterious hand reaching around a door. A year before and those fingers would have ended in long, menacing nails. In any event, the story itself is not bad; it's charming in its own naivete. I'm not sure why 609 Hollow Grove decided to move around so much; why not just stay on the new (legal) property until the freeway was built and then do your trekkin'? I love Manny Stallman's work, even after it's been neutered by the CCA.</div><div><br /></div><div>In "A Stranger in Our Midst," a partygoer entering a masquerade ball is stopped for having the same costume as one of the other revelers. The house's butler stops the man and insists he leave and come back in another costume. This repeats several times before the butler gives up and allows the man access. But when a diamond necklace goes missing, suspicion falls upon the newcomer. He makes a quick exit and heads back to his flying saucer. Yep, he was an alien shapeshifter. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWcBbPVuMB0v-wfQnERm169odg3m6Z9mUVpcyAmOiO_t5CeZxVq7fjxUtUXgWsU204XWQMw7T3tydChnp7tGwKjSjoIzJw0ObCyhelI5mUVuEBm7M9t0FSN9sl6GU-3JTclkjJZclBsEoPf7dnx0YfAgGu5hlQ7EPUA9Z8DmAD8WSzM6R9aiqkYYFql2s/s692/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%204.08.08%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWcBbPVuMB0v-wfQnERm169odg3m6Z9mUVpcyAmOiO_t5CeZxVq7fjxUtUXgWsU204XWQMw7T3tydChnp7tGwKjSjoIzJw0ObCyhelI5mUVuEBm7M9t0FSN9sl6GU-3JTclkjJZclBsEoPf7dnx0YfAgGu5hlQ7EPUA9Z8DmAD8WSzM6R9aiqkYYFql2s/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%204.08.08%20PM.png" width="318" /></a></div>When he discovers that he only has months to live, Professor Norton fears he'll die as a simple history teacher unless he can commandeer a time machine and go back to 15th Century Portugal and change history. Luckily, the loony scientist in the office next door to his has just put the finishing touches on the vehicle Horton needs. So he breaks into the lab one night and hijacks the machine, setting the wayback to 1490, with an eye to captaining one of those famed ships that discovered America. </div><div><br /></div><div>But who could believe someone who claims the world is round (certainly not Kyrie Irving)? Horton's promises of adventure fall on deaf ears and he dies without changing the world. Luckily, one man in the crowd listened to Horton's ramblings and thought there might be something to the story. That man was... Christopher Columbus! And the rest is history. "The Old Man" is worth a read mainly for Gene Colan's moody graphics; the story is old hat. It seems there was a scientist inventing a time machine in every town in the mid-1950s. I laughed out loud when the time machine inventor said he's finished up but he's waiting for the Nutty Professor's Convention to unveil this earth-shattering and game-changing vehicle! </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAFTosDurImgiB7OnUXYOyAW18O5djD_WSh9qTC28e-bgf7RZ2u1V-7EF3E2E6ApbA0VCMwIsD4W4RD3CXp1cYSCjPFEUjD2ezK4CEL5FT_BO-0b0ctvifderC8czdo_FM8rRUJZvKPw2ACd0tU6kFMfhjBr3wLNXgZ159GRhq4mHcOxEn7D_owzJsw-m/s732/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%204.05.28%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="732" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAFTosDurImgiB7OnUXYOyAW18O5djD_WSh9qTC28e-bgf7RZ2u1V-7EF3E2E6ApbA0VCMwIsD4W4RD3CXp1cYSCjPFEUjD2ezK4CEL5FT_BO-0b0ctvifderC8czdo_FM8rRUJZvKPw2ACd0tU6kFMfhjBr3wLNXgZ159GRhq4mHcOxEn7D_owzJsw-m/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-08%20at%204.05.28%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>A con man changes his face to look like that of the son of a dying millionaire in hopes he can reap the benefits of the estate when the man kicks off. Unfortunately for this dummy, the plans go awry when the dummy steals "The Wrong Face!" Like "The Old Man," the only positive is the art, this time by the dazzling Bill Benulis (who remains one of my three or four favorite "finds" during this journey).</div><div><br /></div><div>In the finale, "Something in the Sky," Lewis begins his new job as traffic controller but is immediately thrown off guard by a phantom plane, which circles the air field in the heavy fog. No one can come up with a logical explanation, so Lewis and his comrades just monitor the thing in amazement.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, one night, a doctor drives up to the office and explains he's meeting a small plane on the airfield. Lewis insists it's too dangerous to land while the pea soup is so thick but the doctor explains that the cargo is a shipment of rare blood, needed to save a child back in town. The plane eventually lands and, in the distance, the pilot and Lewis witness an explosion. When they investigate, they discover an exact replica of the plane that just landed. Yeah, I was quite confused by the climax as well; imagine how the 8-year-olds felt. But the "Wild" Bill Everett art is aces, a throwback to 1940s comic strips. So, a very good issue for art but another step down the ladder as far as original, clever scripts go.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHf4RY6YkwrN33gKrR7GpXtVtkwf407EAwYBOxp5Y_HuPt-reCYJN1YElTDw3JJE71Ax-kUWo3FhiEKa5foCT0z2quX-iboRMoYdo7qYCVuqPXRcqq7E0ECYFEpdez_-arl0ZnQCbOHhpE7cwd5_V1qks5B1d6VKS5xzQUigefJ3zsbakHGsra5Ki1-Of/s599/197310.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHf4RY6YkwrN33gKrR7GpXtVtkwf407EAwYBOxp5Y_HuPt-reCYJN1YElTDw3JJE71Ax-kUWo3FhiEKa5foCT0z2quX-iboRMoYdo7qYCVuqPXRcqq7E0ECYFEpdez_-arl0ZnQCbOHhpE7cwd5_V1qks5B1d6VKS5xzQUigefJ3zsbakHGsra5Ki1-Of/s320/197310.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><b>Mystic #41</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Test!" (a: Dick Ayers & Ernie Bache (?)) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>(Reprinted in <i>Chamber of Chills </i>#9)</b></div><div><b>"They Pass By Night!" (a: Bob McCarty (?)) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"I Can Hear You Think!" (a: Vic Carrabotta) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>(Reprinted in <i>Journey Into Mystery </i>#9)</b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Took a Walk!" (a: Robert Q. Sale) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"One Who Dared" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>(Reprinted in <i>Chamber of Chills </i>#9)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Professor Marshek has been training hamsters to respond to electrical impulses. When they want food, they approach a door. If they receive a shock, they search for another door. Eventually, they learn which door is safe. Marshek believes that the survivor instinct will be passed down to the hamsters' descendants.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_92YpmR7SCUV10OvU0bA7gF8GA21vfSVATBPbf_iL_ZlL2yTHx17hsxXJg3_4BsD2qmRzB-1gQ6G_59Vs9CqJjSW5BXOWq2r30lJdr3IxAj_PKAfdo6b355XfSO1NEBTALdDHbVDooLWuELe4j9pxwRabtK8WMl-iGHJSk0cHT6m0qVRhfplGVuhP8Ewz/s706/Screenshot%202024-02-09%20at%203.09.23%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_92YpmR7SCUV10OvU0bA7gF8GA21vfSVATBPbf_iL_ZlL2yTHx17hsxXJg3_4BsD2qmRzB-1gQ6G_59Vs9CqJjSW5BXOWq2r30lJdr3IxAj_PKAfdo6b355XfSO1NEBTALdDHbVDooLWuELe4j9pxwRabtK8WMl-iGHJSk0cHT6m0qVRhfplGVuhP8Ewz/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-09%20at%203.09.23%20PM.png" width="192" /></a></div>Unfortunately for this nutty professor, he's achieved success and then some; the rodents are just as intelligent as their tormentor and escape their cage. Working at night while Marshek slumbers, the super-hamsters rewire the entire house so that when the scientist awakens, he'll be literally shocked when he learns what his test subjects have been up to. Luckily, it's all a dream! But, to be safe, Marshek gives all of his hamsters away to good homes. The real twist to "The Test" is that, after the Prof. wakes up, the entire story doesn't start over again as in so many of these silly yarns. So, with a whimper, I guess.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a married couple speed along Highway 13, a bus seems destined to crash into them. It doesn't help that Bea, the female of the couple, keeps harping on her husband to slow down, to stop at every way station, to avoid anything that suggests bad luck; this guy has the patience of Ricky Ricardo. What does help is that the aforementioned bus is actually cruising down Highway 13 on the planet Mercury! So, no vehicular dust-up. "They Pass By Night!" is an inane bit of fluff, written by our favorite pulp writer, Carl Wessler. Here, Carl doesn't seem to know what to do with the two vehicles, so he does the most outlandish thing. These Mercurians look pretty comfortable, considering the temperature on their planet.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFCqbfbVkc1_BoMqzvFFFh6QY_TVipT7ybl7Isyi5xz1eYKCVLzCIL_0GoF8_sXugH_4T6yk5digUNSlGZ7woZ5SBA2zAcVLm8onKJ5SQjch1BtklvAu2qXzWJmHwa42MIociOcxjlI0ii2yrjzX8E4H35UR0RmFIEUBDqG5DlKPVrrsyUHlVCEzGwk4i/s688/Screenshot%202024-02-09%20at%203.10.25%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFCqbfbVkc1_BoMqzvFFFh6QY_TVipT7ybl7Isyi5xz1eYKCVLzCIL_0GoF8_sXugH_4T6yk5digUNSlGZ7woZ5SBA2zAcVLm8onKJ5SQjch1BtklvAu2qXzWJmHwa42MIociOcxjlI0ii2yrjzX8E4H35UR0RmFIEUBDqG5DlKPVrrsyUHlVCEzGwk4i/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-09%20at%203.10.25%20PM.png" width="316" /></a></div>For some reason, several children in the United States have developed mind-reading abilities. One of those is little Johnny, who amazes his dad by bringing the newspaper to him without the older man asking. Johnny does the same for his mom with some grocery shopping needs. Though Mr. and Mrs. Downes are astounded by their boy's new gift, they're also worried about what it will lead to, so they consult child psychiatrist, Dr. Wright.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wright informs the couple that the same miracle is happening to several other families. At that moment, Wright's waiting room is filled with telepathic brats. A month later, Johnny confides to his father that he's just "overheard" a man thinking about launching a missile attack on America. Mr. D. contacts Dr. Wright, who informs the man that all the other children have heard the exact same thing! Wright contacts the defense department, which launches its own missile to destroy the incoming warhead. Ka-Bloooooey! </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNAKOItVqtqgp159bfz5oXn4VT4lfWLDby1mWiSEzTSLcS_yJz9DBPcT04tEkIKYVAeDO2ASCIEQQ5ZTJfRzQzQxd1Pwpd8yVOV14lZ2p-NPRSyLzHjkPIr9cgaix_WLktKRNt7zhYwsAShndpFFDafRqBguDn5RWo0Dzpq_NJPAoBforb3bLhUhvcWsG/s2092/Screenshot%202024-02-09%20at%203.10.43%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2092" data-original-width="1420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNAKOItVqtqgp159bfz5oXn4VT4lfWLDby1mWiSEzTSLcS_yJz9DBPcT04tEkIKYVAeDO2ASCIEQQ5ZTJfRzQzQxd1Pwpd8yVOV14lZ2p-NPRSyLzHjkPIr9cgaix_WLktKRNt7zhYwsAShndpFFDafRqBguDn5RWo0Dzpq_NJPAoBforb3bLhUhvcWsG/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-09%20at%203.10.43%20PM.png" width="217" /></a></div>Unbeknownst to the families involved, the entire event was staged by the military to test their new weapons, the telepathic toddlers! Paul S. Newman crafts a clever anti-war comic strip that doesn't end in a cutesy style, thank goodness. Stan must have been vacationing while this one was being put to bed; there are no evil Reds involved. Paul S. Newman also write the anti-war plea, "The Man Who Took a Walk," about a stranger who gains access to high security weapons facilities and leaves a formula for world peace and the solution to starvation amid the ticker tapes of death for any brilliant scientist to find. Turns out the wanderer is from Atlantis and he doesn't want the surface world to destroy his undersea kingdom. Hey, that sounds familiar!</div><div><br /></div><div>In the gorgeously-rendered "One Who Dared," earth's population has gone underground after some cataclysmic event. Now, it is taboo to mention the "old times," but young Junar has an inquiring mind. He wants to know what kind of world exists on the other side of the emergency hatch. One day, Junar decides to give it a go. There's really not much to the story here but, as noted, the Mort Lawrence graphics are pretty darn sharp. Again, I can't help but imagine how different the stories would be had they been delivered a year before. Doubtless, little Junar would have encountered killer dinosaurs or walking corpses.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAQ761-mKN-OkFEeJIecQF2L3Gy5g1JI3ErqCdg22LNa5OMLqOPQrVN_p0YX49EJdJ3orNRVo77D3Jv9o4JTAoeD-yQNWvornt0JvixQHhY3DUvP2YkkBjHYHlDBHzbgxJ2hxw8Zo0yWCqha6NltMyc_-tqUCmz4yzi0nTBfqLAiepFZ25rPrAN7x1UDI/s609/28962.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAQ761-mKN-OkFEeJIecQF2L3Gy5g1JI3ErqCdg22LNa5OMLqOPQrVN_p0YX49EJdJ3orNRVo77D3Jv9o4JTAoeD-yQNWvornt0JvixQHhY3DUvP2YkkBjHYHlDBHzbgxJ2hxw8Zo0yWCqha6NltMyc_-tqUCmz4yzi0nTBfqLAiepFZ25rPrAN7x1UDI/s320/28962.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><b>Strange Tales #40</b><div><b>Cover by Joe Maneely</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"This Dark Cave" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"A Stranger on Earth" (a: Bill Everett) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Man Who Caught a Mermaid!" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The End of Time!" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"No Place to Hide" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>A man emerges from "This Dark Cave," where he has hidden, all alone, for three years. Certain that nuclear war was coming, he prepared a safe place for himself, in spite of mockery by others in town. When he comes out, he finds the town empty, covered with dust, assumes the nuclear holocaust has happened, and rushes back to his cave, fearing dangerous radiation. He seals himself back in, planning to stay for another twenty years, having missed the sign that identified the town as a nuclear testing site that has been evacuated.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ptf-xZa-41LiqODGnB68Su77mnaOgDQAcs4RnB0MsdPahugTiFhUzGR0pTnjTcQz4owgENKsKL9E6y9ZUlfIGd4QnHZQN8wwF8QwpCSieBQ0ie7euXSXi53NBUogHTuHmZ52Hy2koITWww8e0apMKgJzfppSuGs6dGhGjpfdUlVB74f_byj15Prxqmg/s1362/Strange_Tales_040-08.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="1308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ptf-xZa-41LiqODGnB68Su77mnaOgDQAcs4RnB0MsdPahugTiFhUzGR0pTnjTcQz4owgENKsKL9E6y9ZUlfIGd4QnHZQN8wwF8QwpCSieBQ0ie7euXSXi53NBUogHTuHmZ52Hy2koITWww8e0apMKgJzfppSuGs6dGhGjpfdUlVB74f_byj15Prxqmg/s320/Strange_Tales_040-08.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><div>Not a bad little story, but the art doesn't do the writer any favors. It's a bit of a stretch to accept that the man doesn't notice the big sign; the caption explains this by telling us that it was dark and his vision was blurred.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lok, of Tarsus III, an alien from outer space, veers off course when his ship is damaged. He lands on Earth, hoping to get help repairing the ship and looking for food. He is thrown clear of the ship in a rough landing and a bull runs at him, but a dog intervenes and chases off the bull. Lok communicates telepathically with the dog and learns that man is the dominant species, but when he approaches a farmhouse, he is shot at by the fellow who lives there. The dog helps him escape and Lok returns to space in his ship. He is about to shoot a ray that will destroy Earth, following a law in his galaxy that requires the extermination of planets whose dominant race has not reached space, when he hesitates, thinking of the friendly dog. Perhaps dogs will help lift mankind from savagery, Lok thinks, and the planet is spared.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QvMC3cXvTR39UVVQMwGqAZ1MCvCqRiuUfCgiNA2ANU7gpUZqVJS7OltJZmxbYyj_AR3Ajsz4Uo2BGjgJkYJTLwIXgbuxH2jSURRFVVICug4WMtWtp4Bwj7fesUhNdChA-O9YvRr2STMrqonEW0ZaAvXfv14wtVt0xUWFMp5EYn8h2AfJJlfZOMf8cY4/s683/Strange_Tales_040-15.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="683" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QvMC3cXvTR39UVVQMwGqAZ1MCvCqRiuUfCgiNA2ANU7gpUZqVJS7OltJZmxbYyj_AR3Ajsz4Uo2BGjgJkYJTLwIXgbuxH2jSURRFVVICug4WMtWtp4Bwj7fesUhNdChA-O9YvRr2STMrqonEW0ZaAvXfv14wtVt0xUWFMp5EYn8h2AfJJlfZOMf8cY4/s320/Strange_Tales_040-15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I know Peter loves Bill Everett's art, and it's not awful, but it's nothing special in this story, either. The ending is telegraphed and the five pages pass without much of interest happening.</div><div><br /></div><div>A pair of fisherman spot several mermaids frolicking in the water and try to catch one in a net, to no avail. Wealthy Jeremy Torgan relates the story to Joe Blair, who thinks it was cooked up for the tourists. Later, Jeremy arranges for a girl to be made up as a mermaid and dropped in the sea the next day. In the morning, Torgan's yacht is out on the water when a net is cast over the side. A mermaid is pulled in and Blair insists she's real, but Torgan orders her to be tossed back in the water. He tells Blair it was all a joke, but when they get back to shore--wait for it--Torgan is informed that the girl who was going to play the mermaid got sick and couldn't make it!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYd1IMVtRXHVQ0Fq9FYa2C2A8I8deeiqaMeUEm9qRLi6Tw5KfOqyC7Q4SsMO3yDDd1PJDR4CVOEUpOknfnFtVnPgsxiN__sxY31bxjE5fOEe08Roq6Bs9oNcOkrRPL-fzlfTvzhemGJDpDeH6QQuhMuGqOM-ozbhgoNpsaIahhYKQUYcdKCGU5Y-IPtBQ/s704/Strange_Tales_040-22.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="443" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYd1IMVtRXHVQ0Fq9FYa2C2A8I8deeiqaMeUEm9qRLi6Tw5KfOqyC7Q4SsMO3yDDd1PJDR4CVOEUpOknfnFtVnPgsxiN__sxY31bxjE5fOEe08Roq6Bs9oNcOkrRPL-fzlfTvzhemGJDpDeH6QQuhMuGqOM-ozbhgoNpsaIahhYKQUYcdKCGU5Y-IPtBQ/s320/Strange_Tales_040-22.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><div>"The Man Who Caught a Mermaid!" follows the old "Banquo's Chair" formula from start to finish, though I wasn't clear on why Torgan plays the joke on Blair only to have the mermaid thrown back in the sea before the truth is revealed.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the future, all of the clocks in the world stop keeping time. Everyone starts to relax, much to the chagrin of those whose business it is to drum up war. One bright fellow finds a reference to the last sundial on Earth and all of the computers are quickly programmed to take a reading from it and apply variances, but when everyone arrives at the sundial, a big, black cloud hangs overhead, preventing it from showing the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's funny--John Forte's art looks much better on the mermaid story than it does on "The End of Time!" Could it be different inkers? The story itself is a throwaway and, fatally, the end is completely predictable. Once again, I'm puzzled--are we supposed to think that the cloud will stay over the sundial indefinitely? It's not there seconds before the men arrive to read it. Why not just hang out for a while and wait for the sun to return?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YpI9K_jzmLKYWzkvsfff0Vj3pYHEDwsTdOqy65n0oUbeSqRFjLfrGGhGtc_uuex6An4m-QZTEtb1KUmbllccnOcrzDOpelLmq6jP0sObpMh4iLtYeV99ryXnj7Ww-ecLcTZ7TbY0OVmNlQ-lBcaF-VViRSVHcdnL9QaBPefBqX9U9sOvHecM8wNcxT4/s694/Strange_Tales_040-29.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="694" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YpI9K_jzmLKYWzkvsfff0Vj3pYHEDwsTdOqy65n0oUbeSqRFjLfrGGhGtc_uuex6An4m-QZTEtb1KUmbllccnOcrzDOpelLmq6jP0sObpMh4iLtYeV99ryXnj7Ww-ecLcTZ7TbY0OVmNlQ-lBcaF-VViRSVHcdnL9QaBPefBqX9U9sOvHecM8wNcxT4/s320/Strange_Tales_040-29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Judge David Reynolds is a tough barrister! Joshua Swift appears before him, charged with vagrancy and insisting that he lost his wallet. The judge sentences him to 90 days in the workhouse and Swift tells the judge that, someday, he may be judged unfairly. That night, the judge heads out of his house to buy a box of cigars and finds himself in the 17th century, where he is arrested by colonial guards and hauled before Judge Joshua Swift on charges of working black magic. He doesn't help his case when he hands the judge a photograph of his family and then lights a cigar with a lighter. Reynolds is sentenced to 90 years in prison and makes a run for it. He reaches home and is safely back in 1955. The next day he frees Joshua Swift, who hands him the photograph that the judge turned over 300 years before!</div><div><br /></div><div>By default, "No Place to Hide" is the best story in this issue, even though the art by Reinman is routine and the story follows a pattern we've seen many times before. In these weak issues of Atlas comics, we have to take enjoyment where we can.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UerYkPF5iso1UJo6yZys3y5BUoWIiLjoNCXZCGFtvURojvZGr_sqxUMDvCK31zGhcn09QrdttOfvtOYSWAsKxAGRZ7w16-7i9c90s4HZ0_OoM38yyr79uBRzQi4vz_7hjSLQsLFa7RldaU7f5pryD0cHumKNh1iR0kFK1oDjTOqit9BBhn8ZKcYCKSRT/s579/30238.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UerYkPF5iso1UJo6yZys3y5BUoWIiLjoNCXZCGFtvURojvZGr_sqxUMDvCK31zGhcn09QrdttOfvtOYSWAsKxAGRZ7w16-7i9c90s4HZ0_OoM38yyr79uBRzQi4vz_7hjSLQsLFa7RldaU7f5pryD0cHumKNh1iR0kFK1oDjTOqit9BBhn8ZKcYCKSRT/s320/30238.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Uncanny Tales #37</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Rescue" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>(Reprinted in <i>Vault of Evil </i>#21)</b></div><div><b>"Something Strange About Sarah!" (a: Dick Ayers) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Never Double Cross a Martian!" (a: Mort Drucker) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>(Reprinted in <i>Weird Wonder Tales </i>#12) </b></div><div><b>"The Flying Horse!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Master of Men" (a: Joe Sinnott) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><br /></div><div>In 1917, Sidney Collins is full of enthusiasm when he signs up to fight in Europe, but once he reaches the front, he finds himself lost and alone in No Man's Land. He comes upon a futuristic plane, whose silent pilot leads him to safety. Thirty-eight years later, he watches his son become an Air Force pilot and recognizes him as his 1917 savior.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiemBb_Zg5G3wTfmAR_F9YvqQc1zZTw0T7hsLo4P_K9Avj0Rtvp4pChbSoDHsAIfEp12F_mTAeQMZH_XC80EdNdCM7UeJvbawJVjUfh-ktzDT8y80rwtdQ_-bC_aX040ibeBSUuEUvWFZHB9g_LGE_oVBhS_n7nBQP3xVtFVT-6tgVSBViPscpNzWAnPQ/s1201/scan0003.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="1201" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiemBb_Zg5G3wTfmAR_F9YvqQc1zZTw0T7hsLo4P_K9Avj0Rtvp4pChbSoDHsAIfEp12F_mTAeQMZH_XC80EdNdCM7UeJvbawJVjUfh-ktzDT8y80rwtdQ_-bC_aX040ibeBSUuEUvWFZHB9g_LGE_oVBhS_n7nBQP3xVtFVT-6tgVSBViPscpNzWAnPQ/s320/scan0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Odd that an Atlas comic would start with a four-page story, since they usually follow a formula and start with a five-pager, but "The Rescue" is slightly above average due to the art by Forgione and Abel. The story is nothing new.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fred Royce is a fortune hunter who sets his sights on Sarah Silvan, the only child of "the richest landowner in all Scotland." Fred doesn't know it yet, but there's "Something Strange About Sarah!" He takes her out for dinner and dancing, then follows her to London, Paris, and Venice until she finally agrees to marry him. After the wedding, Sarah's father presents Fred with the deed to a million acres of land, but Fred is surprised when the castle suddenly blasts off for Mars! It turns out the castle was a rocket ship and the million acres are on Mars!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3f5vwwq-0Zh-17PMxfIYW_kvoN4JgRxQI_VrmLDPcVoakbDkv-cyUap3cQ3E4zmggWjy3nsyIUzoJ2F8NGK_X-iIGVylUza21-nvHurUDQ3XFGCXM_8cQ-v0G-vFHsahipVXaqUCrZi_AZXzc4zzVPWInY-VVfWfRd1_hyphenhyphenkOpdc9nJsDBpax7HjhGoRQ/s564/scan0012.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="456" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3f5vwwq-0Zh-17PMxfIYW_kvoN4JgRxQI_VrmLDPcVoakbDkv-cyUap3cQ3E4zmggWjy3nsyIUzoJ2F8NGK_X-iIGVylUza21-nvHurUDQ3XFGCXM_8cQ-v0G-vFHsahipVXaqUCrZi_AZXzc4zzVPWInY-VVfWfRd1_hyphenhyphenkOpdc9nJsDBpax7HjhGoRQ/w162-h200/scan0012.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>The end of this story should win a special Atlas award for sheer stupidity. As I read it, the Silvans are not Martians and none of them live or have lived on Mars. Instead, Papa Silvan just happened to give Fred a million acres on Mars, so Sarah and he flew off in their castle/rocket ship to settle there. It makes no sense whatsoever. The GCD credits the first four stories in this issue to Carl Wessler, so that kind of explains it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bruce Dawson is so certain that Earth is headed for war, he resolves to leave the planet and head for Mars. He contacts Emperor Szh of Mars by radio and invites him to visit Earth, promising that his flying saucer won't be attacked. Bruce also asks Szh to bring a Martian gal along for Bruce to marry. Soon, the emperor and his daughter Aiila arrive and Bruce agrees to make her his bride. The emperor plans the ceremony for the next day, so that night Bruce and his friend Don steal the flying saucer and fly to Mars, leaving Szh and Aiila stuck on Earth, a fate they welcome. When Bruce and Don reach Mars, they discover that there is a war on with Jupiter and they are expected to fight!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4geq_ajJuwtllJYJWekl35CkXVzfIIhQl9WIVl_9uTjnldRh-PVfM_3UUcA_xrnOFEpm5p6YgWum1oCPjqe9XheLqPmylPnhaXB92rk1MzJMy16V6STZrjgUCW1tKdLdMjoDgC1XUieV4D12vjaLnsoh3mstX5N6xR2S-oQuVMlm2h65jhiQqIDNTGcM/s600/scan0017.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="600" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4geq_ajJuwtllJYJWekl35CkXVzfIIhQl9WIVl_9uTjnldRh-PVfM_3UUcA_xrnOFEpm5p6YgWum1oCPjqe9XheLqPmylPnhaXB92rk1MzJMy16V6STZrjgUCW1tKdLdMjoDgC1XUieV4D12vjaLnsoh3mstX5N6xR2S-oQuVMlm2h65jhiQqIDNTGcM/s320/scan0017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mort Drucker must have taken extra time with this one, because the pages on "Never Double-Cross a Martian!" look great. Aiila has short, curly, white hair, which is unusual, but then she's a Martian. The surprise ending is no big surprise, but then again, it's not a complete dud like so many Atlas twists. The writing, by Wessler again, is unusually good--witness Bruce's final lament:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"I've been a fool...I realize that now! I should have stayed on Earth and faced my problems, as the <span> </span><span> </span>others did! I shouldn't have run away like a weak coward! Why was I such a blind fool? Why?"</i></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>It's unusual to see something this good in an Atlas comic of this era, based on what I've seen so far.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdjHjycbSSYlPQByS7QI85FVM9p7N4f_K1itahrVMpWiKE19L6slQLYF-5FM7iBWRJrcbWvKHIujUcFPJSQhA__Gqc1ft5xmD-bEDuZG4NVjxtDyY-ZD1kvY8f9Wg3vr_8HcvM2JozDuyn1s9rrXdDFrtg0iH1P6vdCAr9rR101Kh0vAJJOYF592b8CQ/s644/scan0024.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="644" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdjHjycbSSYlPQByS7QI85FVM9p7N4f_K1itahrVMpWiKE19L6slQLYF-5FM7iBWRJrcbWvKHIujUcFPJSQhA__Gqc1ft5xmD-bEDuZG4NVjxtDyY-ZD1kvY8f9Wg3vr_8HcvM2JozDuyn1s9rrXdDFrtg0iH1P6vdCAr9rR101Kh0vAJJOYF592b8CQ/w200-h188/scan0024.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>When dimwitted Jerry Williams's horse, Peg, follows some birds off the edge of a cliff, she starts flying and lands safely. After some initial hesitation, Jerry realizes that Peg is his ticket to wealth, so he signs a contract with a fair and begins flying for crowds of onlookers. Everything is great with "The Flying Horse!" until Peg spots some racehorses and tries her hoof at that, only to be disappointed when she loses. Now that Peg won't fly anymore, Jerry sells her to a milkman for $26, says goodbye to the fair owner, and promises to let the man know if he comes across anything else unusual. Then Jerry nonchalantly flaps his arms and flies away.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div>Another nonsensical ending mars this silly, pointless story, which features mediocre art by Ed Winiarski. Why did Peg fly? Who knows? Why did she stop? Who knows? Why does Jerry fly? Who knows? And if Jerry could fly all along, why do we only see him do it in the last panel? Ask Carl Wessler.</div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6hYUnnTwUunpAuuUCeKbS-C_ymQdO_gRvnDza86STC5V7xJ2X1jTDeAwDF3BI_HvKL6YQt6FiNOl_gLCqfXD-bX9JmH6L-6gFIoZPVCPgkV4u3MhxeCCWQbRDOIc1Xb9vn0HcRDJFTbdsbJljU9tnQKeQAzSYVdbBBXOIh-5pKTSzDJRZeny8Xez9uA/s768/scan0031.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="768" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6hYUnnTwUunpAuuUCeKbS-C_ymQdO_gRvnDza86STC5V7xJ2X1jTDeAwDF3BI_HvKL6YQt6FiNOl_gLCqfXD-bX9JmH6L-6gFIoZPVCPgkV4u3MhxeCCWQbRDOIc1Xb9vn0HcRDJFTbdsbJljU9tnQKeQAzSYVdbBBXOIh-5pKTSzDJRZeny8Xez9uA/s320/scan0031.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Henry! Don't overthink it.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span>Henry Fritter is a government accountant whose humdrum life is upended when he discovers plans for an experimental spaceship that will be launched soon. He manages to sneak aboard the ship and it carries him to a planet where his every wish comes true. Eventually, he wishes for the comforts of home, including his annoying wife, but after a while they grow bored and wish their way back to Earth. The planet is lonely and wonders why they left.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span>The title, "The Master of Men," refers to Henry's final wish, in which he wants his wife to think of him as a master of men when they are back on Earth. I was expecting some sort of twist where they return to a planet wiped out by nukes, but instead we get these weird final panels with the planet missing them. The GCD doesn't credit a writer, but this sure has all the hallmarks of another Wessler dud. At least Sinnott can draw.</span><b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7TJJ04FFevUlZCGdEdvGISijf9wGkHl2PThLHCkrpih7LTcw2FVrqcjRfVzMbBidouyn1-KHoW4Dh_FdOgSEjuyHf5nvwESa5StEo_fUHlCDeQJ6x88bmKehGjlV-RO4HCax8wcQNLwpAwYV-etQC60I8dbydyZLaIzAOVcsaREmE2Q-2bes7FyEw6tT/s606/19908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7TJJ04FFevUlZCGdEdvGISijf9wGkHl2PThLHCkrpih7LTcw2FVrqcjRfVzMbBidouyn1-KHoW4Dh_FdOgSEjuyHf5nvwESa5StEo_fUHlCDeQJ6x88bmKehGjlV-RO4HCax8wcQNLwpAwYV-etQC60I8dbydyZLaIzAOVcsaREmE2Q-2bes7FyEw6tT/w264-h400/19908.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reworked cover for <i>Mystic</i> #41<br /><i>Chamber of Chills</i> #9 (March 1974)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjis72w4vLtPujgIazTxknHHbdLjzGzUvQz5eBB9fqaVKWOfWzGAGxQHoM_ORE45Dcz0KCBk9wN6KeWbmkXrpNmyZWgvlq_hRsc-3Hfg3M-jvNMh98iIpU1h6TWsEFb_RYHNl2NTOrkWdZabaY2_MTAKSrfx3vpQzygqfPbZQ9sd9c_wEwbP_MEI1XDRQn5/s666/Screenshot%202024-02-02%20at%203.08.32%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="636" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjis72w4vLtPujgIazTxknHHbdLjzGzUvQz5eBB9fqaVKWOfWzGAGxQHoM_ORE45Dcz0KCBk9wN6KeWbmkXrpNmyZWgvlq_hRsc-3Hfg3M-jvNMh98iIpU1h6TWsEFb_RYHNl2NTOrkWdZabaY2_MTAKSrfx3vpQzygqfPbZQ9sd9c_wEwbP_MEI1XDRQn5/w383-h400/Screenshot%202024-02-02%20at%203.08.32%20PM.png" width="383" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />The Boy Wonder<br />Gets Super Powers!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-89346463141904423302024-02-22T03:00:00.000-08:002024-02-22T03:00:00.248-08:00The Hitchcock Project-Irving Elman, Part Two-The Door Without a Key [7.15]by Jack Seabrook<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAShvv-byICT7wI5kyQABgs6sTA-IZR6bA8_hAioKTkVFn9e26jKSnzhS-2CIFQEFJwzNP8T3JkPHpJAq9BbvdAL1Pyi9pEPzBw3_g85OMzvMqJgDa7svzPkEw-FTEjpghvZvvCbszM74VCPp9xnsF4KM0L_ibzbf-XUsprgyMcjXVUxxdNbQavLXS-V0/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h53m20s804.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="768" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAShvv-byICT7wI5kyQABgs6sTA-IZR6bA8_hAioKTkVFn9e26jKSnzhS-2CIFQEFJwzNP8T3JkPHpJAq9BbvdAL1Pyi9pEPzBw3_g85OMzvMqJgDa7svzPkEw-FTEjpghvZvvCbszM74VCPp9xnsF4KM0L_ibzbf-XUsprgyMcjXVUxxdNbQavLXS-V0/s320/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h53m20s804.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Claude Rains as Eldridge</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div><br /></div><div>The last teleplay that Irving Elman wrote for <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> was "The Door Without a Key," which aired on NBC on Tuesday, January 16, 1962. The show was adapted from a short story of the same name by Norman Daniels that appeared in the March 1961 issue of <i>Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>The story begins in the police station of Farmingham, an Eastern manufacturing town, where Captain Shaw mans the front desk on a Saturday night. A well-dressed man of about 65 years enters and announces that he cannot recall his own identity. He is given a seat, from which he observes the ebb and flow of events at the busy police station until an eight-year-old boy, who gives his name as Mickey Holland, walks in and sits beside the old man.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOY7vZLdvP9jigjAVwRlZ_FOFbDGUqUk8rS6UkAqBXHNnY3u0xtYhUmY9dL_fasoAzHeDPpnfP5ivSUTmQtgxlkSL6nZoig4sL7-94uMGmM7yoLeMS4Spt0OdBEcqjx9Cu53h9XUA7pVjk2SANGG73gNJsW-CEUeKyTViFSzMmViPtO6vAnmXF8J5Jk4/s564/ellery_queens_mystery_196103.jpg" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="395" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOY7vZLdvP9jigjAVwRlZ_FOFbDGUqUk8rS6UkAqBXHNnY3u0xtYhUmY9dL_fasoAzHeDPpnfP5ivSUTmQtgxlkSL6nZoig4sL7-94uMGmM7yoLeMS4Spt0OdBEcqjx9Cu53h9XUA7pVjk2SANGG73gNJsW-CEUeKyTViFSzMmViPtO6vAnmXF8J5Jk4/w140-h200/ellery_queens_mystery_196103.jpg" width="140" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"The Door Without a Key"<br />was first published here</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Mickey tells Captain Shaw that he has been living with his widowed father, who travels by car from town to town and who mistakenly drove off and left the boy behind. The old man begins to recall memories of his own childhood on a farm, conversing with Mickey while Shaw listens in and keeps up with the busy station. One of the men who enters lies about a parking violation, which leads Mickey to admit that he was lying about his own situation. The boy explains that his father took up with a new woman and dropped Mickey off at a "'home for kids.'" Mickey walked around for a while and ended up at the police station.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Captain Shaw's shift nears its end, he considers his options regarding the little boy and the old man, who wistfully recalls a few details about his late wife. A few minutes before the end of his shift, Shaw decides to act; he tells the old man that he'll have to be locked up and he tells Mickey that he'll be sent to the home for kids. Suddenly, the old man takes charge, announcing that he is powerful Leonard Eldridge, friend to people in high places. He recalls that he grew tired of his busy, stressful life and had to get away. Shaw suggests that Eldridge take Mickey with him, check into a hotel, and have his staff come for them in the morning--the details can be ironed out later.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvzzvo8r1JaFJwRVp6TQZWKN7Ji2yNn2Ypd7AJO5yv2e-dXjWap3IEKsJ1idjO2BNimgnerXfMEiC1luiju_1qHLow09lqfM9IRHHEhNvVW4zI0secsIBj5JBPLuYOFyLMv6GWgm6ENjZL0BLKsUSmyv8283wqzzOQSgvdYE6pCWtVocK_FRy9ESTZtQ/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h50m42s247.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="768" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvzzvo8r1JaFJwRVp6TQZWKN7Ji2yNn2Ypd7AJO5yv2e-dXjWap3IEKsJ1idjO2BNimgnerXfMEiC1luiju_1qHLow09lqfM9IRHHEhNvVW4zI0secsIBj5JBPLuYOFyLMv6GWgm6ENjZL0BLKsUSmyv8283wqzzOQSgvdYE6pCWtVocK_FRy9ESTZtQ/s320/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h50m42s247.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Larch as Sergeant Shaw</span></td></tr></tbody></table>When Lt. Brady relieves Capt. Shaw just after midnight, Shaw heads home, happy to have helped solve the problems of two people and sad to lose their company.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Door Without a Key" is a charming story about two lost people who find comfort and companionship together in an unlikely environment, aided by a gruff police captain whose years of experience and big heart help him solve problems in ways that aren't always by the book. The title has two meanings: the first is explained when Captain Shaw tells a story about the dedication of the new police station years before, when Shaw was a patrolman and Chief Rawlson was in charge. After the station house was built, the mayor presented the chief with a key to the front door, but the chief tossed the key in the middle of the road, saying that "'one thing a police station can do without was a key to the front door. It would never be locked.'" The second meaning is more subtle: the "door without a key" represents the old man's mind, which sudden amnesia has closed and which he can't find a way to open.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0puWb848HMZskvyQw-fQM0qtr1wXvTToYPwhv7JKBbzceYfAenG_NIEnE6Z66E0B6nFeJa5Hd6TZOIFYljJKoa4VabUgYOrVy-L94H-iFy7WGIX-lNlBdBrcY-Z6TNgROej4KJn5cni2YOlqRTrHyyCVYw_NR5fCrieJx4G9IA_fjN_QmLvLRLG9JPo0/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h50m47s647.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="768" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0puWb848HMZskvyQw-fQM0qtr1wXvTToYPwhv7JKBbzceYfAenG_NIEnE6Z66E0B6nFeJa5Hd6TZOIFYljJKoa4VabUgYOrVy-L94H-iFy7WGIX-lNlBdBrcY-Z6TNgROej4KJn5cni2YOlqRTrHyyCVYw_NR5fCrieJx4G9IA_fjN_QmLvLRLG9JPo0/s320/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h50m47s647.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Billy Mumy as Mickey</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The TV version of "The Door Without a Key" follows the plot of the short story in most important ways, but Irving Elman makes minor changes, deletions, and additions that make it work well on the small screen and take budgetary limitations into account. The first shot establishes the location by focusing on the outside of the station house at night, but unlike the short story, there is no narration to provide details of Captain Shaw's thoughts, so the story's explanation of his family and home life are omitted. Shaw has been demoted a couple of ranks to sergeant in the TV show; the first scene includes a second policeman, a lieutenant who is never given a name, getting ready to go home, and the inference is that he manned the desk during the shift before Shaw arrived.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35zxp1qrmbUQjZGI4sNzi8QNRw2viJTbzURIx5_D0QzOA7QfUO5CfcwPOR-ua_EoCJTvkVarakjzt_2qCp27fuzXA6X-FkXRckkq-2cPMn8ZQPpoK3XUGZOCdL2aGHsHvX3fSnkSh9CbWTYQKBQ7-9xHB_7VkNficmabPc_tnWbl3d0ilnGgh2mA0gh4/s409/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h46m54s804.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="295" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35zxp1qrmbUQjZGI4sNzi8QNRw2viJTbzURIx5_D0QzOA7QfUO5CfcwPOR-ua_EoCJTvkVarakjzt_2qCp27fuzXA6X-FkXRckkq-2cPMn8ZQPpoK3XUGZOCdL2aGHsHvX3fSnkSh9CbWTYQKBQ7-9xHB_7VkNficmabPc_tnWbl3d0ilnGgh2mA0gh4/w144-h200/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h46m54s804.png" width="144" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Connie Gilchrist as Maggie</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The lieutenant interacts with Eldridge when the old man first enters, immediately diagnosing amnesia and prescribing a trip to the city hospital. Shaw calls the hospital but the line is busy and so Eldridge must wait; none of this occurs in the story. The lieutenant's departure is interrupted by Mickey's arrival and, again, this other policeman, not Shaw, has the initial conversation with the little boy. The lieutenant tells Shaw to send Mickey to Juvenile Hall, so Shaw calls the facility and asks them to send someone to pick up the boy and drop the old man off at the hospital. Shaw lets them sit at a table next to his desk.</div><div><br /></div><div>Budgetary restrictions come into play in the TV show since, up to this point, there are no other people coming in or going out of the police station. A new character is added to replace the crowds in the short story; she is Maggie, a drunken, middle-aged woman who joins Mickey and the old man at the table. The captain demonstrates his kindness when he agrees with her request to call her sister to come and pick her up rather than having a police car drop her off at home.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLEng4esYU1ImM2I10QRNcF7XXFHKyjTYF5VBr0kZN0jY2suaoFLi6iVETJyZzQY0ZdDlbxOGyb5DY-YshlaeM-SFwv3c90zlrcJybmaJ6sbHJ5YG7XAX9dHiDrMOY0R9HYkXPHJVvIQxHhsbT1pBbkI_CFJHBJRYG0lnXS2YV53CXuuYVC07aq3bh1g/s524/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h53m57s408.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="385" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLEng4esYU1ImM2I10QRNcF7XXFHKyjTYF5VBr0kZN0jY2suaoFLi6iVETJyZzQY0ZdDlbxOGyb5DY-YshlaeM-SFwv3c90zlrcJybmaJ6sbHJ5YG7XAX9dHiDrMOY0R9HYkXPHJVvIQxHhsbT1pBbkI_CFJHBJRYG0lnXS2YV53CXuuYVC07aq3bh1g/w147-h200/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h53m57s408.png" width="147" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">David Fresco</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Another bit of business is added to the TV show when we see the policeman who brought Maggie in drop a few coins in an upside-down, old-fashioned policeman's helmet that sits on the front desk. Maggie gets weepy and Mickey backs away from her; she spends the rest of the show with her head down, asleep on the table. The next part of the show follows the story closely, even lifting lines of dialogue almost word for word from the story as the old man tells Mickey an anecdote from his own boyhood.</div><div><br /></div><div>A delivery man arrives with food and drink for the visitors and the upside-down helmet is explained after Shaw tells the man to "'take the money out of Callahan.'" Shaw reveals that the helmet belonged to a policeman named Callahan, who is now dead; he would "'always pass it around for some worthy cause'" and they still use it to "'carry on the good work.'" This anecdote takes the place of the one in the story about the former chief throwing the key to the front door in the street; it's a good story but it robs the viewer of the explanation of the episode's title.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5t2hUEBYLNGwsuKq7hfEUh-ullWgs4BVMSIHeLV_MScMeKZtLF33xOflrfxup7LMEWqd6h1btyI2onvMGpPgmia4gAborFkHfuPQreBpLg1jmec9N39d43XJZmwqPo9irwhTAYYiwZFmwbUpsVb1j0KWG0YM9J7hnuH8gNgsjglx6-0emPROWuhcYJY/s271/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h54m51s410.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="178" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5t2hUEBYLNGwsuKq7hfEUh-ullWgs4BVMSIHeLV_MScMeKZtLF33xOflrfxup7LMEWqd6h1btyI2onvMGpPgmia4gAborFkHfuPQreBpLg1jmec9N39d43XJZmwqPo9irwhTAYYiwZFmwbUpsVb1j0KWG0YM9J7hnuH8gNgsjglx6-0emPROWuhcYJY/w131-h200/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h54m51s410.png" width="131" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sam Gilman</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The next scene is as close as the episode gets to showing a busy police station on a Saturday night. Three motorcycles pull up in the alley behind the station, followed by a police car, and the three motorcyclists--two young men and one young woman--enter, followed by a policeman. They had been at a motorcycle rally in nearby Mayfield and are perhaps the least threatening trio of motorcycle riders ever presented on TV. They chat with Mickey and the old man and drink coffee, passing time until Shaw confirms by telephone that they are not wanted for any mischief and they leave.</div><div><br /></div><div>The lack of a window into Shaw's thoughts makes his transition from kindly to tough near the end more unexpected than it is in the story, but Eldridge's memory returns right away and Shaw smiles, demonstrating that his seemingly harsh threats to send the old man and the little boy to the hospital and the Juvenile Home were really done in a last-ditch effort to get the old man's memory to return. The show ends with Mickey and Eldridge leaving together, followed by a scene that replaces the one in the story and wraps things up with a smile. In the story, Shaw is replaced by another policeman and heads for home, while in the show, a man named Harris from Juvenile Hall walks in the back door of the police station and Shaw tells him that he's too late, remarking, "'Better luck next time--those two got away" and smiling as the screen goes dark.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmeqGdbDqUvNMF-gJmcNhFNp0zK-p9zXYtJSE2fe8DquKzyArxPFCdBVTh5Wy9lnaGrs8ATGB86o-z7KyfkOD6GcVXoEU_KExUEANpwwquqyAooBaRCnbY2KLJymt2rIPjUGjpheBDhUJhaKUDjaoe2HCOU5iB7GLnWzA479Kr654jY__pjokKykrzhI/s445/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h47m13s244.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="367" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmeqGdbDqUvNMF-gJmcNhFNp0zK-p9zXYtJSE2fe8DquKzyArxPFCdBVTh5Wy9lnaGrs8ATGB86o-z7KyfkOD6GcVXoEU_KExUEANpwwquqyAooBaRCnbY2KLJymt2rIPjUGjpheBDhUJhaKUDjaoe2HCOU5iB7GLnWzA479Kr654jY__pjokKykrzhI/w165-h200/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h47m13s244.png" width="165" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Andy Romano</span></td></tr></tbody></table>"The Door Without a Key" is an enjoyable TV show that successfully adapts a charming short story to the small screen. It benefits from excellent acting across the board, with the three leads giving strong performances that are supported by a cast of mostly familiar faces. The viewer today smiles at the ending; allowing an old man who just recovered from amnesia to march off with a young boy whose father just dropped him off and drove away is not something that would be allowed today, and it may be looking at the past with rose-colored glasses to think that it was anything but fantasy in 1962.</div><div><br /></div>The short story was written by Norman Daniels, which was the most familiar pen name of a writer named Norman Danberg (1905-1995), who wrote hundreds of stories for the pulps and the digests from the early 1930s to the late 1960s. He also wrote many novels, as well as scripts for the radio and a few teleplays. Two of his stories were adapted for <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents;</i> the other was <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-hitchcock-project-francis-and_21.html" target="_blank">"Conversation Over a Corpse."</a> His papers are archived at the Browne Popular Culture Library at Bowling Green State University. In 1981, Daniels was quoted as saying that "I also have a number of TV shows to my credit—Hitchcock, G.E. Theatre, etc. This was, and is, the worst form of writing in history."</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AOaowgNbAnAgoByjscsW1xP_xFi801aAH_c5YK-HtLA_mSKJEkwiU6eegRmIrh8Quirb7nTejPsMsytiF_8mZ0OWA29sXet0uKQE-G5CXBbKxq-GRI_sfnXygoqjKmBo8S4s2Ukt9PF1jdjie13VB2fBRaK6D4CO034AoUHIVEAIFTPoXb4Q7p5c4-w/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h56m40s753.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="768" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AOaowgNbAnAgoByjscsW1xP_xFi801aAH_c5YK-HtLA_mSKJEkwiU6eegRmIrh8Quirb7nTejPsMsytiF_8mZ0OWA29sXet0uKQE-G5CXBbKxq-GRI_sfnXygoqjKmBo8S4s2Ukt9PF1jdjie13VB2fBRaK6D4CO034AoUHIVEAIFTPoXb4Q7p5c4-w/w200-h149/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h56m40s753.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jimmy Hawkins, Susan Hart, Jeff Parker</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Directing "The Door Without a Key" is Herschel Daugherty (1910-1993), a prolific TV director from 1952 to 1975 who also directed a couple of movies. He directed 27 episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> in all, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-hitchcock-project-stanley-ellin_26.html" target="_blank">"The Blessington Method,"</a> and he directed 16 episodes of <i>Thriller</i>.<div><br /></div><div>Claude Rains (1889-1967) was 72 years old when this show aired and he gives a wonderful performance as Eldridge, though his British accent is never explained. He seems distinguished, polished, civilized, and utterly believable as the character. Born in London, Rains was the son of a stage actor. He emigrated to America in 1913 but went back to Europe to fight for England in WWI. After the war ended, he acted on the London stage before returning to the United States, where he began working on Broadway in 1926. A film career followed, from 1933 to 1965, and his many great films included <i>The Invisible Man</i> (1933), <i>The Wolf Man</i> (1941), <i>Casablanca</i> (1942), and Hitchcock's <i>Notorious</i> (1946). He was in five episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents,</i> including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part_23.html#:~:text=%22The%20Horseplayer%2C%22%20directed%20by,are%20lighthearted%20tales%20on%20the" target="_blank">"The Horse Player."</a> He won a Tony in 1951 for <i>Darkness at Noon</i> and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD8TTKRJJaVQ5MHyN1qTKrDoPlx5Cfu78oofdPOr1vCNaw-yF8Azr8vUmA8RaFgCpvq8UWNsU37Ss0OiHh0cZlgwt3-8NIxFGeepquRcGu1PNmGJyRih7DAlhM7Z_2W3hsME98aWKSn09UA04QOJhhvShI0wjnvYojVl4VeYaCgD-LmilMV5f4kDAtLs/s768/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h42m21s454.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="768" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD8TTKRJJaVQ5MHyN1qTKrDoPlx5Cfu78oofdPOr1vCNaw-yF8Azr8vUmA8RaFgCpvq8UWNsU37Ss0OiHh0cZlgwt3-8NIxFGeepquRcGu1PNmGJyRih7DAlhM7Z_2W3hsME98aWKSn09UA04QOJhhvShI0wjnvYojVl4VeYaCgD-LmilMV5f4kDAtLs/w200-h149/vlcsnap-2024-02-12-15h42m21s454.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Robert Carson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Sergeant Shaw is played by John Larch (1914-2005) in his only appearance on the Hitchcock TV show. He served in the Army in WWII and starred in a radio show called <i>Captain Starr of Space</i> (1953-1954). His screen career lasted from 1954 to 1990 and included a role in <i>Dirty Harry</i> (1971) and a stint as a regular on the TV show, <i>Arrest and Trial</i> (1963-1964). Larch is probably best known for his three appearances on <i>The Twilight Zone</i>, including "It's a Good Life," where he played the father of co-star Billy Mumy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Billy Mumy (1954- ), who was only seven years old when this episode aired, is outstanding as Mickey. He also appeared in "Bang! You're Dead" earlier in the last season of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents. </i>On and off screen since 1957, Mumy appeared in three episodes of the Hitchcock show, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part_30.html" target="_blank">"House Guest,"</a> as well as three episodes of <i>The Twilight Zone.</i> He is still acting as of this writing and a website devoted to him is <a href="http://www.billmumy.com/">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>In smaller roles:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Connie Gilchrist (1895-1985) as Maggie; a busy character actress on screen from 1940 to 1969, she was in three episodes of the Hitchcock show, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2012/04/robert-bloch-on-tv-part-twelve-alfred.html" target="_blank">"A Home Away from Home."</a></li><li>David Fresco (1909-1997) as Dave, who delivers food to the station; he was on screen from 1946 to 1997 and he was blacklisted in 1956. Despite that, he appeared in twelve episodes of the Hitchcock show, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-hitchcock-project-stanley-ellin_24.html#:~:text=%22The%20Day%20of%20the%20Bullet%22%20is%20a%20brilliant%2C%20elegiac,Sunday%2C%20February%2014%2C%201960." target="_blank">"The Day of the Bullet,"</a> as well as episodes of <i>The Twilight Zone </i>and <i>Night Gallery.</i></li><li>Sam Gilman (1915-1985) as the cop who brings in the motorcyclists; his career is interesting. He started out as a comic book artist for Marvel and Centaur from 1939 to 1942, drawing a text illustration for <i>Marvel Comics</i> #1. He then served in World War Two. On returning to civilian life, he became an actor and befriended Marlon Brando. He moved to Hollywood and got his first role in Brando’s film, <i>The Men</i> (1950). He went on to a career on screen that lasted until 1983 and he may be seen in five episodes of the Hitchcock show, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part.html" target="_blank">"Insomnia."</a> He was also on <i>Thriller</i>.</li><li>Andy Romano (1936-2022) as Perry, the patrolman who brings in Maggie; he was on screen from 1961 to 2003, including an appearance on <i>Batman</i> and parts in eight episodes of the Hitchcock show, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-hitchcock-project-cornell-woolrich.html#:~:text=Cornell%20Woolrich" target="_blank">"The Black Curtain."</a></li><li>Jimmy Hawkins (1941- ) as the lead motorcyclist; although this was his only appearance on the Hitchcock show, he was on screen from 1944 to 1974 and a regular on two TV series: <i>The Ruggles</i> (1949-1952) and <i>Ichabod and Me</i> (1961-1962). His final credit was in an episode of <i>Kolchak: The Night Stalker</i> in 1974. His most famous part was as Tommy, one of George Bailey's sons in <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i> (1946).</li><li>Jeff Parker (1934-1984) as the other male motorcyclist; he was mostly on TV from 1961 to 1969 and also appeared with Billy Mumy in <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-hitchcock-project-harold-swanton.html" target="_blank">"Bang! You're Dead."</a></li><li>Susan Hart (1941- ) as Marti, the female motorcyclist; born Dorothy Neidhart, she was on screen from 1962 to 1971 and she was married to AIP executive James Nicholson from 1964 to 1972. This was her only role on the Hitchcock show.</li><li>Robert Carson (1909-1979) as the lieutenant; he was the brother of actor Jack Carson and he appeared on the Hitchcock show eleven times, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2012/07/shatner-meets-hitchcock-part-two-alfred.html" target="_blank">"Mother, May I Go Out to Swim?"</a> His career as a character actor lasted from 1939 to 1974.</li></ul></div>Watch "The Door Without a Key" online <a href="https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/05dea7bbe1e65c559f36574fe505f21d/alfred-hitchcock-presents-s7-e15-door-without-a-key" target="_blank">here</a>. Thanks to Peter Enfantino for providing a copy of the short story, which does not seem to have been reprinted.<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Irving Elman wrote the teleplays for three episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i>: <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part_16.html" target="_blank">"On the Nose,"</a> <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-hitchcock-project-irving-elman-part.html" target="_blank">"Murder Me Twice,"</a> and "The Door Without a Key." Of the three, "Murder Me Twice" varies the most from its source, taking the story in a new direction and changing the ending. Elman's episodes are not among the most well remembered of the series, but they demonstrate competence and a good ability to translate the stories from the page to the small screen.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span>Daniels, Norman. "The Door Without a Key." </span><i>Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine,</i><span> March 1961, pp. 151-162</span><span>.</span><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span>"The Door Without a Key." </span><i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i><span>, season 7, episode 15, NBC, 16 January 1962.</span><br /><span><br /><i>The FICTIONMAGS Index</i>, www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/0start.htm.<br /><br /><i>Galactic Central</i>, www.philsp.com/.<br /><br />Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion</i>. OTR Pub., 2001.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-align: left; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>IMDb</i><span>, www.imdb.com.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-align: left; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-indent: -1cm;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-align: left; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">"PCL MS 001 Norman Daniels Collection." </span><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">Omeka RSS</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, lib.bgsu.edu/finding_aids/items/show/1668. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.</span></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1cm; text-align: left; text-indent: -1cm;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Wikipedia</i>, www.wikipedia.org.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "One for the Road" <a href="https://aadl.org/ahp62" target="_blank">here</a>!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Listen to Annie and Kathryn discuss "The Door Without a Key" <a href="https://goodevening.libsyn.com/ep-20-the-door-without-a-key" target="_blank">here</a>!<br /><br />In two weeks: Our series on Calvin Clements begins with a look at "Beta Delta Gamma," starring Burt Brinckerhoff!</b></span></div></div></div></div></div>Jack Seabrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-71993574707611498222024-02-19T04:00:00.000-08:002024-02-19T04:00:00.137-08:00Batman in the 1960s Issue 16: July/ August 1962<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/s350/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="350" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/w400-h154/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Caped Crusader in the 1960s<br />by Jack Seabrook<br />& Peter Enfantino</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEa88NxjMcSqrKYUXwKea-OVafln62d_kARSB-yuCpOlKK52BfUmmZB1voMiFWE5iYccglgEJfj6MhOUv2FQ_zbey-y1gb4wKIeKmF2ALUh9gGo2veiCWH4NUizIX7dNAXdfy4uNgLlMLkzxZdN7BH8igmg1QGD-N80oYGR_x-q7-HMyzfgFaKYfkcPOLp/s593/2611.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEa88NxjMcSqrKYUXwKea-OVafln62d_kARSB-yuCpOlKK52BfUmmZB1voMiFWE5iYccglgEJfj6MhOUv2FQ_zbey-y1gb4wKIeKmF2ALUh9gGo2veiCWH4NUizIX7dNAXdfy4uNgLlMLkzxZdN7BH8igmg1QGD-N80oYGR_x-q7-HMyzfgFaKYfkcPOLp/s320/2611.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><b>Batman #149</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Maestro of Crime"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jerry Coleman</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Invaders from the Past"</b></div><div><div><b>Story by Jerry Coleman</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Batman Tunes In On Murder"</b></div><div><div><b>Story by Jerry Coleman</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div></div><div><br /></div><div>A concert pianist named Payne Cardine has a bad reaction when he gets a poor review in the paper. His "twisted, brilliant mind" concocts a scheme that he soon begins to carry out. Wearing a mask, he crashes a concert and plays a strange tune on the piano. That evening, Commissioner Gordon receives a letter signed by "The Maestro of Crime," who promises to commit crimes and give advance notice, certain that the police will fail to stop him.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJhdQf8b-TMzl1MTLCjU4UFSeWXXgwMLmZP0KxpyL78ycALFGXPUk_mRKMeO02R_6Zrai3oRTvU0hL33A1JQphGSGPnPfm7giIyK1Qc1IbThS398m3j728u2bb1jb2fjaRXNsg8p3XRcslKevaasO1IlB0-Z3qxpGdrXtW6N8PSRY85tA37LO4wj-ylk/s685/BATMAN%20149%20005.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="685" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJhdQf8b-TMzl1MTLCjU4UFSeWXXgwMLmZP0KxpyL78ycALFGXPUk_mRKMeO02R_6Zrai3oRTvU0hL33A1JQphGSGPnPfm7giIyK1Qc1IbThS398m3j728u2bb1jb2fjaRXNsg8p3XRcslKevaasO1IlB0-Z3qxpGdrXtW6N8PSRY85tA37LO4wj-ylk/s320/BATMAN%20149%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Batman and Robin enlist the aid of Professor of Musicology Ambrose Weems, whom they dress up in a sparrow costume to protect his identity. The Maestro succeeds in robbing gems from the Palace of Glass, even though Batman figured out where they had planned to strike and arrived during the robbery. The next clue leads to an Old West Parade, where the Maestro plans to steal gold ore that is on display. Again, the crook makes his getaway, and again, Batman, Robin, and the Sparrow figure out the next crime.</div><div><br /></div><div>That evening, Batman pops out of a piano as the Maestro and his gang try to rob an expensive necklace at the exclusive Skytop Club. This time the Dynamic Duo are ready for the Maestro's tricks and capture him without much fanfare.</div><div><br /></div><div>I like the way Jerry Coleman is writing stories with unusual villains. It looks like this was the only appearance of the Maestro of Crime, but I'm more interested in Prof. Weems, who seems happy to wear a sparrow costume throughout the story. In one panel, he is pictured sitting in the front seat of the Batmobile, dressed as a sparrow, between Batman and Robin. This seems to prove that, as of 1962, the Batmobile had a bench seat in front.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxE_ChUIukptbH069MnXo3Yb7yeYUM-ZPHZ11sWVT2B0U-6GgKR-A7t7dqMU6VUzBwsuJ9FYkXPB6FkzOLSmijt5zEkXd4L-cZjNXnqp7AzPNfcrkjLVJvOy_b3FEEGp6ayn9ENHhDITM4rvJPRNA9oGlSB7cLjXhhErc_qzeZcPxysMYsEL9-PCKe_lM/s567/BATMAN%20149%20018.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="567" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxE_ChUIukptbH069MnXo3Yb7yeYUM-ZPHZ11sWVT2B0U-6GgKR-A7t7dqMU6VUzBwsuJ9FYkXPB6FkzOLSmijt5zEkXd4L-cZjNXnqp7AzPNfcrkjLVJvOy_b3FEEGp6ayn9ENHhDITM4rvJPRNA9oGlSB7cLjXhhErc_qzeZcPxysMYsEL9-PCKe_lM/s320/BATMAN%20149%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Strange things are happening in Gotham City! A medieval archer appears out of nowhere, shoots an arrow at a car, and disappears. A pair of armored knights appear at an exhibit of ancient coins, steal the coins, and make their escape in a railroad yard. Batman and Robin give chase but have to prevent an accident from a runaway train car and lose track of the knights, who disappear. Who are "The Invaders from the Past"? Is it all due to the work of Dr. Alpheus Roberts, a scientist whose experiments must have created breaches in the time-space continuum?</div><div><br /></div><div>The next visitors from the past are a pair of Mongol warriors who rob a gem shop; this time, Batman and Robin are drawn away by a fire at a chemical plant and the Mongols disappear. A few hours later, two Vikings appear and drag the Dynamic Duo into the past with them! This is great news for criminals Ben Ryder and Slick Ronson, who discuss how the disappearance of Batman and Robin is an amazing coincidence, since the twosome faked all of the invasions from the past! The pair head to the lab of Dr. Roberts, thinking that his experiments will help them travel to the past to steal things, but they are met by Batman and Robin, who faked their disappearance in order to get to the bottom of the crimes.</div><div><br /></div><div>This one may not feature any aliens, but it does follow the tried and true pattern of the seemingly inexplicable occurrences that turn out to have been masterminded by run of the mill crooks. I've read enough of these by now to have figured out that Batman and Robin faked their own disappearance, so the conclusion was no surprise. The art by Moldoff and Paris is routine at this point and does nothing to elevate the plot.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqek12aeZkHqdImxH-hXSuojreP9IX0HFj0F2vHc-g9gA99HK97HSf7sRf3l7dq-mtzlWdw71xpz6Dl9UolUIgZ5vd-VNjk4suSA8JEgM4Re07ZkBLYbnMDHWRFBVK-x1ZQ5WEtT7W6ftZLmIl4MqFSIN1HWbdzz8ZHwP014dH-GKBNAmt1iNq34py7jk/s588/BATMAN%20149%20026.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="588" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqek12aeZkHqdImxH-hXSuojreP9IX0HFj0F2vHc-g9gA99HK97HSf7sRf3l7dq-mtzlWdw71xpz6Dl9UolUIgZ5vd-VNjk4suSA8JEgM4Re07ZkBLYbnMDHWRFBVK-x1ZQ5WEtT7W6ftZLmIl4MqFSIN1HWbdzz8ZHwP014dH-GKBNAmt1iNq34py7jk/s320/BATMAN%20149%20026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>At a reception at the Jaharian Embassy, Batman meets a Rajah who wears an unusual ring whose rays are rumored to confer occult powers on those whom they strike. Suddenly, a ray of sunlight comes through a window, bounces off the ring, and hits Batman's eyes, causing him to feel dizzy. When he steps outside, Batman hears a fragmentary message from somewhere that mentions a murder that is being planned. He and Robin work out that something is happening at a radio exhibit and they race there; they fight two crooks but are unable to stop them from making off with the tiniest radio receiver in the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another deduction leads them to the new city hall, which resembles a giant top hat; again, Batman and Robin are unable to stop the crooks from escaping. Fortunately, Batman tells Robin that he has worked everything out, and they later attend a ceremony at the Jaharian Embassy, where the Rajah is presented with the key to the city. The Rajah transfers the key to his representative, Ambassador Plethi, who suddenly says he has to go. Batman kayos him and reveals that the key contains the stolen radio transmitter and an explosive, all part of a plan to kill the Rajah in an explosion.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Batman Tunes in on Murder" turns on Batman's sudden and mysterious ability to listen in on a conversation that is occurring somewhere else. This ability is given to him magically, by the Rajah's ring, yet it is never explained away by a mundane criminal trick. We're left believing that the ring really does have magical powers, but Batman seems unconcerned and the story ends with that issue unresolved. Will this power ever return? Doubt it.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Peter- </b>As I note below in my review of Detective #305, I find Charles Paris's inking to be vastly improving, at least in the respect that it <i>looks </i>like he gives a damn. In spots, the shading is downright <i>atmospheric</i>. Panel of the month, for me at least, would be the Sparrow sitting in the Batmobile with his new chums. I love how Batman seems to think it's imperative that Weems be dressed as silly as possible. Robin shows evidence that, if he's not the World's Greatest Detective, he's certainly the brightest pre-teen in Gotham when he exclaims, "This looks like the beginning of something--but I can't imagine what!" when faced with a 12th Century arrow in "The Invaders from the Past!" The dog of this issue is the finale, "Batman Tunes In On Murder," a murder mystery without... ulp... a murder. It's a boring mishmosh and perhaps an answer to why we're getting so many stories about aliens.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2XWqCZ8hD3hh_klZkmsKnp9FpVwyHrL_XDIk5ilLb-n9Vj7pUJZI7YHC41aZFi6mZViYS2q-zOfLR1ix9uleldTiRrcWLjYmSieAw7pGw3pn4ixU6dmlrl9Ds_TMjIT-koWGulEe-ClsMFPLuKs7KBTUhoPDFWjqXfCtOkxM5TDivRL0yunxMFaKTq8H/s594/5410.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2XWqCZ8hD3hh_klZkmsKnp9FpVwyHrL_XDIk5ilLb-n9Vj7pUJZI7YHC41aZFi6mZViYS2q-zOfLR1ix9uleldTiRrcWLjYmSieAw7pGw3pn4ixU6dmlrl9Ds_TMjIT-koWGulEe-ClsMFPLuKs7KBTUhoPDFWjqXfCtOkxM5TDivRL0yunxMFaKTq8H/s320/5410.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><b>Detective Comics #305</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Targets of the Alien Z-Ray"</b></div><div><b>Story by Arnold Drake</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"J'onn J'onzz vs. Futureman"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Batman and Robin are chasing two bank robbers into the woods when they happen upon an amazing sight: a gigantic insect-like creature destroying trees in its path. Suddenly, two aliens jump out of the bushes and zap the monster with a strange lamp-like gizmo, but to no avail. The alien beast continues its rampage, taking its ire to a nearby power plant. After busting in and out of the plant's walls, the creature suddenly keels over dead.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWXOyvCWlW8gEoCLs0kTz5fJGYStfdB8BVlOeCjkn1gw0Petv5ATuVb1iimpTKtoFyBKahbi3qgD8tzaJ4laQdOjq3ZN269Swj9uhCW2fE8wJUwobqcwPh9nRKc9IDuzryZxQOOF9z3O21yEMHk_WiWYr9LLBKTvkX2o2J3onQt8tqRgSu4BQ2vPiXrxz/s820/Screenshot%202024-02-12%20at%204.15.15%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="820" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWXOyvCWlW8gEoCLs0kTz5fJGYStfdB8BVlOeCjkn1gw0Petv5ATuVb1iimpTKtoFyBKahbi3qgD8tzaJ4laQdOjq3ZN269Swj9uhCW2fE8wJUwobqcwPh9nRKc9IDuzryZxQOOF9z3O21yEMHk_WiWYr9LLBKTvkX2o2J3onQt8tqRgSu4BQ2vPiXrxz/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-12%20at%204.15.15%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Batman and Robin don't even have time to catch their breath when a brave officer of the law approaches and informs the Dynamic Duo that another monster, this one a gorilla with a bird's head, is heading toward Hillman High School. Wasting no time, the Caped Crusaders head to Hillman just in time to see one of the aliens they'd seen in the forest blast the birdorilla with the same laser beam. Once again, the creature seems unbothered by the ray and continues its onslaught. Batman dumps a conveniently-placed truckful of sand on the thing but it simply digs its way out. The world seems destined to end when the thing suddenly gives a sigh and drops dead.</div><div><br /></div><div>The world's greatest detective opines that maybe the weapon the alien used on the creatures has a delayed reaction. Batman is reveling in his own brilliance, so he doesn't notice the alien tiptoeing up to him and Robin. They are suddenly enveloped in the deadly yellow ray and the space invader disappears into the woods. The heroes know they have only minutes to find their attacker and somehow reverse the process. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstVCqXWpCSeZzpr9PZD4Dn6P74XAx8AfAiKHs6HF5VbfHV5TSVUM9qIuoRFJtHZJ3jy5mAgKrQGS2_d0YA2Z11elNHzG1hUHhn-BtDSgHOLFsz6s96POx6mfAK2s-eGLVRhe_TWJ-z7yFFsEKxFmRR2pW15RdrWIEv5-xapR7f1theATTxqsjSYP7utgS/s1466/Screenshot%202024-02-12%20at%204.15.31%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="1466" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstVCqXWpCSeZzpr9PZD4Dn6P74XAx8AfAiKHs6HF5VbfHV5TSVUM9qIuoRFJtHZJ3jy5mAgKrQGS2_d0YA2Z11elNHzG1hUHhn-BtDSgHOLFsz6s96POx6mfAK2s-eGLVRhe_TWJ-z7yFFsEKxFmRR2pW15RdrWIEv5-xapR7f1theATTxqsjSYP7utgS/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-12%20at%204.15.31%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>They discover that the two bank robbers have stolen a very important part of the alien spaceship and are holding the contraption hostage. The only way for the visitors to board their ship and take off is if they kill Batman and Robin! But, with the help of their new friends, the Dynamic Duo regain control of the vital cog in the ship's engine and receive good news from the alien leader: they're not going to die. Our heroes slap the cuffs on the bad guys and wish their new friends a safe trip back to their faraway home.</div><div><br /></div><div>I like Arnold Drake's scripts for the Doom Patrol and his late-1960s work on the X-Men, but here he's doing nothing more than commenting on what's going on in the panels. That is, when he's not overcomplicating things, as in the unnecessarily convoluted and complicated exposition in the last batch of panels. I will say, as much as I give Moldoff and Paris crap about their stick figure/no background art, this is probably some of the duo's better Batman work. Paris, in particular, looks like he might have taken a course in how to ink since the previous issue.</div><div><br /></div><div>J'onn J'onzz is attacked by a man in a silly red jumpsuit and big yellow helmet who proclaims he's from the future and is here on Earth to arrest J'onzz. After the obligatory skirmish dies down and the Martian Manhunter has disarmed the fashionable bounty hunter, the two have a chinwag and J'onn discovers it's all been a case of mistaken identity.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaZZlYalMotLU8iXUFLOPAh5vg0PMrbHl1rW4VYeKXynxkDtoV-HbpPoeIUZxdn6BL5hoTSAedx5XzoHSAt59-qaNefGRrJIaLESm7gwyObnEupuopSFLJuelSHJueg67vfnn2o6zfL-tCVtYL_5GjyarWKK_XfGMjETSpF2hgsbWsLTCqPGjVy3wd1DZ/s1484/Screenshot%202024-02-12%20at%204.33.02%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="1484" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaZZlYalMotLU8iXUFLOPAh5vg0PMrbHl1rW4VYeKXynxkDtoV-HbpPoeIUZxdn6BL5hoTSAedx5XzoHSAt59-qaNefGRrJIaLESm7gwyObnEupuopSFLJuelSHJueg67vfnn2o6zfL-tCVtYL_5GjyarWKK_XfGMjETSpF2hgsbWsLTCqPGjVy3wd1DZ/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-12%20at%204.33.02%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The "Futureman" (as J'onn so pithily monikers the easily defeated super-cop) is here to track down another Martian, this one by the name of B'enn B'urnzz. With the help of J'onn, Futureman is able to track down B'urnzz (well, okay, it helps that the green dope was spotted driving down the street at the time) and puts the renegade Martian out of commission. I've resigned myself to accepting these Martian Manhunter yarns for what they are and just try to get through them. There are way too many coincidences for my well-defined funny book strip taste and the art is as simplistic as... well, DC art of the 1960s, I guess. I think I'd even take Frank Robbins over some of this unimaginative tripe.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Jack- </b>Sigh...more aliens. Their process for killing the beasts and nearly killing Batman and Robin is awfully complicated, isn't it? I was most surprised by Batman's exclamations of "Great Scott!" and "Jumping Jupiter!" What's next--"Great Caesar's Ghost?"</div><div><br /></div><div>As for the J'onn J'onzz story, I thought it was better than usual, partly because the Martian Manhunter isn't skulking around, hiding his powers. When I saw B'enn B'urnzz, I had to wonder if all Martian males dress exactly alike and are bald. If J'onzz can masquerade as a human, why not B'urnzz? It would have been a lot easier to avoid capture. I may start signing my name as J'acckk.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKH-O0TYwmK5rYBDmtEQ_aPUvcjGbbuptpDFoHDYeDgmaltcjTWSZPR74YrJrI9YtfkOzKNRR18y39UlbnyVrPXFMg8GjWGfkhWYDUnZjQQ4NBttRbO6H3cLG3dkVkuMoxe2EsuiITqVP7h1N2de_hKhCPW4hM1AeneWED7cBTkTjWxWV307OFYSvXL2pm/s580/2444.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKH-O0TYwmK5rYBDmtEQ_aPUvcjGbbuptpDFoHDYeDgmaltcjTWSZPR74YrJrI9YtfkOzKNRR18y39UlbnyVrPXFMg8GjWGfkhWYDUnZjQQ4NBttRbO6H3cLG3dkVkuMoxe2EsuiITqVP7h1N2de_hKhCPW4hM1AeneWED7cBTkTjWxWV307OFYSvXL2pm/s320/2444.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><b>Batman Annual #3</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Mad Hatter of Gotham City"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from<i> Detective Comics</i> #230, April 1956)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Human Firefly!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Ed Herron</b></div><div><b>Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from <i>Detective Comics</i> #184, June 1952)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Mental Giant of Gotham City!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Edmond Hamilton</b></div><div><b>Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris</b></div><div><div><b>(Reprinted from<i> Detective Comics </i>#217, March 1955)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Joker's Aces!"</b></div><div><b>Story by David Vern</b></div><div><b>Art by Bob Kane, Lew Sayre Schwartz & Stan Kaye</b></div><div><div><b>(Reprinted from<i> World's Finest </i>#59, August 1952)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Gorilla Boss of Gotham City!"</b></div><div><b>Story by David Vern</b></div><div><div><b>Art by Bob Kane, Lew Sayre Schwartz & Charles Paris</b></div><div><div><b>(Reprinted from<i> Batman </i>#75, March 1953)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The New Crimes of Two-Face!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><div><b>Art by Bob Kane, Lew Sayre Schwartz & Charles Paris</b></div><div><div><b>(Reprinted from<i> Batman </i>#68, January<i> </i>1952)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Mysterious Mirror-Man!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from <i>Detective Comics</i> #213, November 1954)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Jack-</b>This is easily the best annual I've read to date and perhaps the single best issue of a Batman comic from the 1960s that I've read! It's interesting that the two stories penciled by Moldoff--"The Mad Hatter of Gotham City" and "The Mysterious Mirror-Man!"--were the least entertaining. On the other hand, I loved the rest of the stories! Dick Sprang's art is a highlight in "The Human Firefly!" and "The Mental Giant of Gotham City," which features a lowly janitor whose brain and head suddenly expand.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05zlWFDH_XP-XMCNP7g0dySc3idP_m7WVyb3nKxyZeZr-J62RCjE53_Maf5VXLUGHOoNnr7IojUzGPc2up_SaPa79NjaXfoJF5MFaBMafcumaNmWIaNuppIAboKyrUXD4ZV_C68YASj32jqe2iq5RkzZFgmIRW_iIomWCU3q_O14rRxjmSO0kAOkAT10/s561/BatmanAnnual03-38.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="561" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05zlWFDH_XP-XMCNP7g0dySc3idP_m7WVyb3nKxyZeZr-J62RCjE53_Maf5VXLUGHOoNnr7IojUzGPc2up_SaPa79NjaXfoJF5MFaBMafcumaNmWIaNuppIAboKyrUXD4ZV_C68YASj32jqe2iq5RkzZFgmIRW_iIomWCU3q_O14rRxjmSO0kAOkAT10/s320/BatmanAnnual03-38.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>I also really enjoyed Lew Sayre Schwartz's art on "The Joker's Aces," "The Gorilla Boss of Gotham City," and "The New Crimes of Two-Face!" In the Joker story, we are treated to a panel of a nearly naked Bruce Wayne, who lies sunbathing on a table. The gorilla story is pre-code and features a crook who is executed in the gas chamber before his brain is transplanted into a gorilla's body. Later, a scientist nearly switches brains between the gorilla/gangster and the Caped Crusader! It's kind of like <i>Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein</i> crossed with <i>King Kong</i> and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Finally, Schwartz's art is a highlight of the Two-Face story, where an actor playing the crook suffers the same injury and goes crazy in the same way.</div><div><br /></div><div>If the annuals keep being as fun as this one, they'll leave the regular issues in the dust.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLxV4W2V1_Uf6ZR0zYtKPQ1HaI9Nyevk7mLC5bJ-xv0wLrpwSi1qcYWyTu8phCNZh6EvINFyzGn1YVr8V_wy4i010Oeh5iKHgGFBIfl_qIGmFaydhnwV7eeoVvh4ImfTsEAKXdI_EcVp1USu-yxfIcLPBK8VWgtPoPpA0fqLQkhYgk0ICugkdsnruSXLd/s1434/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%202.43.23%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="1434" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLxV4W2V1_Uf6ZR0zYtKPQ1HaI9Nyevk7mLC5bJ-xv0wLrpwSi1qcYWyTu8phCNZh6EvINFyzGn1YVr8V_wy4i010Oeh5iKHgGFBIfl_qIGmFaydhnwV7eeoVvh4ImfTsEAKXdI_EcVp1USu-yxfIcLPBK8VWgtPoPpA0fqLQkhYgk0ICugkdsnruSXLd/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%202.43.23%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Peter-</b> The man recognized the world over as the "Greatest Living Detective" knows that the Mad Hatter is impersonating sculptor Brumer because the Real McCoy has a calloused right thumb, but he doesn't recognize the Hatter (with his wild orange hair and mustache) when the baddie dons a Zorro mask? Though he's clearly a bit unhinged already (who wouldn't be a bit doololly when your chief vice is a nice hat), the Hatter would become quite a bit more psychotic decades later (also more diminutive). My favorite moment of "The Mad Hatter of Gotham City" would have to be when Bats suspects the Hatter is disguised as an atomic scientist and Robin grabs the guy's beard. Oops! Of all the Rogues, I think this character's design was the most improved when it comes to the '66 TV show.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the stories are just as delightful and all contain moments that shall linger with me for... minutes: The Mental Giant scolding Robin for the Bat-Cave's "poor wiring"... Bruce and Dick sun-bathing and Hop Dooley, cross-dresser, surely gave Dr. Wertham the cherry he needed for his seduction sundae... the giant gorilla busting through the jewelry store walls... the breakdown of Batman's Frog-man suit (complete with little pointy ears just in case no one recognizes him)... best of all, no aliens!</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmrKc4jAbW-0SItJr_f4Rhb0vwMqhqgyDOS4gy0bpv1mor7uikKHhYeI9DxAx8bVIJhN2qyvPFBtt6psCl7a33hHeotBZfEriuTmu1mWhxnjfE5dynctFsMH_zFDYstvzecnMuJO2DNjkhPUZKBT0dS0i5MX7jaKEbpZ3n95nz6Gz5NxUO3LVOvZzM2nA/s592/5411.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmrKc4jAbW-0SItJr_f4Rhb0vwMqhqgyDOS4gy0bpv1mor7uikKHhYeI9DxAx8bVIJhN2qyvPFBtt6psCl7a33hHeotBZfEriuTmu1mWhxnjfE5dynctFsMH_zFDYstvzecnMuJO2DNjkhPUZKBT0dS0i5MX7jaKEbpZ3n95nz6Gz5NxUO3LVOvZzM2nA/s320/5411.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #306</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Wizard of 1,000 Menaces"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Last Days of Jonn J'onzz"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Because of his rich ancestral history, playboy millionaire Bruce Wayne is invited to take part in the Gotham City Historical Society Pageant. He and Dick attend the opening festivities, in which a contemporary Gotham resident impersonates their famous ancestor in a recreation of an historical event. While D.A. Barnes dresses as "Bengal" Barnes and recreates the infamous taming of the tiger (in which "Bengal" tossed crockery full of water at a raging tiger and somehow tamed it), a mysterious needle is shot into the animal and it grows to ginormous proportions, menacing the crowd. Dick and Bruce duck into a tool shed and emerge as Batman and Robin!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKYUMWs7aXl43TC7sYxP9KwCnuaidZ48JXraZPN6LIezOB4_uBx28TVJfORQ1i2VdIWmsadTai5a4y_yaGWBRG-GYe0Y7BMJwR2fMPURopLoc7zXu3fcgKHF3fgrh-uYiLGBHOW7e5TMIGRhUvsCfCbokIlN5GWmTSjb8TsiUypE5-czq4OwcBxlLW_6S/s2052/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%204.47.51%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2052" data-original-width="1488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKYUMWs7aXl43TC7sYxP9KwCnuaidZ48JXraZPN6LIezOB4_uBx28TVJfORQ1i2VdIWmsadTai5a4y_yaGWBRG-GYe0Y7BMJwR2fMPURopLoc7zXu3fcgKHF3fgrh-uYiLGBHOW7e5TMIGRhUvsCfCbokIlN5GWmTSjb8TsiUypE5-czq4OwcBxlLW_6S/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%204.47.51%20PM.png" width="232" /></a></div>With the help of a conveniently-placed crane (these construction vehicles are everywhere in Gotham!) our heroes lasso the tiger and save the day. Still, they're puzzled as to the origin of the offending needle. The next day is Bruce's turn to pay tribute to his great-great-great-whatever (none of these proud descendants seem to know exactly how they're related to these famous figures) by jumping off Gotham's highest bridge dressed as a bat. Yep, his great-great-great was the<i> first </i>Batman! As Bruce prepares to leap from the apex of the bridge into the harbor, a boat appears in the water and fires a burst from its lightning-cannon, shattering Bruce's wings and rendering him helpless!</div><div><br /></div><div>With a daring and perfect gainer, Bruce slices through the water like a beaver's teeth through wood, immediately changes into his bat-suit (the <i>real </i>Bat-suit), and emerges with an empty sack of clothes, in order to fool the crowd. Bats heads for the offending boat but the thugs aboard hop on to skis just as the craft explodes. The Caped Crusader overhears the goons talking about a "professor" as they make their escape. It's at this point we learn that the "professor" is the brilliant scientist, Professor Hugo, who's a bit upset about being snubbed by the Gotham Historical Society. As he explains to no one in particular,<i> his</i> ancestor was a great warrior and deserved some acclaim. He'll make the whole world pay for the slight!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfVfEHfcBXrExgNfTa-CHrqNlW0_JsXs2ImiHtoK1gxfIidaYdS1dB_EldCb2lZiaqVKydvXLdGPrs4_FgwaCBrSFps7toWbcYZ9mC3dddMJ3w2wrzOfH6iZs9qElv41N8npfzC4M0VN_nlb4jc9rwsiL5oTUxzUmS369ghp0A_UDdsKENa1yviRJuRym/s826/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%204.48.00%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="826" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfVfEHfcBXrExgNfTa-CHrqNlW0_JsXs2ImiHtoK1gxfIidaYdS1dB_EldCb2lZiaqVKydvXLdGPrs4_FgwaCBrSFps7toWbcYZ9mC3dddMJ3w2wrzOfH6iZs9qElv41N8npfzC4M0VN_nlb4jc9rwsiL5oTUxzUmS369ghp0A_UDdsKENa1yviRJuRym/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%204.48.00%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>He pops on his recently invented "Brain-Stimulator," designed to increase his "thinking capacities" a thousand-fold. His forehead expands in keeping with his larger brain, and some might say the transformation has cost Professor Hugo his sanity! Back out of flashback-land, we find ourselves at the third day of the pageant (two disasters should never be an excuse to cancel such an important event) and Batman and Robin are monitoring the proceedings very closely. Suddenly, the Dynamic Duo are lifted bodily into the sky by invisible arms and whooshed to a secluded island... the home of Professor Hugo!</div><div><br /></div><div>Our heroes are locked in cages and the insane genius informs them that the traps will slowly move towards each other and when they meet, the cages will drop into the water below, drowning the pair and effectively ending this blog. In the best 1966 tradition, Prof. Hugo says he'd like to stick around and watch but he has to attend to something more important. Incredibly, that task (just wait!) is to intercept a U.S. satellite with his Magnotronic Beam and transform the gizmo into a second moon, thus alerting the entire world to the birth of a new genius.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I7HecKxBYiEHGWbtoTnhaWumCyytaTjWFVykWm-BS1Cys1pFIlFD5wszkYvyjedXIYeFujOByq2u2lCZFb4lfXJI2Q9KjTvlPiChwAbOxqC7ND8DVcz_vMEe5QL_EwAlRfCsjEqG3Kpo36Y27rCYEkCPMvkh4XeV7nhfbUDQWb87aI9eRMp711dKxEUT/s1492/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%204.48.09%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="1492" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I7HecKxBYiEHGWbtoTnhaWumCyytaTjWFVykWm-BS1Cys1pFIlFD5wszkYvyjedXIYeFujOByq2u2lCZFb4lfXJI2Q9KjTvlPiChwAbOxqC7ND8DVcz_vMEe5QL_EwAlRfCsjEqG3Kpo36Y27rCYEkCPMvkh4XeV7nhfbUDQWb87aI9eRMp711dKxEUT/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%204.48.09%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Said genius must not have made it through high school science cuz even a dolt would know that creating a second moon can cause disruption with the existing moon. Luckily, with the aid of a ballpoint pen, Batman frees himself and the Boy Wonder and diverts the deadly beam from its target. Professor Hugo goes straight to jail and Batman and Robin sigh with relief, having saved the world again.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Wizard of 1,000 Menaces" is goofy fun and I'm questioning whether I liked it because it contained no aliens or because of its sheer inanity. By far, my favorite scene would have to be Bruce's attempt to recreate his ancestor's leap from a high cliff into a river, wearing a low-budget bat uniform. How did the Gotham Society think it was a good idea to let its number one resident jump off a bridge into the harbor? Granted, we're told Bruce will be wearing "a padded suit to cushion his impact on hitting the water..." but what if said playboy billionaire should land on his head or trip while leaping and hit a girder? I gotta say, simply as an innocent bystander, I don't approve of the lengths the Society will go to to celebrate its history. Runner-up on the giggle-meter is D.A. Barnes tossing water jugs at a tiger. Tame or no, you won't find me doing something that stupid. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzS0BYHuoxz-tnOX4DBQ1t-FUpD_EW4FzTrIb3e2VVAuP3Wtxnv6ogDinha4iX7olOLvXKMTAqYET9BhlAwxKGOjskdXSVto_JXEfhrFJB9Uh-r3WnP6GpOeZOYJ2ovcILNH_xcRH8GOGXeBC1c9Gbi7TgjULIi5JgdZ2FBgXDwTqu3Hm0U4OOrp6R4hrz/s820/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%204.49.56%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="820" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzS0BYHuoxz-tnOX4DBQ1t-FUpD_EW4FzTrIb3e2VVAuP3Wtxnv6ogDinha4iX7olOLvXKMTAqYET9BhlAwxKGOjskdXSVto_JXEfhrFJB9Uh-r3WnP6GpOeZOYJ2ovcILNH_xcRH8GOGXeBC1c9Gbi7TgjULIi5JgdZ2FBgXDwTqu3Hm0U4OOrp6R4hrz/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%204.49.56%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>While engaging in a series of battles with giant robotic animals, the Martian Manhunter seems to be losing his energy. Turns out a meteorite has landed nearby and the fire contained within its blazing outer husk is kryptonite to J'onn J'onzz. The crime boss (dressed as a cross between a circus barker and a magician, I think) takes advantage of the Martian's downtime but, thankfully, the meteorite finally burns out and J'onn regains his power. He puts the kibosh on the evil crime genius and his robot zoo and then has a laugh with gorgeous Diane.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jack notes below how Joe Certa's art looks rushed, but I'd say the real rush here was in the script department. Once again, we're introduced to an evil genius who's taken his engineering skills and built incredible weapons, but why bother crafting such intricate phonies? The bear and gorilla both have fur! The buzzards can fly! These bogus beasties must have cost millions. In fact, maybe our unnamed evil genius has to rob banks just to keep the Sears account up to date.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Jack-</b>At first, I thought the Batman story was dopey, but as it went along, I warmed up to it. We haven't seen Ace the Bat Dog in a while, and certainly not unmasked! This is the first I've heard of Lancelot Wayne. It's funny that DC would run a story about a big-headed scientist in <i>Detective</i> in the same month that a story with another big-headed genius ran in the Annual. The end is kind of absurd--I wonder if Bill Finger was starting to figure he might as well try anything?</div><div><br /></div><div>The J'onn J'onzz story was similar and a bit all over the place in that I didn't like it at first but by the end I kind of enjoyed it. Certa's art looks more rushed than usual and haven't we had enough giant monsters/animals/aliens/teapots by now?</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudGxcrue2RYM1Op_RQ147SKDHdQ7INBKZQbljAIGT1rxEfv4vheZpbbp3DwHYcly5aruTXCp6_Tb9sY19bItiAwVhPV7WWzmEAVVAYcqCbAhXdKfnjBLamGE-YPogU_xSS3LaI-4IzzqXfaGk0kvoH_XldkpBqKh6k_h_oWsFlaBM6WFmcfZDQwWye3Kx/s684/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%206.12.34%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudGxcrue2RYM1Op_RQ147SKDHdQ7INBKZQbljAIGT1rxEfv4vheZpbbp3DwHYcly5aruTXCp6_Tb9sY19bItiAwVhPV7WWzmEAVVAYcqCbAhXdKfnjBLamGE-YPogU_xSS3LaI-4IzzqXfaGk0kvoH_XldkpBqKh6k_h_oWsFlaBM6WFmcfZDQwWye3Kx/w358-h400/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%206.12.34%20PM.png" width="358" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Intelligent Hamsters...<br />The Mind Boggles!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoeLv9mEdvjWRE6RNKLY5upmSnjWaHrFVdSZmrrhZhTyXLTTyiggAQvyyGmmre41YQaQYuqtOubFiS7UbgV9_nWGbmKnl5_3RV2Oz3nWnmahH0WDZCvUA5nUl84bKLXtwfaL7gXktsZ0EzBiD8W1GWb0YmD9OM70pxwn6VBwsKAY8oyH0Nm0G899wELo/s1222/BATMAN%20149%20021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="1222" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoeLv9mEdvjWRE6RNKLY5upmSnjWaHrFVdSZmrrhZhTyXLTTyiggAQvyyGmmre41YQaQYuqtOubFiS7UbgV9_nWGbmKnl5_3RV2Oz3nWnmahH0WDZCvUA5nUl84bKLXtwfaL7gXktsZ0EzBiD8W1GWb0YmD9OM70pxwn6VBwsKAY8oyH0Nm0G899wELo/w400-h211/BATMAN%20149%20021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-65686356850267607382024-02-12T04:00:00.000-08:002024-02-12T04:00:00.139-08:00Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 105: Atlas/ Marvel Horror and Science Fiction Comics!<p> </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s1600/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Marvel/Atlas </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horror Comics</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part 90</b></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>November 1955 </b></span><b style="font-size: large;">Part I</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by Peter Enfantino</b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>and Jack Seabrook</b></span></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXZ6AjQiuptYdnlxf8UAj1AXg7skyJGuPfQ9Occl6gKnahzFDNhvxpUFC9l8j3d8N2kRIuzFjzqnoch0TMxsOew6hs1oGmD-DBpm8_9b_SB2jlfegoohntdNioyzleGrjvziEqxD-JdlTmzbYJI-yX0fZg3gsHZv45bf6ysBGxMl_3EgchUF5lcTT4VvB/s583/18916.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXZ6AjQiuptYdnlxf8UAj1AXg7skyJGuPfQ9Occl6gKnahzFDNhvxpUFC9l8j3d8N2kRIuzFjzqnoch0TMxsOew6hs1oGmD-DBpm8_9b_SB2jlfegoohntdNioyzleGrjvziEqxD-JdlTmzbYJI-yX0fZg3gsHZv45bf6ysBGxMl_3EgchUF5lcTT4VvB/s320/18916.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><b>Astonishing #43</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Radioactive Man!" (a: John Romita) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Test!" (a: Manny Stallman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Will O' the Wisp" (a: Bob Powell) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><b>"The Rival" (a: Werner Roth) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><b>"Man Alone!" (a: Fred Kida) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>After Frank Williams is rudely dumped by his gorgeous girl, Joyce Andrews, because he's not rich enough for her father's tastes, he loudly proclaims that he will somehow make a million bucks and come back to win the love of his life. </div><div><br /></div><div>When Frank reads that uranium prospecting is the new fad, he buys a Geiger counter and heads west to New Mexico but accidentally wanders onto White Sands during a nuke test. Frank survives the direct hit but, as a result of the high dose of radioactivity he absorbs, he becomes invisible. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Frank starts butting into secret boardroom meetings and overhears conversations about sure things on the stock market. Our hero then sinks his entire savings into those stocks and makes a million bucks.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhCwtfTBnuuRBtcJ7g11YAADqJsbLI-hpfnNawjXhhi-b3b3sTl2dj5YBOYy_SwuYcM9yvwxnEvF2wSYg3h43wvn2hAi4zBopbOG6jVA5I1QepCuPrg4Zpay1e_TBBB-3XKz7FLHLE3OprZezdBttrRCFDcRAw36U5JnbtIZ2IkzUELwjOchdOabOYI3f/s700/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%204.08.23%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="574" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhCwtfTBnuuRBtcJ7g11YAADqJsbLI-hpfnNawjXhhi-b3b3sTl2dj5YBOYy_SwuYcM9yvwxnEvF2wSYg3h43wvn2hAi4zBopbOG6jVA5I1QepCuPrg4Zpay1e_TBBB-3XKz7FLHLE3OprZezdBttrRCFDcRAw36U5JnbtIZ2IkzUELwjOchdOabOYI3f/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%204.08.23%20PM.png" width="262" /></a></div>Fat with pride and his incoming riches, Frank heads back to Joyce's place to ask her father yet again for her hand. When he knocks, a young man answers and, somewhat surprised, Frank asks if the Andrews have moved. The man explains that he is John Andrews and Frank scoffs, asking where Joyce is. Andrews asserts that he and his wife live alone, childless, and closes the door in Frank's face. The dejected Romeo sits on the porch stoop just as the paper boy tosses the latest edition his way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Frank reads in amazement that the day is October 29, 1929, and the stock market has crashed! Not only did the blast make him invisible but it sent him back nearly thirty years! "The Radioactive Man!" is entertaining yet dopey.</div><div><br /></div><div>First of all, it would probably come as a surprise how easy it is to roam the New Mexico desert while the government is testing the big one. You're telling me (Writer Carl Wessler! I'm looking at you!) that, post-blast, Frank went back to his hotel, snuck into several business offices, and (ostensibly) traveled the city streets without noticing 1920s automobiles or fashions or architecture or anything that would send up a red flag? And how the heck did our lead bozo know which businesses to frequent if the ones that would immediately come to mind probably didn't exist yet? But, hey, that last exposition-stuffed panel is a laugh-out-loud groaner.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRFV1sVJ7SKCVlx5tnhX3Wi6UfRnEGrSPFbh_DVsqZzwUHXGgsp35kIm5dctZEaR_swAxuDjk-3o2KnicikVifGEtEuqn5Uuwg6YJtnsgY_VY8-hnBoyH17MFBNj1ehirYsO1ZMNOPq9xoiMdTO66t9V-IzXiRhbGH8hsn_2ldN1P73Mr63RH07oHdPzr/s972/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%203.52.33%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="972" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRFV1sVJ7SKCVlx5tnhX3Wi6UfRnEGrSPFbh_DVsqZzwUHXGgsp35kIm5dctZEaR_swAxuDjk-3o2KnicikVifGEtEuqn5Uuwg6YJtnsgY_VY8-hnBoyH17MFBNj1ehirYsO1ZMNOPq9xoiMdTO66t9V-IzXiRhbGH8hsn_2ldN1P73Mr63RH07oHdPzr/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%203.52.33%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>"The Test" has a man buying a used car that turns out to be a rocket-ship. The previous owner was a nutty professor and made all kinds of "upgrades" to the auto. Our protagonist accidentally hits the wrong button and ends up on Mars, faced down by a hostile population. Silly but fun, with some nice Stallman graphics.</div><div><br /></div><div>A schooner, <i>The Thurston</i>, happens upon peril after peril, only dodging annihilation through the help of another ship, the <i>Nancy Ann</i>. Once both ships make it back to Liverpool, Captain Austin heads over to the<i> Nancy Ann </i>to thank its crew for their assistance. When he boards the ship, he meets several old men playing cards, one of whom explains that the <i>Nancy Ann</i> hasn't left port in forty years! The men only meet there each night to play cards and pray for troubled ships on the high seas. I think it's probably Bob Powell's art that pushes my star rating for "Will O' the Wisp" up a bit, since the hook is one we've seen dozens of times before. Still, it's an entertaining version of an old warhorse. A few years before we'd have seen the rotting tars aboard the <i>Nancy Ann</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWNe812VsBoP8nJX0tLN9RmEIKDbaKGa8IABpATjzh2YVn8wrX_bc3yfNf-wm2JrH2aY5BMR19X-TDkJIPo4e4po79JrEWJo9H2NOZZi86TPK534QdhbniGTJDC2gT3-asfXJ2204oaN5BLIuHXLgwk1m8rKFGeHaaOXL6tmXE27GF3_Usgg9hq8kCN32/s1296/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%205.04.30%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWNe812VsBoP8nJX0tLN9RmEIKDbaKGa8IABpATjzh2YVn8wrX_bc3yfNf-wm2JrH2aY5BMR19X-TDkJIPo4e4po79JrEWJo9H2NOZZi86TPK534QdhbniGTJDC2gT3-asfXJ2204oaN5BLIuHXLgwk1m8rKFGeHaaOXL6tmXE27GF3_Usgg9hq8kCN32/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%205.04.30%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Timothy can't seem to shake his office boss, Miss Kyle, who wants to manage every move the man makes, including his diet and his health. After several months of the treatment, Timothy decides to just go along with the treatment, but the arrival of his new secretary, the young and pretty Lila, leads to a change of heart. Lila is quite the specimen, not only possessing the features of a gorgeous blonde but also that of a top mathematician, able to do huge sums in her head. This is truly the way to a man's heart, thinks Timothy. But Miss Kyle objects, confronting the young blonde. Timothy laughs and reminds Miss Kyle that Lila is actually a robot but, according to the matronly hen, that's the problem: Lila is a younger robot than Miss Kyle! "The Rival!" is a lot like "The Radioactive Man" in that the story takes a big left turn into inanity at its climax. I can only imagine the bullpen writers (in this case, Paul S. Newman) were quickly running out of clever, non-violent twists and had to make do with just throwing anything at the wall and hoping it would stick.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the anemic "Man Alone!" the first manned expedition to Mars comes up against an unfriendly band of locals but can do nothing to root them out. They only appear as hazy images in the distance. So the men board their ship to return to Earth to report the planet is hostile and cannot be settled, not realizing that the Martian sand storms create mirages. The Martians don't exist! There's not much about "Man Alone!" that makes sense, especially the fact that one of the crew, an old duffer, gets left behind on Mars and seems to be happy about it. Just wait until he attempts to build a salad.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlp-4MotRuZ768LfjyiQUUsR_rzVQgwJeBlFfytQ-fexZpJDuLawLqQVo7dboj9HyNOPkTXoYV3CXhqOVeihFsCc3KLTnZiIhXnx2mMI4TVOqbWAaMz4PfyIViaF1Wm29jN07Tiqxtlp_e7gxWqRPD2z03wTerKSajuB3XvgTZN0FD0uSBjjlNnH79LST/s601/23786.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlp-4MotRuZ768LfjyiQUUsR_rzVQgwJeBlFfytQ-fexZpJDuLawLqQVo7dboj9HyNOPkTXoYV3CXhqOVeihFsCc3KLTnZiIhXnx2mMI4TVOqbWAaMz4PfyIViaF1Wm29jN07Tiqxtlp_e7gxWqRPD2z03wTerKSajuB3XvgTZN0FD0uSBjjlNnH79LST/s320/23786.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Journey Into Mystery #28</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"They Wouldn't Believe Him!" (a: Pete Tumlinson) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Last Chance" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Hole in the Ground!" (a: Bob Brown) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><b>"Jigsaw!" (a: Doug Wildey) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Survivor!" (a: Dave Berg) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★<b>1/2</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Three thousand years in the future, beautiful Plora avoids an arranged marriage with aged, myopic Everest by taking a "time-vacation" into the past (1955) and finding fame and fortune as a movie star. But Everest is not one to give up, so he searches through time for his intended and finally finds her in 1955, evidently about to tie the knot. </div><div><br /></div><div>No one present at the wedding will believe Everest's claims and so he pulls out his "disintegrator," a device that can "pulverize" stone into sand and aims the gizmo at a nearby wall. Unfortunately for Everest, nothing happens and he's carted off to a looney bin. Plora can only thank her lucky stars that Ev is blind as a bat and tried to "pulverize" a cardboard wall. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuf14M__uzh8viH5oEs-uUFl_ietlPT52FpnTnqkuxvZ4IUY9YHfw6xj8FaRs9vjGDulmd0Mjsn8mCmHJab8dE-7XmVrrVO95IsgILFHH6lff9mLzofXKOq2hHT7o6nsvUXVTs19ylXCKXGC_-GXv2tPFJTik5mlO2c1725FFaF6lhntZN_g0ELHnfGcm/s1342/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%205.43.42%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="1342" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuf14M__uzh8viH5oEs-uUFl_ietlPT52FpnTnqkuxvZ4IUY9YHfw6xj8FaRs9vjGDulmd0Mjsn8mCmHJab8dE-7XmVrrVO95IsgILFHH6lff9mLzofXKOq2hHT7o6nsvUXVTs19ylXCKXGC_-GXv2tPFJTik5mlO2c1725FFaF6lhntZN_g0ELHnfGcm/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%205.43.42%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>"They Wouldn't Believe Him!" has a couple of sly twists that brought a smile to the face of this seasoned comic strip vet, and the art is pretty good. Again, Tumlinson has a very Ditko-esque style to his work, but at the same time adding a layer of detail that Ditko's panels sometimes lack. It's very hard, post-code, to find something "charming" that also comes off as original, and "They Wouldn't Believe Him!" is just about the best science fiction yarn we've come across so far.</div><div><br /></div><div>War will come to the land unless King Roland marries the daughter of the neighboring kingdom... but she's so darn plain! Wizards and witches have their best go at it but none can make Princess Alicia desirable to Roland. Then a simple sorcerer's apprentice weaves a spell on the girl and... voila!... Princess Marilyn. Roland loves the results and immediately agrees to marry, but war breaks out between the two kingdoms days later when Alicia runs off with the apprentice. "The Last Chance" is a definite change of pace, but one that is very welcome. Paul Reinman's art evokes the classic "Black Knight" art of Joe Maneely from a few years before. The story is breezy and the climax is a giggler. Well done.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUzw9rLEY7CiLL9wG4XJYrtg7ZOsJOxdV5AqRO2sGpawmEq0sQWm19k0v4feOlCTd7alNdA-VMKVUkADJrVA5GnyH6bI7vFK0UCokT5O5AtyXYsni8cv-tN4IKHTXcd8vGM1ESCufoj_l4iLjDUjacm7mKW4FLkmZu5krv06RqghHEG1vEFiUEQ7ybCx4/s830/Screenshot%202024-02-02%20at%202.26.56%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="830" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUzw9rLEY7CiLL9wG4XJYrtg7ZOsJOxdV5AqRO2sGpawmEq0sQWm19k0v4feOlCTd7alNdA-VMKVUkADJrVA5GnyH6bI7vFK0UCokT5O5AtyXYsni8cv-tN4IKHTXcd8vGM1ESCufoj_l4iLjDUjacm7mKW4FLkmZu5krv06RqghHEG1vEFiUEQ7ybCx4/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-02%20at%202.26.56%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>A haphazard and silly script dooms "The Hole in the Ground," a story about renting agent Mr. Post who rents a building out to nothing but "healthy-looking young couples with above average intelligence" and then lowers the boom when all the flats are rented. Post lowers steel plates over the windows and locks all the doors in preparation for blasting off to another dimension, where the good-looking couples will be studied. But, thanks to a very bright puppy, one couple makes it off the "ship" and comes back to lower the boom right back on Mr. Post (or so it seems since the story ends almost in mid-scene). </div><div><br /></div><div>Perry waits for his wife as she browses a thrift store and spies a "One Dollar Grab Box." Thinking he'll show his wife that any money spent in the store is a waste, he buys it (no, I wasn't really aligned with the thinking there, either) and takes it home. When Perry opens the box, he discovers hundreds of puzzle pieces. One day, while Perry is off work, he decides to assemble the puzzle but is amazed to see the pieces don't want to stay down on the table. </div><div><br /></div><div>Undeterred, the man grabs a hammer and nails the pieces to his dinner table. The last piece won't stay still no matter what, so he grabs his wife and heads down to his plant, where he utilizes a giant press to stomp the "Jigsaw" down. Once the picture has been assembled, Perry and his wife agree that they were not the people the puzzle was meant for and toss the box in the trash. The Doug Wildey art and Perry's escalating obsession with piecing the jigsaw together make the story at least passable.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakRp8TDRATEyeUqgfLtpfXPidTFiiNsEr0t2Em0mi3iPV6z84U9x5CYYxpNIpe4WzMmZZbUYdTCuKzR6V0moK9eUgxAZK2kH5Rav3ns3QznGYflgKsl1Ri-8qyHDYyB_za-YykqYoGGKrsRh14p09RCyW3el1CVowjA_c2O3hECVX-VK5vox3noFpUXaj/s706/Screenshot%202024-02-02%20at%202.39.12%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="694" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakRp8TDRATEyeUqgfLtpfXPidTFiiNsEr0t2Em0mi3iPV6z84U9x5CYYxpNIpe4WzMmZZbUYdTCuKzR6V0moK9eUgxAZK2kH5Rav3ns3QznGYflgKsl1Ri-8qyHDYyB_za-YykqYoGGKrsRh14p09RCyW3el1CVowjA_c2O3hECVX-VK5vox3noFpUXaj/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-02%20at%202.39.12%20PM.png" width="315" /></a></div>In the finale, three men board a boat to escape the outbreak of war. Unfortunately, a typhoon hits their ship and two of the men drown; "The Survivor!" washes ashore on a tiny deserted island. He awakens, hearing tiny voices, and is amazed to see a band of extremely small people. They all become fast friends and the tiny folk invite the survivor to live with them in their "paradise," but excitement turns to terror when he discovers their home is a small cave in the side of a mountain and he has claustrophobia. Can the survivor conquer his fear and join his teensy weensy buddies in Eden? Dave Berg's art looks like a throwback to the 1940s, sketchy but effective. Despite the obvious cribbing done here (Gulliver also gets a shout out inn this month's <i>Journey Into Unknown Worlds</i>), I found "The Survivor!" to be yet another light and breezy winner. In fact, most of this issue's stories have a comfortable feel to them. In this case, it's a winning formula.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyqsWfEoICCI8SPWXEj2qoerJnaGYaJJZKt0TYr-oMrhm240bTrmoPFLeyTJc6C0u3Kf4xmfk9j02_WQXjZBJfwwKTnQoqOJ9LWPzgLlVQPDPJkrS7Zmlv5kRrmbzrqecgszHONx6V3QY1GZfl35m2OjLFtq7y-a-9wU8VdD8fRQwvgHy0RVIMoQFjrBG/s583/155149.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyqsWfEoICCI8SPWXEj2qoerJnaGYaJJZKt0TYr-oMrhm240bTrmoPFLeyTJc6C0u3Kf4xmfk9j02_WQXjZBJfwwKTnQoqOJ9LWPzgLlVQPDPJkrS7Zmlv5kRrmbzrqecgszHONx6V3QY1GZfl35m2OjLFtq7y-a-9wU8VdD8fRQwvgHy0RVIMoQFjrBG/s320/155149.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><b>Journey Into Unknown Worlds #39</b></div><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Escape to Nowhere" (a: Gene Colan) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The New Gimmick!" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Red World!" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"Under His Hat!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Mystery That Couldn't Be Solved!" (a: Joe Sinnott) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Jim Reynolds regrets buying an old house because his wife keeps telling him to fix this and that, which interrupts his attempts at resting. When she asks him to hang a tire swing from a tree limb for Junior, Jim finds a coil of rope in the basement. He tosses one end over the limb but, to his surprise, it stands straight up in the air, just like a rope used by an Indian fakir!</div><div><br /></div><div>Jim decides to give climbing the rope a try and, sure enough, at the top he disappears into a parallel world, where he discovers that anyone working too hard is captured by the Executioners, who punish those who burn up too much energy! Jim manages to escape and climb down the rope back into his own world, where his wife's requests no longer seem so annoying.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuTdh974FKjFYWPEifLDPHO1moPBVWmEwlgrSp3jNmdCsXraZiKUa9lJf8e9IVJ2_QKj27LrzdnahncXazjevei86ZNYkuBv5SsCboHT8wFnA2smtKLMdIzEkhwV2jFWDIBputxPMypmzXxM5rYCjIU1JLJjkkJQNoaPFdIaozrqzNfetzXOIrW5_Mcc/s457/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_07.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="457" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuTdh974FKjFYWPEifLDPHO1moPBVWmEwlgrSp3jNmdCsXraZiKUa9lJf8e9IVJ2_QKj27LrzdnahncXazjevei86ZNYkuBv5SsCboHT8wFnA2smtKLMdIzEkhwV2jFWDIBputxPMypmzXxM5rYCjIU1JLJjkkJQNoaPFdIaozrqzNfetzXOIrW5_Mcc/s320/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>A story drawn by Gene Colan is just what I needed to clear away the Atlas blahs! We can all empathize with Jim, who just wants to take a little rest but keeps having to do odd jobs around the house. I'm not sure I would've been so quick to climb the rope, or to keep climbing after my head popped into a parallel world but thank goodness Jim was able to get away and back to his own spot. The Colan art is excellent and the panel I've reproduced here reminds me of the sort of thing he'd be doing in the Marvel superhero comics in about a decade.</div><div><br /></div><div>TV scriptwriter Rodney Wharton is having a heck of a time coming up with a new teleplay to satisfy George King, the producer of a science fiction TV show. King keeps asking for "The New Gimmick," insisting that no one would believe a story about people living on the moon, since everyone knows it's incompatible with life.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Uki4lZvGLLa_AjIZ4hmK8Xbeq6cpo8HWzFmoXHARSq2S_kVe6KZQh-GjcqUp20EUHDjzhFfkf4k1AZRn1_-w-PQ1iEoKUlewphpQY7a-ANS5JmoHPVtdSR69mA-N2Dl6v9jihNbgHDltqtoO50GwpTYThuYQttx4NgW55TrL7KG_MZBnFwMguFM9XHk/s1022/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1022" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Uki4lZvGLLa_AjIZ4hmK8Xbeq6cpo8HWzFmoXHARSq2S_kVe6KZQh-GjcqUp20EUHDjzhFfkf4k1AZRn1_-w-PQ1iEoKUlewphpQY7a-ANS5JmoHPVtdSR69mA-N2Dl6v9jihNbgHDltqtoO50GwpTYThuYQttx4NgW55TrL7KG_MZBnFwMguFM9XHk/s320/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Unable to write a script that will satisfy King, Rodney misses the deadline and is fired when the live show does not air as scheduled. After the furor dies down, King is a passenger on the first rocket to the moon. He plans to take movies of what he finds there, but he's shocked when he arrives and meets Rodney and his beautiful Martian wife. Rodney explains that he's been trying to convince TV producers that the moon is inhabited, and now King can provide the proof.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The New Gimmick!" is a fun little story made palatable by appropriate art by Bob Forgione and Jack Abel. It's not the first time we've seen a story set in the TV business, and the ending is quite predictable, but the art is good enough that it's an enjoyable ride.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jCmXxZM7j0py1EcCiapVXSOrAZGPPYoR2kzW1wyZB2xvDLbYW-DWIDp05iLbBklFYfLVoM6pFvyXb6OuH28zCkkmw9oc-FBmtmwAbJo9n9sGxMjiueP81dPII9Ik-zzsgjV4zaJsn7RuKfRIlA78uEP6NfWX74uSGHuRDcqasu64h6Ei3KXmpCwOHS8/s468/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_17.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="468" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jCmXxZM7j0py1EcCiapVXSOrAZGPPYoR2kzW1wyZB2xvDLbYW-DWIDp05iLbBklFYfLVoM6pFvyXb6OuH28zCkkmw9oc-FBmtmwAbJo9n9sGxMjiueP81dPII9Ik-zzsgjV4zaJsn7RuKfRIlA78uEP6NfWX74uSGHuRDcqasu64h6Ei3KXmpCwOHS8/w200-h198/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_17.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>The crew on the first rocket ship to Mars passes the time by speculating about whether anyone had been there before. Did Jules Verne write his book after a real trip? How did Jonathan Swift imagine satellites revolving around Mars if he never saw them? Certain they're just having fun, they arrive on "The Red World!" only to be welcomed by a horde of tiny folks who cry out, "'Gulliver! Gulliver! You've Come Back!'"</div><div><br /></div><div>If Jules Verne or Jonathan Swift really went to Mars, why are the little people welcoming back Gulliver? Mort Lawrence's art continues to disappoint, looking stiff and posed.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSLqFBqGDFyW9sWFN4_pME0xzLLNeVwy5fuNObCFTJVgOGJ9NtHOyrfSUyuSL5MpUB1DiXcSqTebk4gD4IEV3S2DSC1RUlPQ48spS2A2tMTE4Sjxl2NaFbK3iXMPIHZ8x7KtV8rVgxTLytwo20519f8XqNhWObyDQAVRvV2gGRXvj0FSBK6kZZQeMXtQ/s468/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_22.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSLqFBqGDFyW9sWFN4_pME0xzLLNeVwy5fuNObCFTJVgOGJ9NtHOyrfSUyuSL5MpUB1DiXcSqTebk4gD4IEV3S2DSC1RUlPQ48spS2A2tMTE4Sjxl2NaFbK3iXMPIHZ8x7KtV8rVgxTLytwo20519f8XqNhWObyDQAVRvV2gGRXvj0FSBK6kZZQeMXtQ/w131-h200/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_22.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>In a small village in the year 1827, Mr. Gregor is able to work wonders by simply rubbing his hat. An out of work man and his wife get a home, a hungry woman's cupboard is full of food, a lost child is found. The villagers begin to wonder what's "Under His Hat!" and want to pull it off to see, but Gregor never removes it. Finally, a dying woman's last wish is that the only gentleman in town show her respect by taking off his hat. Gregor clears the room, removes his hat for the woman, and reveals a halo.</div><div><br /></div><div>In last month's issue of <i>Marvel Tales,</i> we had "It is Forbidden to Look," which ended with an old gent revealing that he's an angel. And now we have the same surprise ending. Did the editors at Atlas think no one would notice? The authors of this blog are as bald as Mr. Gregor, but I can assure you that we're not hiding halos.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfDqA10Wh28X7K-udVQA4sc_1om8SmRYce9-r8w9vhT_yO-_8SCe6x4PiphnPMkF4m3oG2K-JYeM1eLE_xXSF2bVLp1MPRPgVwpwXdMu_IYnNAFQt0X2-fY2nsOD074SuEObIeSEdX4IGe_WWJ2pPPDniPqhl8U-v0CZmoQhuJJpjSx3eWo5Aoc07ZUU/s461/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_32.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="444" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfDqA10Wh28X7K-udVQA4sc_1om8SmRYce9-r8w9vhT_yO-_8SCe6x4PiphnPMkF4m3oG2K-JYeM1eLE_xXSF2bVLp1MPRPgVwpwXdMu_IYnNAFQt0X2-fY2nsOD074SuEObIeSEdX4IGe_WWJ2pPPDniPqhl8U-v0CZmoQhuJJpjSx3eWo5Aoc07ZUU/s320/journey_into_unknown_worlds_039_32.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>In the future, the first spaceship is launched and carries monkeys; scientists plan to study the effects of space travel on the creatures when they return. When the spaceship returns, the scientists are shocked to find it empty! After a second trip yields the same result, the scientists conclude that space travel causes disintegration and would thus be fatal for humans.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, on a planet far out in space, aliens plan an attack on Earth but, when they realize that the monkeys they captured have limited intelligence, they call off the attack. They are certain that, if monkeys could build a spaceship and fly into space, Earthlings must have ingenious weapons to attack any ships that approach. The attack is called off and the scientists on Earth never know that the two spaceflights saved the planet from alien invasion.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first part of "The Mystery That Couldn't Be Solved!" is pretty good, with strong art by Sinnott. The second suffers from the chronic Atlas problem of how to end a story, and Sinnott's aliens look terrible.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqavPm6ws524fff2PCzdk1fi4tfrn5pOZ8WOZiseklz0AhAPeMgjzr_mGhImfAwlZtv2W8h3G9nFq2zg-tH17NrVBvFdFpKB-2EsWD1-nnSG2xM75YAam4XllT5qAHoDW7ykONBTbrsKysI4Feqag4ZGd2trpE1aeuW2g-fSzfrxFc26Lv9byHhD_nxFe/s561/25596.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqavPm6ws524fff2PCzdk1fi4tfrn5pOZ8WOZiseklz0AhAPeMgjzr_mGhImfAwlZtv2W8h3G9nFq2zg-tH17NrVBvFdFpKB-2EsWD1-nnSG2xM75YAam4XllT5qAHoDW7ykONBTbrsKysI4Feqag4ZGd2trpE1aeuW2g-fSzfrxFc26Lv9byHhD_nxFe/s320/25596.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><b>Marvel Tales #140</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Man Without Fear" (a: Joe Sinnott) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Man Who Followed!" (a: Gene Colan) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Wings!" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Who Goes There?" (a: Vic Carrabotta) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"In the Dark!" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Paul Abbot opens his front door to see four Martians, but rather than being afraid, he and his wife invite them in and serve refreshments. The Martians tell Paul that they'll bring him back to Mars by order of King Kaaz; Paul takes the whole thing quite well and enjoys riding in their spaceship to the red planet. On Mars, King Kaaz is surprised at this "Man Without Fear" and decides that his confidence must come from having a secret weapon to repel an invasion. The king apologizes and sends Paul back to Earth, where his wife delivers some unexpected news: tomorrow is Halloween, not today, and the Martians were not trick-or-treaters!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivL94jpIFgcaTcDJb4xUG-vcneTkUcQfaS2VpAsmxhurQduQjiJhkQZsLDB2JSHEfodPtcMtKQl7HVXhuN1vLtMoHcK0u3YhhNR9QVJI3qi5CuOpyXWNl1rLjOqZIo_RGJoy_LxE5_X5FjpPh2OalF9VjgBKIXTE5WQvd804HzFpyMu7p4JiMz5OXA6wA/s1172/marvel_tales_140_03.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1172" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivL94jpIFgcaTcDJb4xUG-vcneTkUcQfaS2VpAsmxhurQduQjiJhkQZsLDB2JSHEfodPtcMtKQl7HVXhuN1vLtMoHcK0u3YhhNR9QVJI3qi5CuOpyXWNl1rLjOqZIo_RGJoy_LxE5_X5FjpPh2OalF9VjgBKIXTE5WQvd804HzFpyMu7p4JiMz5OXA6wA/w200-h156/marvel_tales_140_03.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>This isn't all that different from "The Mystery That Couldn't Be Solved" in this month's <i>Journey to Unknown Worlds</i>; this time, the Martian invasion is foiled because King Kaaz reads too much into Paul's devil-may-care attitude. As in the prior story, Sinnott's art is strong, but the story is predictable and too long, even at five pages.</div><div><br /></div><div>A WWI German soldier named Eric Roeder arrives at the front, bragging about his marksmanship, but as soon as there's an attack, he runs and hides. Eric is soon arrested as a deserter and sentenced to face a firing squad, but he escapes and gets a ride in a passing car. The driver keeps repeating the sentence, "It's your turn next!" Eric gets the creeps and switches to a freight car, but "The Man Who Followed!" appears and repeats the unsettling sentence.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnl7TEhGpeN4a99fubBH7XULX4LRL_eHikN5JO5XlMDH1zZSOF_CL5hiQ-8PzIJ_WwyGMtgG-gfHz7GQZTeCuAZJltPPbsganqLEvPggTpGr1IPmnZaEw-K7Aym2xJDNREC_WEExTIHYLecOtGSzKHtH-jj4q1fIn0W58NrvWN-H5O0qAXyuyD9XYdmDM/s566/marvel_tales_140_12.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="411" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnl7TEhGpeN4a99fubBH7XULX4LRL_eHikN5JO5XlMDH1zZSOF_CL5hiQ-8PzIJ_WwyGMtgG-gfHz7GQZTeCuAZJltPPbsganqLEvPggTpGr1IPmnZaEw-K7Aym2xJDNREC_WEExTIHYLecOtGSzKHtH-jj4q1fIn0W58NrvWN-H5O0qAXyuyD9XYdmDM/s320/marvel_tales_140_12.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><div>Eric leaps out of the train car into a river and is rescued by the same man, saying the same thing. Eric makes it to Berlin, where a restaurant waiter is the same man once again. Finally, the soldier loses himself in the crowd at an amusement park but, when the creepy man appears, Eric ducks into the back of a booth. He does not know it's a shooting gallery, where Eric is quickly shot to death by soldiers; he was executed by a firing squad after all!</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope this month's double serving of Gene Colan stories marks the start of a new trend. I love his inky style and found myself enjoying this tale. For once, I did not know how it would end and read the last three panels without glancing ahead to the finale.</div><div><br /></div><div>As he rises through the clouds toward Heaven, a dead man recalls his misspent life. Others called him "Mr. Smart" because he always managed to avoid being arrested, though the term was used sarcastically because "'the fool never lived right.'" As the man wonders how he'll find acceptance in heaven, he spies a pair of wings and a robe, lying unused on a cloud. Donning the outfit, he ascends to Heaven, only to find the other angels laughing at him and backing away. He looks down to see that the robe he put on is in tatters.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd8dXC4nufqgSZySwcosF9PSN_jiIqRHcg3eGmGt5wjnoaq0CpyV4OycHXcBUG8sUMlmfMqTUki3G4kMILG4DYPxpg9m9PatEdljhkV9gcx14PsGZiowcfxvJ1dj1O_3GIFXO-EprT8LLHqOxu1qcm3Mm0NcCb0M5TmdTP-pX8CajrWY-F05ss8GpACs/s1172/marvel_tales_140_21.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="1172" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd8dXC4nufqgSZySwcosF9PSN_jiIqRHcg3eGmGt5wjnoaq0CpyV4OycHXcBUG8sUMlmfMqTUki3G4kMILG4DYPxpg9m9PatEdljhkV9gcx14PsGZiowcfxvJ1dj1O_3GIFXO-EprT8LLHqOxu1qcm3Mm0NcCb0M5TmdTP-pX8CajrWY-F05ss8GpACs/s320/marvel_tales_140_21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>I admit that I didn't really understand the surprise ending of "The Wings." Why is the robe in tatters? Is it supposed to reflect the man's unworthy spirit? And since when do angels mock people?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Brant is the top astronomer but he discounts any and all reports of flying saucers. When a reliable witness draws a sketch of a creature in the atmosphere and it's published in the newspapers, members of the public frantically demand that Brant answer the question, "Who Goes There?" Insisting that nothing exists beyond the watery atmosphere, Brant is revealed to be speaking within a bubble dome that covers the undersea city of Atlantis.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyone reading this story knows that the twist ending will show that Brant is wrong, but most would probably expect it to be that he's living on another planet and the alien visitors are from Earth. In this case, it ends a bit differently, but I'm not sure it's any better.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3KHvhR9otgpOf1qjilo0hNwc5N-pVwv8Hvxg973B4zccSDZh-0DenCLbrcnX_Uz9FqKK1z57yP5j8eUux3yvjnYqsnGSJ0KXK4l9ac9CQe9i6-dP2IMKv1W22NzehqGBeBIBJTiUXDGPLRKhZAhFNeyKbdsrRQsMvQEWrt6Jka6niDGYnjQvxJmax00/s565/marvel_tales_140_31.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="565" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3KHvhR9otgpOf1qjilo0hNwc5N-pVwv8Hvxg973B4zccSDZh-0DenCLbrcnX_Uz9FqKK1z57yP5j8eUux3yvjnYqsnGSJ0KXK4l9ac9CQe9i6-dP2IMKv1W22NzehqGBeBIBJTiUXDGPLRKhZAhFNeyKbdsrRQsMvQEWrt6Jka6niDGYnjQvxJmax00/s320/marvel_tales_140_31.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>The 10:15 train heads into a tunnel as usual, but it never comes out! Not in this world, at least. After hours "In the Dark!" it emerges on another world, where little, pink people with antennae complain about the constant sunshine and their 30-minute work days. The train passengers like it there so much that they want to stay, all except the conductor, who insists on turning the train around and heading home. When he arrives, no one believes his story about having visited another world until all of the little, pink people disembark!</div><div><br /></div><div>Mort Lawrence's art seems to be getting worse with each passing month. This is the umpteenth story we've read where people unexpectedly end up traveling to another world, but at least it had a minor surprise at the end--I thought the train would be empty and did not expect to see all of the aliens get off.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwcPfuNu0Oi_nk20ywF_HQ3VMuHynjXma7crDzgWId4mF6_vsFLYB1tfSp9bTf4SQMQegGyi1DDXvbUz7NlkCGStolSGD8_bz5H1umk4-5Rn_qJMkEVL1x3bAT58Bm8qXR9R-ROlW8JIrJK5e0MF6julHjLxONVUNwx3efR4xIsDInWc83Gop47GuWRU1/s802/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%202.51.31%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="802" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwcPfuNu0Oi_nk20ywF_HQ3VMuHynjXma7crDzgWId4mF6_vsFLYB1tfSp9bTf4SQMQegGyi1DDXvbUz7NlkCGStolSGD8_bz5H1umk4-5Rn_qJMkEVL1x3bAT58Bm8qXR9R-ROlW8JIrJK5e0MF6julHjLxONVUNwx3efR4xIsDInWc83Gop47GuWRU1/w400-h344/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%202.51.31%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Yet Another Annual Helps Us<br />Keep Our Minds Off the "New" Stuff!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-36395454234124697322024-02-08T03:00:00.000-08:002024-02-08T03:00:00.138-08:00The Hitchcock Project-Irving Elman, Part One-Murder Me Twice [4.9]by Jack Seabrook<div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjP7QcYiPcKaNkcUtFwKHw6fzbLcg3oJonmUNrlo6w2n4VNL5sXMuGQOu48e5nuXgFWD0-cYH_yK057jkiTs5MmpDTikcJcpgbRr2idAZQXfW0r0QTnp-X-LQHsbHwxI2AUuiPCjhrewBLdaUNVtQppw6jFHDpIgIjP_5Zyizvw7lrUXn6oNp9vNRxOCA/s714/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h02m19s301.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="714" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjP7QcYiPcKaNkcUtFwKHw6fzbLcg3oJonmUNrlo6w2n4VNL5sXMuGQOu48e5nuXgFWD0-cYH_yK057jkiTs5MmpDTikcJcpgbRr2idAZQXfW0r0QTnp-X-LQHsbHwxI2AUuiPCjhrewBLdaUNVtQppw6jFHDpIgIjP_5Zyizvw7lrUXn6oNp9vNRxOCA/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h02m19s301.png" width="320" /></a>Irving Elman wrote the teleplays for three episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i>: <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part_16.html" target="_blank">"On the Nose,"</a> "Murder Me Twice," and "The Door Without a Key." Born in 1915, he wrote and produced plays, including three on Broadway, beginning in the early 1940s, and he began writing screenplays after WWII ended. He wrote for television starting in 1951 and he was also a TV producer from 1962 to 1971. Toward the end of his writing career, he served as head writer for two daytime soap operas, <i>Search for Tomorrow</i> (1976-1977) and <i>General Hospital</i> (1977). He also wrote eight books. Elman died in 2011. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>"Murder Me Twice" aired on CBS on Sunday, December 7, 1958, and it was based on a short story of the same name by Lawrence Treat that had been published in <i>Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine</i> in May 1957. Before discussing the story, some background on the case of Bridey Murphy is useful. In 1952, a woman named Virginia Tighe was hypnotized and claimed to recall her past life as a nineteenth century Irish woman named Bridey Murphy. A 1956 book called <i>The Search for Bridey Murphy</i> was a best-seller and it set off a national craze; a film of the same title was released that year. Treat’s short story was probably written in 1956, during the craze.</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrgZuAOCS7Znr1GcQhqMlrBJZgnRRfOMRSRd4y8td9etklv8r-DP2L-ojHOWM0tB3AGG_e2__m8zSVXjDU2JG4cLy1bh6OzzwCeUoDBGO_H80XBaGOgprSX4m3ibA8MKU4SrRQxBf0V8O8dwjP0O7CrD3paiIhKs9gXVGTm1n0rNAmbWp2i_q5AAyl_s/s537/alfred_hitchcocks_mystery_195705.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrgZuAOCS7Znr1GcQhqMlrBJZgnRRfOMRSRd4y8td9etklv8r-DP2L-ojHOWM0tB3AGG_e2__m8zSVXjDU2JG4cLy1bh6OzzwCeUoDBGO_H80XBaGOgprSX4m3ibA8MKU4SrRQxBf0V8O8dwjP0O7CrD3paiIhKs9gXVGTm1n0rNAmbWp2i_q5AAyl_s/w149-h200/alfred_hitchcocks_mystery_195705.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Murder Me Twice" was<br />first published here</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div> As the story begins, Assistant District Attorney Burke struggles with the Lucy Prior case, where he has a murder recorded on tape and he has three eyewitnesses, but he can’t prove felonious intent. At a gathering at the home of wealthy Will and Lucy Prior a few months ago, talk turned to Bridey Murphy, and Dr. Farham admitted that he used post-hypnotic suggestion on his dental patients to avoid pain. To demonstrate, he hypnotized Lucy Prior at the party, and she recalled a former life as Dora Evans, who lived in Philadelphia in the 1850s. <br /><br />The party guests continued to meet weekly and, each time, Lucy was hypnotized and assumed Dora’s personality, though her memories ended with an event that took place one morning in June 1853. When pressed, Lucy/Dora explained what happened that morning: the gardener was drunk and Dora's husband Charles was upset. Lucy/Dora refused to say what happened next, so Dr. Farham asked her to demonstrate, at which point she took a gun out of a table drawer and fatally shot her husband.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0QmtpPGQy3dFpYaLkLINdl6GsTjMka0a86BJQoXHwc4F_5SEsZZnk0qSCzuYdjF8PAZ3kEeEL0nkv7LK9mlXAnjUiwUop4ikDn-niYe0xwommEKC6qzYpEACKlAQ1xJLqMLqBlzZU14fFI-iwL4fsOjj95iyOxhZvtNo9X6TLsH4M2DaSbitfiqdCK4/s712/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h09m37s055.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0QmtpPGQy3dFpYaLkLINdl6GsTjMka0a86BJQoXHwc4F_5SEsZZnk0qSCzuYdjF8PAZ3kEeEL0nkv7LK9mlXAnjUiwUop4ikDn-niYe0xwommEKC6qzYpEACKlAQ1xJLqMLqBlzZU14fFI-iwL4fsOjj95iyOxhZvtNo9X6TLsH4M2DaSbitfiqdCK4/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h09m37s055.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Phyllis Thaxter as Lucy Prior</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Subsequent investigation revealed that there really was a Dora Evans who shot and killed her husband in Philadelphia in June 1853; she was tried for murder and convicted and she died in prison a year later. Burke suspects that Dr. Farham and Lucy Prior were lovers who conspired to kill her husband, but Lucy denies the charge. Burke knows that he’ll have to prove motive and intent, but when he interviews Dr. Farham, the man denies everything. Burke finds an old book about famous crimes and tells Lieutenant Drobney that Lucy must have read about the details of the Evans murder. After she shot her husband, Lucy said, "'I fear me, he is dead,'" approximately the same words spoken by Dora in 1853, though she had claimed that she heard shots, rushed inside to find her husband dead, and picked up the gun. <br /><br />Dora had blamed the shooting on the gardener, who said that he had been asleep and too drunk even to stand up straight. Lt. Drobney interviews Lucy again, but she says that if she used similar words to those quoted in the book then she really was Dora in a past life. Burke and Drobney next summon Dr. Farham and show him an 1859 newspaper with a report that Dora was innocent and that the gardener eventually confessed to the murder. Farham is baffled, but when Lucy is brought into the room she blurts out, "'Miles! You fool! I told you we'd never--.'" Having cracked the case, Burke later tells Drobney that he had a fake newspaper made up and used it to trick Dr. Farham and Lucy into confessing. Burke wonders if Dora Evans really did kill her husband a century ago.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthYwbhrW8gxHifzvCYuoRWmfOBf_qWFC3-JKmztkL2YcNCdv6aEV5GVnHtZhkDLEVoqS32EQCW-qncoprmVD2hHWMfQdLtOTpCDIPrwYU4Varsjt_SfzKeLDmdVFE8XOtUDFkVKusdPO4pNlJ5vHrOROP66oC2qQ3gWoauh04gzDXo2_NZ5Eyw_mJHH0/s712/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-18h55m37s133.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthYwbhrW8gxHifzvCYuoRWmfOBf_qWFC3-JKmztkL2YcNCdv6aEV5GVnHtZhkDLEVoqS32EQCW-qncoprmVD2hHWMfQdLtOTpCDIPrwYU4Varsjt_SfzKeLDmdVFE8XOtUDFkVKusdPO4pNlJ5vHrOROP66oC2qQ3gWoauh04gzDXo2_NZ5Eyw_mJHH0/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-18h55m37s133.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tom Helmore as Dr. Farnham</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>When Irving Elman adapted "Murder Me Twice" for the small screen, he kept the central premise and the main characters but made significant changes to the story and completely altered the ending. The TV show does not use the flashback technique found in the short story; instead, it begins with the party at the Priors' house. Dr. Farnham is a parapsychology teacher, not a dentist, and events are streamlined: Lucy is hypnotized, takes on Dora’s personality, and murders her husband. In the story, the parties and hypnotic trances go on for weeks before the killing, but in the TV show it all happens in one evening. Lucy makes an interesting comment that provides a clue to the denouement; when asked if she’d like to be hypnotized, she replies, "'I’ve managed to keep this husband of mine fooled so far, so why take the risk of giving myself away?'"</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6ZS2M7SCbTc21Zt-zBslIqFshvPhM8e8jmSrfHtKZut09wN8Kd41Y7Rk3RPJ3i4dKzXfX6LPP4J4C3yuA4FSnxPw6s8YrC0YD9_eKxLscqBOQaNkxNjw4Gthyphenhyphen36CvSqSB5rGLFuy1w1fW0T6FhlSWZXalw6bX27QsYB3GeAAzDHaETqHpjFLtojB1Yw/s714/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-18h57m03s505.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="714" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6ZS2M7SCbTc21Zt-zBslIqFshvPhM8e8jmSrfHtKZut09wN8Kd41Y7Rk3RPJ3i4dKzXfX6LPP4J4C3yuA4FSnxPw6s8YrC0YD9_eKxLscqBOQaNkxNjw4Gthyphenhyphen36CvSqSB5rGLFuy1w1fW0T6FhlSWZXalw6bX27QsYB3GeAAzDHaETqHpjFLtojB1Yw/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-18h57m03s505.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alan Marshal as Will Prior</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The sequence where Dr. Farnham (his name is slightly different than in the story) hypnotizes Lucy uses lighting and music to create an eerie atmosphere. When Lucy becomes Dora, she speaks in an archaic way, using phrases such as "'And it please thee, sir'" and "'In the year of our blessed Lord, eighteen hundred and fifty-three,'" and Phyllis Thaxter is convincing as Dora, showing off her garden in the living room to the party guests. Instead of a gun, Lucy grabs a pair of scissors that are lying on a desk and stabs her husband in the back, killing him instantly. Burke later reveals that Dora Evans killed her husband with a pair of pruning shears, not a gun, This is a rare instance of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> changing a gun to a sharp object; usually, it’s the other way around.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyb28i10Lo3B75QT_TCKPNJyyPK-s8jeysAbs0iO9wsg0PPZUkgNEu9su_TEPvNQ1n3w27zcTSoPl2k0xG2Prfo41_oNKfnv33btTKfU0jJ62VXYlgh39CDGKtypspeqVflc7g9rQlKnjz14OuoPKZKE0RqKI2QzjolVWI6XmcYgwr9rGOoe6UwN1tow/s712/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h04m32s995.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyb28i10Lo3B75QT_TCKPNJyyPK-s8jeysAbs0iO9wsg0PPZUkgNEu9su_TEPvNQ1n3w27zcTSoPl2k0xG2Prfo41_oNKfnv33btTKfU0jJ62VXYlgh39CDGKtypspeqVflc7g9rQlKnjz14OuoPKZKE0RqKI2QzjolVWI6XmcYgwr9rGOoe6UwN1tow/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h04m32s995.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ward Costello as Burke</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div>The TV show really begins to deviate from the story when Farnham visits Lucy at home after both have been interviewed by Burke. It's immediately evident that they are not in cahoots, since Farnham suggests to Lucy that she planned the murder and says that he will blackmail her, telling her that he wants money in exchange for supporting her at the coroner's inquest. Lucy angrily throws him out of her house. At the inquest, Farnham testifies that he's "'an accredited metaphysician'" but he is cross-examined by Burke, who brings up a 1938 case where Farnham was indicted for fraud and malpractice. When Burke asserts that Lucy was not really hypnotized when she killed her husband, Farnham angrily defends himself and offers to hypnotize Lucy right in the courtroom. None of this is in the short story.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5tim-ix294qXFuMeda_ip7qaHk8FnIEEOUGrUQOxvbU2QcPS-g96dONx5Iu539ieYwGToex-hh32IW1XjJz2VDBNjm1j3xN5uLhIEyjHoOW8n21dFoAjMApsaR46WRE__6FK4g1jYLuNUGS8YIgGW8Y9UYZYA0o8moTEniHxxYTAjQ_keK0DMVtP6vM/s460/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-18h53m41s173.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="349" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5tim-ix294qXFuMeda_ip7qaHk8FnIEEOUGrUQOxvbU2QcPS-g96dONx5Iu539ieYwGToex-hh32IW1XjJz2VDBNjm1j3xN5uLhIEyjHoOW8n21dFoAjMApsaR46WRE__6FK4g1jYLuNUGS8YIgGW8Y9UYZYA0o8moTEniHxxYTAjQ_keK0DMVtP6vM/w152-h200/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-18h53m41s173.png" width="152" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Herbert Anderson<br />as George</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Lucy agrees and Farnham again puts her under in another eerie sequence. Lucy becomes Dora Evans once again, speaking in archaic phrases. The scissors that she used to kill her husband are lying on the coroner's desk, marked as evidence, and she suddenly grabs them and stabs Farnham in the back, killing him instantly and eliminating the man who had threatened to expose her. His body is later taken out of the courtroom on a stretcher and everyone leaves while Lucy sits on a bench in the hallway outside the hearing room. The only other person present is Burke and, just as Lucy is about to walk away, he asks her a question in order to satisfy his curiosity: "'Did you plan the whole thing?'"</div><div><br /></div><div>Lucy turns to Burke and smiles and, in the voice of Dora Evans, replies, "'Wouldst not thee like to know?'" The show ends there, with Lucy having successfully murdered two men, gotten away with it, and admitted her guilt in such a way that she cannot be prosecuted. The TV version of "Murder Me Twice" takes a different approach to solving the problem that is set up in the short story. This time, instead of the assistant district attorney tricking Lucy and Dr. Farnham into revealing their crime, Lucy kills the doctor and gets away with murder.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YtO6HRMttUOUEvArx9_NPqLLdAzjMLu3T38JHt48oDcE-KmXpMKyQ8GoS5JFbfxlwjyCETzLmkkrhkL78jz0w-z5c7dwgQ9eY88jJEdGIGp0exCYRkzEZOpHuCHg_kIXX0_wt2McRUzwnGFg20Dhm22PXUHScOcZB4KRA_XCDfvBqdNkmizKG0R_9mo/s451/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h12m21s164.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="362" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YtO6HRMttUOUEvArx9_NPqLLdAzjMLu3T38JHt48oDcE-KmXpMKyQ8GoS5JFbfxlwjyCETzLmkkrhkL78jz0w-z5c7dwgQ9eY88jJEdGIGp0exCYRkzEZOpHuCHg_kIXX0_wt2McRUzwnGFg20Dhm22PXUHScOcZB4KRA_XCDfvBqdNkmizKG0R_9mo/w161-h200/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h12m21s164.png" width="161" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Liz Carr as Adele</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The TV show has echoes of two Hitchcock films of the 1950s: <i>Dial M For Murder,</i> in which a woman kills a man by stabbing him in the back with a pair of scissors, and <i>Vertigo</i>, which was released in May 1958, seven months before "Murder Me Twice" aired. In <i>Vertigo</i>, Tom Helmore, who plays Dr. Farnham in "Murder Me Twice," plays a similar character, the manipulative husband of a woman who seems to be possessed by the spirit of a nineteenth-century woman.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Murder Me Twice" was remade as an episode of the 1980s <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> TV show, and Buck Henry, who adapted Elman's earlier teleplay for the 1980s, makes even more changes. In this version, which aired on October 20, 1985, as "Wake Me When I'm Dead," Barbara Hershey plays the Lucy character, but after she kills the hypnotist in the courtroom, she ends up in Switzerland in bed with the prosecutor, played by Buck Henry!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4gd_id8vuDJHL7YjXcdZ2BmJibtSLkm43neBnj6qx_8XUbg0uhuRS5E2m6S5g2LKtmH8ptiGsjwA5nStp0Ct1CUKXPkjxIuk4jTcx6ocVUYn7ltPNtyaSZyewwCe0GO4uQIbrzRn5wgjBZHZ9ahYr_7trVCd-NRLm5eWsFhqpO680zBVUxNYI8NUeFU/s469/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h07m18s755.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="338" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4gd_id8vuDJHL7YjXcdZ2BmJibtSLkm43neBnj6qx_8XUbg0uhuRS5E2m6S5g2LKtmH8ptiGsjwA5nStp0Ct1CUKXPkjxIuk4jTcx6ocVUYn7ltPNtyaSZyewwCe0GO4uQIbrzRn5wgjBZHZ9ahYr_7trVCd-NRLm5eWsFhqpO680zBVUxNYI8NUeFU/w144-h200/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h07m18s755.png" width="144" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">King Calder as Sherman</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Lawrence Treat (1903-1998), born Lawrence Goldstone, worked as a lawyer before he became a writer. He wrote hundreds of short stories and many novels and he was known for his police procedurals. A founding member of the Mystery Writers of America, he won two Edgar Awards. Five TV episodes were adapted from his short stories, including two for <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i>; the other was "On the Nose."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Murder Me Twice" was the only episode of the Hitchcock TV series directed by David Swift (1919-2001), who was both a writer and a director of films and TV shows from 1948 to 1998. He served in the Air Force in WWII and created the TV series, <i>Mr. Peepers</i> (1952-1955), for which he wrote 62 teleplays. He also wrote and directed <i>Good Neighbor Sam</i> (1964), which was adapted from the Jack Finney novel.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSg7TiewL7TaK-GE0Bkw_T8Gqz1IgbYrC3HTDhQpv3-EWn6Cv1XRRd1nQZ5WDmuadG7j1BoNIwyNqdgv-gDtUnqJFM7vqfn93LWNTVZB9owAWaWCMPnsOGz3Yiny_fvry2txACKK4HieX5-K3V6388-OqiweCkAO64L6yq7A60bWguHhThHcGUGPXxBb4/s483/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h11m44s620.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="465" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSg7TiewL7TaK-GE0Bkw_T8Gqz1IgbYrC3HTDhQpv3-EWn6Cv1XRRd1nQZ5WDmuadG7j1BoNIwyNqdgv-gDtUnqJFM7vqfn93LWNTVZB9owAWaWCMPnsOGz3Yiny_fvry2txACKK4HieX5-K3V6388-OqiweCkAO64L6yq7A60bWguHhThHcGUGPXxBb4/w193-h200/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h11m44s620.png" width="193" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Robert Carson as the coroner</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Phyllis Thaxter (1919-2012) plays Lucy Prior (and Dora Evans). Born in Maine, she acted on Broadway before making her debut on film in 1944. She began acting on TV in 1953, appearing in six episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents, </i>including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-hitchcock-project-stirling.html" target="_blank">"Never Again."</a> She also appeared on <i>The Twilight Zone, Thriller,</i> and three episodes of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,</i> including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-hitchcock-project-charles-beaumont_17.html" target="_blank">"The Long Silence."</a> Later in her career, she played Ma Kent in <i>Superman</i> (1978), and she continued to appear on TV until 1992.</div><br />Dr. Farnham is played by Tom Helmore (1904-1995), who was born in London and whose career on screen lasted from 1927 to 1972. He also appeared on Broadway from the 1940s to the 1960s. Helmore was in three Hitchcock films: <i>The Ring</i> (1927), <i>Secret Agent</i> (1936), and <i>Vertigo</i> (1958). Helmore was in one other episode of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> (<a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-hitchcock-project-stirling_27.html" target="_blank">"Little White Frock"</a>) and he also appeared on <i>Thriller</i> and on <i>Night Gallery,</i> which was his last credit.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkG-EPZT7GIo-4pedtmI8L8s0Yk7Hm_YzFtSaOT7c6MYDHN6k3RSJlTUvNdtBCjFMNpU_uLeTSqHf88eZa-ik8i2bGfsfEQCa-dWUXweYdro29pPvZIToQfU__fz84jDD58XXfYAimHIhGKea0egBi09fl-txU5bbbBhaywkZNt5YlKnImKazY7jKDwfU/s483/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h11m02s118.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="231" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkG-EPZT7GIo-4pedtmI8L8s0Yk7Hm_YzFtSaOT7c6MYDHN6k3RSJlTUvNdtBCjFMNpU_uLeTSqHf88eZa-ik8i2bGfsfEQCa-dWUXweYdro29pPvZIToQfU__fz84jDD58XXfYAimHIhGKea0egBi09fl-txU5bbbBhaywkZNt5YlKnImKazY7jKDwfU/w96-h200/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h11m02s118.png" width="96" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Charles Seel<br />as the clerk</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div>Alan Marshal (1909-1961) appears briefly as Will Prior, Lucy's unfortunate husband. Born in Australia as Alan Willey, he appeared on Broadway in the 1920s and 1930s and his screen career lasted from 1936 to his death. This was his only role on the Hitchcock TV show.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ward Costello (1919-2009) plays Burke, the assistant district attorney. He served in both the British Air Force and the U.S. Army in WWII and was mostly seen on TV between 1951 and 1989. This was his only appearance on the Hitchcock TV show.</div><div><br /></div><div>In smaller roles:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Herbert Anderson (1917-1994) as George, a party guest; he was on screen from 1940 to 1975, appearing in two episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> (the other was <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-hitchcock-project-william-fay-part.html" target="_blank">"The $2,000,000 Defense"</a>) and two episodes of <i>Batman</i>, but he is best remembered for his role as Henry Mitchell, father of Dennis the Menace on the series that ran from 1959 to 1963.</li><li>Liz Carr as Adele, the party guest who does not want to be hypnotized; she has only four TV credits, from 1958 to 1960, and two are on <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents </i>(<a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-hitchcock-project-helen-nielsen.html" target="_blank">"The Baby-Blue Expression"</a> is the other).</li><li>King Calder (1897-1964) as Sherman, who is with Burke when he interrogates Lucy and Dr. Farham; he was on screen from 1949 to 1964 and appeared in seven episodes of the Hitchcock series, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2012/01/robert-bloch-on-tv-part-seven-alfred.html" target="_blank">"The Gloating Place."</a></li><li>Robert Carson (1909-1979) as the coroner; he was the brother of actor Jack Carson and he appeared on the Hitchcock show eleven times, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2012/07/shatner-meets-hitchcock-part-two-alfred.html" target="_blank">"Mother, May I Go Out to Swim?"</a> His career as a character actor lasted from 1939 to 1974.</li><li>Charles Seel (1897-1980) as the clerk who opens the inquest; he had a long career in vaudeville, on Broadway, and on the radio, and he was on screen from 1938 to 1980. In addition to roles on <i>The Twilight Zone</i>, <i>Star Trek</i>, and <i>Night Gallery</i>, he made four appearances on the Hitchcock show, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-hitchcock-project-james-bridges_25.html" target="_blank">"Return of Verge Likens."</a></li><li>Alma Lawton (1896-1982) as Alma, Lucy's maid, who announces that Farnham is there to visit after the murder; she was on screen from 1951 to 1973 and this was her only appearance on the Hitchcock show.</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nTYBiPq72XG-sTs0_tV5yJVkfmDpYc1oX6JgUjebhgY2LjlXMZTQ40LaGQPFx61aB7h-WMmkgvC1Xx1CkEw4RAjv3exdFSh_Hy382uS4xuTzbXk0UrcMagXU5JZa76liCDK-7vCD9Z1y10K9JRrmg0lZZy-_4xG0QEhvT1MSR4hWKCTxkpQLJiYxgmo/s323/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h08m14s791.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="119" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nTYBiPq72XG-sTs0_tV5yJVkfmDpYc1oX6JgUjebhgY2LjlXMZTQ40LaGQPFx61aB7h-WMmkgvC1Xx1CkEw4RAjv3exdFSh_Hy382uS4xuTzbXk0UrcMagXU5JZa76liCDK-7vCD9Z1y10K9JRrmg0lZZy-_4xG0QEhvT1MSR4hWKCTxkpQLJiYxgmo/w74-h200/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h08m14s791.png" width="74" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alma Lawton</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div>Watch "Murder Me Twice" online <a href="https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/b41f195283075eea85a0824801b7d20c/alfred-hitchcock-presents-s4-e9-murder-me-twice" target="_blank">here</a> or buy the DVD <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alfred-Hitchcock-Presents-Season-4/dp/B002NPY7GS" target="_blank">here</a>. Read Lawrence Treat's story online <a href="https://archive.org/details/alfredhitchcocks0000unse_l2v4/mode/2up" target="_blank">here</a>. Watch "Wake Me When I'm Dead" online <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntuIzIcXCjs" target="_blank">here</a>. Read the GenreSnaps review <a href="https://genresnaps.com/alfred-hitchcock-presents-murder-me-twice-120758/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span></div><div><i style="text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">The FICTIONMAGS Index</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/0start.htm.</span></span></div><div><div><span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-indent: -48px;"></div><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-indent: -48px;"></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">Galactic Central</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, www.philsp.com/.</span></p></span></div></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span><span><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span>Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. </span><i>The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion</i><span>. OTR Pub., 2001.</span></p><div><i>IMDb</i>, www.imdb.com.</div><div><br /></div></span></span>"Irving Elman Dies at 96." <i>Variety</i>, 27 Nov. 2011, variety.com/2011/film/news/irving-elman-dies-at-96-1118046604/.<br /><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><div><span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>"Murder Me Twice." </span><i> Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i><span>, season 4, episode 9, CBS, 7 December 1958.</span></span></span></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Treat, Lawrence. "Murder Me Twice." <i>Alfred Hitchcock's A Choice of Evils. </i>London:<i> </i>Severn House, 1987. pp. 310-19.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i style="text-indent: -36pt;">Wikipedia</i><span style="text-indent: -36pt;">, www.wikipedia.org.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "The End of Indian Summer" <a href="https://aadl.org/ahp61" target="_blank">here</a>!<br /><br />In two weeks: Our series on Irving Elman concludes with a look at "The Door Without a Key," starring Claude Rains!</span></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKkYEq5DXDnnLULp5rJwAHk_WZOni5TE8G3kCZtOLeXqToC7ytPPq6kIPdMC0J48U6JKJXOJAzmva7W2Y8E5t60puCkgoB2CpmS4cVj0b2x3X4cPCbYMkgEWs1cZnO1W4ugGALB6tykcA590lOrKsR36WSaOLTDB8jkFeHosBH9jO0a2X3kFGKH1Evu0/s712/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h17m31s871.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKkYEq5DXDnnLULp5rJwAHk_WZOni5TE8G3kCZtOLeXqToC7ytPPq6kIPdMC0J48U6JKJXOJAzmva7W2Y8E5t60puCkgoB2CpmS4cVj0b2x3X4cPCbYMkgEWs1cZnO1W4ugGALB6tykcA590lOrKsR36WSaOLTDB8jkFeHosBH9jO0a2X3kFGKH1Evu0/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-28-19h17m31s871.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></div></div>Jack Seabrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-6940033200678921862024-02-05T04:00:00.000-08:002024-02-05T04:00:00.141-08:00Batman in the 1960s Issue 15: May/ June 1962<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/s350/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="350" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/w400-h154/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Caped Crusader in the 1960s<br />by Jack Seabrook<br />& Peter Enfantino</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg11Mi-VVEuWMvNQsHBGiGVlvUsPlLKK-ZFBVGYBZYxzuQZTW6RWY6se0OfyefNRQs1pWhmBgEb5hNs_lT66kWX1LrF46NP-cY8BeqiatvLCrrZYvdlMvW9xkg6SRb2LZUyogGpGYoWKZtSTFxH8sfk0O192G5MO7IMt-vEjPNijgW_atrESNtm1uaMxns/s596/2609.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg11Mi-VVEuWMvNQsHBGiGVlvUsPlLKK-ZFBVGYBZYxzuQZTW6RWY6se0OfyefNRQs1pWhmBgEb5hNs_lT66kWX1LrF46NP-cY8BeqiatvLCrrZYvdlMvW9xkg6SRb2LZUyogGpGYoWKZtSTFxH8sfk0O192G5MO7IMt-vEjPNijgW_atrESNtm1uaMxns/s320/2609.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #147</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Plants of Plunder"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Secret of Mystery Island"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris<br /></b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Batman Becomes Bat-Baby"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b><br /><div><br /></div></div><div>After crooks break into a jewelry store's vault by means of a fast-growing plant that emits great heat, Batman tests some strange seeds that he found on the floor near the vault, but they don't sprout. The next day, the bandits use exploding gas pods to cover their tracks after another robbery. Commissioner Gordon introduces Batman to an amnesia victim who was found wandering the streets with more of the strange seeds in his pocket.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YFZmgMzjutphxGht7qUusVcOjSKke98eFLn0AsZqeJ2qN3yX9z3XtaObjC6axOpEEIzlaS8AY9za7tWRVtqs_FY3yoKkk36HpmrSWbmknEqKUbTmZDTa_S2Xi_1kxHQGnj6B3UoKjHk6uFYSUzJgmfe_EzFeKWYqsQZCFlcnKrNe4TqHZAiCRyN5NNc/s601/BATMAN%20147%20010.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="601" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YFZmgMzjutphxGht7qUusVcOjSKke98eFLn0AsZqeJ2qN3yX9z3XtaObjC6axOpEEIzlaS8AY9za7tWRVtqs_FY3yoKkk36HpmrSWbmknEqKUbTmZDTa_S2Xi_1kxHQGnj6B3UoKjHk6uFYSUzJgmfe_EzFeKWYqsQZCFlcnKrNe4TqHZAiCRyN5NNc/s320/BATMAN%20147%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Just then, "The Plants of Plunder" strike again as the crooks use them to broach the wall of an estate and steal art objects. More fast-growing giant plants tear up the roadway and block the Batmobile from giving chase. Batman and Robin take a side road and chase the crooks to a trail, where they encounter a giant cactus that shoots deadly needles at them! Needless to say, the crooks get away again. Batman analyzes mud found on the floor of the hospital room occupied by the amnesia victim and it leads the Dynamic Duo to an abandoned farmhouse that serves as the crooks' hideout.</div><div><br /></div><div>Inside, the crooks are holding the amnesia victim and, when they hear Batman approaching, they shove the poor man and he suffers a blow to the head. The crooks rush outside to use more plants to defeat Batman, but a strange sight emerges from the farmhouse: it's an alien with a ray gun! It seems the amnesia victim was an alien disguised as a human who lost his memory until (you guessed it) he was knocked in the head. He helps the Caped Crusader defeat the bad guys and then explains that he came to Earth to see how his seeds grew here. To his surprise, the plants they yielded grew very fast and a branch knocked him in the head and caused amnesia. He apologizes for the trouble he's caused and hops in his spaceship to return home.</div><div><br /></div><div>In story after story, one blow to the head causes amnesia and another cures it. Here, this tired plot device is used to explain why an alien from outer space can't remember his identity. The plant angle is silly, but how many times have we seen crooks in early 1960s Batman comics use very complicated methods to commit simple crimes?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIY9C1PzZAYuH7ZlqSAfqRMPCRw3kUcoQ3iRsdbMk0EbJN2IL50ZZ7hHWlRZ6bLf4a-Dteu202uKZiTDD7MixvT1vRSbdN4SqGvrG8LC7y7TZ0dmdTSHMCRNSBdNzT9bhnBGTmpBz85VqvkCPZB2_SK9PhP-7NdaSeFh659kOvpS3DxHVWYyQUe_XZ9hQ/s565/BATMAN%20147%20016.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="565" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIY9C1PzZAYuH7ZlqSAfqRMPCRw3kUcoQ3iRsdbMk0EbJN2IL50ZZ7hHWlRZ6bLf4a-Dteu202uKZiTDD7MixvT1vRSbdN4SqGvrG8LC7y7TZ0dmdTSHMCRNSBdNzT9bhnBGTmpBz85VqvkCPZB2_SK9PhP-7NdaSeFh659kOvpS3DxHVWYyQUe_XZ9hQ/s320/BATMAN%20147%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>On his deathbed, a millionaire gives Catlin, one of his criminal underlings, a key to open a safe, in which he will find a letter explaining where to find his riches. Batman and Robin are hiding nearby and overhear the man's last words. Later, the Dynamic Duo follow Catlin to an island where the millionaire transported various buildings he collected from around the globe. Catlin and two other crooks follow a series of clues to try to find the treasure and Batman and Robin are right behind them. Eventually, the loot is located and the crooks knocked senseless. The final clue includes the word "happiness," which Batman tells Robin is symbolized in China by a bat!</div><div><br /></div><div>Slightly better than the story before it, "The Secret of Mystery Island!" uses the gimmick of having one clue lead to another until a final clue reveals the desired object. In this case, the crooks have a problem deciphering the clues and only Batman's great brain can figure things out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just as Batman and Robin are about to corner Nails Finney and his gang at their hideout, a scientist named Garth shoots Batman with a ray beam and "Batman Becomes Bat-Baby," shrinking to the size of a four year old. Garth sends a photo of the Dark Tot to the Gotham <i>Gazette</i> and the next issue's headline reads, "Gangland Turns Batman into Baby." At Stately Wayne Manor, wee Bruce Wayne has to sit on a stack of telephone books to reach the dinner table, yet he tells Robin that he retains his adult mind and strength.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_bY86C2X32JsnPnQiWUWwJeKIs5TvDKetJD1QMnNvp1uxS8n_dv-9c23uIN5mGGc6DzniQJYadsbG8nBcWbZCb4t0gvSiRvY_8KWHNDC1ro9OpFu-oUseOUqcVY01FLPpxMfSiQKHbkrEFtQtUhVTGnEgZMhBAEqDWQIdujHmCQORzUGTDNiOmyjueI/s1694/BATMAN%20147%20028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_bY86C2X32JsnPnQiWUWwJeKIs5TvDKetJD1QMnNvp1uxS8n_dv-9c23uIN5mGGc6DzniQJYadsbG8nBcWbZCb4t0gvSiRvY_8KWHNDC1ro9OpFu-oUseOUqcVY01FLPpxMfSiQKHbkrEFtQtUhVTGnEgZMhBAEqDWQIdujHmCQORzUGTDNiOmyjueI/s320/BATMAN%20147%20028.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This whole page is priceless!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Batman fashions a baby Bat-suit, complete with overalls and short pants, and that night, the new Dynamic Duo succeed in capturing bandits as Bat-Baby uses his small size to his advantage. Kathy Kane pays a visit but little Bruce avoids her by putting a cutout in the window that makes it look like adult Bruce is making out with another woman. Bruce stakes out the swing set at a playground and then follows (on roller skates) a crook named Swap Smith until he discovers the hideout of Nails Finney. Later, Robin and Bat-Baby surprise Nails and his gang, including Garth, the scientist. Bat-Baby rides a Wonder Horse down a flight of stairs to knock two crooks off their feet and gets to the machine in order to shoot a beam that lets him regain his natural size. The crooks captured, Batman adds his Bat-Baby costume to the trophy room in the Batcave.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know about you, Peter, but I got a big kick out of the story of Bat-Baby! The first panels, where he is shown in the too-big Batman costume, are funny, as is the fact that Robin has to carry him to the Batmobile. The scene at Wayne Manor is a riot and the Bat-Baby costume is perfect, almost as if Batman is embracing his embarrassing situation and making the most of it. I love the playground stakeout and the way he uses roller skates to follow the hood, and the icing on the cake comes when he rides the horsey down the stairs! These goofy stories make reading through the duller ones worth the trouble.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwO6F5G8z40y9cRnYBnZVGW9S0z0k7OLM4Fcz2PlCZLmplQEW4MW45Z-ku2DS0r5lFjGcCFe1aGDJoJncA0RZr1wI8pNPQYUt-pCP7Waa-9pxy389VzAHWDJl5YGbgWUMsnAqlHtI-Yr4LtEa6C0k6xtBKqk10rdMo1RQh3eenCrPTKvhhzRe9vgypZXx/s742/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%204.39.01%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="742" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwO6F5G8z40y9cRnYBnZVGW9S0z0k7OLM4Fcz2PlCZLmplQEW4MW45Z-ku2DS0r5lFjGcCFe1aGDJoJncA0RZr1wI8pNPQYUt-pCP7Waa-9pxy389VzAHWDJl5YGbgWUMsnAqlHtI-Yr4LtEa6C0k6xtBKqk10rdMo1RQh3eenCrPTKvhhzRe9vgypZXx/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%204.39.01%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Peter-</b>You obviously <i>do</i> know me, Jack. I'm only hoping that Bill Finger was sitting in a bar down the street from the DC Bullpen and thought, "I'm sick up to here with funny book stories and these dopey fans who eat up anything we do. I'll show them! If <i>Mad</i> can do it, so can I!" and proceeded to write a parody of the most famous character he ever worked on. If I envision<i> that </i>scene, I can enjoy "The Burping of Bat-Baby." Some of the elements of this goofy, camp crap jump out at me. Why do all the mob goons in Gotham have such lame nicknames? Who's going to follow orders from "Swap" Smith or "Nails" Finney or anyone who answers to "Blinky?" And why are there so many renegade scientists in this town, working on incredible gizmos with nothing more than Rubber Ducky Factory robberies? "Bat-Brat" was the most entertaining of the trio this issue; I've had it up to here with giant teapots and well-meaning alien visitors.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwilBOEHP-vZvsuv4DaZR7uDWlgBAwJ_A0OQWJ7ZQigOi0DOs5kF0gDTZWVOcK_sjnHro8zJtP7oyA4L6tiVkNB_x7qWnZ-MNFlLYXELy22TRSjm1fXvgzYshfLUntEtxwCtWQJDGrvDudkWM5Qre285N-w5N31fqblkPyiWG6psWkwVq1GrZG8JEsRtn/s587/5408.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwilBOEHP-vZvsuv4DaZR7uDWlgBAwJ_A0OQWJ7ZQigOi0DOs5kF0gDTZWVOcK_sjnHro8zJtP7oyA4L6tiVkNB_x7qWnZ-MNFlLYXELy22TRSjm1fXvgzYshfLUntEtxwCtWQJDGrvDudkWM5Qre285N-w5N31fqblkPyiWG6psWkwVq1GrZG8JEsRtn/s320/5408.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #303</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Murder in Skyland!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Great J'Onn J'Onzz Hunt"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Skyland, Gotham's sensational new amusement park which simulates the atmosphere of all nine planets, is the scene of a mysterious death on the eve of its opening. The corpse is identified as owner and operator, Wally Dodd, who is found frozen on the tundra of planet Pluto! When Batman and Robin arrive, the Caped Crusader finds strange marks on Dodd's space suit, determining that the millionaire was the victim of foul play! </div><div><br /></div><div>Batman must investigate and root out the culprit amidst a few suspects. Was it--</div><div><br /></div><div>Skyland's architect John Marlowe, or...</div><div>John Hanson, Dodd's technical advisor, or...</div><div>Paul, Dodd's nephew, or...</div><div>Al Bates, shady nightclub owner and Paul's... er... business associate?</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_tOtlDHgbHQ5at42Gw-2MWsQGDEJpR9AZV50zuJ_Otnhf-cMVC_zmu2iM8iAtQjw6SlUW4jrFMcT8dCD90vH0QWQwL9EIVsQYZGD1BF9OeYIDO4Vvpoz4CJV1xINcoq2AyGTLle-9pnQ4rSzPYSkovsdor3hTETwwmnJVOdP0iBOqtvnniV_DLxLxMcQ/s746/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%204.01.17%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_tOtlDHgbHQ5at42Gw-2MWsQGDEJpR9AZV50zuJ_Otnhf-cMVC_zmu2iM8iAtQjw6SlUW4jrFMcT8dCD90vH0QWQwL9EIVsQYZGD1BF9OeYIDO4Vvpoz4CJV1xINcoq2AyGTLle-9pnQ4rSzPYSkovsdor3hTETwwmnJVOdP0iBOqtvnniV_DLxLxMcQ/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%204.01.17%20PM.png" width="299" /></a></div>The murderer gets nervous when the Daring Duo seem to be collecting clues; the killer dons a cowl and attacks our heroes, utilizing "electronic monsters from other planets" kept in Skyland's interplanetary zoo. Batman outfoxes the villain (the beasts aren't that beastly after all) and nabs him while he's attempting to escape. When the mask comes off, the boys are shocked to see syndicate muscle, Blinky Cole, who cops to orchestrating several "accidents" to prevent the opening of Skyland (his bosses wanted Dodd to pay protection money) but not to Dodd's murder. Batman believes him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which brings him back to his original suspects. The Dark Knight begins listing grievances with his fingers...</div><div><br /></div><div>One/ Paul Dodd stood to inherit his uncle's money, and</div><div>Two/ Through his crack detective work (and the gossip of a night watchman), Bats discovers that Dodd argued with Hanson about technical data (which would push me to murder every time), and</div><div>Three/ The same mouthpiece told Bats that Dodd was not happy with Marlowe's buildings.</div><div><br /></div><div>All three have motives. But which one is the killer? Robin (in one of his moments of clarity) hypothesizes that Dodd must have hidden cameras around Skyland and the footage might help to determine the identity of the assassin. While the heroes are out searching, another attempt is made on their lives (this time with a Martian Lightning Tank!), but the bright side is that it suddenly occurs to Bats who the guilty party is.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlsZbbKB_hr8n5SCVws16Y4ZGyHEYb71tCiZyiDk9VXMxwzyvTImSbT7dWOfJ58oUWll7277ej3S3LHHnjXyzKNnitLKlDTkPR0JCC5_JA6hbPWnK0i5fu97d2ayEMdDal-Plqxf8KRs-pURQnvZvnFJiZu2QRn56q3CUZHdVV1a0u98-hS-p3wSNGon5/s1456/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%204.20.46%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1254" data-original-width="1456" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlsZbbKB_hr8n5SCVws16Y4ZGyHEYb71tCiZyiDk9VXMxwzyvTImSbT7dWOfJ58oUWll7277ej3S3LHHnjXyzKNnitLKlDTkPR0JCC5_JA6hbPWnK0i5fu97d2ayEMdDal-Plqxf8KRs-pURQnvZvnFJiZu2QRn56q3CUZHdVV1a0u98-hS-p3wSNGon5/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%204.20.46%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>He reassembles the four men in the Skyland business office and points the finger at... Al Bates! Yes, Al Bates! The nightclub owner had loaned Paul Dodd a large sum of money in return for one half of Paul's future inheritance. He waited for the Senior Dodd to finish Skyland and then offed him. Realizing he's looking at a long stint of three to six months in Gotham Jail for Murder One, Bates throws a Plutonian Gas Bomb down and exits stage left, escaping on one of Batman's Whirly-Bats ®. With nothing but Skyland's incredible museum at their disposal and a murderer getting away, Batman and Robin grab Experimental Belts of Uranus and give chase. Having only spent a few minutes reading the Whirly-Bat ® operation instructions and the fact that he's a wee bit out of shape, it's not long before Bates is captured and Skyland becomes the property of Paul Dobb.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzUtoZ0Qo4BNmBLetaeYmQS0lR9MupPeP1c2RJg9M2VfhH2HAtumwv1OzuSrpZ-UoOEq3qNNssLN2AZfL_HI8bxXBgOX3xvSszOdpVS4VR4YE7hIJSpcmVrkdQGMxqtVy3JpizaoSVi8R5QK0UsrJfcmwP1rhU9tHJdR2d34bFtSNkBTWsVFyQMkdVJ9C/s1478/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%204.38.18%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="1478" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzUtoZ0Qo4BNmBLetaeYmQS0lR9MupPeP1c2RJg9M2VfhH2HAtumwv1OzuSrpZ-UoOEq3qNNssLN2AZfL_HI8bxXBgOX3xvSszOdpVS4VR4YE7hIJSpcmVrkdQGMxqtVy3JpizaoSVi8R5QK0UsrJfcmwP1rhU9tHJdR2d34bFtSNkBTWsVFyQMkdVJ9C/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%204.38.18%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>So the nephew gets off Scott-free despite semi-sorta instigating his uncle's murder? You have to hand it to mob muscle Bates, who obviously took a few semesters of Tech back in Gotham High. He's able to operate the Martian Tank and the Whirly-Birds without any trouble at all. Perhaps Bats should work on some kind of security measures for his wonderful toys? Skyland would definitely play havoc with Gotham's fly zone, and the amusement park comes with more than a bit of danger if you can actually freeze in one of its attractions. "Murder in Skyland" is one of the weaker entries so far this year. The art is not good and the script is lazy. I curse the generation before mine for being so enamored with robots and aliens.</div><div><br /></div><div>An odd thing is happening to the Martian Manhunter as he's saving dozens of lives all around town... he recognizes the would-be victims' faces. But all the parties insist they've never met J'Onzz before in their lives. But thanks for saving us!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ2dulFKCjHIKdutwOxDLNrv9_g4sLOETB9UiH6DLfUA9y_3rmTShU0V14U4LnVpJlHY3eCCXV2lYLsGYSjPQt2DJ0NHlisX5fy_ytMEcexLPhZVGjUQ-jGomoq6ELJKLYQkevZqCzVyV9LtoMl4G2GsgQ8KcTVHkSetDjG116yAPjGZZnDsOF_cd6kkf/s1504/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%204.38.28%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1342" data-original-width="1504" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ2dulFKCjHIKdutwOxDLNrv9_g4sLOETB9UiH6DLfUA9y_3rmTShU0V14U4LnVpJlHY3eCCXV2lYLsGYSjPQt2DJ0NHlisX5fy_ytMEcexLPhZVGjUQ-jGomoq6ELJKLYQkevZqCzVyV9LtoMl4G2GsgQ8KcTVHkSetDjG116yAPjGZZnDsOF_cd6kkf/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%204.38.28%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Turns out the mob has been using a process of elimination to ascertain the true identity of the Martian Manhunter. Detective Jones was on a flight that was going down and rescued the plane's passengers by transforming into J'Onn J'Onzz. On a nearby flight (let's ignore for a moment that the other flight is <i>really</i> close to the doomed airliner) sits syndicate man Dinky Kovacs and his hoods. They witness the miraculous feat and put two and two together. Now, thanks to the flight manifest and "The Great J'Onn J'Onzz Hunt," the mob is sure the MM is... Detective John Jones! These capo skippers are better detectives than Batman! But MM isn't a dummy and figures out a way to lift suspicion off his Earthbound alter ego and throw a bunch of hoods in jail at the same time. What a guy!</div><div><br /></div><div>Why the mob has to hatch such an elaborate scheme to ascertain the secret identity of the Martian Manhunter is beyond me. Wouldn't it be easier to draw glasses on a pic of Superman? What they'll do with the info once it's gathered is beyond me as well. MM is hardly around anyway. Would they blackmail him? Use the green dope to dig a trench under Fort Knox? I'm not asking much from my four-color entertainment but perhaps a plot that doesn't scream "Mediocre" now and then would be nice.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Jack-</b>"Murder in Skyland!" is a poor story with weak art. Finger found a way to work in aliens and other planets without having to leave Gotham City. At least Batman does some detecting for a change. As for the Martian Manhunter, what's the underworld's fascination with uncovering his secret identity? That seems to come up frequently. Don't they have banks to rob?</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMcP9BhrYvZt4qG45cpRR1AW-bBShu67QRzR4nWhwg81WFtXkXmmHqXmSr9ebBYfWPhlL0OzaNbtdc3lrFKphyLLv5rVZPWf3iwZ3nrXEziV9U-3C55CbhZMEZs6HJ0ylJK16gS_UtwrZPhnyiob-eDFgvjLFDe_1M15MYAhePQSQk108vp7GlK_KX3ZZ/s596/2610.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMcP9BhrYvZt4qG45cpRR1AW-bBShu67QRzR4nWhwg81WFtXkXmmHqXmSr9ebBYfWPhlL0OzaNbtdc3lrFKphyLLv5rVZPWf3iwZ3nrXEziV9U-3C55CbhZMEZs6HJ0ylJK16gS_UtwrZPhnyiob-eDFgvjLFDe_1M15MYAhePQSQk108vp7GlK_KX3ZZ/s320/2610.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #148</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Alien Force Twins!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jerry Coleman</b></div><div><b>Art by Jim Mooney</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Boy Who Was Robin"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris<br /></b><div><b><br /></b></div></div><div><b>"The Joker's Greatest Triumph"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b><br /><div><br /></div></div><div>During a storm, the Bat-plane is driven off course. When the sky clears at dawn, Batman and Robin land next to the isolated Kshiho mountain range, where they find an advanced city. They are soon set upon by "The Alien Force Twins," two columns of energy that have assumed the shape of the Dynamic Duo. Smoke pellets and a boulder don't stop them!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKysnYXAp4_xN8y6X8irAXkbAwC6Z55Snv3xbYrmP01FTYH0dwGgjGde4Wr4HwHTX-UaydYa_pNaCqid2CbK-ESPo5-wT3dS6xjPrP9dnyYTmMsgVfggB79eqeGDAlaJhwujkCZbvY8HcwQfWzyOJ6ta7D6oXP0nGbQ6t9ILIDOZI_2jhHhgsY1cP2Msk/s545/BATMAN148%20007.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="518" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKysnYXAp4_xN8y6X8irAXkbAwC6Z55Snv3xbYrmP01FTYH0dwGgjGde4Wr4HwHTX-UaydYa_pNaCqid2CbK-ESPo5-wT3dS6xjPrP9dnyYTmMsgVfggB79eqeGDAlaJhwujkCZbvY8HcwQfWzyOJ6ta7D6oXP0nGbQ6t9ILIDOZI_2jhHhgsY1cP2Msk/s320/BATMAN148%20007.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><div>Near the city, Batman sees two green outer space aliens and realizes that the Force Twins must be electronic watchdogs. Batman and Robin knock out the aliens and enter the city, where they hear other aliens reveal that they are on Earth to steal rare minerals. The Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder are captured and jailed, but they escape by digging an underground tunnel. Batman's keen observation leads him to realize that the aliens are vulnerable to water, so he splashes a couple and he and Robin make it to the aliens' control panel, where they pull a switch that makes the Force Twins disappear. The aliens blast off back into space, never to return.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jim Mooney's art is about the only thing worthwhile in this lead story, which features yet another set of aliens who have come to Earth for some nefarious reason. Coleman's drawings of Batman in some of the panels remind me of what we'd see in some of the TV show images in a few years; I wonder if the producers used Mooney's art?</div><div><br /></div><div>Bruce Wayne's cousin, young Vanderveer Wayne, visits for a week and drives Dick Grayson crazy with his bragging about his skill at fencing and gymnastics. Dick finally has had enough and shows off his own skills, earning a reprimand from Bruce, who fears that such a display will give away their secret identities. The next morning, Alfred carelessly walks through the front room of Wayne Manor carrying Batman and Robin's spare costumes from being laundered when Vanderveer walks in and sees him. Bruce thinks fast and says they're for a masquerade ball, but Vanderveer has an idea.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ywzUfq6YzjBAcwnz3PM4tk_rjDmThXTNSuqJOfUjxlMhitOYilUEGl1D8Bg6PIsY9CgMtwrzJuBJ02gKQZx6cNmFg4RhCGSfukDtr4EqqM4EDZo6LaQj_-B7IIsddHjPQr9PRQK7cZTsyozXZouow0pO3FGNfwzAWmnvtRQscg6RLV6-xPMohMsFieE/s619/BATMAN148%20016.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="619" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ywzUfq6YzjBAcwnz3PM4tk_rjDmThXTNSuqJOfUjxlMhitOYilUEGl1D8Bg6PIsY9CgMtwrzJuBJ02gKQZx6cNmFg4RhCGSfukDtr4EqqM4EDZo6LaQj_-B7IIsddHjPQr9PRQK7cZTsyozXZouow0pO3FGNfwzAWmnvtRQscg6RLV6-xPMohMsFieE/s320/BATMAN148%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Later that day, at a giant Don Quixote exhibit sponsored by the Read-A-Good-Book Committee, Bruce and Dick are shocked to see Batman and Robin appear and fight a fire that has broken out. Robin whips off his mask and reveals himself as Vanderveer, telling Dick that he's the real Robin and that's why he's so good at gymnastics! When Van returns to the apartment of his paid accomplice, ex-Vaudeville acrobat "Jumpy" Regan, the crook tells Van that they should wear their costumes to rob the Stuart Ice Cream plant! Van rebels and gets a sock in the jaw.</div><div><br /></div><div>Van follows Jumpy to the ice cream factory, where there are (of course) giant ice cream sundaes and syrup dispensers. The real Batman and Robin show up and a short battle ensues, where "The Boy Who Was Robin" works with the real Boy Wonder and Batman to defeat the fake Batman.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've noticed a trend lately in the Batman titles. The stories either have to do with space aliens and don't include many (or any) scenes with Bruce, Dick, Batgirl, Batwoman, and the like, or else they are more focused on the extended Batman family and their shenanigans. I must say that I'm finding the stories with the extended family (even Bat-Mite) more enjoyable than the ones with aliens. Bruce's snooty young cousin Vandermeer annoys Dick Grayson and then pretends to be Robin, and it's fun.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmJbNGAayyV4z_puhaCKnwnvnP85HcpUSmW6OUx0-OmfOQBM6ll7lA4zWF37xQKFDDd5Ahlg_nwB4PDTBWSVuv4eQEmLWBIWeEzYkzIYR8evRyD0DaePDHuIahrnkyupOTXGgrKnvh-sTFaB9QHwKN1VKYSR-bCyUwHjG9iFbV-wV193Iu0YXdLJ3AH8/s1205/BATMAN148%20027.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="1205" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmJbNGAayyV4z_puhaCKnwnvnP85HcpUSmW6OUx0-OmfOQBM6ll7lA4zWF37xQKFDDd5Ahlg_nwB4PDTBWSVuv4eQEmLWBIWeEzYkzIYR8evRyD0DaePDHuIahrnkyupOTXGgrKnvh-sTFaB9QHwKN1VKYSR-bCyUwHjG9iFbV-wV193Iu0YXdLJ3AH8/s320/BATMAN148%20027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>A clue sent by the Joker leads Batman to intercept the Clown Prince of Crime in the middle of a robbery by helicopter, but when the craft crash-lands, "The Joker's Greatest Triumph" is achieved when he unmasks Batman! The next day, a newspaper headline states that the Joker won't reveal Batman's secret identity unless he is captured, suggesting that Batman should leave him alone or else. Batman will have none of it and redoubles his efforts to catch the Joker.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9dfnp6hVrgR7_ZEgTiatTHRTzPoFO8lmy_D4iPqJenp8YmlC_A9O8tAcvicHIi-ZG-8aZMRnBKnmCH8abPYhRpqETxdQPBJ38uzrvk7Q4tbR4oOWGMeJMSi01Sloqy-4RDiCsiqJZ39H1Jb1pwvV-8f92st7HFNRYJzuh-vptsuJEmg9gX5bqx_SIqs/s710/BATMAN148%20027.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="710" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9dfnp6hVrgR7_ZEgTiatTHRTzPoFO8lmy_D4iPqJenp8YmlC_A9O8tAcvicHIi-ZG-8aZMRnBKnmCH8abPYhRpqETxdQPBJ38uzrvk7Q4tbR4oOWGMeJMSi01Sloqy-4RDiCsiqJZ39H1Jb1pwvV-8f92st7HFNRYJzuh-vptsuJEmg9gX5bqx_SIqs/s320/BATMAN148%20027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Another clue leads Batman to encounter the Joker as the crook tries to steal the head of a giant stone figure in order to get the jewels hidden inside. The Joker gets away, which leads the press to speculate that Batman let him go on purpose. Finally, the third encounter between Batman and the Joker comes at a circus, where Batman unmasks the Joker, who is pretending to be a clown. In the end, the Joker is forced to admit that he doesn't know Batman's secret identity after all, because a bright light was too blinding for him to make out Batman's unmasked face.</div><div><br /></div><div>What a cheat! I was really looking forward to this story when I saw this issue's cover, but it's just the same series of obvious clues left by the Joker and near-misses by Batman until the final capture. The panel where the Joker should see Bruce Wayne's face is very clear, so the concluding explanation about the blinding light seems like a cop-out. Moldoff swipes from Kane and/or Robinson for some of the Joker's expressions.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Peter-</b>The Joker finale is the cop-out of the century. I figured the prince of crime would end up with amnesia but, no, we get an even stupider reveal! Aliens. Why did it have to be aliens? That leaves the middle story, "The Boy Who Was Robin," which didn't exactly achieve near-classic status but was at least exciting and clever. And it contained no aliens, let's not forget. I had to laugh at the climax where the rich little kid goes without even a spanking for setting off the events of the adventure. In fact, Dick praises the brat for his athleticism. Rich spoiled kids.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmj3gtSioI7_zDyE6TAS6vHNm5g2Ys50S8sexuCnylTxM3XUyN-blc4LpU6YUncK7AJSivwgahJKL0D8A-k7Mzh8zoqhcY_7si9JuqQ2GF6jlP16JMlXI9CwvaZyaKBxrA9ZjPx-_6Aj2tlKf1Cn3FR8d3f45KWj_Oqq-8XZDi5j_LAGh_kuXMyioFHMzZ/s600/5409.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmj3gtSioI7_zDyE6TAS6vHNm5g2Ys50S8sexuCnylTxM3XUyN-blc4LpU6YUncK7AJSivwgahJKL0D8A-k7Mzh8zoqhcY_7si9JuqQ2GF6jlP16JMlXI9CwvaZyaKBxrA9ZjPx-_6Aj2tlKf1Cn3FR8d3f45KWj_Oqq-8XZDi5j_LAGh_kuXMyioFHMzZ/s320/5409.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #304</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Return of Clay-Face"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Crime College"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Bruce Wayne and his mentally-challenged ward, Dick Grayson, are in the Bat-Cave desperately trying to figure out why the New Coke formula was so bad when Alfred barges in to deliver the news... Matt Hagen, a/k/a Clay-Face, has escaped from Gotham Prison (and only days before he would be paroled!). Bruce opines that all of Gotham will be in big trouble if Hagen makes it to his secret stash of clay-juice.</div><div><br /></div><div>At that very moment, Hagen is bathing in the waters that grant him molecular instability, deep inside a hidden grotto. Hagen has major plans this time out: he needs to get together a huge amount of cash and wants vengeance on the Dynamic Duo. Later, his first heist is the payroll in a shipyard office. An alarm is activated and, luckily and coincidentally, Batman and Robin are patrolling the very same street and answer the call. Batman tosses a lasso around Clay-Face but the evil sack of mud transforms himself into a top and Batman barely gets away with his life. Clay-Face escapes.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGFfgLXKFFPRCRd-HPJM-JiLP4qsUM-W-BRTxONRhqosjCRxGZeiljrdj8aE_uz0CptmBl7CYnxjUsDIVuLmZhgkszr5KAXNbTRCWrS-K0h8b8XFtE1nRwasowS2kPiRPZmxTWkxbq-ULZlLPjpRAD6EeUYErFqnzfWdhr0R0AkMrWjA8kY3iE4qPREJc/s1518/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%202.36.17%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="1518" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGFfgLXKFFPRCRd-HPJM-JiLP4qsUM-W-BRTxONRhqosjCRxGZeiljrdj8aE_uz0CptmBl7CYnxjUsDIVuLmZhgkszr5KAXNbTRCWrS-K0h8b8XFtE1nRwasowS2kPiRPZmxTWkxbq-ULZlLPjpRAD6EeUYErFqnzfWdhr0R0AkMrWjA8kY3iE4qPREJc/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%202.36.17%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Later, in the Batmobile, Robin suggests that Batman go hang out in one of his clubs (no, not one of <i>those</i> clubs!) and work off some of his tension. Great idea! So, as billionaire Bruce Wayne, our hero arrives at the Pharaoh Club, a hangout exclusive to rich, elitist snobs who don't really do anything in their spare time besides smoke pipes and read their mail. Bruce is right at home.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the club, Bruce is introduced to the friend of Professor Colton, a Brit named John Royce, who seems to be a friendly old chap but who may be hiding a dirty (muddy) secret. One of the other members, Phipps, tells Bruce he's expecting delivery of a Rembrandt at his estate later that night. John Royce looks on with interest. That night, Bruce shows up at the Phipps mansion to see what the big hullabaloo is all about and is roundly rebuffed at the door by Phipps, who explains that he has a terrible toothache. Knowing that Phipps wears false teeth, Bruce heads into the woods and strips down to his Bat-uniform. He then heads back to the door to confront the imposter. Frazzled, Phipps transforms back into Clay-Face and then into a giant grasshopper before hopping away with the Rembrandt!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBQK3RDxzhWJSuwS4nlizFFZGFN84oseXnFpl6k0LT2f9bKj_cXJTRdCZX3wtcLuQ6hx5xbm9jGTJjd8ui-l_DjdOhyseyC_oe_rkHNMq_Sdeh3fry8quXg5u2KsBFt5eplvyl-_rG5NH_RXeDhY6U3v5If19FLyNJsJCdRpVzIYJn9_KLpLpXEmGyZko/s1530/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%202.37.02%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="1530" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBQK3RDxzhWJSuwS4nlizFFZGFN84oseXnFpl6k0LT2f9bKj_cXJTRdCZX3wtcLuQ6hx5xbm9jGTJjd8ui-l_DjdOhyseyC_oe_rkHNMq_Sdeh3fry8quXg5u2KsBFt5eplvyl-_rG5NH_RXeDhY6U3v5If19FLyNJsJCdRpVzIYJn9_KLpLpXEmGyZko/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%202.37.02%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Batman enters the mansion and finds the real Phipps tied up. He releases the man and then, with Robin, heads to Royce's cottage. There they find Royce tied and gagged. Once Bats has removed the gag, Royce displays outrage at his treatment and demands that Batman get on the radio and broadcast an alarm! Being the world's greatest detective has its perks and Batman immediately recognizes that Brits don't use the word "radio" (they say "the wireless"). There<i> is</i> no Royce; this guy is Clay-Face! Realizing the only "Pharaoh" they haven't checked on is Professor Colton, they head to the egghead's swanky digs and find the Prof. chained to a radiator.</div><div><br /></div><div>Colton explains how Hagen brought the last of his super-rejuvo formula to him and ordered the academic to mess with the ingredients until they produced a longer-lasting protoplasm. Batman wisely grabs the last of the clay-juice in order to concoct a "suspended animation" potion to spray on Clay-Face. The boys head back to Royce's place and confront him with their suspicions that he's not who he says he is. Sure enough, Royce transforms into a giant bat and his nemesis sprays him with Suspendo, immediately freezing him. When the freeze wears off, Hagen is in a Gotham cell once more. But Batman knows there will be trouble if Clay-Face ever escapes again!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gsdwGQPzMQcHwpTNOAIeGM79aKNFBW3bD_ojA_H-rSt6XYYtaSTa2oS48Ds-EQQOh7DGtzWrIqEcxAoRhKZ0k0oDTAe2zkMBy3EICppzOaox1_slrLddOsgUAXQ08R6nnnrcuIoVQZKhLde4WW477TNCYZbsU1fkel5kNmuHC6H2BdUyFktKvlMRPUqk/s1456/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%202.37.28%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="1456" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gsdwGQPzMQcHwpTNOAIeGM79aKNFBW3bD_ojA_H-rSt6XYYtaSTa2oS48Ds-EQQOh7DGtzWrIqEcxAoRhKZ0k0oDTAe2zkMBy3EICppzOaox1_slrLddOsgUAXQ08R6nnnrcuIoVQZKhLde4WW477TNCYZbsU1fkel5kNmuHC6H2BdUyFktKvlMRPUqk/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%202.37.28%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>"The Return of Clay-Face" is a very satisfying adventure with an extremely cool villain, one I'd like to see drawn by a professional comic book artist. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the art here is awful; quite the opposite, it's much better than usual. The GCD lists Moldoff and Paris as artists but the work doesn't appear to be as generic as, say, the story in<i> Detective</i> #303. Maybe because the team was given something other than aliens or robots to work with. Bill Finger definitely seems to be enjoying himself, writing with gusto and including quite a few clever twists. The continuing carousel of "Guess who the Clay Guy is impersonating now" is a lot of fun as well. I'd love to see a "rules" sheet for Clay-Face. In one scene, he changes into a shark, but why would his gills work? And why does his coloring change? Fascinating.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50mB9V669KTmcJmMZmhB8u3-TxzKhOQUzHcSFIjUQ3BgIxlw6GIxK1D3G9zdSHy8p1RvZX8HI4mMdXRZP6PDuqlLPY3W4GVT2uarpIo3xRkuHOaskU5zIf23eOV4SY3oyvqZW5nMgPgBJdC80pWodffp_5-LvmWMEGvGpSoIucKg3ERvjbFswEupo8Ftk/s870/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%202.49.04%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="870" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50mB9V669KTmcJmMZmhB8u3-TxzKhOQUzHcSFIjUQ3BgIxlw6GIxK1D3G9zdSHy8p1RvZX8HI4mMdXRZP6PDuqlLPY3W4GVT2uarpIo3xRkuHOaskU5zIf23eOV4SY3oyvqZW5nMgPgBJdC80pWodffp_5-LvmWMEGvGpSoIucKg3ERvjbFswEupo8Ftk/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-25%20at%202.49.04%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Professor Proxon, high-end criminal and academic, rules over "The Crime College," hardened hesiters and mob goons who have one thing in common: they love money. But Proxon is becoming exasperated with J'Onn J'Onzz, as the Martian Manhunter keeps foiling his criminal plots. And the students aren't passing with the grades they're getting, either. In the (very predictable) ending, J'Onn masquerades as felon Fred Framer and infiltrates the college before shutting it down altogether. A really dumb adventure... no, wait, that's what I typed about the last episode, didn't I? It's like<b><i> Groundhog Day </i></b>around here. I have to say the only panel in this disposable tripe that made me smile is when Proxon meets Framer at the college and remarks that he'd be happy to sign him up at the crime college. Meanwhile, Framer (MM) replies out loud in what should have been a thought balloon. Yep, I'm reaching for things to mention here.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Jack-</b>Clay-Face is a great villain, and he's a welcome break from stories about aliens, Bat-Babies, and the Joker. The end of this one leaves the door open for more, and I hope he comes back soon. The Martian Manhunter story was fairly routine, with more nonsense about trying to keep his weakness regarding fire from the underworld. The tank with the giant circular saw must have cost a lot, but I guess it's worth it to steal a cool million.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8hEUHRGswsTotzJbG4d_Rnoz7hNz9888sxJQeB64EMWhmVIJ2aZGnEBsFr8oXnoJNFYNhp7h7wghnKmqBHX44YwW2nsIMlhp9oUe3h7Gvav8-vwf0Bax_Vx0sPbrSNtjrBW_6QVJqmiiuuLtnbmEub6IYYa4ByiSSWfEuQM-B90hx-JiP4c39cCNpvQ/s1864/BATMAN148%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8hEUHRGswsTotzJbG4d_Rnoz7hNz9888sxJQeB64EMWhmVIJ2aZGnEBsFr8oXnoJNFYNhp7h7wghnKmqBHX44YwW2nsIMlhp9oUe3h7Gvav8-vwf0Bax_Vx0sPbrSNtjrBW_6QVJqmiiuuLtnbmEub6IYYa4ByiSSWfEuQM-B90hx-JiP4c39cCNpvQ/w275-h400/BATMAN148%20002.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbBIHxHMl2jGTSS_alNVS_XkTMs0sKpB_O5-5gaxQkRURxvSGVWbqlnE4oMxawKMQoX1bIqRHUFwG70z_NjbN6kEfFffDinLfJrnbvou7SZbBifjGUi2klBFmRziwg9UUwscnrrgImzkrhBZG9J_w6L2bOnu_fUQM550VOAjtNcQLTkqc22zClqeRawfO/s1466/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%202.47.42%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="1328" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbBIHxHMl2jGTSS_alNVS_XkTMs0sKpB_O5-5gaxQkRURxvSGVWbqlnE4oMxawKMQoX1bIqRHUFwG70z_NjbN6kEfFffDinLfJrnbvou7SZbBifjGUi2klBFmRziwg9UUwscnrrgImzkrhBZG9J_w6L2bOnu_fUQM550VOAjtNcQLTkqc22zClqeRawfO/w363-h400/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%202.47.42%20PM.png" width="363" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Gentleman Gene<br />Throws Us a Rope!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-79883938620136071432024-01-29T04:00:00.000-08:002024-01-29T04:00:00.201-08:00Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 104: Atlas/ Marvel Horror & Science Fiction Comics!<p> </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s1600/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Marvel/Atlas </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horror Comics</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part 89</b></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>October 1955 </b></span><b style="font-size: large;">Part II</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by Peter Enfantino</b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>and Jack Seabrook</b></span></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeL10Pe4fsqVxePstHFqe3ZgR1jVH1nAT6ujcBgjJI45gF8Zo70oT96Qrgpd0SgbgyNXsb2jUgPw9eN5h1WmGwEv2I7EpRGOM6jsNCcELdo12aooKhYU0Qgo2P7WnnL1MvFrjXJN1Y2ZU4hYpyWcmo_k3CJ7VspzNhikRJqf_0dCblC4MWL3X3l8ffZ_U/s600/197309.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeL10Pe4fsqVxePstHFqe3ZgR1jVH1nAT6ujcBgjJI45gF8Zo70oT96Qrgpd0SgbgyNXsb2jUgPw9eN5h1WmGwEv2I7EpRGOM6jsNCcELdo12aooKhYU0Qgo2P7WnnL1MvFrjXJN1Y2ZU4hYpyWcmo_k3CJ7VspzNhikRJqf_0dCblC4MWL3X3l8ffZ_U/s320/197309.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Mystic #40</b><div><b>Cover by Sol Brodsky</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The One Who Was Nowhere!" (a: Bill Everett) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Impossible Man" (a: Manny Stallman) </b><b> </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Dreadful Decision!" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><b> </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"A Million Years" (a: Vic Carrabotta) </b><b> </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Homeless Ones!" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><br /></div><div>With the help of a mysterious female voice, Ken Clark is able to escape a prison camp and make it back to the States in one piece. The voice haunts him every minute of every day and he hopes she'll come to him again. Ken almost gets hit by a train when he's approaching a railroad crossing and the voice again comes to his rescue.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bedazzled, Ken visits his old friend, Professor Thomas Barrett, who is lecturing at the University auditorium. While entering the building, Ken gets a strong vision in his head of a pretty woman about to be run down in the street. His brain waves <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6nTZ1s81PlPDLffKeP6EISbmTYKqDM7cOabWrJxDxXgvL_gRWekeYpxOyOeW0FhzOm4YzOqoqxHsFN3mSlvI8Rc3OFF8zURyH1qWsxRAmjcWOG2gthnratOchfgkZeuC74qUHf8KmBVPOE7M68E4rYAB5B9tZfS58TsTfuF9OrYybd2i6jpmTG2mjTOM/s652/Screenshot%202024-01-16%20at%205.19.14%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="598" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6nTZ1s81PlPDLffKeP6EISbmTYKqDM7cOabWrJxDxXgvL_gRWekeYpxOyOeW0FhzOm4YzOqoqxHsFN3mSlvI8Rc3OFF8zURyH1qWsxRAmjcWOG2gthnratOchfgkZeuC74qUHf8KmBVPOE7M68E4rYAB5B9tZfS58TsTfuF9OrYybd2i6jpmTG2mjTOM/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-16%20at%205.19.14%20PM.png" width="293" /></a></div>call out a warning to her. Later, while Ken is chatting with Professor Barrett, a pretty young woman comes into the room and is introduced as Barrett's niece, Myra. When Myra speaks, Ken recognizes her voice immediately and the young lady explains to the men that she had almost been run over by a car but escaped thanks to a faceless voice. Once the eerie situation is explained, Myra and Ken realize they were made for each other and embrace.</div><div><br /></div><div>Poor Bill Everett had to go from the triumphs of the pre-code to the doldrums of post-. The art is literally the only thing to recommend the oddly-titled "The One Who Was Nowhere," but it's some really good Everett. Though Myra only makes a cameo, she's one of the most beautiful comic book females I've ever seen. No, I'm not joking. </div><div><br /></div><div>Kenneth Shaw can't wait to get done with his boring job every day so he can hop in his dream convertible and drive home. Trouble is, only Kenneth can see the car! The local traffic cop, Officer O'Grady, pulls "The Impossible Man" over for a ticket, warning our hero that he won't be made a fool of by a dope who drives around in <i>nothing</i>! </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lBZVk-S-K5rUyoxcGuJHPn9Vzl6IqlLX8M5TqDo45NUAC78XzOgGTEAJ3FFGHtFkdCfymVvYxMbW4gta2_8g71UX9B4m4AwvgYkUJ6tvpkCBJ6xyUoWBRJJsLw_w_k5JDbyh4Xdn-kAa4TpFfRW4D9xspZMSuyZET6B5sRtSivxbNtQfDtxlCIfW6rul/s1418/Screenshot%202024-01-16%20at%206.00.38%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1366" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lBZVk-S-K5rUyoxcGuJHPn9Vzl6IqlLX8M5TqDo45NUAC78XzOgGTEAJ3FFGHtFkdCfymVvYxMbW4gta2_8g71UX9B4m4AwvgYkUJ6tvpkCBJ6xyUoWBRJJsLw_w_k5JDbyh4Xdn-kAa4TpFfRW4D9xspZMSuyZET6B5sRtSivxbNtQfDtxlCIfW6rul/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-16%20at%206.00.38%20PM.png" width="308" /></a></div>Kenneth explains that, ever since he was a child, he wanted a beautiful red convertible and he's sure that anyone who wishes hard enough has their dream come true. O'Grady admits that when he was a kid, he wanted to be a cop with a red, shiny motorcycle, gives Kenneth one more stern warning, and gets back on his invisible hog. A cute little fantasy with a nice little smile-inducing climax.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the year 3628, scientists on Earth make a cold-blooded decision to abandon a space station in outer space that houses two thousand people. The decision is debated but the act is followed through. Almost immediately, Earth begins moving away from the sun. One big brain theorizes that this disaster is keyed in to the merciless destruction of the satellite but another disagrees and believes it is nothing more than coincidence. We discover the latter is correct when our focus shifts to a faraway planet and two scientists who debate the merits of abandoning their satellite (Earth) after monitoring her for millions of years.</div><div><br /></div><div>Though the science is a bit suspect (our final look at the two Earth professors shows them bundled up in parkas when they should be long dead), the fiction is admittedly engaging. "The Dreadful Decision!" describes the inhuman discarding of two thousand lives in as subtle of a way as possible in order to forego the axe of the CCA, but it's still a chilling scene.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1WqXeCfZ5lE3FAqSt98_dT1NT1sf6rY1ewqKkOyR-H7aKKE5F8vM_hy98s4I7RNzVfiJ82ThAxoskBlw5Si4Jm6DOn6KML7rQ7Tss06pDsEzKfV2JPP_4i7h0eK0n8rTetQ5OF7AoFarqyjxK-w35E1AlWhuvVYFmxa0rLWGiN1IUbb-82qgF29r7eiK/s660/Screenshot%202024-01-16%20at%206.18.31%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1WqXeCfZ5lE3FAqSt98_dT1NT1sf6rY1ewqKkOyR-H7aKKE5F8vM_hy98s4I7RNzVfiJ82ThAxoskBlw5Si4Jm6DOn6KML7rQ7Tss06pDsEzKfV2JPP_4i7h0eK0n8rTetQ5OF7AoFarqyjxK-w35E1AlWhuvVYFmxa0rLWGiN1IUbb-82qgF29r7eiK/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-16%20at%206.18.31%20PM.png" width="255" /></a></div>"A Million Years" is another dumb rip-off of Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder," wherein a scientist and his dopey assistant aim their time machine for prehistoric times and accidentally bring back the first uranium ore. This, of course, puts a halt to all A-Bomb testing, since the world's supply of the precious metal suddenly disappears. Anti-war stories are a-okay with me as long as they display a little logic along with the propaganda. Here, writer Paul S. Newman must have forgotten that, if Professor Cross and his aide, Lennie Small, had hijacked the only ore on the planet, scientists in 1955 would not be experimenting with the stuff when it disappears! Oh, these stories make my head hurt. </div><div><br /></div><div>Young Basil suffers from a malady modern science cannot cure but the local gypsies, friends of Basil, bring him a "bird of spring" to keep with him in his room. Immediately, the boy recovers and his father, a very important man, has to admit these filthy gypsies might be good for something. "The Homeless Ones!" comes across as a Hallmark Movie of the Week at times; it's sappy, preachy, and sugary. But its message is a good one and the Forgione/Abel art is very good as well. If I didn't know better, I'd say young Steve Ditko might have gotten a bit of influence from these guys.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwcmmfAJ8K233fkjtzI7_iQCSQFwj9_kGSkEX31Yo94SWF1hmF9dWVUZOoZqO4IVIzh7brMTRYnY2X9LgcOfpKodbMvuHTfIi_voSZv9YFUTKcGR3pk5XI_K18Mxn5j5eSxpFAPEie9TgFeXW79KMMsIoEt0G4MqeplQMvNw3hw3BzryPXNdTmU5BE5kU/s606/75159.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwcmmfAJ8K233fkjtzI7_iQCSQFwj9_kGSkEX31Yo94SWF1hmF9dWVUZOoZqO4IVIzh7brMTRYnY2X9LgcOfpKodbMvuHTfIi_voSZv9YFUTKcGR3pk5XI_K18Mxn5j5eSxpFAPEie9TgFeXW79KMMsIoEt0G4MqeplQMvNw3hw3BzryPXNdTmU5BE5kU/s320/75159.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><b>Spellbound #24</b><div><b>Cover by Joe Maneely & Carl Burgos (?)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Frightened Man" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Thelma!" (a: John Romita) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"Eye Over the City" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Where Did Danny Go?" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Long Night" (a: John Tartaglione) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><br /></div><div>At the beginning of the 17th Century, Stefan pays an artist to paint a portrait of him that, the artist insists, will enable Stefan to stay young forever. The artist explains that the portrait will grow old while Stefan stays young. Hmmmmm....Stefan jumps at the chance and takes the painting back to his place, hanging it on a wall in an upstairs room. He locks the room and orders the servants not to enter. </div><div><br /></div><div>Five decades pass, Stefan is 70, and the portrait grows ugly and grey while its subject remains a strapping lad in his twenties. Stefan meets a beautiful woman named Theresa and invites her and her family over to see his mansion, with an eye to proposing at a later date. The house is a hit but when the group come to the "door which shall not be opened," Theresa's father insists on seeing the inside of this forbidden room. When Stefan refuses, the man insists that Theresa will not marry him until the entire estate is investigated.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3wUwfw8ahhM5VTQM5OQC8mIl-sqnIdzsuI4JOs07ctuMcUrDyPOY6OHWeuK6zU6Y3dwGBzwiO6S5ytBKS4hv9zxpdLDsVddZVJVVJ5pA4c05wMsH7PG6xCCYmrky57EhXKh3Mt7-iEK6H1ifEaMVGNkWb4Br2vG1uWHQqG5jWychJM3QYnZ7NroPwf0m/s640/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%204.24.34%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="624" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3wUwfw8ahhM5VTQM5OQC8mIl-sqnIdzsuI4JOs07ctuMcUrDyPOY6OHWeuK6zU6Y3dwGBzwiO6S5ytBKS4hv9zxpdLDsVddZVJVVJ5pA4c05wMsH7PG6xCCYmrky57EhXKh3Mt7-iEK6H1ifEaMVGNkWb4Br2vG1uWHQqG5jWychJM3QYnZ7NroPwf0m/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%204.24.34%20PM.png" width="312" /></a></div>In a panic, Stefan revisits the artist who painted his portrait and begs him to paint a younger version over the old, decrepit man. The painter complies and finishes just as Stefan is opening the forbidden door and letting his future in-laws have a look. The painting is a hit until Stefan turns and they get a look at his wrinkled visage. Hmmmmm....</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, the bullpen relies on the youth of their audience while ripping off classics. This time, obviously, a pinch of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is thrown into the ink of "The Frightened Man." I can overlook the plagiarism by pulpster Carl Wessler, as thievery was commonplace in 1950s horror comics. What makes me laugh is 1/ the father's insistence that he see this room, one which Stefan has told him has nothing interesting within, and 2/ Stefan's terror at having the portrait gazed upon without thinking maybe he could move the thing out of the room before they show up the second time.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKvnL83JkKT0N5ME_SHa07w50tRf7_uxFZqU07zMB74uXsfrsnNwGaw6W5CoefGf8ncUNrMJTyGHx8fmoDxi2Tzb1lUJNQpkn-xybTSA2NNAsTTZDk91lcLGKQdj8bv3IlkkcEuyMU1c_cQ7VDtBx-8Auv9Edxz9W13RgKwok9zombXut3kloN99ZQbEg/s640/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%205.09.32%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="592" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKvnL83JkKT0N5ME_SHa07w50tRf7_uxFZqU07zMB74uXsfrsnNwGaw6W5CoefGf8ncUNrMJTyGHx8fmoDxi2Tzb1lUJNQpkn-xybTSA2NNAsTTZDk91lcLGKQdj8bv3IlkkcEuyMU1c_cQ7VDtBx-8Auv9Edxz9W13RgKwok9zombXut3kloN99ZQbEg/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%205.09.32%20PM.png" width="296" /></a></div>Leslie's doll, "Thelma," can talk to her. No, really, she can. When Leslie's mother gets sick and the little girl has no one to talk to her, Thelma is a regular chatterbox... box scores on the Yankee games, vegan recipes, how to land a non-JD boyfriend, the works. But when Leslie tries to get the rag doll to talk in front of her mom, the toy clams up. The doll explains to Leslie that it only talks to kids who are lonely and, in fact, once Leslie's mom is well, Thelma hits the road and finds another lonely kid. </div><div><br /></div><div>I found this disposable little yarn to be quite charming and void of the usual maudlin sentimentality. Leslie arrives at the conclusion that she no longer needs Thelma now that her mummy is all better. Of course, mom will miss her alcoholic lunches and the mailman's "delivery," but she had the brat in the first place, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>Police officer Jack Rogers has an "Eye Over the City" with his elaborate monitoring system; there's a camera on every corner and Rogers keeps his attention on the screens 24/7. But the grind is getting too much for him and he tells his C.O. that after this next assignment he'll be resigning.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HykHJzGKJHpQj4BBx7CA5Ym0Det7ttydE_jITs2u29yMmrXDsQCU3rliRBI-TNyesIYNkBFO1GlTJWe09U5gJAjZ-a3sngtvLNdw8Hd26Fc4m6C0OQj0K02IaYDL35SLtKWdxiVV-ENl4sRPbfkTGRIJetg-ZIGPUFzUqqG1lDGGodaUxYVYZUa7f08G/s1384/Screenshot%202024-01-18%20at%203.38.43%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="1384" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HykHJzGKJHpQj4BBx7CA5Ym0Det7ttydE_jITs2u29yMmrXDsQCU3rliRBI-TNyesIYNkBFO1GlTJWe09U5gJAjZ-a3sngtvLNdw8Hd26Fc4m6C0OQj0K02IaYDL35SLtKWdxiVV-ENl4sRPbfkTGRIJetg-ZIGPUFzUqqG1lDGGodaUxYVYZUa7f08G/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-18%20at%203.38.43%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The chief's not happy, but he agrees with Rogers' wishes once the younger cop gets a camera up on Maple and 10th, a corner frequented by a "big bookie." Rogers installs the cameras and then hurries back to headquarters, where a strange scene plays out on his screen: a vision of the future, complete with flying cars and spectacular architecture. While mesmerized by the science-fictional vision, Jack overhears two pedestrians drop his name and sees a newspaper with a decades-older picture of him on the front page, a headline declaring him a hero. The screen crackles out, and suddenly Maple Street and 10th are back in 1955. Rogers notifies the patrol car and they bust the bookie. When the chief comes around with Jack's resignation papers, tomorrow's savior politely declines.</div><div><br /></div><div>An intriguing and beautifully-drawn science fiction yarn reminiscent of Philip K. Dick's "The Minority Report" (which wouldn't be published until the following year), "Eye Over the City" predicts the coming of CCTV in a very odd way. Though I assume the year is 1955, the set-up looks like the future. Could this be an alternate present? In any event, the plot is clever and (again) Benulis dazzles.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NFHAuWuTd2bVrx1xEd6IKbEN_D_cwhXC6v1mTTgBe9CA1Z8K6Kdqrnd7G-rN5QRUBMZOsyjd43UfhBYzrGf-NNybm-XCR2Mi7hHUB7DCEHR6InNi3lCZ7PBN-Z7tI76Uy8hJe4YbjCF3hI3Ct5xjiUpdJJyB2A6twkMRKKxJ3xMP4jyrx3ZEm9HkTOlA/s1356/Screenshot%202024-01-18%20at%203.38.26%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="1356" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NFHAuWuTd2bVrx1xEd6IKbEN_D_cwhXC6v1mTTgBe9CA1Z8K6Kdqrnd7G-rN5QRUBMZOsyjd43UfhBYzrGf-NNybm-XCR2Mi7hHUB7DCEHR6InNi3lCZ7PBN-Z7tI76Uy8hJe4YbjCF3hI3Ct5xjiUpdJJyB2A6twkMRKKxJ3xMP4jyrx3ZEm9HkTOlA/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-18%20at%203.38.26%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Tina, the world's tiniest woman, dumps her beau, Joe, for new little guy on the block, Danny, but the romance is short-lived when Heaven calls Cupid (Danny) back from Earth. "Where Did Danny Go?" is a complicated and goofy little romance/fantasy; I had to read it a couple times to figure out exactly what was going on.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the finale, "The Long Night," the world is on the brink of war when suddenly, everything goes dark. There is no electricity. The sun refuses to rise (anywhere around the world, evidently). Earth's super powers must learn to cooperate with each other in order to survive. When a "Peace Council" is assembled, the electricity comes on and the sun rises. Not a bad anti-war yarn; obviously not written by Stan, since the Russkies don't look for any way possible to break the peace treaty and kill the American dogs. At one point, a European ship comes into an American harbor (ostensibly New York), and the captain tells of journeying across "the dark sea." I think this was the most eerie aspect of the tale, considering what it would take to steer a ship across thousands of miles of nothing but pitch. Overall, one of the better Atlas comics published post-code so far.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSoa3tM_83AjyDp_C47B3XtbGoJ7MouP1p1v638l7ye0ZoKjBWDxxvQiaJ7N6HeUWSd_0Pai0yuOdxaTuFyOUT_dMW7S7W3ZbWHGifVuU37Z2Dd8ObakkSoJ8l0Zi61AVZ1tpPlm0yuRWgUlP5wpwu15-TII-m7cHsnfEBnZnMsfD0H0hvmi7F7EpdSI_/s597/184795.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSoa3tM_83AjyDp_C47B3XtbGoJ7MouP1p1v638l7ye0ZoKjBWDxxvQiaJ7N6HeUWSd_0Pai0yuOdxaTuFyOUT_dMW7S7W3ZbWHGifVuU37Z2Dd8ObakkSoJ8l0Zi61AVZ1tpPlm0yuRWgUlP5wpwu15-TII-m7cHsnfEBnZnMsfD0H0hvmi7F7EpdSI_/s320/184795.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><b>Strange Stories of Suspense #5</b><div><b>Cover by Joe Maneely</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Little Black Box!" (a: Dick Ayers & Ernie Bache) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Prisoner!" (a: Art Peddy) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Uncle Ed and the Men from Space" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"Magic Words!" (a: Russ Heath) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Man of Mystery" (a: Syd Shores) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Strange Stories of Suspense</i>, the 19th title in the Atlas horror/science fiction group, began its publication life as <i>Rugged Action</i>, a variety title featuring adventure and war strips. It's odd that Goodman should add new SF/horror titles to his catalogue when the genre was dying out thanks to indifference and the CCA. <i>SSoS</i> would last twelve issues before succumbing to the Atlas implosion of late 1957.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a lifetime of greed and stabbing his business partners in the back, Cavendish is always looking over his shoulder for the payback. One day, a nicely-wrapped package arrives at his door and Cavendish is at a loss for words as to who would be nice enough to send him a present. Then, of course, his past flashes through his mind and he expects the worst. After several panels of angst, Cavendish finally opens the parcel and discovers "The Little Black Box!" When he lifts the lid, he's relieved to find... cookies from his mother! Suddenly, the evil seeps from his body and he orders his butler to send a $1,000 check to the town charity fund. Just like that? Sheesh, this new era certainly eliminates most of the juicier outcomes. Pre-code, one of Cavendish's partners would have killed himself and then risen from the grave to dole out some real justice. Cavendish gets off pretty easily for all the pain he's been responsible for.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xfPPRMXrOEdnnnth0lqwDWsQQKExMCYHpfRvT9ooBFNu-bXV-vGq0GfjSInda27m913GJoBUXjUb4bm2gAnEMop0td7cr39pQUkAotP_L8zM8Z2v6gGtJoAmW7eK1rsiZ8Xp1hlMzxh1ZYoiG6SjJzYxP-Iu_seQMMnlUJnA2DO131K4mYOnXAPZ6cUW/s1360/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%201.57.51%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1360" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xfPPRMXrOEdnnnth0lqwDWsQQKExMCYHpfRvT9ooBFNu-bXV-vGq0GfjSInda27m913GJoBUXjUb4bm2gAnEMop0td7cr39pQUkAotP_L8zM8Z2v6gGtJoAmW7eK1rsiZ8Xp1hlMzxh1ZYoiG6SjJzYxP-Iu_seQMMnlUJnA2DO131K4mYOnXAPZ6cUW/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%201.57.51%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>A genie is "The Prisoner!" within Aladdin's lamp, buried deep under the desert sands. When he hears digging above him, he rejoices and, once the lamp is rubbed, the genie is free. His new master immediately wishes for "weapons more powerful than the United States so that we communists can rule the world!" Having heard enough, the genie heads back into the bottle. Back to the red-baiting we enjoyed so much in the pre-code era (here I thought that Stan might have had to sign a peace treaty with the stinkin' commies when the CCA lowered the boom), here hilariously so. The man who finds the lamp claims to be an archeologist but, obviously, dictator looks more impressive on a business card. Incidentally, the art on this and the first story are awful.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1n8slqVHLujVveA__ZVDq-L7qHKwZehAPrG2dABXAZXZSU-oRaBo10r1ZMzwtYWSxVUN6U6eoFoTa7fCVI1ALxUXM1QOUJKTi05zn9AyRu1BPCvQUwErxhjt-oPXzmcd1iPMGhfd6GDs_YXhjMgzLax8rz6z6iMaif9DWwLL6ygjizsUm5UpdFzQw9Pw/s954/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%201.57.35%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="954" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1n8slqVHLujVveA__ZVDq-L7qHKwZehAPrG2dABXAZXZSU-oRaBo10r1ZMzwtYWSxVUN6U6eoFoTa7fCVI1ALxUXM1QOUJKTi05zn9AyRu1BPCvQUwErxhjt-oPXzmcd1iPMGhfd6GDs_YXhjMgzLax8rz6z6iMaif9DWwLL6ygjizsUm5UpdFzQw9Pw/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%201.57.35%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Little Jimmy loves to hear Uncle Ed tell all about his hunting excursions, trapping lions, chasing bears, and pert near any other wildlife invented. Uncle Ed promises he'll take Jimmy on one of the hunts some day and sure enough, when Jimmy turns 18, the trek is a go. A couple of Uncle Ed's buddies go as well and they're quick to explain to Jimmy that Ed's their best pal but he's also full of blueberry muffins. The guy's never caught a cold, let alone a giraffe.</div><div><br /></div><div>Suddenly, a flying saucer lands nearby and aliens resembling "living vegetables" (Ed's description but, to me, they look more like walking bowel movements) exit the craft and approach the cabin. The aliens order the men to come out peacefully or they will blast them with their death-rays. When the four walk outside, the creatures level more threats but Ed, sensing a bluff, decks one of them with a killer left. The aliens admit they're actually cowards and run for their ship, never to return. One of Ed's friends sighs and tells Ed he just saved Earth with his greatest bluff! With another barely literate script and amateurish artwork, "Uncle Ed and the Men from Space" is instantly forgettable. How about that startling alien design? Though Uncle Ed's boasts are pretty outlandish, we never do find out how much (if anything) of what he's telling his nephew is true and his two friends are just the kind of guys you want to hang out with. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZ260kgl-al6kt-BuMh7OTfMuk8MLqYd3ZCLP63ItgB2N4ss8J5a-1dsxNYO-5gW4WbfmzbykjfVLML7AneFX5lrxxPckSHt2yhDY4OpWX-y_3bxaZHkk17gJpHV63_bnBchPRmu6TtV35vailVuS6heklIMQNzQ4GkASRoFbIql8d2sQmAKBEdulhIPX/s1384/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%202.20.34%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="1382" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZ260kgl-al6kt-BuMh7OTfMuk8MLqYd3ZCLP63ItgB2N4ss8J5a-1dsxNYO-5gW4WbfmzbykjfVLML7AneFX5lrxxPckSHt2yhDY4OpWX-y_3bxaZHkk17gJpHV63_bnBchPRmu6TtV35vailVuS6heklIMQNzQ4GkASRoFbIql8d2sQmAKBEdulhIPX/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%202.20.34%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Poor Lenny keeps striking out with the dames. He can't get up the nerve to ask any of them for a date; he's convinced they're turned off by his looks (think, oh I don't know, Jerry Lewis). A gypsy sells Lenny a magic potion she guarantees will get Lenny all the tail he desires. All he has to do is rub a little on his cheek and... voila! Sure enough, the next day, the dames are all over the dope and Lenny has the night life he always dreamed of. Then the potion runs out. What now? "Magic Words" isn't great but compared to the first three stories in this issue, it's Hemingway. I wasn't surprised by the twist at the climax, but at least the (uncredited) writer<i> attempted</i> something new. The Heath art is uncharacteristically tame, but then the artist has nothing to work with but talking heads.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Gimmick" Garson has invented a little mechanical "Man of Mystery" who robs diamond stores and brings the booty back to him. The little metal man attempts to turn himself into the police time and again but is foiled by his creator. Finally, a very smart beat cop figures out that "Gimmick" is behind the thefts and shuts down his life of crime. A charming little fantasy with some eye-catching Syd Shores graphics. I'd compare this to the 1960s DC superhero scripts we're surveying every other week: goofy criminals (the egghead behind the little metal man sure doesn't look like a "Gimmick" Garson), science fictional elements, and happy endings. I was beginning to wonder if this new title was going to be the dumping ground for sub-par material. It still could be, but at least "Man of Mystery" breaks up the monotony. <b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnEJwjHWccqXfZmZ_x_hMe8jJKZgWW4Us_11Ow6NhJOZd2QUmQX034mc_JJ3LYeZfTuF5RFzQ-j1rqZwTavznvefc2Ke2nzVtxflCXiN0RwRY8tKQLI3ekEA4_t8xu-_5cpONLIvK61pl33yviUjS7oIxo5RfomY9yMI2t1BzAXf14f2QVqhoqRV-5AK_/s597/28961.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnEJwjHWccqXfZmZ_x_hMe8jJKZgWW4Us_11Ow6NhJOZd2QUmQX034mc_JJ3LYeZfTuF5RFzQ-j1rqZwTavznvefc2Ke2nzVtxflCXiN0RwRY8tKQLI3ekEA4_t8xu-_5cpONLIvK61pl33yviUjS7oIxo5RfomY9yMI2t1BzAXf14f2QVqhoqRV-5AK_/s320/28961.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><b>Strange Tales #39</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Karnoff's Plan!" (a: Bill Everett) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Blind Spot!" (a: Sid Greene) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Secret of the Ship" (a: Kurt Schaffenberger) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Man Mountain!" (a: Norman Maurer) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Five Who Volunteered" (a: Joe Sinnott) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Each night, a different city building crashes to the ground. What is the cause? It's all the work of Prof. Karnoff, a poor but brilliant scientist whose landlady bugs him for the overdue rent money, unaware of "Karnoff's Plan!" to rule the world. Two years ago, he was shunned by others in the scientific community when he proposed harnessing the secrets of science and using them to gain power. He has since discovered that an application of atomic energy to metal makes it as soft as modeling clay.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUchO7DQN_pjZU3o9J84wIxmEuqLXachRp6ApVwCz2Ldoi2sPOZi3PFjhR03fu0IpwSFz6MlxHrUKRE7Gyucpx5UmIAxFZPu3zCouZx3RcoC3AloURx9a0TNhDDTMiZ2SaodAi79wZhzAeb56ethcgLWqjaDLwqByy10s_axdry_EeJFMT6dGG0Qcb6WE/s468/strange_tales_v1_039_04.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUchO7DQN_pjZU3o9J84wIxmEuqLXachRp6ApVwCz2Ldoi2sPOZi3PFjhR03fu0IpwSFz6MlxHrUKRE7Gyucpx5UmIAxFZPu3zCouZx3RcoC3AloURx9a0TNhDDTMiZ2SaodAi79wZhzAeb56ethcgLWqjaDLwqByy10s_axdry_EeJFMT6dGG0Qcb6WE/s320/strange_tales_v1_039_04.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>Karnoff made a small statue of himself and realized that, when he touched it, he felt the touch on his body. He then began to make models of buildings and smash them, certain that his ability to wreak havoc would lead to domination. He returns home after destroying another building to discover that his landlady has sold all of his possessions to the junkman because the professor had not paid his rent. Realizing that the small statue of himself creates imminent danger for him, Karnoff rushes off into the night and is never seen again. Presumably, the junkman crushed the statue and the same fate befell the professor.</div><div><br /></div><div>The twist ending is usually what makes or breaks these short tales, and this is a good one. The GCD speculates that Bill Everett may have written this story as well as drawn it; whatever the case, the writer must have thought up the finale and worked backwards from there to set it up. Everett's drawings of the professor are a hoot and make the story entertaining.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKx83m8Z5Pn3et8qmGXhq_QDJDnRaBmDZRrkrOeEnW8D3n69k2PodxEjvgb02kDoi5VMLRefTr4Zeubjsb8MUK8l3ILJiPfOjHWGVAI9tApSdwdFoVXCLY4AZs6iBJ8CQpsmlRu-0eOfjohwA8aYFO_yS5CiH8rqZKNVDw8tLQjNMcCkI8NT8KBf18wE/s471/strange_tales_v1_039_13.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="442" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKx83m8Z5Pn3et8qmGXhq_QDJDnRaBmDZRrkrOeEnW8D3n69k2PodxEjvgb02kDoi5VMLRefTr4Zeubjsb8MUK8l3ILJiPfOjHWGVAI9tApSdwdFoVXCLY4AZs6iBJ8CQpsmlRu-0eOfjohwA8aYFO_yS5CiH8rqZKNVDw8tLQjNMcCkI8NT8KBf18wE/s320/strange_tales_v1_039_13.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div>If the large bald head of an alien from another planet doesn't make Earth people look at him askance, then the series of unsightly bumps on one side of his pate certainly do. The alien wanders through a city, disappointed in the "Blind Spot!" in human perceptions that prevent them from seeing beyond outward appearances to the beauty inside. About to return to his home planet, where he will report that the people of Earth are not ready to explore outer space, he sees a beautiful blonde crossing the street in front of an onrushing car and races to save her. She is grateful and praises him for his true beauty. Dazzled, he changes his mind about humans and returns to his planet, planning to report that humans can explore space after all. On Earth, the blind girl picks up the cane that she dropped and wishes that she could have seen her rescuer.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was pretty clear that the woman was blind, so the ending was no big surprise. Sid Greene draws a lovely young woman, though it's hard to believe that beautiful girls used to walk the city streets wearing dresses and gloves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHVp-8-6MaJDdYN3HbfO6isIca_YlKIcc5La-dR9vMv3o5v-b4FGkhHaEq7ynov4d-NbcA_DktAx80uGz4i1RaLlxfb5oSx91BPx49ZZFKjAjmJkOHq57reztP3m6ZEvK0H5nMG-3wJMymW5gPfAuGgqAS3-JhJn5JB5QoDh6627kLn-FqgDDxhwZdog/s481/strange_tales_v1_039_18.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="479" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHVp-8-6MaJDdYN3HbfO6isIca_YlKIcc5La-dR9vMv3o5v-b4FGkhHaEq7ynov4d-NbcA_DktAx80uGz4i1RaLlxfb5oSx91BPx49ZZFKjAjmJkOHq57reztP3m6ZEvK0H5nMG-3wJMymW5gPfAuGgqAS3-JhJn5JB5QoDh6627kLn-FqgDDxhwZdog/s320/strange_tales_v1_039_18.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><div>Young Peter likes to sail his model ships to while away the time, but it causes him to be late for his paper route. His father is a sea captain who is laid up in bed for the time being, so Peter's earnings are important to the family's survival. One day, he sends his ship, the <i>Wanderer</i>, off on an imaginary voyage to the Aru islands to trade with the natives for pearls. He's late to work once too often and gets fired, but his ship mysteriously returns with black pearls worth $5000. The family is saved!</div><div><br /></div><div>Peter helpfully pointed out that "The Secret of the Ship" is Kurt Schaffenberger's first work for the Atlas horror titles; I associate his art with DC comics like <i>Lois Lane</i> and <i>Shazam!</i>, so it's interesting to see him draw something different years earlier. The art is certainly smooth, but the story is a dud.</div><div><br /></div><div>In days of old, not all giants were bad. Take, for instance, "The Man Mountain!" He helped peasants who had problems. In fact, when an old woman who had adopted 57 orphaned children lost her home in a flood, he built her a new one out of one of his enormous shoes. And that's how the old woman who lived in a shoe came to be. Norman Mauer's art is nothing special, but I'm not sure Neal Adams could have made this four-pager worth reading. Next issue: the true story of what happened to Little Bo Peep's sheep.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqIF2Sh31v3v67HkLkg7UGUJukcn9AxuJyCneAUPPcx567hPA9a7Bz9k0J_S140UXBU7kXzxmVJe__t6eJjWkU5P6AVv3kpEQ4h70y4Im1e7cNwmVVjvWZbJvsnziLNleWxTgbJh6h43v5qvSL46haVfU4GJNJfNj_oynSg3FV5gmPGiqEDyKVv0MhQc/s625/strange_tales_v1_039_32.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="625" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqIF2Sh31v3v67HkLkg7UGUJukcn9AxuJyCneAUPPcx567hPA9a7Bz9k0J_S140UXBU7kXzxmVJe__t6eJjWkU5P6AVv3kpEQ4h70y4Im1e7cNwmVVjvWZbJvsnziLNleWxTgbJh6h43v5qvSL46haVfU4GJNJfNj_oynSg3FV5gmPGiqEDyKVv0MhQc/s320/strange_tales_v1_039_32.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>This week on the popular TV program, <i>The Joke's On You</i>, "Five Who Volunteered" to fly to Venus will get a surprise when they discover that the spaceship doesn't fly. The host is taken aback when he finds himself on the second planet from the sun, surrounded by five green Venusians who had been visiting Earth in disguise.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did anyone who read this story have any doubt about what was going on? It read like a knockoff of any number of EC stories where obnoxious TV hosts get their comeuppance. Fortunately, Joe Sinnott does a terrific job with the art, and the Venusians in the last panel look like prototypes for the ugly characters on "Eye of the Beholder" from <i>The Twilight Zone.</i><b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bMwv4kwY1FCCv36i9fuvU4dpxnTMes0j9WL2cqlbDvAAMFtvYDN8BZg1UbChyphenhyphen9PreTPNcFmI_E83ZmUbQfKSz6O39xkvWZHxzkDF8OFaorPrdKZFlv5w3wqMQq_w-IGYPjgLh9MD7blx81dSm1agwmnp8AQwoHz8vBlPJFbANRhzwF_NJCKinz5FgzcD/s605/30237.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bMwv4kwY1FCCv36i9fuvU4dpxnTMes0j9WL2cqlbDvAAMFtvYDN8BZg1UbChyphenhyphen9PreTPNcFmI_E83ZmUbQfKSz6O39xkvWZHxzkDF8OFaorPrdKZFlv5w3wqMQq_w-IGYPjgLh9MD7blx81dSm1agwmnp8AQwoHz8vBlPJFbANRhzwF_NJCKinz5FgzcD/s320/30237.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><b>Uncanny Tales #36</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Nameless One!" (a: Bob Powell) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Parrot!" (a: Bill Everett) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Model!" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Sorcerers!" (a: Jack Katz & Christopher Rule) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"Escape!" (a: Vic Carrabotta) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Serving a life sentence and anxious to escape prison, Nick Nolan slips away from a road gang and makes his way to the house of a professor who has invented a machine that allows a person to travel anywhere on Earth by radio. The transporter is built into a vest, so Nick puts it on and turns the dial to Africa just as the prison guards arrive.</div><div><br /></div><div>In Africa, Nick finds himself confronted by hungry lions, so he moves the dial to England and finds himself in a python's cage at a zoo. On to Paris, where Nick falls off the top of the Eiffel Tower, then to Niagara, where he's about to go over the falls in a boat. Nick's final destination is his old prison cell, the safest place of all. Who is "The Nameless One," the professor who invented the machine? Just call him Fate.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsKXe26ULi6T5FyhP7Zrjy6NsiGsM73mbu9PCbP385wzZai96GKhs2INE-bDVktvQxAKClvQMTU-B8nyrPSf7NQQNdp3dMEbcmEavENYRu43j2YJgAHhHdY1O2fmpgfZusoJ-iEIApsVrp25dIG4mMw0IK5GWaX2adlqYVACTlkP-9ykjrVanp5w7rT0/s527/uncanny_tales_036_05.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="490" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsKXe26ULi6T5FyhP7Zrjy6NsiGsM73mbu9PCbP385wzZai96GKhs2INE-bDVktvQxAKClvQMTU-B8nyrPSf7NQQNdp3dMEbcmEavENYRu43j2YJgAHhHdY1O2fmpgfZusoJ-iEIApsVrp25dIG4mMw0IK5GWaX2adlqYVACTlkP-9ykjrVanp5w7rT0/w186-h200/uncanny_tales_036_05.jpg" width="186" /></a></div><div>I'm always happy to see a new story drawn by Bob Powell, but this one only has a few panels that are above average. The story is predictable and the twist ending falls flat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crowds pack the tent at the carnival to see Jim Hall exhibit Marvelo the Wonder Bird, the largest parrot in captivity and the smartest bird in the world. What no one knows is that "The Parrot!" is really Tiny Samson, a midget in a bird suit. Jim's landlady, Mrs. Jones, asks him who's been smoking cigars in his room, but he gives her the brush-off. Tiny worries that Jim will run off with all of the profits, so he calls the cops anonymously to report Jim for carrying stolen goods. After Hall has been taken to the police station, Mrs. Jones feels sorry for Marvelo and turns the bird loose, tossing him out of the window. Unfortunately, Tiny can't fly, and ends up in jail for fraud with a broken arm.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfdnnNu09rbuP3IPcs-p0QeAk2a7T1zgl6zahuvrTqdRTB1RhHw1rADoUamUBhf02WdxVFekSHruxd5IeSuZPEKHctdDbkbS-4TyqJK2m8aRwseRhT6xuy_InH12QwQYTRPM0paokIgL7-65fjgXdLh0-i9-Qe3sWAvGEbdQTI34OsbUVWGRNSoC1iqs/s576/uncanny_tales_036_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="576" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfdnnNu09rbuP3IPcs-p0QeAk2a7T1zgl6zahuvrTqdRTB1RhHw1rADoUamUBhf02WdxVFekSHruxd5IeSuZPEKHctdDbkbS-4TyqJK2m8aRwseRhT6xuy_InH12QwQYTRPM0paokIgL7-65fjgXdLh0-i9-Qe3sWAvGEbdQTI34OsbUVWGRNSoC1iqs/s320/uncanny_tales_036_13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I think this is the first time I've given three and a half stars to an Atlas story. Had it been pre-code, Tiny would have been smashed on the pavement and the story would've rated four stars, but the last panel, showing him in jail, knocked off half a star for me. Everett's art is as good as I've seen and the carnival setting is always welcome. This story could fit comfortably in a pulp mag, illos and all. By the way, compare Tiny's face and expression to that of the landlady in "Karnoff's Plan," above. They look quite similar.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuWB_nUs1zgHhk47oUsM0Urcx3PZKG11IDXqX9B1SbtzM4KvruovBkZty6Sbr8Aqdt58YamyG_O3C5O0NbK8FaSOV5KNjJvht5DadwyxaJK99jaDWJnqmG6QdhOEo2GXkNCvPNmdg2yDFIWyHKKn-d9OGI81OwGul9HkWgFINV-Ub4BoYJzQ2QDsmOTY/s660/uncanny_tales_036_17.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="406" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuWB_nUs1zgHhk47oUsM0Urcx3PZKG11IDXqX9B1SbtzM4KvruovBkZty6Sbr8Aqdt58YamyG_O3C5O0NbK8FaSOV5KNjJvht5DadwyxaJK99jaDWJnqmG6QdhOEo2GXkNCvPNmdg2yDFIWyHKKn-d9OGI81OwGul9HkWgFINV-Ub4BoYJzQ2QDsmOTY/w123-h200/uncanny_tales_036_17.jpg" width="123" /></a></div><div>Photographer Ed Wood (!) is having trouble selling his pictures, so he hires a new model, a woman with haunting eyes who says she helped another needy artist once and it resulted in his best work. The model is a hit and her face is everywhere, but when Ed follows her against her instructions, she disappears. An art critic finally points out that the same gal was the model for the Mona Lisa.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the umpteenth time, I saw the ending a mile away. For four pages, "The Model!" seemed long and tedious. Reinman seems incapable (in this story, at least) of drawing a woman with a magnetic look on her face. That really hurts a story like this one, which depends on the looks of the lady.</div><div><br /></div><div>King Harlow needs a new sorcerer and promises his beautiful daughter Roseanne and a pile of gold to either Golvany or Edwin, "The Sorcerers" who compete for the honor. Though Golvany conjures up various wonders, Edwin wins out by summoning up thunder and lightning and making off to a faraway kingdom with Roseanne and the gold.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeEur2s-WbARVm3b1RjgIWVocEDOIQYIzFdTS4kWk_PY02OTUtF-yl_HYWTQf7_EvvRE6lMaDZc9Pc7FDHmjVmElr2tfV_gB8qjmDvfuqp_EjK6TU-qCbf_Q3dH2NfZY9kL_P1FMGdFDIt4QVbvwC0t4L00p7Z22WRg01xRLi5uKv4yhem4fG6a5hEi4/s593/uncanny_tales_036_22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="593" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeEur2s-WbARVm3b1RjgIWVocEDOIQYIzFdTS4kWk_PY02OTUtF-yl_HYWTQf7_EvvRE6lMaDZc9Pc7FDHmjVmElr2tfV_gB8qjmDvfuqp_EjK6TU-qCbf_Q3dH2NfZY9kL_P1FMGdFDIt4QVbvwC0t4L00p7Z22WRg01xRLi5uKv4yhem4fG6a5hEi4/s320/uncanny_tales_036_22.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97q9bCh6KSliwVc6VOXFefiX9YvR8KDdPcDTnBwIYcdLty7j0uzRY_5YUnrre4__FHbvEqkGG1ryH8GzQRkZRVAczTK-qDbM8wj-8ymCwRw1x4_bSCmkP0fdXDYdSo_vsoE8saIfmGLBcanaJG1DXQJWq62xT0D84rrpDh-WGrKGn2N1wgJLFju1WdZE/s583/uncanny_tales_036_29.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97q9bCh6KSliwVc6VOXFefiX9YvR8KDdPcDTnBwIYcdLty7j0uzRY_5YUnrre4__FHbvEqkGG1ryH8GzQRkZRVAczTK-qDbM8wj-8ymCwRw1x4_bSCmkP0fdXDYdSo_vsoE8saIfmGLBcanaJG1DXQJWq62xT0D84rrpDh-WGrKGn2N1wgJLFju1WdZE/s320/uncanny_tales_036_29.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">What the Heck?</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Christopher Rule is a new name to me, but he seems to have drawn plenty of comics for Marvel starting in the late forties, including plenty of romance titles. I admit I was somewhat befuddled by the conclusion to this story--I think Edwin snuck out with Roseanne under cover of lightning. I guess he was the better sorcerer after all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alan Garr is a scientist who lives in a future where everyone is underground and war rages constantly. He invents a belt that will transport him to the past, where he hopes to "Escape!" from his work on weapons of war. He lands on the surface on a sunny day, only to discover that he's being inducted into the Army right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor!</div><div><br /></div><div>This one is too dull even to be predictable. Most interesting to me are some of the panels that look like Don Heck gave Vic Carrabotta a helping hand. Believe me, it was much needed.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjju0mfKZ1kpPnpFgV0aiYfZGlX6wiSig9T0xTpCLwQO_kfHDjpdivOXn-J63hMyEWGSyKwWoffopgyeaGiW8TgDPjBXbYr2pXLX8d9qwQFpTC-UIOuvuDTsgtJmKczs0Edi-XCRWp_oXi2GyYxBAkVlrwmp4b_UsKDW3EhDeqIBjt63Big-rCnvhKFEkw/s1749/uncanny_tales_036_09.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1749" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjju0mfKZ1kpPnpFgV0aiYfZGlX6wiSig9T0xTpCLwQO_kfHDjpdivOXn-J63hMyEWGSyKwWoffopgyeaGiW8TgDPjBXbYr2pXLX8d9qwQFpTC-UIOuvuDTsgtJmKczs0Edi-XCRWp_oXi2GyYxBAkVlrwmp4b_UsKDW3EhDeqIBjt63Big-rCnvhKFEkw/w293-h400/uncanny_tales_036_09.jpg" width="293" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPR7Q3BAw9ukO5AYk_h9VArGqwSBiMB7lkVROhw661sy8nyU3dbc7grHkb2pwR3UH2t72vPpNgwTqKvMV_lzLPyFGNWvX8iEaEXU3umEe7uTZIIg4_bRpEKz-3sgw3T31mD-Rb5Y6dCjjZoKTkgA274zao4yAGAGZzFTjGcNuEwk_967DX06FBQSaVPM9/s1256/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%202.28.31%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="756" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPR7Q3BAw9ukO5AYk_h9VArGqwSBiMB7lkVROhw661sy8nyU3dbc7grHkb2pwR3UH2t72vPpNgwTqKvMV_lzLPyFGNWvX8iEaEXU3umEe7uTZIIg4_bRpEKz-3sgw3T31mD-Rb5Y6dCjjZoKTkgA274zao4yAGAGZzFTjGcNuEwk_967DX06FBQSaVPM9/w241-h400/Screenshot%202024-01-19%20at%202.28.31%20PM.png" width="241" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Bat-Baby...<br />Could This Be the <br />Bottom of the Barrel?</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-84162548052417924522024-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:002024-01-25T03:00:00.244-08:00The Hitchcock Project-Richard Fielder, Part Two-To Catch a Butterfly [8.19]<div style="text-align: left;">by Jack Seabrook</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3X2czdLjCHahPmeLomkg94cdH_p3OVaVXuHppHxBAmslO7nJW2LV0JCjx02kEQYoebm1I69YEu7axSc9jfEpwKE3rKyDI24vHULc_rk6MNhDkenCG1JkaKg5waFjGoeUiuW7FFyofSU54B-Im4BTRwnyCaPlhFTCVtOG5ddz22b03T4wHfBK6fllzDD0/s760/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h28m30s291.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="760" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3X2czdLjCHahPmeLomkg94cdH_p3OVaVXuHppHxBAmslO7nJW2LV0JCjx02kEQYoebm1I69YEu7axSc9jfEpwKE3rKyDI24vHULc_rk6MNhDkenCG1JkaKg5waFjGoeUiuW7FFyofSU54B-Im4BTRwnyCaPlhFTCVtOG5ddz22b03T4wHfBK6fllzDD0/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h28m30s291.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Conflicts between fathers and sons are nothing new, going back at least as far as Oedipus, the mythical king of Ancient Thebes. In his second and last teleplay for <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,</i> Richard Fielder updates the struggle to 1963 and, in a gripping episode, demonstrates how past and present acts of violence shake the foundations of an outwardly serene suburban neighborhood.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"To Catch a Butterfly" is an original teleplay, not based on any short story or novel, which aired on CBS on Friday, February 1, 1963. Fielder wrote a draft of the teleplay as early as February 1961, well before the Alfred Hitchcock TV show had expanded to hour length; this first version, titled "Can't Catch A Butterfly," may have been written for one of the other anthology shows to which Fielder contributed scripts around this time, such as <i>Alcoa Premiere. </i>By the time it aired, two years later, the title had been changed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDczVdYXFHHlpb3n0GLt8euL5epLc3NKqYK4QTRNd4sUTRlzI7Y1HrU5bTcgR7XFt0XRe_pFt7NvppNbfYl8m9wRfQFPU2evdwkPJMqV6_58y2iMDXOGyQhGMbqcrFKD_CZRrDbLZFmmM88SUp12QfC4HDTOf7wQH4LtoAm95x9noDzvpwF5A5h2coFCU/s756/vlcsnap-2024-01-16-17h56m06s198.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="756" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDczVdYXFHHlpb3n0GLt8euL5epLc3NKqYK4QTRNd4sUTRlzI7Y1HrU5bTcgR7XFt0XRe_pFt7NvppNbfYl8m9wRfQFPU2evdwkPJMqV6_58y2iMDXOGyQhGMbqcrFKD_CZRrDbLZFmmM88SUp12QfC4HDTOf7wQH4LtoAm95x9noDzvpwF5A5h2coFCU/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-16-17h56m06s198.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bradford Dillman as Bill Nelson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">As the show begins, Bill and Janet Nelson have just moved to a home in the suburbs. A young, childless couple, they are not prepared for Eddie Stander, the little boy who lives next door. Bill first meets Eddie when he finds the boy teasing Charlie, the Nelsons' dog ("'can't catch a butterfly,'" taunts Eddie). Eddie's father, a brash salesman named Jack, defends his son after Bill finds Eddie seemingly mistreating the dog inside his father's garage. Bill begins to suspect that Eddie may be more than just a mischievous child.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When Bill catches Eddie searching through the glove compartment in his car and chases him home, Eddie drops several sheets of paper. Picking them up, Bill sees that they are covered with disturbing drawings, but when Bill confronts the boy in the garage and threatens to tell his father, the child responds: "'You say one word to him, I'll kill your dog.'" When Bill speaks to Jack, the boy's father denies that Eddie did anything wrong and reveals that, when Eddie was four years old, "'that kid got his in a way he'll never forget'" and has never since lied to his father. The next day, when Bill's house is empty, Eddie breaks in and murders the dog.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyzLGpdmS0UynHCawrGyol0SgBjj0Y8CDcF_y7FbqyZWzKjFnjjQeeDLkTFJXorxL53pZnBccrXgTw0qUP6xN7mE-EfFpr0J1X2FTyjY8qdlxbe_ohdMRbNwnVp1vcaXe6KBPSLH0CxrmcQ-_wbvIRF_3TZesv9rbRAAdima_abIAzKj1WUY4yShrb-k/s760/vlcsnap-2024-01-16-17h50m06s456.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="760" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyzLGpdmS0UynHCawrGyol0SgBjj0Y8CDcF_y7FbqyZWzKjFnjjQeeDLkTFJXorxL53pZnBccrXgTw0qUP6xN7mE-EfFpr0J1X2FTyjY8qdlxbe_ohdMRbNwnVp1vcaXe6KBPSLH0CxrmcQ-_wbvIRF_3TZesv9rbRAAdima_abIAzKj1WUY4yShrb-k/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-16-17h50m06s456.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Diana Hyland as Janet Nelson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Bill calls the police but, when Jack claims that Bill has been "slapping [Eddie] around,'" Bill drops the charges. The next day, Bill is called away from home to play golf with his boss. He fears for Janet's safety, but she insists she'll be fine and locks the doors after her husband leaves, unaware that Eddie is already in the house. From upstairs, she hears a sound in the basement and investigates, only to see that Bill's power drill is on and running, lying on the workbench. She walks down the stairs to the basement and trips and falls over a wire that Eddie has strung across the bottom step; while she lies on the floor, her hand stuck between two wooden balusters, Eddie picks up the power drill and advances toward her. The electric cord pulls out of the wall right before he reaches her and she screams, at which point Eddie drops the drill and looks at his own hand, grabbing his wrist with a horrified look on his face.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg443FhBjtX21DDItcE8Tng1lN9q1cdHXTSIZp7sS2m87yzBcH6B8JKqwLjp6HJtFlaoPBAmpAKDx9NL38pqklONZ5rAD4-DwD7778a8TBRyw1vB5vlCN1jeGG0Jl-PL57EgiBNhBSHhyphenhyphenA3sDpi9H3ZZPMaf42AhXHRw6CtXFfjtA6UlcKawWKBOhPowB0/s756/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h04m44s225.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="756" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg443FhBjtX21DDItcE8Tng1lN9q1cdHXTSIZp7sS2m87yzBcH6B8JKqwLjp6HJtFlaoPBAmpAKDx9NL38pqklONZ5rAD4-DwD7778a8TBRyw1vB5vlCN1jeGG0Jl-PL57EgiBNhBSHhyphenhyphenA3sDpi9H3ZZPMaf42AhXHRw6CtXFfjtA6UlcKawWKBOhPowB0/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h04m44s225.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Edward Asner as Jack Stander</span></td></tr></tbody></table>That night, Bill returns home and confronts Jack in the garage, only to learn what happened when Eddie was four: his father caught him in a lie and slapped him across his face as hard as he could. When the child fought back, Jack dragged Eddie across the kitchen and forced his son's hand into a pot of boiling water. Jack insists that Eddie has not told a lie since that day. Meanwhile, Eddie takes a gas can from a shelf and lights the garage on fire before trying to prevent the adults from escaping. They emerge and chase the boy upstairs to his room. In the hall, the final confrontation takes place, ending when Eddie's mother and a policeman appear in order to take the boy away. Bill consoles Eddie and urges Jack to help his son.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"To Catch a Butterfly" is harrowing and Fielder does a brilliant job of developing the main characters and contrasting personalities and parenting styles between Bill Nelson and Jack Stander. Bill reveals that, when he was twelve years old, his father disappeared and was never heard from again except for a single Christmas card. All Bill has left of his absent father is a shamrock pin that he wore on his honeymoon; it represents a happy memory and, at the end of the episode, Bill gives it to Eddie. Bill had told Janet that he hoped to give the pin to his own son someday and, in giving it to Eddie, Bill symbolically adopts the troubled boy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JXp89HWeaMU5ffwhDbfX_GZe8CeLuHQZmH7cH4C7dgMQTIhS1Oc0tKvMqm79CPssWQUOfcL2ZV38RAqDWct0Ta1Wt_0IrYFS7gPF4RZSzG9y3SK8gcX4-yy3eDuS32cHrSEQJ0ezHj3JoWx4NeFhyaHXPcck2KaZQA_VvVoDgcdUO6IJQfGjRZPWCsU/s762/vlcsnap-2024-01-16-17h44m50s488.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="762" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JXp89HWeaMU5ffwhDbfX_GZe8CeLuHQZmH7cH4C7dgMQTIhS1Oc0tKvMqm79CPssWQUOfcL2ZV38RAqDWct0Ta1Wt_0IrYFS7gPF4RZSzG9y3SK8gcX4-yy3eDuS32cHrSEQJ0ezHj3JoWx4NeFhyaHXPcck2KaZQA_VvVoDgcdUO6IJQfGjRZPWCsU/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-16-17h44m50s488.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mickey Sholdar as Eddie</span></td></tr></tbody></table>From the start of the show, Bill reacts to aggressive behavior with patience and kindness. He is friendly to a brusque moving man and gives him a tip, he is kind to Eddie after he finds the boy teasing his dog and, when Janet tells Bill that he let the movers "'walk all over'" him, he refuses to take the bait. Bill is a good man, but his encounters with Jack and Eddie make him doubt himself. Partway through the show, he confesses to Janet that he is having a crisis of confidence and is "'scared of my own shadow.'" In the final confrontation with Jack in the garage, Bill is more forceful and, in response, Jack nearly breaks down in tears. Yet in the end, when Eddie is about to be taken away by the police, Bill is gentle with the boy, giving hope that his kindness might succeed in helping the child heal from trauma.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In contrast to Bill Nelson is Jack Stander. On more than one occasion, Jack presents the image of a macho man, telling Bill that Janet is "'a real knockout'" and later inviting the Nelsons to come over and play a game of spin the bottle. Jack offhandedly admits to Bill early on that his family has moved three times in five years; we never learn whether this is because of Jack's job or because of trouble caused by Eddie. Either way, the child is growing up in an unstable environment. Each time Bill confronts Jack with Eddie's misdeeds, the man angrily denies any fault on the part of his son, either blaming another boy (for the disturbing drawings) or claiming that Bill is lying. When Eddie sets the garage on fire in Jack's presence, the father can no longer ignore the proof of his son's guilt.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ7Vk2eYaVAZx_ZShXQQTGHbbNYZiBFMhG2N_macXHDrUbV1o3w5lNjVj0UnKfj2aeKFOWkHQIFtTq8PLcRmSTxco7Q3XgDDn7fBoohbhENW21VkcQoNLwf82Xa6vM6a_YfZqll6qtjURpBT6ktVVAQxOn9iU8W9slS216aFBrqXeOKissNRQOVPowLU/s758/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h00m12s232.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="758" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ7Vk2eYaVAZx_ZShXQQTGHbbNYZiBFMhG2N_macXHDrUbV1o3w5lNjVj0UnKfj2aeKFOWkHQIFtTq8PLcRmSTxco7Q3XgDDn7fBoohbhENW21VkcQoNLwf82Xa6vM6a_YfZqll6qtjURpBT6ktVVAQxOn9iU8W9slS216aFBrqXeOKissNRQOVPowLU/w200-h152/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h00m12s232.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">June Dayton as Barbara Stander</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Jack is not a one-note character, however, as is shown when he confesses what he did to his son when the boy was four years old. He has fooled himself into thinking that the act of violence cured the boy of lying, but as he continues to talk, nearly crying as he insists that if he can "'keep him in line'" and "'keep it hushed up'" then "'he'll grow out of it,'" it becomes apparent that Jack Stander is a man without the tools to deal with a difficult parenting situation that he was instrumental in creating. Perhaps he was bullied as a child by his own father and had no other role model to follow when dealing with Eddie; whatever the case, his approach to relationships with both his neighbors and his family members seems doomed to fail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Most interesting is the character of Eddie. The actor playing him was thirteen years old, about the same age as Bill Nelson was when his father disappeared, and the parallel between Bill and Eddie is clear. Bill suffered trauma on the cusp of adolescence but grew up to be a gentle man; what will the traumatic events portrayed in this episode do to Eddie? Bill's kind speech to the boy at the end, when he gives him the treasured shamrock pin, provides hope for a similar trajectory into maturity, yet Eddie suffered unthinkable trauma when he was just four years old, and it is this event that is identified as the source of his present, horrific behavior.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ex3d_huyI_lzKoDqn7tF5JQXbTmW8BvvU0F6byp7Gd2W_AtPUPZmqH0nxc6P0Udnjv7ZO9-9XQiCNnVS8FUKqjbqNYquPXFqjaDfmaAFbbAN9YTuOndRIDnz3MAlQrFgXzictSOX9elQlXIMAa-BOCZghMy1i_rrhYPmrjGXdH-V-PJ51GYJBviBGwM/s758/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h37m14s782.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="758" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ex3d_huyI_lzKoDqn7tF5JQXbTmW8BvvU0F6byp7Gd2W_AtPUPZmqH0nxc6P0Udnjv7ZO9-9XQiCNnVS8FUKqjbqNYquPXFqjaDfmaAFbbAN9YTuOndRIDnz3MAlQrFgXzictSOX9elQlXIMAa-BOCZghMy1i_rrhYPmrjGXdH-V-PJ51GYJBviBGwM/w200-h152/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h37m14s782.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Than Wyenn as Dr. Burns</span></td></tr></tbody></table>From the first time Bill speaks to Jack, Stander refers to his son in terms that are less than human. "'He usually snaps to when he hears his master's voice,'" says Jack, "'I mean, that kid is really trained.'" "His master's voice" is a term that refers to the trademark of the RCA Victor company that showed a dog listening to a phonograph. When Janet sees Eddie outside the screen door looking in, she tells him, "'Don't you think you should knock instead of scratching like a dog?'" Eddie replies, "'I am a dog,'" which suggests that he has internalized the characterization of himself as less than human. The dog metaphor continues when Bill tells Janet, referring to his boss, that "'I won't snap at every little bone that guy tosses our way'"; in a sense, Bill and Eddie are different versions of the same little boy whose father mistreated them. When Eddie teases, mistreats, and finally kills Bill's dog, perhaps he is destroying a representation of himself. In the final scene, when Eddie is about to be taken away by the police, he runs to Bill and clings to him rather than to his father. Does Eddie sense a kindred soul or is he just gravitating toward the man less likely to do him harm?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And what of the women? Eddie's mother, Barbara, is not seen often, but she seems nervous when she comes to the door to speak to Bill, who is looking for Eddie. Has she seen this sequence of events play out before? Does she fear that Eddie's behavior will necessitate another move? At the end, it is Barbara who brings the police to "'take my baby,'" a step that Jack has resisted. She holds the boy and says that she loves him, but she has never been strong enough to protect her son from her husband.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2A8s-FTae1rtB_OegUKNfi2JPOpbXMQVvMJr16ijcWRQv4yOUtU-QhpckVwTQXRTd7gQmm2MzwVHGxBi1alLyynTnEepreCCWVUNAHWe4H5os_yxIWt_uGEblek1cCWTHQ3zFm8fG3RXOj523yA1H_DWEqOQbPAWsY0OFJaxJWAIbVqSz800oYOvbHM/s405/vlcsnap-2024-01-16-17h48m39s477.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="339" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2A8s-FTae1rtB_OegUKNfi2JPOpbXMQVvMJr16ijcWRQv4yOUtU-QhpckVwTQXRTd7gQmm2MzwVHGxBi1alLyynTnEepreCCWVUNAHWe4H5os_yxIWt_uGEblek1cCWTHQ3zFm8fG3RXOj523yA1H_DWEqOQbPAWsY0OFJaxJWAIbVqSz800oYOvbHM/w168-h200/vlcsnap-2024-01-16-17h48m39s477.png" width="168" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clegg Hoyt as the moving man</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Much stronger is Janet Nelson, who supports and encourages her husband throughout the ordeal. Frustrated with the movers, she snaps at Bill, but his patient response allows her to realize her bad mood and apologize. Janet uses self-deprecating humor to deal with situations throughout the episode and, when Bill doubts himself, she tells him that "'You don't know who you are or what you can do until you try.'" In a happy moment she suggests, "'Let's have a baby'" and, when Bill is discouraged by his inability to get through to Eddie, she tells him, "'You're a wonderful husband and you are going to be a wonderful father.'" Janet and Bill are well-matched; each combines traits of sensitivity and strength that allow them to be what the other needs at any given time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Authority outside the two families comes in two forms in "To Catch a Butterfly." There are the police, who respond when Bill reports that Eddie killed his dog and who finally come in the end to take Eddie away. They represent the harsh, black and white approach to justice favored by Jack Stander. Representing a different type of authority is the doctor who emerges from Janet's room when Bill comes home after she has fallen down the stairs. He tells Bill that Eddie needs psychiatric help and says that he will report the boy to the authorities. His approach is more like that of Bill, who begins to realize that Eddie needs therapy after he sees the disturbing drawings. In the end, a mixture of both types of authority is necessary to deal with the child: the police handle the immediate need to calm the situation and remove Eddie from his home, while the medical professionals will address the cause of his mental illness and deal with his long-term needs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRY1UEPO3-_b_d_z3c3TiTfTp2QnjN2NMdhzSw-c1IAaJbPv4C6z9vXTG7uQvV-DUpFV6xShE-edJ3OgBpXVgCdplfMvMp0kD3lJU_ufkC9cWDWTd3ZiCtLNG_75KEEHxDhAZlXOfb3pKz5EHaDwv6jWtA9qWAYF7gQGRoaTxTe0PnynFJ9UtjcAePRqc/s758/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h10m54s569.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="758" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRY1UEPO3-_b_d_z3c3TiTfTp2QnjN2NMdhzSw-c1IAaJbPv4C6z9vXTG7uQvV-DUpFV6xShE-edJ3OgBpXVgCdplfMvMp0kD3lJU_ufkC9cWDWTd3ZiCtLNG_75KEEHxDhAZlXOfb3pKz5EHaDwv6jWtA9qWAYF7gQGRoaTxTe0PnynFJ9UtjcAePRqc/w200-h152/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h10m54s569.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Newton as the policeman</span></td></tr></tbody></table>"To Catch a Butterfly" is a fascinating look at parenting styles in America in the 1950s and 1960s. Eddie was four years old in the 1950s, when his father took the adage "spare the rod and spoil the child" to horrifying extremes. By 1963, when the episode aired, new ideas were taking hold, and corporal punishment was no longer seen as the only way for a father to discipline a son. The portrait of the horror behind a calm suburban front in this episode prefigures similar commentary in films like <i>Risky Business</i> and <i>American Beauty</i>; Eddie's extreme behavior shows just how damaging parental violence can be.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The year 1963 was a particularly violent one in American life. In the months that followed the airing of this episode, racial tensions led to the murder of Medgar Evers and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham; the year ended with the assassination of President Kennedy. In retrospect, it is not surprising that the seemingly idyllic Eisenhower years gave way to the upheaval of the decade that followed, and the events portrayed in "To Catch a Butterfly" can be read as a metaphor for what was going on in the country as a whole.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3anop9bb-GDIEAxlIgeiWEqm8HCrICkmJmcCS3QsIn1Xn5B_LQGXJi7Lp9FjhPtHavpRNPL9BBJek-Y7rCSeK9yMdBMa0CnZCAM1ibpnc-27GsHLmJNlxewffc17rU1ilwUHrJtVBRv754yyUAQexh5JiPCo-CpcH8RFpUfzwZOyPib5zHwyukPs-_cQ/s576/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h45m01s478.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="456" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3anop9bb-GDIEAxlIgeiWEqm8HCrICkmJmcCS3QsIn1Xn5B_LQGXJi7Lp9FjhPtHavpRNPL9BBJek-Y7rCSeK9yMdBMa0CnZCAM1ibpnc-27GsHLmJNlxewffc17rU1ilwUHrJtVBRv754yyUAQexh5JiPCo-CpcH8RFpUfzwZOyPib5zHwyukPs-_cQ/w158-h200/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h45m01s478.png" width="158" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Pickard and Andy Romano</span></td></tr></tbody></table>In addition to a great teleplay, "To Catch a Butterfly" features outstanding direction by David Lowell Rich (1920-2001), who elicits strong performances from the lead actors and keeps the action moving relentlessly toward the climax. The scene in the basement, where Eddie menaces Janet with a power drill, is a classic scene of horror and it demonstrates that TV shows were not afraid to frighten their audiences in the early 1960s. Rich directed many TV shows from 1950 to 1987, as well as a number of films. He won an Emmy in 1978. This was one of two episodes of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour </i>that he directed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bradford Dillman (1930-2018) gives a sensitive performance as Bill Nelson. Dillman began acting on stage, in film, and on TV in the 1950s. He was on <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i> twice (<a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part.html" target="_blank">"Isabel"</a> was the other episode) and <i>Night Gallery</i> once and continued acting until 1995. In 1997, he published an autobiography entitled <i>Are You Anybody?: An Actor's Life.</i> In 1963, he married model Suzy Parker, one of the most famous and beautiful models in America at that time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiS2DOn_7SfPaJtKTH8zLQ3CiZYvi4Kjgj6c2GC9mNzXhYDdxmVanfuOgGzWVXlP7IC-sOFYpgXmL2xztE3XDhlX56-2UcNwrwuUHyCE7Q1fAGPkx5LkwtOvDCyu_66z0NPKkHoK1GMdWiLKpr7LuKN-xq1r3a84cKTHhLYEw027Svsv2mIdowiCvs7dg/s750/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h21m43s677.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="750" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiS2DOn_7SfPaJtKTH8zLQ3CiZYvi4Kjgj6c2GC9mNzXhYDdxmVanfuOgGzWVXlP7IC-sOFYpgXmL2xztE3XDhlX56-2UcNwrwuUHyCE7Q1fAGPkx5LkwtOvDCyu_66z0NPKkHoK1GMdWiLKpr7LuKN-xq1r3a84cKTHhLYEw027Svsv2mIdowiCvs7dg/w200-h154/vlcsnap-2024-01-17-17h21m43s677.png" width="200" /></a></div>The role of Janet Nelson is played by Diana Hyland (1936-1977). Born Diana Gentner, Hyland appeared mainly on TV from 1955 to 1977. She was in one other episode of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,</i> <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-hitchcock-project-alfred-hayes-part.html" target="_blank">"Beyond the Sea of Death,"</a> she was on <i>The Twilight Zone,</i> and she was a regular on <i>Peyton Place</i> from 1968 to 1969. Hyland was romantically involved with John Travolta after they met while filming a TV movie; she was 40 and he was 22. She died of breast cancer at age 41.<br /><br />Edward Asner (1929-2021) plays Jack Stander as a man who is gruff on the surface but who reveals unexpected depth when challenged. This was Asner's only appearance on the Hitchcock TV show, but he had a long career on TV and in film from 1957 to his death in 2021, winning seven Emmy Awards along the way. Asner is best known for his portrayal of Lou Grant, first on <i>The Mary Tyler Moore Show</i> (1970-1977) and then on <i>Lou Grant</i> (1977-1982); Jack Stander can be seen as an early version of Grant, albeit a more violent one.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>The difficult role of Eddie is played by Mickey Sholdar (1949- ), whose career was mostly on television from 1960 to 1975. He was best known as a regular on <i>The Famer's Daughter</i> (1963-1966). He did not appear in any other episodes of the Hitchcock TV show.</div><div><br /></div><div>In smaller roles:</div><div><ul><li>June Dayton (1923-1994) as Barbara Stander. She was born Mary Jane Wetzel in Dayton, Ohio, and took the city's name as her stage name. She appeared mainly on TV from 1950 to 1986 and this was her only role on the Hitchcock TV show.</li><li>Than Wyenn (1919-2015) as Dr. Burns; his screen career lasted from 1949 to 1985 and included three episodes of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i>, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-hitchcock-project-arthur-ross-part_15.html" target="_blank">"Triumph,"</a> and appearances on <i>The Twilight Zone, Thriller, </i>and <i>Night Gallery.</i></li><li>Clegg Hoyt (1910-1967) as the moving man who accepts a tip from Bill; he was on screen from 1955-1967 and he was in six episodes of the Hitchcock series, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-hitchcock-project-stanley-ellin_24.html" target="_blank">"The Day of the Bullet."</a> He was also on <i>The Twilight Zone, Thriller, </i>and <i>Star Trek.</i></li><li>John Newton (1925-2012) as the policeman who comes to the door after Bill's dog has been killed; his screen career lasted from 1957 to 2000 and he also appeared on <i>The Twilight Zone</i> (twice) and <i>The Outer Limits,</i> though this was his only role on the Hitchcock TV show.</li><li>Andy Romano (1936-2022) as the second fireman; he was on screen from 1961 to 2003, including an appearance on <i>Batman </i>and parts in eight episodes of the Hitchcock show, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-hitchcock-project-cornell-woolrich.html#:~:text=Cornell%20Woolrich" target="_blank">"The Black Curtain."</a></li><li>John Pickard (1913-1993) as the first fireman; he played many small parts in films and on TV in a career that lasted from 1941 to 1987. This was his only appearance on the Hitchcock TV show.</li></ul><div>Watch "To Catch a Butterfly" online <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV4waqQEX_c" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Richard Fielder's two teleplays for <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i> are both strong episodes. <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-hitchcock-project-richard-fielder.html" target="_blank">"Night of the Owl"</a> is a successful adaptation of a novel that makes significant changes to the climax, while "To Catch a Butterfly" is a thrilling original script. Both episodes examine relationships between fathers and children: in "Night of the Owl," a father goes to great lengths to try to protect his daughter from the knowledge of the truth about her birth parents, while "To Catch a Butterfly" examines the damage that overly harsh punishment by a father can cause to a son. It's too bad Fielder didn't write more scripts for the series!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="text-indent: -1cm;"></span></p><div></div><p></p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;">"Archives West Finding Aid." <i>Richard Fielder Papers - Archives West</i>, archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv778738. Accessed 15 Jan. 2024. </p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. </span><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">. OTR Pub., 2001.</span></p></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>IMDb</i>, www.imdb.com.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><div><span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>"To Catch a Butterfly." </span><i> The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i><span>, season 1, episode 19, CBS, 1 February 1963.</span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><i style="text-indent: -36pt;">Wikipedia</i><span style="text-indent: -36pt;">, www.wikipedia.org.</span></p></span></span></span></div></span></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "The End of Indian Summer" <a href="https://aadl.org/ahp61" target="_blank">here</a>!<br /><br />In two weeks: Our series on Irving Elman concludes with a look at "Murder Me Twice," starring Phyllis Thaxter!</span></div></div></div>Jack Seabrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-58446676568917268092024-01-22T04:00:00.000-08:002024-01-22T04:00:00.134-08:00Batman in the 1960s Issue 14: March/ April 1962<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/s350/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="350" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/w400-h154/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Caped Crusader in the 1960s<br />by Jack Seabrook<br />& Peter Enfantino</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6M9eLiDMGfgr6Ngn5CKhBns2qp4-re159wRYJ8KzQrqhXKqxrzxjLBa-6NN3tON2QF9tmivVnI3hJ8YLVcj4sBT_zuySAdGfvMH3VdX7B6Xa8H0XI9e7Az258S0ogRtj5z0-IsHxlENV7E9qpb_dtTZK04HNtCa2fwkvNJSBJ3F82ksbssF-6SchAVbpB/s581/5406.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6M9eLiDMGfgr6Ngn5CKhBns2qp4-re159wRYJ8KzQrqhXKqxrzxjLBa-6NN3tON2QF9tmivVnI3hJ8YLVcj4sBT_zuySAdGfvMH3VdX7B6Xa8H0XI9e7Az258S0ogRtj5z0-IsHxlENV7E9qpb_dtTZK04HNtCa2fwkvNJSBJ3F82ksbssF-6SchAVbpB/s320/5406.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #301</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Condemned Batman"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Mystery of the Martian Marauders"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miler (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>While putting the kibosh on a heist at a Gotham synthetic gem company, Batman is exposed to deadly Zzzzz-zzzz rays, transforming him into a Scarlet Knight (emitting thousands of degrees of heat) and making it impossible for him to breathe oxygen. Something must be done or the Caped Crusader's fighting days are over, not to mention the impossibility of eating food.</div><div><br /></div><div>After consulting a Gotham synthetic gem factory worker and his aides, Batman learns that he'll have to breathe deadly methane gas and remain inside an impervious glass bubble for the rest of his life. Holy absence of a restroom, Batman!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLz8MZcH9evghMwYCU5sdTQxN951CjCOqWhyPkBNZQfHf9Cm4xr9yj1fYZ1WjO0d58gJCBjpjSoyXv7fOhs7CaQkSxfNXEdWG5NxNXgQi-uY64_qMjwVmxim2f4RBrUknpCwrxbAlvXN0SSA_dtjIytG2fU9fGGbX16ljZLG0YIw2vx0DCmTmVWOW5lzI/s1488/Screenshot%202024-01-09%20at%205.48.50%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1346" data-original-width="1488" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLz8MZcH9evghMwYCU5sdTQxN951CjCOqWhyPkBNZQfHf9Cm4xr9yj1fYZ1WjO0d58gJCBjpjSoyXv7fOhs7CaQkSxfNXEdWG5NxNXgQi-uY64_qMjwVmxim2f4RBrUknpCwrxbAlvXN0SSA_dtjIytG2fU9fGGbX16ljZLG0YIw2vx0DCmTmVWOW5lzI/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-09%20at%205.48.50%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Our hero gives the Boy Wonder a very specific set of instructions for building a see-through plastic "bubble" vehicle in order for Batman to continue his crime-fighting while searching for an answer to his problem. </div><div><br /></div><div>The vehicle, with octopus-like hands, is given a test run and works fantastically but, miles away in the hideout of evil genius "Brains" Belden and his henchmen, plans are being drawn up to destroy Batman's lifeline.</div><div><br /></div><div>Belden's thugs attempt to crack the crime fighter's plastic bubble with liquid oxygen but Robin nixes the assault with a well-placed fire hydrant. Turns out the attack was just a way to draw the police attention away from a police caravan miles away, the armored car carrying millions in cash from Gotham Bank to its new facility. Belden and a couple of his hoods are disguised as security guards and steal the truck. They head for the highway over the dam with Batman in hot pursuit. Belden had planned for just such an occasion and puts into effect "Plan B": the release of millions of gallons of water onto the highway.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3uUdhTsfXGLkshTqagMZF1K80LNkwhb9srk8O74YOSOYMlriphoxW-gHrDtUVY3yn42CaZLCP3apYb7vawI2KlckKdXVCQRs-WzNRa_fLipuq0mmVcYSkTAED2XNTQGqPmYaXUjdbAWH0ssheRSLhkTBYyVHbBgx7l3Xl9mThRHIfwjhub3Wun_xYfGd/s668/Screenshot%202024-01-09%20at%205.46.23%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3uUdhTsfXGLkshTqagMZF1K80LNkwhb9srk8O74YOSOYMlriphoxW-gHrDtUVY3yn42CaZLCP3apYb7vawI2KlckKdXVCQRs-WzNRa_fLipuq0mmVcYSkTAED2XNTQGqPmYaXUjdbAWH0ssheRSLhkTBYyVHbBgx7l3Xl9mThRHIfwjhub3Wun_xYfGd/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-09%20at%205.46.23%20PM.png" width="287" /></a></div>With no thought for his own safety, Batman hops out of his plastic capsule and, with the tremendous heat of his body, melts the wires controlling the water facility. Disaster postponed! Robin apprehends Belden and his boys. The electricity also counteracts Batman's condition and the hero takes in a well-deserved breath of fresh air. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, we get a disastrous event in the life of Gotham's favorite son and, once again, it all works out somehow in the end. We also get more amateurish art from Shelly and Paris. The villains in this strip are interchangeable not just because they do the same things and are thwarted in the same fashion but because they all have the same crappy line work. Put a space suit on "Brains" Belden and he's one of Shelly's awful space invaders. </div><div><br /></div><div>I love when Bats has to come up with these elaborate gizmos that actually <i>do the job!</i> And then after the adventure is over and he doubts he'll ever have to use a methane-gas plastic bubble vehicle again, does he scrap the parts and put them in the yard behind the Bat-Cave? "The Condemned Batman" follows by only a few months the very memorable "The Villain of 100 Elements," wherein Batman turned different colors.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQcyV19mm56xwOL2toMXpuF4b2CM6FhjzQjQB17QvJUHylq8mDeYnWQ-MsAstMh7HBcOennPh19AlPNm1lDpE26YF-mXffv-y55qZfluqM-CxuRdwSPWRNRG5sOUzTWTihmFovikFM3Yi1-GspDIJDJ0aPWOJkx2AdpR4nUDuy8L0Rs69LTwwXoLBndXm/s1480/Screenshot%202024-01-09%20at%206.10.27%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1480" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQcyV19mm56xwOL2toMXpuF4b2CM6FhjzQjQB17QvJUHylq8mDeYnWQ-MsAstMh7HBcOennPh19AlPNm1lDpE26YF-mXffv-y55qZfluqM-CxuRdwSPWRNRG5sOUzTWTihmFovikFM3Yi1-GspDIJDJ0aPWOJkx2AdpR4nUDuy8L0Rs69LTwwXoLBndXm/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-09%20at%206.10.27%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>After a band of Martian hooligans arrives in town and makes a general mess of things, J'onn J'onzz must activate Professor Erdel's Mars teleporter (the device that brought J'onn to Earth in the first place) to return home and get to the bottom of "The Mystery of the Martian Marauders." Turns out, Dr. Erdel has had one of his periodic lapses into amnesia and gone bad, traveling to Mars to commit robberies of his own (bringing a huge crate full of matches in order to keep at bay the Martian Militia). With a little trickery of his own (dressing as a giant Martian butterfly--<i>please don't ask me to elaborate</i>), J'onn nabs Erdel and takes him home. Like clockwork, the mad scientist comes out of his amnesia coma and a happy ending is assured for all.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV4yLuqVTRBoJeqSBy6mM3z311SVH1t21QLJQfHlNAbQqCNsHGZdGEBr529PZ5hLkjWHlupG_QfKVNyj4K9JXLPYOa2g-wtdwmV6wZNHqWk9yFgg7EYuC-NvwvarwRhV8aumsBaVq6RwhXrMN9Fd2qc8SyHs7oJve5J3dJvQ80x34gCerHsLKyOCWIyaZ/s724/Screenshot%202024-01-09%20at%206.11.09%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="724" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV4yLuqVTRBoJeqSBy6mM3z311SVH1t21QLJQfHlNAbQqCNsHGZdGEBr529PZ5hLkjWHlupG_QfKVNyj4K9JXLPYOa2g-wtdwmV6wZNHqWk9yFgg7EYuC-NvwvarwRhV8aumsBaVq6RwhXrMN9Fd2qc8SyHs7oJve5J3dJvQ80x34gCerHsLKyOCWIyaZ/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-09%20at%206.11.09%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>I kind of lost track of exactly what this adventure was all about somewhere around panel six. The Martian knuckleheads (literally) knock off a grocer and burrow into a hardware store but the motive is only hinted at. Then we learn that between the time the Martians rob the hardware store and J'onn visits Erdel's pad, the nutty egghead has rebuilt his teleporter (ostensibly with hammer, nails, and bananas) and jaunted off to the red planet (which leads to the question--why is J'onn green?). If the dopey Erdel has amnesia, how does he remember how to build his machine? Never mind... you're right. <b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Jack-</b>Why wouldn't they at least lock the door that gives access to a room where such dangerous rays are found? Once again, Batman, acting through Robin, displays an astonishing ability to create a new gizmo in record time--this time, it's a custom-made hovercraft for the overheated Caped Crusader. In the end, a big jolt of electricity returns Batman to normal, much like a knock on the head can return someone's memory after another knock took it away.</div><div><br /></div><div>I thought the J'onn J'onzz story benefited from the extra length, which gave the story more room to develop. It's funny that everyone on Mars dresses just like the Martian Manhunter and all the men are bald. The only way to tell them apart is by body type. Oh, and J'onn's Mom has white hair.</div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOtZlunLL6zGzjESbiTv8Rzj3_2sZEgWG4e4DNil0QNB0YPoy_69RIksX0035057NLpVkphxXNIJeytLBVK4814h45YOg42JGVyvZEeFT7xf6AlHV8qOZNPHe_vpfVDkSqnOT0IUKIp6TjTnb_rrGc7pF1MnzVDUiLV5uuTWp40FE6YUQzuedRwZEtf9y/s584/2608.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOtZlunLL6zGzjESbiTv8Rzj3_2sZEgWG4e4DNil0QNB0YPoy_69RIksX0035057NLpVkphxXNIJeytLBVK4814h45YOg42JGVyvZEeFT7xf6AlHV8qOZNPHe_vpfVDkSqnOT0IUKIp6TjTnb_rrGc7pF1MnzVDUiLV5uuTWp40FE6YUQzuedRwZEtf9y/s320/2608.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #146</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Batman and Robin's Magical Powers"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jerry Coleman</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Secret of the Leopard Boy"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Deadly Curse of Korabo"</b></div><div><b>Story by Arnold Drake</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Driving through Gotham, Batman and Robin see an advertising figure gone berserk and threatening a man dressed as a magician! Batman knocks down the walking tree that is wearing a sandwich board and, in gratitude, the magician, whose name is Antura, speaks a magic spell that grants magical powers to the Dynamic Duo. Little do any of the participants know that the real magic is supplied by that invisible imp from another dimension, Bat-Mite!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUiY-BTPl_QP5g979vtjvA-AHHY_6ku3zR1BYElAsa6zVGJazu-wYavGeMNdPwwkeZCBVpc2aMv7G2LKWT0Bef0hGFCrmlSfgwcYGksrBaEYd15vxO2ZCUcYRoJM0VToSQyE34s8RjuFcIzs76HMROoaevH9JVy5HCM32VIwhqj6p5MfJpOYHxn9hi7A/s641/BATMAN%20146%20004.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="641" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUiY-BTPl_QP5g979vtjvA-AHHY_6ku3zR1BYElAsa6zVGJazu-wYavGeMNdPwwkeZCBVpc2aMv7G2LKWT0Bef0hGFCrmlSfgwcYGksrBaEYd15vxO2ZCUcYRoJM0VToSQyE34s8RjuFcIzs76HMROoaevH9JVy5HCM32VIwhqj6p5MfJpOYHxn9hi7A/s320/BATMAN%20146%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>"Batman and Robin's Magical Powers" get their first test when they use the Batmobile to fly to a crime scene, then use two spare tires to fly out over the harbor and apprehend a trio of crooks. The next day, Bruce Wayne reads an article in the paper explaining that Antura gave Batman and Robin magical powers. Fearing that this publicity will lead crooks to target the magician, the Dynamic Duo rush to his apartment, which they find empty. Antura left a clue to his location, though, and Bat-Mite races there magically, beating Batman and Robin.</div><div><br /></div><div>The crooks enter a room where giant kitchen utensils are on exhibit, and they make a huge frying pan into a flying conveyance for themselves just as the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder arrive, riding on a magical door. Batman realizes that Bat-Mite must be behind all of the action and commands him to appear, which he does. Bat-Mite turns off all of the magic and the crooks are quicky captured. Antura admits that he's glad he doesn't really have magical powers.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4fjti1Ccf8UiUI0_G8x4Jn9ql-2zvqNBifwyfhZlWhIMJpRNfe6oCStuzH3pQLteD0y7uHq-TKl9VF-orCMpbHcB_AXZmXRLbqHoSQvK1PHN-kb8mP8jpO7jgzw7RgwkzZ776EkASRZuNdBfqk63EIcfw0WbVbh09nAMAgNZNcVw4N-9EyoCZueokX0/s552/BATMAN%20146%20018.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="499" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4fjti1Ccf8UiUI0_G8x4Jn9ql-2zvqNBifwyfhZlWhIMJpRNfe6oCStuzH3pQLteD0y7uHq-TKl9VF-orCMpbHcB_AXZmXRLbqHoSQvK1PHN-kb8mP8jpO7jgzw7RgwkzZ776EkASRZuNdBfqk63EIcfw0WbVbh09nAMAgNZNcVw4N-9EyoCZueokX0/s320/BATMAN%20146%20018.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>Jerry Coleman fills in for Bill Finger on this entertaining story, which features two favorite Batman items: Bat-Mite and giant household objects. In the first scene, Batman and Robin encounter the strangely aggressive tree, but this is never explained. Is it a man in a tree suit? Did Bat-Mite make it act this way? Note that the theater marquee says that the movie of the year is "The Metallic Martian Forest." Peter, have you seen that one?</div><div><br /></div><div>Batman and Robin have just trailed Smiley Fenton and his gang to the jungle when the Bat-Plane's engine is damaged by gunfire and they are forced to land. They observe the gang tangling with a boy in a leopard skin tunic and wonder what is "The Secret of the Leopard Boy?" It turns out he's the son of a reformed crook named Joe Taylor, whose plane crashed in the jungle a decade before. The four year old boy was the only survivor and he was raised by a leopard. He hid the fortune in diamonds that was on the plane and now Smiley Fenton wants to find them. The gangsters capture Batman, Robin, and Leopard Boy, but an elephant comes to the rescue. The gangsters are defeated and the boy is returned to his mother, trading a leopard skin tunic for a striped shirt.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOudVQjAXTILewPY239fEv-rFnrbtvfz0Lpm09EdPgKt_aPEVnQBE7ExdEGvJo9th51Do7-25ZiHglMYqyxXcAiFjQREdA9wBMxSQOogzll30Jq8uYwZ9TjSWSoQ3hz0dlWoeQ8KlQ7T0QvAqx_qzhdSkVFaL9XW9vyrTu6oE2xpeg2FnILt1_TmjDegQ/s612/BATMAN%20146%20030.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="422" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOudVQjAXTILewPY239fEv-rFnrbtvfz0Lpm09EdPgKt_aPEVnQBE7ExdEGvJo9th51Do7-25ZiHglMYqyxXcAiFjQREdA9wBMxSQOogzll30Jq8uYwZ9TjSWSoQ3hz0dlWoeQ8KlQ7T0QvAqx_qzhdSkVFaL9XW9vyrTu6oE2xpeg2FnILt1_TmjDegQ/s320/BATMAN%20146%20030.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>Why DC chose to create Leopard Boy in this story is anyone's guess. Moldoff is credited as sole artist in the GCD and the art is not his best. The story is predictable and far-fetched.</div><div><br /></div><div>Climbing adventurer Keith Larsen summons Batman and Robin and, as they drive up in the Batmobile, they observe a giant golden hand reaching out of a cloud and grabbing Larsen's colleague, Mr. Chambers. Larsen blames "The Deadly Curse of Korabo" and explains that his team reached the summit of Mt. Rahachi first, beating a team led by Cliff Amory to find and steal the golden Hand of Korabo, placed atop the mountain by natives to guard them and bearing a curse on the man who removes it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Amory, Larsen's rival, was found dead at the bottom of the cliff, and Larsen attributed his demise to the curse. Another climber was later killed in a mine disaster, leaving only Larsen, Dunne, and Hampden as survivors of the team. That night, the giant golden hand enters Larsen's bedroom to menace him. Batman suspects a trick and rushes outside, only to see the hand make off with Hampden. Batman and Robin search nearby and locate Dunne; they chase him onto a wooden bridge and the hand smashes it, causing him to fall to his death. Later that day, the Dynamic Duo guard Larsen during a ride on his boat, when the hand emerges from the water and drags the Caped Crusader to his doom!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ksABy-ogye-Y_DlyTiydpljnJm72je1_IO3E02qZNGtylphUmvIl9UeBTEtnFu12uSc_db6VMOqdJBhy4Tzr4txvu1nuYC71nvcPMa9fD09A9pqjtenMDDdght82FO8qmYEVKfi1SngR5VMJU8Ub0V3ruTwzhKmcgH8Zmu0xTPOzo4kFgYqwLBzV4bk/s706/BATMAN%20146%20031.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="706" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ksABy-ogye-Y_DlyTiydpljnJm72je1_IO3E02qZNGtylphUmvIl9UeBTEtnFu12uSc_db6VMOqdJBhy4Tzr4txvu1nuYC71nvcPMa9fD09A9pqjtenMDDdght82FO8qmYEVKfi1SngR5VMJU8Ub0V3ruTwzhKmcgH8Zmu0xTPOzo4kFgYqwLBzV4bk/s320/BATMAN%20146%20031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Later, Larsen goes for a swim and, when he emerges, two giant golden hands come after him! It turns out the entire series of events was a big hoax perpetrated by Batman and the other members of Larsen's team, all of whom faked their deaths. Larsen admits having killed Amory and taken credit for finding the hand first.</div><div><br /></div><div>I love giant hand stories! Writer Arnold Drake must have had a peek at <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2023/08/batman-in-1960s-issue-2-marchapril-1960.html" target="_blank"><i>Batman </i>#130</a>, which also featured a giant hand, although that one was green, not gold. This is such a nutty story that I enjoyed it, especially the last pages where all of the trouble everyone went to to make and use the giant hand is explained. Perhaps some of today's police or detectives could learn a thing or two from the 1960s-era Batman about catching crooks by going to great expense and creating wacky gizmos!<b>-Jack</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Peter- </b>Jack, I never saw "The Metallic Martian Forest," but I can say without pause that it was better than this issue's Bat-Mite calamity. Bat-Mite has long outstayed his welcome as far as I'm concerned. The Tarzan rip-off was slightly better. I was hoping Leopard Boy would pull out his spear and threaten to run the Dark Knight through when told he was going back to civilization. That Batman... what a mind for data. "Oh yeah, now I remember! The Skylark was the name of the plane..." Sheesh. Making fun of Moldy's art now is like shooting ducks in a barrel, but Shelly's work here really does scrape the bottom of the... </div><div><br /></div><div>Best of the bunch this issue has to be "The Deadly Curse of Korabo" for its elaborate set-ups. Why go for the simple bust when you can complicate things to the nth degree? Even Bats gets into the act by putting Duane into harm's way on the bridge. So what if there's a casualty?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCRJ4_MSNKh3U0ueUMcUu72oTwRD7nr2CQwZg6aWwrOw0aPUL4gBPuXSCbRH6qB17jNv9ExO1sVT0Kh_z_oBOuX61kuA9lajdSJemK6v5Q5r3a41corHTs0vQ5QeJWA_qmXOBT6MW-K4lSlF5AoTmLkxHmNEDNImX4L_xQBeRplUQwvrA5hchCbZorLoz/s587/5407.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCRJ4_MSNKh3U0ueUMcUu72oTwRD7nr2CQwZg6aWwrOw0aPUL4gBPuXSCbRH6qB17jNv9ExO1sVT0Kh_z_oBOuX61kuA9lajdSJemK6v5Q5r3a41corHTs0vQ5QeJWA_qmXOBT6MW-K4lSlF5AoTmLkxHmNEDNImX4L_xQBeRplUQwvrA5hchCbZorLoz/s320/5407.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #302</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Bronze Menace"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Crime King of Mount Olympus"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Batman and Robin arrive at the Gotham Auto Wreckers on a tip that missing mobster Lefty Borgas has made the dump his new hideout. To their surprise, they are attacked by Lefty's henchmen. The boys make quick work of the stodgy thugs but, when questioned, Lefty's goons admit that they have no idea where their boss is. Hmmmm. Lefty is not the first Gotham criminal to disappear into thin air!</div><div><br /></div><div>After depositing the criminals at the office of Commissioner Gordon, the Caped Crusaders get an alert that art thieves have struck at Gotham Museum. When they get there, they meet up with Batwoman and are introduced to egomaniacal artist, Vulcan, who works strictly in bronzes and who has been the target of several thefts. He demands that the police and the heroes stop this rampage at once, since the publicity is killing his career. Easier said than done!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RO2rWmpP2BjjNb1tMgZdOlACC2eFazANIjd-DDxrLt6E4Em8lOkJDAh7w5lIUytM4Gebcq65SxqY44sDu44DbzZrBqM1NdpyRpG7_oJUl3d8_yxVjyxoYaI4Z9nA6SPRMAp2_mIRgjRZkvnVTT841LUWg5QAGlzjIS4BcqaCNuwg-Ghb0kPm25RBKVmR/s1486/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%202.59.43%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1486" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RO2rWmpP2BjjNb1tMgZdOlACC2eFazANIjd-DDxrLt6E4Em8lOkJDAh7w5lIUytM4Gebcq65SxqY44sDu44DbzZrBqM1NdpyRpG7_oJUl3d8_yxVjyxoYaI4Z9nA6SPRMAp2_mIRgjRZkvnVTT841LUWg5QAGlzjIS4BcqaCNuwg-Ghb0kPm25RBKVmR/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%202.59.43%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The next night, acting on a hunch, Batwoman steals into the palace of eccentric international art collector, Jahmad Arval, and witnesses a thief making off with a big bundle. Batwoman attempts to stop the robbery, but the thief has too many assistants and she's overpowered. Just as it looks as though our favorite female flying rat might be in big trouble, the Batmobile turns the corner (Gotham is, after all, a very small city) and the boys hop out, freeing Kathy and chasing away the bad guys. One of the thugs runs back into Arval's pad and Batman follows. When he captures the well-dressed criminal, he discovers it's the missing Lefty Borgas! What is to be made of this reappearance?</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwES1uv0cqPe645Rn94xoZUEtZvlKDDceujU5G5FwtyG-ArikhFRS7-nufCoMTtSO7oLYgnGPr7_lRhF4Nmnik-wXSeT_T2zvKrPR-yO229cAbbQ41HZlZ1dVJ-9sNvgwfLDgKPl6quy8RChfPdgwm7Fi02_a6p20Tr9VQxyD1gOk76aMksvcK_72V6U0A/s1482/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%203.00.43%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1482" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwES1uv0cqPe645Rn94xoZUEtZvlKDDceujU5G5FwtyG-ArikhFRS7-nufCoMTtSO7oLYgnGPr7_lRhF4Nmnik-wXSeT_T2zvKrPR-yO229cAbbQ41HZlZ1dVJ-9sNvgwfLDgKPl6quy8RChfPdgwm7Fi02_a6p20Tr9VQxyD1gOk76aMksvcK_72V6U0A/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%203.00.43%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Batman remembers that he and Dick are supposed to attend an art exhibition of Vulcan sculptures and they hoof it over in their civvies. It's then that the magical detective brain of Batman puts two and two together and comes up with... Vulcan! Bruce Wayne inspects the bronze statues displayed and realizes that they look just like the missing criminals. Turns out Vulcan has stolen a gizmo from scientist Henry Winns: a suspended animation machine that Vulcan has been using to freeze top criminals, paint them bronze, sell them to museums, and then sit back and cash in when the robbers are reanimated within the buildings. The stolen goods are then divvied up between crazy artist and dangerous criminal. With the help of Batwoman, Batman and Robin gain access to the machine and freeze Vulcan and his thugs. The terrific trio sigh and look forward to their next team-up!</div><div><br /></div><div>None of this claptrap makes much sense. Why would Gotham's Most Wanted Criminals agree to such an iffy proposition? If anything, I'd send one of my cronies in instead. I'm not one for going the <b><i>Goldfinger</i></b> route. I've heard that's dangerous. I'm confused by the final panels where Batwoman zaps Vulcan and boys with the Suspendo-Rama and they turn into bronze statues. I thought Vulcan explained that he had to paint his subjects after freezing them. The whole thing is pretty dumb (a suspended animation machine and Batman knew nothing of it?) and the art is, as usual, mediocre, but it's entertaining in a mind-numbing fashion.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsy7K-B6jiQFUGSMddB1_mx0BWUskbEbZ8XmlLw72VAKqU9u1nuD-UVDoPylH67kB8BkfRiaKJmkucdVDYw6pJZo4WUEK7ijbuoWcN7QYkCgZ1eUOelwr2p4eR5rjORfGufGjw8pHhBY6aONsjfX-gXeq_gaoJGQ27ZNF4eJTnHyrAqwB9L_29dF-A-el/s1472/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%204.43.30%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="1472" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsy7K-B6jiQFUGSMddB1_mx0BWUskbEbZ8XmlLw72VAKqU9u1nuD-UVDoPylH67kB8BkfRiaKJmkucdVDYw6pJZo4WUEK7ijbuoWcN7QYkCgZ1eUOelwr2p4eR5rjORfGufGjw8pHhBY6aONsjfX-gXeq_gaoJGQ27ZNF4eJTnHyrAqwB9L_29dF-A-el/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%204.43.30%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>J'onn J'onzz must fight his most powerful adversary ever: a lunatic who thinks he's Zeus and rides a golden chariot through the city while pulling heists. J'onn attempts to put the robed crazy behind bars but, before he can, Policewoman Diane Meade manages to get herself kidnapped again. Zeus keeps her behind flaming torches and explains to the Martian Manhunter that he will release the gorgeous cop only after J'onn does several "Herculean tasks" for him. J'onn does the man's bidding and then gets the drop on him, releasing Policewoman Diane Meade and slapping the cuffs on the loon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another goofy fantasy seemingly written without an outline or any idea how to end it, "The Crime King of Mount Olympus" is a great example of why these early 1960s DC strips are so popular with fans who care not a whit about plot or logic. We're never even told who this guy is; has he escaped from a mental institution? He certainly speaks like he's tipping over the edge. Building a vast fortress on an "uninhabited island" costs a lot of money, as do mechanical three-headed dogs and winged horses. Where did he get the dough? Why go to all this elaboration when a bazooka and a bank will do? Despite all this, I have to agree with Jack that jettisoning one of the back-ups and lengthening the remainder gives the script more room to breathe. I'm just waiting for a good script now.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuNobTz9PmRVbxwP3NqLGINoaxaeHZg0gGizTBrCRFp0co2pOvxYXBBW1v-pzxKyerxtxTIQzCmXUGmraul_lBgpConkn3Bk6YNytk2CqvrryRq6wzu3qqyz0XmRr-VomlhTzPUxXgo_j6vxaVA63AJSPDuTzu8hyeJDLsNyeq7FUfswsTSAT4XmzStQ/s634/Detective-302-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="634" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuNobTz9PmRVbxwP3NqLGINoaxaeHZg0gGizTBrCRFp0co2pOvxYXBBW1v-pzxKyerxtxTIQzCmXUGmraul_lBgpConkn3Bk6YNytk2CqvrryRq6wzu3qqyz0XmRr-VomlhTzPUxXgo_j6vxaVA63AJSPDuTzu8hyeJDLsNyeq7FUfswsTSAT4XmzStQ/s320/Detective-302-29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Jack-</b>Yet another giant item makes an appearance in Gotham City! Who is the architect who designs these things, and who builds them? I was glad to see another story with Batwoman, but she didn't add much this time around. I couldn't understand why she was conducting a parallel investigation rather than collaborating with the Dynamic Duo. The story is dull and plodding and Moldoff did not put much effort into the art.</div><div><br /></div><div>As you note, the J'onn J'onzz story features another villain with an overly elaborate scheme. What I'd like to know is what police force would send a policewoman up alone in a helicopter after a gang of crooks, especially when they're riding flying horses? Zeus is clearly nuts. Once again, some of the panels have a Sekowsky look to them. I wonder if the king of heavy black lines wandered by Joe Certa's drawing board.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WmEfz9aI9wuNQq3KU59RJdr_1KcEc35aZJbyhlM8fwzDI39LHq3qtG65lPOotbnlR34MEKyNYJOI9zKTqYA1JOew5rZ5P5GrU9yjbl7aRS31WDBw-aqRSCEiNvXHc6HxJoQPClFc_gW2c7nzUdZTxskneYX8GWplgrTgsAwm7akV45k9mkB6UmrDFIrt/s1356/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%204.46.18%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1356" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WmEfz9aI9wuNQq3KU59RJdr_1KcEc35aZJbyhlM8fwzDI39LHq3qtG65lPOotbnlR34MEKyNYJOI9zKTqYA1JOew5rZ5P5GrU9yjbl7aRS31WDBw-aqRSCEiNvXHc6HxJoQPClFc_gW2c7nzUdZTxskneYX8GWplgrTgsAwm7akV45k9mkB6UmrDFIrt/w400-h333/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%204.46.18%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Help us Welcome the First<br />New Atlas Title of the Post-Code Era!</span></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-10388491560436196582024-01-15T04:00:00.000-08:002024-01-15T04:00:00.187-08:00Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 103: Atlas/ Marvel Horror & Science Fiction Comics!<p> </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s1600/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Marvel/Atlas </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horror Comics</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part 88</b></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>October 1955 </b></span><b style="font-size: large;">Part I</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by Peter Enfantino</b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>and Jack Seabrook</b></span></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VQblThpGrPQlVAcKOH9CqAwaTq9vviZ427MMapexbUaasJur_RK5p1zfTU_tqQfw0WrVpz9dK-WV43Afrx5vc0zUB8SmVvi1Mb0GNHcJAivmQ8RDxF47MqCBr0TqVKWaAVK1vsBjSgk2Z3HacbxYPGkq6YLxMEFv44XTaxffzHeGeztjT0up6WrPQz0N/s577/18915.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VQblThpGrPQlVAcKOH9CqAwaTq9vviZ427MMapexbUaasJur_RK5p1zfTU_tqQfw0WrVpz9dK-WV43Afrx5vc0zUB8SmVvi1Mb0GNHcJAivmQ8RDxF47MqCBr0TqVKWaAVK1vsBjSgk2Z3HacbxYPGkq6YLxMEFv44XTaxffzHeGeztjT0up6WrPQz0N/s320/18915.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><b>Astonishing #42</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"From Out of the Smog!" (a: Ross Andru & Mike Esposito) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Creatures" (a: Tony DiPreta) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Was Magic!" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"The Man in the Moon!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"They Vanish at Night" (a: John Tartaglione) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★1/2</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Creatures from another planet descend into Everywhere, USA, to conquer Earth but change their minds when they run into a pack of invaders from Saturn! Believing that the Sauturnians are much more powerful, they turn tail and blast off back to their planet, never realizing they've walked onto a movie set!</div><div><br /></div><div>Daft, dopey and, worst of all, cliched, "From Out of the Smog!" is an ugly mess. The story begins with the mayor of the city in a meeting with a group of officials, commenting that the smog around them has worsened but there is no explanation for the dense pollution. If only the mayor had remembered that big-time Hollywood production filming right there on the edge of town. I don't need the GCD to inform me this is an Andru-Esposito hook-up; all I need to do is to have a look at those bug-eyed aliens. I'm still trying to figure out why I liked the duo's work on <i>The Amazing Spider-Man </i>in the early 1970s.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YXPPHe7dK3bcCjzcZUkT0SD_kDJbW4GzWAb8PUSuD1OHBK_Vaf9DTtHmsvjWT15IQzq31e5OiCYpBICub0HyPojKw0y3oYjirAKx9_FOnOF1o-rykJ01F2tQC48b-dvkCeLzhSW-okx_uCJdlCjdPAPUMpjU9fSU6z6jf_bOhET9lWrD5ZXSOiNSq3TM/s680/Screenshot%202023-12-20%20at%206.19.45%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="680" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YXPPHe7dK3bcCjzcZUkT0SD_kDJbW4GzWAb8PUSuD1OHBK_Vaf9DTtHmsvjWT15IQzq31e5OiCYpBICub0HyPojKw0y3oYjirAKx9_FOnOF1o-rykJ01F2tQC48b-dvkCeLzhSW-okx_uCJdlCjdPAPUMpjU9fSU6z6jf_bOhET9lWrD5ZXSOiNSq3TM/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-20%20at%206.19.45%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>While ditching school one day, little Bobby Farmer finds a pair of odd little critters (picture the after-effects of a skunk/chipmunk mating) hanging out in his field of weeds. Remarking that they are cute but look dumb as a box of rocks, Bobby takes them in to show his father, who also thinks these might be the stupidest animals he's ever seen. Pop takes "The Creatures" to the local museum to gather info and eventually hands the moronic specimens over to the admittedly overstaffed facility for analysis.</div><div><br /></div><div>The professors are amazed at just how empty-headed the Chipskunks seem to be but otherwise lose interest fairly quickly, eventually handing the anomalies over to the local zoo. There, the animals are ogled for a few weeks until the public also grow tired of the most amazing find in modern zoology. One night, the critters bust the lock on their cage and head back to Bobby Farmer's field, where their invisible spaceship is waiting. They blast off, still seeking a world with intelligent life. It's not a good sign when you can figure out the entire script based on the first two or three panels; the word "stupid" is used so many times, you know these little crumbcrunchers are going to be closet big-brains. Tony DiPreta's art continues to lose the unique sense the artist displayed in the first five years of Atlas SF/horror comics. DiPreta's pencils still rise above most of the Atlas bullpen but don't display that eccentric quality that set the artist apart from so many other Atlas hacks.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_qlQSxYcdQo5pFCn4wvduaVAhT4-WfLuY8nWYeU187kwKrEvpdq_Xgmh736BDZNwu-44dtmwEUNci7fpu4DA4JCtHvyEqYi9tFwTVC-jyNiIMWMisi215Upmav5FLrCsGqNfyzRvEx7hCZeBPAROl5qzdIZNZey41asrdxUEGso_BatKc-pJ2Xkkaf6-/s674/Screenshot%202023-12-20%20at%205.19.08%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="674" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_qlQSxYcdQo5pFCn4wvduaVAhT4-WfLuY8nWYeU187kwKrEvpdq_Xgmh736BDZNwu-44dtmwEUNci7fpu4DA4JCtHvyEqYi9tFwTVC-jyNiIMWMisi215Upmav5FLrCsGqNfyzRvEx7hCZeBPAROl5qzdIZNZey41asrdxUEGso_BatKc-pJ2Xkkaf6-/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-20%20at%205.19.08%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>"The Man Who Was Magic!" is an amusing bit of fluff about a guy who goes hunting with his dog and gets lost in a cave, only to exit on the other end into Ancient Rome. While Nero is smitten by the man's flashlight and portable radio (which, inexplicably, picks up a Dodgers game nearly two thousand years before it happens!), our hapless hero just wants to get home before he's late for dinner. Some nice Mort Lawrence graphics as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Jamie has an "imaginary" friend who shows up every time he spins the top his dad got him from "that funny little shop": a leprechaun who claims he lives on the moon and needs some super-seed in order to grow grass. Jamie's only too happy to oblige, but this flies in the face of everything his father stands for. Something's got to give. "The Man in the Moon!" brings together two of the hoariest cliches in horror comics: "the imaginary friend" and the "borderline abusive father who just can't understand his son." While the abuse doesn't get much further than antique toy damage, Pop sure could use some counseling. Artist Ed Winiarski could use a few test brush strokes before committing to the panels. This art is abysmal.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzk_c_p5gqWahe0LoesWqVNzqf0Cgb8EV8D_vvt-MS5ZPhSi3drMYEDKKOuznN3uWqLc-F_-ULz3hafqKS0ybll5h2SHbz6oLpYoYV8C3xNquMBxSdv0xe0GZkT1nFs3iMrgaKXdJqdc7DVxrkfSgDthAeRv1A0kO6j3rLeS_62XDAPSZ34r2Ef5mw2d2/s1312/Screenshot%202023-12-21%20at%203.06.57%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="1294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzk_c_p5gqWahe0LoesWqVNzqf0Cgb8EV8D_vvt-MS5ZPhSi3drMYEDKKOuznN3uWqLc-F_-ULz3hafqKS0ybll5h2SHbz6oLpYoYV8C3xNquMBxSdv0xe0GZkT1nFs3iMrgaKXdJqdc7DVxrkfSgDthAeRv1A0kO6j3rLeS_62XDAPSZ34r2Ef5mw2d2/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-21%20at%203.06.57%20PM.png" width="316" /></a></div>Otto is in love with a storefront mannikin he's named Verna, so one day he steals her right out of the store window and takes her to the park. There, his conversation with the dummy is overheard by noted psychiatrist, Dr. Kent, who offers Otto and his plastic beau a place to stay at his mansion. Otto happily agrees to the shrink's cordiality and he and Verna move in. Dr. Kent marvels at Otto's obvious mental problems but, after a while, grows bored and attempts "shock treatment" to cure his fondness for faux female flesh. </div><div><br /></div><div>The therapy works and Otto suddenly sees Verna for what she is, taking her back to the department store. The sudden reappearance of Verna causes quite a stir, especially since another dummy has magically returned to its perch just across the street. Dr. Kent is astonished to see that mannikin is... Otto! "They Vanish at Night!" doesn't make a whole lot of sense (how come Otto can speak but Verna remains mute and stiff as a board?), but it's got some charm to it and I like the stylish art. With the departing or muting of several of the classic Atlas artists, some of the "lesser" pencilers became the stars; so it is with John Tartaglione, who obviously uses Hollywood stills for reference (Otto = Dean Martin/Tony Curtis and Verna is a dead ringer for Kim Novak).<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNsE0TLfURz_Y4amV9ZiQkkPKclmWFdzgpILAH5f2wl2OEC9E2rt0t_uK6hAvATtjDmLczeT6ixKY8wyExrTvE8RNEpC4E3vbe3x97camnKgxusJVLFs_dW3I9UtlbRedn1ORYPoQDibsjdiAJSqelAkJnktQOxYD2aqcY4ZMKLx7ObY8Is9Cew-XeTdG/s603/23785.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNsE0TLfURz_Y4amV9ZiQkkPKclmWFdzgpILAH5f2wl2OEC9E2rt0t_uK6hAvATtjDmLczeT6ixKY8wyExrTvE8RNEpC4E3vbe3x97camnKgxusJVLFs_dW3I9UtlbRedn1ORYPoQDibsjdiAJSqelAkJnktQOxYD2aqcY4ZMKLx7ObY8Is9Cew-XeTdG/s320/23785.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><b>Journey Into Mystery<i> </i>#27</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Stopped Time!" (a: Dick Ayers) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"It Happened on Mars" (a: John Tartaglione) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Masterpiece!" (a: John Severin) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Changed!" (a: Jay Scott Pike) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Train That Wasn't There!" (a: Bob Powell) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>After Nancy dumps him for another man, George goes into a funk and heads back to the jewelry store to return the engagement ring he'd bought the ungrateful b***h. No dice, says the store owner, who gestures toward the "No Refunds" sign over his shoulder. The man extends store credit in exchange for the ring. </div><div><br /></div><div>George picks a stopwatch that has magical powers; any time he hits the stop button, everything (and everyone) around him freezes. In one of the oddest decisions in Atlas history, George decides to go back to Nancy's house and stop time until she misses the plane she's catching to meet Mr. Right. Nancy freezes, but by the time the plane has flown, George has aged many years and Nancy doesn't want him anyway! </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EBWjfoFyHz54oy-HF87DXgyEE3rGxbA7oCW1BIrb3vD2DxwFsH0gP7ictHpHA6rElhdNppRnyPuJ3ZPtcu_LRuvfUx4Hfn1WHRtjFvxhN3VyLAnS7RMxb0gtR3SdM6Fy7nyDwM5EaF9-JUlKcPsgvp-Tedfs4Hu8MOiVXq9gmBZL0bBC0wwwHrIObelL/s678/Screenshot%202023-12-23%20at%203.12.23%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="678" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EBWjfoFyHz54oy-HF87DXgyEE3rGxbA7oCW1BIrb3vD2DxwFsH0gP7ictHpHA6rElhdNppRnyPuJ3ZPtcu_LRuvfUx4Hfn1WHRtjFvxhN3VyLAnS7RMxb0gtR3SdM6Fy7nyDwM5EaF9-JUlKcPsgvp-Tedfs4Hu8MOiVXq9gmBZL0bBC0wwwHrIObelL/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-23%20at%203.12.23%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>You see... for every second George freezes, he ages a year... or something along those lines. There's not much sense to be made of "The Man Who Stopped Time!" It's never made clear how far the scope of George's powers goes. Is there an invisible barrier? If a car or plane enters the "restricted zone," does the vehicle freeze? He's freezing Nancy but not the plane she's rushing to catch, so time goes on across town, but not where Nancy lives? Worse, we're never told that George is aging until the final panel. That's a cheat in my book.</div><div><br /></div><div>Earth sends a squadron of men to Mars to conquer the planet for immigration reasons. It's expected that the Martians will be ugly, savage beasts, but it's just the opposite; they're a race of ol' softies. Especially the gorgeous Kee-La, who catches the eye of Commander Jordan, who decides right then and there to dump his girl back on Earth and be the first earthling to colonize Mars. "It Happened on Mars" is a sappy, unremarkable hunk of space opera, redeemed only by the graphics of John T.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHRFTidSuLj7TW4eRjOmfrbiHKRSTePA_3vcRrDUq1jjZb6HpJXWI8aXU1Bn_hKBdELWxBE9sSHKM2vIrJCWr7uG-kFa5Dgy65wUiU0u0rBVpvUJvt8fAFb6NQGmWsO97_qzGKmuoKm8cogUW0VO9wrlt07C1aWqLZMd84rq2F2snubZT3TnduCPpV2ZR/s686/Screenshot%202023-12-27%20at%203.47.04%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="686" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHRFTidSuLj7TW4eRjOmfrbiHKRSTePA_3vcRrDUq1jjZb6HpJXWI8aXU1Bn_hKBdELWxBE9sSHKM2vIrJCWr7uG-kFa5Dgy65wUiU0u0rBVpvUJvt8fAFb6NQGmWsO97_qzGKmuoKm8cogUW0VO9wrlt07C1aWqLZMd84rq2F2snubZT3TnduCPpV2ZR/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-27%20at%203.47.04%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>An artist is caught in the act of vandalizing the final work of his long-dead inspiration, the remarkable Millard! Once he's calmed down, the hack explains to the (very patient) guards that he's been making a living off of forgeries of Millard's classics and the fact that he can't sell any of his own original works is driving him nuts. When a shady art dealer offers him half a million to find an original Millard out there in the world, our dopey artist fires up his easel but lacks the necessary oomph to add the finishing touches. Luckily, the painting is finished and signed... by the great Millard! </div><div><br /></div><div>Though the script for "The Masterpiece!" is certainly no masterpiece (the ethics of the main character are never questioned by any of the supporting cast and it's odd that Millard's ghost would think it a good idea to promote fraud), the first appearance of EC veteran John Severin in the Atlas SF/horror titles is a cause for celebration. Severin isn't given much to do (it's all talking heads), but he still leaves his unique style on the pages. Alas, "Jovial" John was used sparingly on the horror books (only six stories in all), so we'll have to savor each morsel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Poor Jane, the waitress all her co-workers call "Plain," never gets a Valentine's Day card. That all changes when her knight in shining armor (disguised as a hobo with empty pockets) walks into the diner and orders the "special." Jane hasn't the heart to turn him away, so she pays for his meal and even gives the tramp thirty bucks to go clean himself up. And oh, how he does! Now, every year on Valentine's Day, Jane gets a card from St. Valentine. Sappy and crappy, "The Man Who Changed!" has no business appearing in these pages. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZ9cRFKoHIyjHClR6hYZMcITGluD2p-J8uePFsjpovNtWY14vLCbKoHSMYst5hfnAb7A7_y3B9UE0rnuIt8jMKGL9GmZr05ddcYtT-tpls9TLy9bgf7LBoj36NV5E5VC6c0m0zaC40TFQZ9xu-KShujedf5ms58jPRQzdu8mpj33EhyphenhyphenYEsrG4gOlMUOf5/s682/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%206.17.07%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="682" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZ9cRFKoHIyjHClR6hYZMcITGluD2p-J8uePFsjpovNtWY14vLCbKoHSMYst5hfnAb7A7_y3B9UE0rnuIt8jMKGL9GmZr05ddcYtT-tpls9TLy9bgf7LBoj36NV5E5VC6c0m0zaC40TFQZ9xu-KShujedf5ms58jPRQzdu8mpj33EhyphenhyphenYEsrG4gOlMUOf5/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-28%20at%206.17.07%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Real estate agent George Brace witnesses a bizarre occurrence at Golden Knolls Estate: "The Train That Wasn't There!" At exactly 9:21 that evening, a ghostly engine and its two cars fly through the woods free of track. "That's odd," muses Brace, "I've been real estate king here for years and I never noticed a ghostly train before. I shall investigate!" And investigate he does. After some digging, Brace discovers that the chooglin' haunt is the property of the long-dead John Benton, would-be railroad czar, whose plan for riches was stalled by the selfish, thieving ways of Chad Carter, a rival rail king.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carter steals Benton's plans and surveys a line to run through Golden Knolls; Benton loses everything, dying a penniless pauper. But before he dies, he curses Carter, swearing he'll hear the ghostly whistle every night for the rest of his life. Years later, facing bankruptcy, Carter tries to sell off Golden Knolls, but there are no takers for the haunted estate. "The Train That Wasn't There!" is an enjoyable bit of fantasy fluff, with more thought put into its script than any other yarn this issue. The (uncredited) writer manages to hold our interest throughout despite employing horror cliche #237 (the ghostly train) and the limitations of a five-page strip. And it certainly helps that the penciling chores went to the talented Mr. Powell. The arrival of the CCA pretty much abolished anything resembling menace in these Atlas stories, except the subtle presence of danger found in any panel Powell creates.-<b>Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF30qEkKDsFBC8uf2lyBcWUujuhIPL5PSq4qYv2XaYSB36kzrrj9qg3qd61UrSezOrZsMZmg9gGL4q4vAFrBXJ7jsl9vf_pWZQrYDi1ELPIPXmzyfqzblfH1KDE1F49BHqimbITQtpiEFsKd3TS3JZytpvUEs9sQOAd7O_g5V5b28GJ2f8hm6Tuxx0Pvg/s570/155148.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF30qEkKDsFBC8uf2lyBcWUujuhIPL5PSq4qYv2XaYSB36kzrrj9qg3qd61UrSezOrZsMZmg9gGL4q4vAFrBXJ7jsl9vf_pWZQrYDi1ELPIPXmzyfqzblfH1KDE1F49BHqimbITQtpiEFsKd3TS3JZytpvUEs9sQOAd7O_g5V5b28GJ2f8hm6Tuxx0Pvg/s320/155148.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><b>Journey Into Unknown Worlds #38</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Who Speaks to Sorcerers!" (a: John Severin) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"The Martians" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★★</span></div><div><b>"But Don't Go Near the Water!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Man Who Changed Things!" (a: Ross Andru & Mike Esposito)</b><b> </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Green Man!" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★★</span></div><div><br /></div><div>A wayward traveler breaks down in a driving storm and seeks shelter in a small village in the woods. Unfortunately, the townsfolk do not cotton to the stranger and chase him back into the forest. He walks three miles to the next town and stops in a pub for a frosty ale.</div><div><br /></div><div>He mentions the odd event to the tavern keeper and the man tells him that there <i>is</i> no nearby village. Just then, a customer pipes up that there's a local legend about a group of sorcerers that lived in a small village in the woods. One night, the wizards were visited by a man from the future and the entire town disappeared. "So that's why I haven't aged in three hundred years!" says our traveler. The hook of "Who Speaks to Sorcerers!" is a mess. If this traveler is three hundred years old, then how was he a man from the future and what was he doing driving a car? None of the climax makes much sense but, like "The Masterpiece!" in <i>JIM,</i> we've got Severin's wonderful graphics (especially that creepy splash) to hold our attention.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8nMWJumgMyGrig2L3jIVrr9ey9feImJwD9BTy5FEtoA1Y4uMvfHtgnwZspSoQheG5071_QqSrz3f6hkgBkz5HPns8jTjaobQQhmmxiyrCrNn_tcyosyyUp-hdYZD_6NfYDglwUtBMZUbsM_PDnsM2PYDqbY7iUKaaGnw2hbvrSWfPQtIe1iOOvXxeN_s/s1350/Screenshot%202023-12-29%20at%206.13.11%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="1350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8nMWJumgMyGrig2L3jIVrr9ey9feImJwD9BTy5FEtoA1Y4uMvfHtgnwZspSoQheG5071_QqSrz3f6hkgBkz5HPns8jTjaobQQhmmxiyrCrNn_tcyosyyUp-hdYZD_6NfYDglwUtBMZUbsM_PDnsM2PYDqbY7iUKaaGnw2hbvrSWfPQtIe1iOOvXxeN_s/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-29%20at%206.13.11%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>In the one note joke, "The Martians," a museum tour guide suddenly stumbles upon an exhibit featuring a Martian spacecraft. No one in the museum has an answer, so the tour guide assumes it must be a hoax. It's not.</div><div><br /></div><div>Donna's mom tells her she can play outside, "But Don't Go Near the Water!" That small pond Donna likes to hang around has a steep drop and can be dangerous, but that's where her friend Alice lives. Alice looks just like Donna and understands the girl like no one else. Despite Mom's warnings, Donna continues to sneak out and lie by the water to talk to her friend, until her father comes and strictly forbids it. "It's only your reflection," sighs Pop. Inside the pond, the exact same thing happens to Alice. It's a simple but effective twist.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carl Elern is a serious scientist slaving away over experiments at a tire manufacturer instead of studying his personal theory of time flaws. Carl heads home and naps in his La-Z-Boy<span face=""Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">®</span></span>, dreaming of a prehistoric world that he can screw up. While there, Carl does fun things like destroy wheat and bean helpless ducks with rocks. This results in a time flaw that allows ants to grow to human size and control the world. When Carl awakens, he puts his serious studying to the side and returns to his job at the tire company. "The Man Who Changed Things!" makes me want to go back to the dawn of time to eliminate this over-used plot. The fact that Carl has fallen asleep is never in question, so why does the (uncredited) scripter treat it as a surprise in the climax?</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIFvECVLBhdfNcOsC7yn5zw077F52dJVkZUn2WMZhOvuteH2R_OdB4l5vwv5cUS95AcDATyRgyiS86-1utewLjqPiN25WmtEJt4QMsLafnRwiPiM6uajtLZYXMMDWGT6i3pmmwcPHB93fdlAvI6t0ACVONBHYRCwD92nJiiQESGiNkhzsBp-Go2vZ0jUc/s934/Screenshot%202023-12-29%20at%202.10.29%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="934" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIFvECVLBhdfNcOsC7yn5zw077F52dJVkZUn2WMZhOvuteH2R_OdB4l5vwv5cUS95AcDATyRgyiS86-1utewLjqPiN25WmtEJt4QMsLafnRwiPiM6uajtLZYXMMDWGT6i3pmmwcPHB93fdlAvI6t0ACVONBHYRCwD92nJiiQESGiNkhzsBp-Go2vZ0jUc/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-29%20at%202.10.29%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>A scientific tinkerer grabs his wife and young daughter and boards a homemade spacecraft, blasting off for the great unknown. Unfortunately, the ship crashes on an uncharted planet and the would-be egghead spends twenty years trying to fix the vehicle for a return trip. During that time, he encounters a race of green people who befriend him and help him with his chores. The man's daughter, Ella, has grown into a vivacious blonde who falls in love with one of the green men. To remain with her beau, she sabotages all of her father's work. In the end, the brilliant nebbish finally fixes his tin can and blasts off back to Earth, unaware that his precocious teenager has remained behind.</div><div><br /></div><div>Though "The Green Man!" is about as dumb as these strips get, I actually enjoyed myself. Laughing every two or three panels helped. Our unnamed science prodigy blasts off from Earth with no space suits but manages to pack enough tools and materials to build a dome on the planet that provides air for the family of three for twenty years. Pity he didn't pack laundry detergent, since the guy wears the same blue suit throughout the story! The inside of that dome must reek!<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeM3K5IuF4VL5gteqmw8BjZ8aEwcJOGPSq6UV2voHt4LVx9zE805eEePdwdibuQ47AvRcy1Uvik47WD24cO1apLEA1L1YNBmqfqhlgb3dLmXus4p8u6mvihGEA1J5pFyCFGXUKeBumxwy3QvZ1t1WA2Ua254Dvf0iXNuvZ0a5ItsW2Hdbsshb2SiugDe-/s582/25595.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeM3K5IuF4VL5gteqmw8BjZ8aEwcJOGPSq6UV2voHt4LVx9zE805eEePdwdibuQ47AvRcy1Uvik47WD24cO1apLEA1L1YNBmqfqhlgb3dLmXus4p8u6mvihGEA1J5pFyCFGXUKeBumxwy3QvZ1t1WA2Ua254Dvf0iXNuvZ0a5ItsW2Hdbsshb2SiugDe-/s320/25595.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><b>Marvel Tales<i> </i>#139</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Nothing Man!" (a: Pete Tumlinson) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"Danger from Nowhere!" (a: Ross Andru & Mike Esposito) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Sleeper!" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Talking Box!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Unseen Audience!" (a: Dick Ayers) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Mark Dunston is a chemist who dreams of becoming a famous boxer. One day, he spills an anti-virus powder on himself and becomes invisible! "The Nothing Man!" signs up with a boxing agent and is a sensation, since he can hit opponents in the boxing ring and they can't see him. As middleweight champion of the world, Mark gets a swelled head and thinks he's above the law, so he speeds off in his car doing 90 m.p.h. The cops give chase, so he turns invisible and runs into a building that is nearing the end of construction. The next morning, he wakes up in a jail cell--the new building was a prison!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RDu8ltGP-NLRuvs04fxEam2nExMWdduMWpSq72ClS_MSyFSmixLYbDCC_g4BqzTPCziGlBxdUEIzDnmwzajWrshK0Zg6cph49gqcYh71v68HTWr1NDpUDfZUCUwH0dfoAAHW-EDk_CCKssHy7ta_8uPx2v5rjCdzlQQ5Z-GsKsb5O1mkpFTYCAayLNs/s470/Marvel_Tales_139_36pg_c2c_(brigus)_02.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RDu8ltGP-NLRuvs04fxEam2nExMWdduMWpSq72ClS_MSyFSmixLYbDCC_g4BqzTPCziGlBxdUEIzDnmwzajWrshK0Zg6cph49gqcYh71v68HTWr1NDpUDfZUCUwH0dfoAAHW-EDk_CCKssHy7ta_8uPx2v5rjCdzlQQ5Z-GsKsb5O1mkpFTYCAayLNs/s320/Marvel_Tales_139_36pg_c2c_(brigus)_02.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>What an idiotic ending! It's bad enough that a scientist is so fixated on being a boxer that he uses the miracle of invisibility to succeed in the ring, but concluding the story in such a silly way is mind-boggling. I wonder if the writer came up with the ending first and then wrote a story to get there, or if he just started writing a story about an invisible boxer and had to come up with a way to wrap it up on page five. Either way, it's a flop.</div><div><br /></div><div>Test pilot Jeff Dunn is determined to break the sound barrier, but when he does, he hears voices discussing an invasion of England, the U.S., and Canada. Back on the ground, he reports the "Danger from Nowhere!" to his superior officer and says that foreigners are planning an invasion! Jeff is sent back up with a tape recorder and, after getting the voices on tape, Washington, DC bigwigs are alerted and the allied nations mobilize to await the invasion. When it doesn't come, Jeff heads back up with a movie camera and gets the plotters on film. Representatives of the allied nations gather to watch the movie--and see Napoleon plotting an invasion. Jeff''s plane flew so fast that it recorded early 19th century history!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL_YJU-p4NVb-Iw0yjqs6UaYjqArflj-ghfSe1iRWeC5oPvg_Q-5Ya3h-6QaAVyrMReB_wgBJC8LAWSs3ZW3kWJ8cCATRre8p8kZX5XnZFN-EyNhSRkWhsqJ-xmXntvQq6cEbvrZaEYhv96HfHdpP9AbY5RqWiOQSegAzjV60L7hoRPlo5UYS-G7o8mA/s469/Marvel_Tales_139_36pg_c2c_(brigus)_18.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="469" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL_YJU-p4NVb-Iw0yjqs6UaYjqArflj-ghfSe1iRWeC5oPvg_Q-5Ya3h-6QaAVyrMReB_wgBJC8LAWSs3ZW3kWJ8cCATRre8p8kZX5XnZFN-EyNhSRkWhsqJ-xmXntvQq6cEbvrZaEYhv96HfHdpP9AbY5RqWiOQSegAzjV60L7hoRPlo5UYS-G7o8mA/s320/Marvel_Tales_139_36pg_c2c_(brigus)_18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Raise your hand if you didn't see that one coming. If you've been reading Atlas comics for more than five minutes and failed to predict an ending like this, shame on you! Of course, Napoleon never planned to invade the U.S. or Canada as far as I know, but never mind. The art by Andru and Esposito just makes everything worse.</div><div><br /></div><div>Little Kimmy (male) has a guardian soldier who stands on a shelf in his bedroom, keeping watch over :The Sleeper!" by night. Kimmy gets to sleep with the soldier when he's been a good boy. Several night in a row, his parents put the soldier on a shelf and find it in Kimmy's bed in the morning; they scold the lad for getting up at night to fetch the toy against their wishes. Kimmy insists he did no such thing, so one night his dad sits in his room and awakens to a remarkable sight--a full sized soldier placing the toy soldier on Kimmy's pillow, telling it that it may sleep with its "guardian giant"!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjh1434svywcClTq6YBm2gf9lfKJ5mrkmTZgk2-WpLi8Ewq0bZD14BshSGVoA2th2dxBlDoxh4i0VISRsylQLzwXU7CLl1ZyTyWKf8vP6WJVVRUW5Oywq5X0RVHRoYmLbE63BUPWkCkkC8ioS_bxRrBMzh7a8JbwOqFD3QPJEUl0Khb-FG4yImWD5sRg0/s517/Marvel_Tales_139_36pg_c2c_(brigus)_27.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="517" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjh1434svywcClTq6YBm2gf9lfKJ5mrkmTZgk2-WpLi8Ewq0bZD14BshSGVoA2th2dxBlDoxh4i0VISRsylQLzwXU7CLl1ZyTyWKf8vP6WJVVRUW5Oywq5X0RVHRoYmLbE63BUPWkCkkC8ioS_bxRrBMzh7a8JbwOqFD3QPJEUl0Khb-FG4yImWD5sRg0/s320/Marvel_Tales_139_36pg_c2c_(brigus)_27.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>At least I got a chuckle out of the last panel. I feel like we had a very similar twist in another story recently. The Benulis art is sub-par and we all knew that Kimmy wasn't getting up at night to grab the toy soldier. The only good thing about the twist is that it's so dumb I did not predict it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every Spring, Og and his fellow cavemen follow the Old One into the cave to listen to the words recorded long ago on "The Talking Box," warning them of the dangers of war and urging them to peace. The recording always gets stuck on the word "peace" and the cavemen, not knowing what it means, chant "peace" as they head off to their annual war on a nearby tribe.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhPZMIJmjdXVUIpC75jvA3R7FDCNMyX8CV9iDMM0CInT8Ph8HMeXGwGyDQOlVtahrx1J6gyU7w38bmCihlVRHGw0sVcqQ8Zlg3gePQG3It0XZB2914gVid5zdajUs2WlSE5ir9TziDpp6dWOEtPuktU9PH8z-AwBX4eV15nNQQN2snCRfSGuB-Xa9hJc/s421/Marvel_Tales_139_36pg_c2c_(brigus)_30.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhPZMIJmjdXVUIpC75jvA3R7FDCNMyX8CV9iDMM0CInT8Ph8HMeXGwGyDQOlVtahrx1J6gyU7w38bmCihlVRHGw0sVcqQ8Zlg3gePQG3It0XZB2914gVid5zdajUs2WlSE5ir9TziDpp6dWOEtPuktU9PH8z-AwBX4eV15nNQQN2snCRfSGuB-Xa9hJc/s320/Marvel_Tales_139_36pg_c2c_(brigus)_30.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>Again I have to wonder: did Rod Serling read Atlas comics and recall some of their stories for <i>The Twilight Zone</i>? Then again, "The Old Man in the Cave" was based on a 1962 story by Henry Slesar, so perhaps Slesar was a closet Atlas fan? One thing is certain: the Winiarski art stinks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Les Norton is a lowly roustabout at a circus who aspires to be a clown. Given the chance, he fails to make anyone laugh. That night, still in costume, he walks into the center ring of the tent and a bright light illuminates him. Music fills the air and he puts on a hilarious performance for "The Unseen Audience!" Les slinks off, thinking himself a failure, not knowing that aliens from outer space were watching. They were so entertained that they decide there can be peace between their planet and ours!</div><div><br /></div><div>A poor issue of <i>Marvel Tales</i> ends with a decent story that is well drawn by Dick Ayers. His ringmaster's face looks like it was drawn by Al Capp and the aliens don't look like every other alien in Atlas Comics.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLVoHnEWHnTynxkrQpG9WWUhoZDEN4Mw_xqB5mXQ9bWo_AsoJ1bfRAC-b9-uV6Lqk-XPFHPnHh_ZM-BUk80UGDmpK9OJ_qTAZcAA7B1GsgPlLFcz6sp7HjyzPLdqjltOTIAO8hxqH4gjsDNRzwkDENhRK6TbrH5NGLaL3lXDNeVUxPsOqZd7yOWam5mSK/s587/193256.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLVoHnEWHnTynxkrQpG9WWUhoZDEN4Mw_xqB5mXQ9bWo_AsoJ1bfRAC-b9-uV6Lqk-XPFHPnHh_ZM-BUk80UGDmpK9OJ_qTAZcAA7B1GsgPlLFcz6sp7HjyzPLdqjltOTIAO8hxqH4gjsDNRzwkDENhRK6TbrH5NGLaL3lXDNeVUxPsOqZd7yOWam5mSK/s320/193256.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Mystery Tales<i> </i>#34</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos (?) and Sol Brodsky (?)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"No Turning Back!" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"It Is Forbidden to Look" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"The Box That Wouldn't Open!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★</span></div><div><b>"The Magic Spell!" (a: John Forte) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><b>"Somebody's Watching!" (a: Vic Carrabotta) </b><span style="font-family: "PingFang SC";">★1/2</span></div><div><br /></div><div>After being hit by a car, a man loses his memory, but that doesn't stop him from falling in love with Doris, a nurse at the hospital where he's a patient. He makes a few odd comments that suggest he's an alien, and this is confirmed when a Martian enters his room one night and attacks him. In the fight, the man receives another blow to his head, and his memory returns. His name is Chaney Ord and he's a Martian scout, sent to mingle with Earthlings and report back on their weapons and defenses. Now that he's in love with Doris, he knows that he must return to Mars and try to keep them from invading Earth. Doris watches as his ship heads back to the Red Planet.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qFhnJ2FQyf4yKhyphenhyphenWQkt4e085DAS14KPDZfI2YSOtOQqS2eRIi5nXoAeY5TaEIEPbYOsCdV_dqcGDdTZK0w2n9CQZ58Cs2q5nHNFro-N8SRg35pbT-zcGEl2-oCcQAZPMwLtln-MZf9pxc7IyG77cptVq5PqpNKzNsuoWdb5lfE553sb9bcaijiEAthE/s824/mystery_tales_034_007.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="824" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qFhnJ2FQyf4yKhyphenhyphenWQkt4e085DAS14KPDZfI2YSOtOQqS2eRIi5nXoAeY5TaEIEPbYOsCdV_dqcGDdTZK0w2n9CQZ58Cs2q5nHNFro-N8SRg35pbT-zcGEl2-oCcQAZPMwLtln-MZf9pxc7IyG77cptVq5PqpNKzNsuoWdb5lfE553sb9bcaijiEAthE/s320/mystery_tales_034_007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>"No Turning Back!" mixes the old cliche about how one bonk on the head causes memory loss and another makes it come back; this is something that always makes me think of Abbott and Costello movies. The story isn't bad, but at five pages there's only so much plot that can be developed. Were the art better, I'd suggest that it could have benefited from being longer but, as it is, the best thing about it is the last couple of panels, where a wistful Doris and Chaney both wish that he could've stayed on Earth and not regained his memory.</div><div><br /></div><div>Paul Parker shows kindness to an old man sleeping on a park bench and brings him home to live with Paul and his family, even though they don't have much money. The grateful old man begins writing letters to his boss and, before you know it, the Parkers are winning every contest they enter and accumulating cash and prizes! They soon get greedy and the old man leaves, but their luck turns bad and their daughter, Ruthie, is hospitalized with an illness that doesn't get better and that drains their savings. Paul searches for Mr. Ellers, the old man, and welcomes him back. Ruthie gets well and Ellers reveals to the little girl that he's an angel.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNJtrzkrAmaYVLHTkdq8GM3N6g9_OdIJLCwFotOHtkMMOjwrADLy6slC6Bn4-9FXzBArKD98VTwTMxE0EPscoo9h_REqoLwlkyYis2kwlwaNEKi6u9hIxL8nf-QO33s7ftc9geQNhsJJybUQD5d5MBOEG2pQb9br_pmSt46MUm2wXkrw6gVH94dMSEwU/s847/mystery_tales_034_014.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="847" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNJtrzkrAmaYVLHTkdq8GM3N6g9_OdIJLCwFotOHtkMMOjwrADLy6slC6Bn4-9FXzBArKD98VTwTMxE0EPscoo9h_REqoLwlkyYis2kwlwaNEKi6u9hIxL8nf-QO33s7ftc9geQNhsJJybUQD5d5MBOEG2pQb9br_pmSt46MUm2wXkrw6gVH94dMSEwU/s320/mystery_tales_034_014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>"It is Forbidden to Look" is better than it sounds, partly due to the art by Mort Lawrence and partly due to the straightforward storytelling. The title refers to an admonishment by Ellers to the Parkers about not opening his suitcase; on the last page, it turns out that it contains his angel wings. No explanation is given as to why an angel is sleeping on a park bench and about to be arrested for vagrancy as the story opens.</div><div><br /></div><div>One night, Andrew Kovack steals a box from a rich man's house. For the next thirty years, he tries everything he can think to get inside "The Box That Wouldn't Open!" Finally, one night, someone steals it from, him and Andrew is relieved. Now another man struggles to open the box!</div><div><br /></div><div>Like a poorly told fable with bad art, this story makes me wish this issue was "The Comic Book That Wouldn't Open!"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5seMJiAECvwJ3tgvjWjk78GCFIxZpMFqvw0KddA8HAvhZL4nW4kDpINKNK6Spudi0x7fSULguZcGOTZrXfQCSaMqK2Jaqyt6sJhj-Aabvhgh5GN2PPwT52W8YvGan8dD2FV2QJ4TizVOZa0B2KlEvDcAWds6S5xBzDrXK-zj_zYNnT31m92k5c5Zc5Y/s846/mystery_tales_034_024.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="785" data-original-width="846" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5seMJiAECvwJ3tgvjWjk78GCFIxZpMFqvw0KddA8HAvhZL4nW4kDpINKNK6Spudi0x7fSULguZcGOTZrXfQCSaMqK2Jaqyt6sJhj-Aabvhgh5GN2PPwT52W8YvGan8dD2FV2QJ4TizVOZa0B2KlEvDcAWds6S5xBzDrXK-zj_zYNnT31m92k5c5Zc5Y/s320/mystery_tales_034_024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>King Horace may have ruled Lichtenforst 450 years ago, but pretty Eloise wouldn't marry him because she was in love with handsome Baron von Gorling. Everything the king does to try to break up the couple fails; even Loriston, the court magician, has no power greater than their love. The exasperated king challenges the baron to a duel with lances and, as they ride toward each other, Loriston casts "The Magic Spell!" and the kingdom disappears. In the present, museum guards hear a clatter one night and discover a dent in the king's armor and a lance on the floor that mysteriously was removed from a locked cabinet. Baron von Gorling and Lady Eloise stand side by side.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have no idea what happened at the end of this story. It was going along well enough until the magic spell was cast, then one of those incomprehensible Atlas twist endings was thrust upon us poor readers. At least John Forte's art is good; he's like a poor man's Hal Foster.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HC94la4O2z5fTDr6PfgoEeD_dGM85oSLje-obnQY11p6WqP36eKzaCyH-y2ChYIFzo8RbIQQTfkdymSaN1Fk0Z0fuGfKcaLwftPkQSiqhYASYLXziXP_DzsRnb_-zA2SiZ34qWleGCYDVVMIKkz6le3UOHnPSH8PCNVhTPEzejRy_biSHE03W-QDP08/s894/mystery_tales_034_029.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="894" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HC94la4O2z5fTDr6PfgoEeD_dGM85oSLje-obnQY11p6WqP36eKzaCyH-y2ChYIFzo8RbIQQTfkdymSaN1Fk0Z0fuGfKcaLwftPkQSiqhYASYLXziXP_DzsRnb_-zA2SiZ34qWleGCYDVVMIKkz6le3UOHnPSH8PCNVhTPEzejRy_biSHE03W-QDP08/s320/mystery_tales_034_029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>When a series of flying saucers are spotted, the head of the Defense Dept. ensures that "Somebody's Watching!" He fears an invasion that could bring an end to the abolishment of warfare and the use of atomic energy for peaceful ends. When a photo is taken of one of the saucers, it reveals the words, "U.S. Air Force." The Martian defense chief hopes the visitors are friendly!</div><div><br /></div><div>Atlas twist #18: the main characters are from another planet and the visitors from space are Earthlings. Yawn. Carrabotta does his best with the art but the story is uninspired.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblFzAdp6obBxmHpbV6HwTBXJKAdvFks7GxfuF_yJEc26LOrDimW1hSOO_7DBQok1L4VKVwjYT1qa5WWfPkbf5yF-y3pbvYvAlEILU_3ACzBfiBbn_krwMHxxNlGW49bQBOPptZW1NqjSgACgW760fAYwK3Xn7JBwcqlNTqasGoRag1WkkALeJ7mo8Byh8/s840/Screenshot%202023-12-29%20at%202.06.46%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="840" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblFzAdp6obBxmHpbV6HwTBXJKAdvFks7GxfuF_yJEc26LOrDimW1hSOO_7DBQok1L4VKVwjYT1qa5WWfPkbf5yF-y3pbvYvAlEILU_3ACzBfiBbn_krwMHxxNlGW49bQBOPptZW1NqjSgACgW760fAYwK3Xn7JBwcqlNTqasGoRag1WkkALeJ7mo8Byh8/w400-h301/Screenshot%202023-12-29%20at%202.06.46%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Meet Leopard Boy!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-91305917579105620272024-01-11T03:00:00.000-08:002024-01-11T03:00:00.153-08:00The Hitchcock Project-Richard Fielder, Part One-Night of the Owl [8.3]<div style="text-align: left;">by Jack Seabrook</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHTnA0Lfc0_tiBZ9OlJsaf5iHJUNIdo6-D_351lToZpT7adCJbMSjuxH2evpDNMeBVmjAkvi_STOZ9adpARpxeDqL4nLIqs2_z6cQ_GGM9Zm0ZAwQG3Ji3cKXpgGvM0ysAYnzY4asEx06kHX9Yc27hh12K1w_5COdb0Gz7BMwnuPdREu0jYArO7tL784/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h22m15s737.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHTnA0Lfc0_tiBZ9OlJsaf5iHJUNIdo6-D_351lToZpT7adCJbMSjuxH2evpDNMeBVmjAkvi_STOZ9adpARpxeDqL4nLIqs2_z6cQ_GGM9Zm0ZAwQG3Ji3cKXpgGvM0ysAYnzY4asEx06kHX9Yc27hh12K1w_5COdb0Gz7BMwnuPdREu0jYArO7tL784/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h22m15s737.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Richard Fielder (1925-2000) wrote the teleplays for two episodes of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i>, "Night of the Owl" and "To Catch a Butterfly," both of which aired in the first season of the hour-long show. Fielder's credits include numerous TV episodes from 1957 to 1997 and two movies, released in 1964 and 1970. Many of the TV shows he wrote were Westerns. I have not found any books or short stories credited to him, so he seems to have confined his work to the screen.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Night of the Owl" is based on <i>The End of the Track,</i> a novel by Andrew Garve. In the book, Peter Mallory is a forest warden in the south of England who lives on an open heath. He left British Guiana twelve years before when his wife, Linda, couldn't stand the heat, and they now have three children: two young boys and fifteen-year-old Anne, who was adopted. Their happy family life is threatened when a man named Gill arrives and threatens to tell Anne that her late father, an alcoholic named Herrick, murdered his wife in British Guiana and died in prison. Gill reveals that he has an associate named Parker and tells Mallory to bring <span style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">£</span></span>2000 to Oakham Heath on Monday evening. Mallory goes to the police and speaks to Superintendent John Ames, who hatches a plan for Mallory to deliver counterfeit bills and for the police to follow Gill until he leads them to Parker so that both men may be apprehended.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2PcoGhGF7FE90e1pqgtJJOXsDAIbYYIMFXd_2ihy09WqFcFU_J3Q8kKR2DDAXbUxmOQO63PE29m611fywHLWbVNKX16_Ap_hrsnl3LYgx1sVNevYYzcy4T1487Du4mi_6iij_0pAipfGSMzhlqHbU0rgUm6hl_SzdhFbR3-MruvVAI2wbxgqISvYSV4/s929/Fielder.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="539" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2PcoGhGF7FE90e1pqgtJJOXsDAIbYYIMFXd_2ihy09WqFcFU_J3Q8kKR2DDAXbUxmOQO63PE29m611fywHLWbVNKX16_Ap_hrsnl3LYgx1sVNevYYzcy4T1487Du4mi_6iij_0pAipfGSMzhlqHbU0rgUm6hl_SzdhFbR3-MruvVAI2wbxgqISvYSV4/w116-h200/Fielder.jpg" width="116" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Richard Fielder</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Gill does not show up for the meeting and later calls Mallory to explain that he saw the police arrive. Another meeting is set, this time without the police. All is not well between Gill and Parker, however; they were in prison with Herrick and Parker distrusts Gill. Parker follows Gill to the second meeting with Mallory, but when Gill insists that Mallory did not bring the money, Parker accuses him of lying and chokes him, accidentally killing him. Parker hides the body in the woods and sets a fire to keep it from being discovered.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mallory and his team fight the forest fire and put it out, but he finds Gill's partially burned body and realizes that Parker killed him. Ames questions Mallory and seems to suspect him of killing Gill; a policeman is assigned to watch Mallory's house. The next day, Parker calls Mallory and tells him to put <span style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">£</span></span>200 in an envelope under a forest notice board that afternoon. Parker takes a billhook and escapes out the back door of his house, unseen by the police. That night, he encounters Parker in the woods and a fight ensues, in which Parker is killed after Mallory strikes him with a broken bottle.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjkn7GZtgh3iL3uUFvRXeHg1QwoWo_Xc9o7EpdX0Itg4veIJwUF7dSisgo4B3VcnBhRQ2GYj_c4e3MghK6fxDfFz0onOQb8ZCdevC-mKdPWrc9-coEyO0KI79JQarRMEU85ZABUMrSmNLKyz30zYIuc-oD6nWo9GubcscjAbG9dG2PGQBLUcT8GV47lg/s988/book%20cover.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="664" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjkn7GZtgh3iL3uUFvRXeHg1QwoWo_Xc9o7EpdX0Itg4veIJwUF7dSisgo4B3VcnBhRQ2GYj_c4e3MghK6fxDfFz0onOQb8ZCdevC-mKdPWrc9-coEyO0KI79JQarRMEU85ZABUMrSmNLKyz30zYIuc-oD6nWo9GubcscjAbG9dG2PGQBLUcT8GV47lg/w134-h200/book%20cover.jpg" width="134" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">First edition</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Mallory returns home and tells his wife what happened before returning to the woods to look for the billhook that he dropped during the fight. He decides to stage Parker's death to look like an accident after seeing a nearby sharp tree root. Back at home, he calls Ames, claiming that he is to meet Parker later that night in the woods with money. After the police find Parker's corpse, Ames reveals that they found evidence showing that Parker killed Gill. Mallory's attempt to cover up the circumstances surrounding Parker's death fails when the police find his footprint under the body; he confesses the truth to Ames, only to learn that the sharp root, not the bottle, really did cause Parker's death. Mallory tells Ames the whole story from the beginning and the policeman agrees to keep it quiet; Mallory's family's life goes on without incident, and his daughter never learns the truth about her real father.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCdvnV-69B_ztMTfwSH1Zr711EoLZasK39PbkvMTN3vd_BZFwQMNrPJCpuh7XqapXjP6ryEXKJYRk74eK7qYm5o4PdC4lk_dtYh31Yd_YhXfcD8NPtq-XGlYbexSp-Bb9oPP74B6iw-4KeWAdRy1S21_hn8vgtYNpDUpg2pdhglzW8mmayFEin9I-P4s/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h48m57s532.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCdvnV-69B_ztMTfwSH1Zr711EoLZasK39PbkvMTN3vd_BZFwQMNrPJCpuh7XqapXjP6ryEXKJYRk74eK7qYm5o4PdC4lk_dtYh31Yd_YhXfcD8NPtq-XGlYbexSp-Bb9oPP74B6iw-4KeWAdRy1S21_hn8vgtYNpDUpg2pdhglzW8mmayFEin9I-P4s/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h48m57s532.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brian Keith as Mallory</span></td></tr></tbody></table><i>The End of the Track</i> is a thrilling novel, well-told, fast-paced, and suspenseful, with enough surprises to keep the reader guessing. The title comes from a sentence near the end when Mallory is said to have "reached the end of the track" after Ames explains the cause of Parker's death. The book is focused on a father's determination to keep his daughter's sordid past from being revealed to her and, in the last lines, Anne remarks, with feigned injury, "'Nobody bothers about me.'" Of course, she is able to say this due to her father's success in defeating the blackmailers and preventing her from knowing her heritage. Andrew Garve's novel was published in 1956 and, when Richard Fielder adapted it for <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i> in 1962, he changed the title to the evocative "Night of the Owl," though his original title was "Whisper a Secret." The TV version follows the novel's events for the most part, while changing the focus and expanding Anne's role.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIGQasn4A1GVDJmMOu1P49htIOZcqpoGo6a0ZdZsSJPTayryOF5J3tzE4pqhjndnpY2zuQZmfvi-pWXKCxYNqU1jExlBSNL-Ldy6Dw0w90gs7LMNdMXndozgWHUKTWBiLrTShsKgOfQK5iBy8NY0XWEIMVTcZMRjw49qnNIj6ek7viVb0CsXiZn3e6W0/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h40m39s085.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIGQasn4A1GVDJmMOu1P49htIOZcqpoGo6a0ZdZsSJPTayryOF5J3tzE4pqhjndnpY2zuQZmfvi-pWXKCxYNqU1jExlBSNL-Ldy6Dw0w90gs7LMNdMXndozgWHUKTWBiLrTShsKgOfQK5iBy8NY0XWEIMVTcZMRjw49qnNIj6ek7viVb0CsXiZn3e6W0/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h40m39s085.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Patricia Breslin as Linda</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">As with so many entries in the Hitchcock TV series, the events are moved from England to America and some of the characters' names are changed slightly. Peter Mallory becomes James Mallory and the show opens with an establishing shot of a sign that identifies him as a District Ranger in the Forest Service. While the novel's first chapter provides some background on Mallory's prior posting in British Guiana, where Anne's parents died, the TV show skips this exposition and moves right into the story, with George Locke, as Gill has been renamed, arriving at the Mallory home. Locke tells Linda that he was chaplain of the "'Seabrook State Prison in the Smokies'" many years ago and that he knew Anne's real father.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefCNWSdRbEmZpoZm-TmmMrsLUjGsZUoRoNfx1Bw5nESWj10FbkINjlgLH_KDHlP_5jcr7LyM0zQQ03Fx2-veO0dPngMDFPYKnjM_St03hdRviFyBH_iI3fgmYbFaTpdo9_va0TPATneZCF9Xfq2_x-xKe43Ls8ylGxEiSdqvDYuaXZ0WF3dIjqyhQic4/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h51m24s725.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefCNWSdRbEmZpoZm-TmmMrsLUjGsZUoRoNfx1Bw5nESWj10FbkINjlgLH_KDHlP_5jcr7LyM0zQQ03Fx2-veO0dPngMDFPYKnjM_St03hdRviFyBH_iI3fgmYbFaTpdo9_va0TPATneZCF9Xfq2_x-xKe43Ls8ylGxEiSdqvDYuaXZ0WF3dIjqyhQic4/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h51m24s725.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Claudia Cravey as Anne</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Jim and Anne return home and, when Jim speaks privately with Locke, a theme is introduced that is not in the novel: Locke remarks that Anne has seen a psychiatrist and Jim explains that it was due to her putting too many demands on herself in regard to her schoolwork. Locke maliciously suggests that she might be too much like her real father, adding that her mental health might be harmed were she to learn the truth about her parents. The contrast between the characters is marked, since Brian Keith, as Jim, has a strong physical presence, his anger barely lurking below the surface, while Philip Coolidge, as Locke, is tall, thin, and balding, presenting no physical threat at all, yet he clearly holds the upper hand when he tells Mallory that "'All her life she'll wonder: Am I insane, like my real daddy was? Will I commit suicide like my real daddy did?'"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_K2ptaLq3GxC3P66K4BhikH-WCJfpQELQh4P1PnCT2y9poNnAvXb8lJUT-ZOIrYEevbH8ejsTt5TquvuC5a5QhuICo2Lo_ecCdvKPZBgrZQkuFfPShfYGe19I1SO0taPaknpH51UevuyV1ADFQIFD7M88Ny0VR43L9XBVCkDU9KLH-VlaTFu8s9AP0o/s764/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h16m01s603.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="764" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_K2ptaLq3GxC3P66K4BhikH-WCJfpQELQh4P1PnCT2y9poNnAvXb8lJUT-ZOIrYEevbH8ejsTt5TquvuC5a5QhuICo2Lo_ecCdvKPZBgrZQkuFfPShfYGe19I1SO0taPaknpH51UevuyV1ADFQIFD7M88Ny0VR43L9XBVCkDU9KLH-VlaTFu8s9AP0o/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h16m01s603.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mike Kellin as O.D.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Anne knocks on the door and enters the room, apologizing for interrupting her father's conversation. She wears white gloves and a dress, her innocence standing in sharp contrast to the verbal picture that Locke had painted of her father a moment earlier. Anne's appearance demonstrates what her father wants to protect. Claudia Cravey gives an excellent performance as Anne and is convincing as a young woman beset by doubt about her place in the world. That evening, Anne's role is further expanded from the novel when she learns that her sister ruined a science experiment she was conducting. Anne loses her temper and twists her sister's arm; Linda makes Anne apologize, and the scene suggests that Anne puts too much pressure on herself and is emotionally fragile. In the following scene, which also is not in the book, Jim consoles Anne, who laments that she does not know how to make people happy and that she fears that something is wrong inside her.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksPbtrIcVcOt9255ZhsURpy2GL5nD55EeoEaT4VUMf7NXOI1yLAX11qKc2Bjkn22GkZrPhuEliu5eI93Xe6AgfkLW5sO_w8xZ9N85KvwU4pgJ6gKdk_0C-NZvFzjcGLicd94G0Y4Pw-H5HBz3U4i-lE99rEWBGbFqzsSgXiZUirFZz0A21X3_Ra9817w/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h42m41s484.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksPbtrIcVcOt9255ZhsURpy2GL5nD55EeoEaT4VUMf7NXOI1yLAX11qKc2Bjkn22GkZrPhuEliu5eI93Xe6AgfkLW5sO_w8xZ9N85KvwU4pgJ6gKdk_0C-NZvFzjcGLicd94G0Y4Pw-H5HBz3U4i-lE99rEWBGbFqzsSgXiZUirFZz0A21X3_Ra9817w/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h42m41s484.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Philip Coolidge as Locke</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">A nicely staged scene follows, where Jim and Linda wash the dishes in the kitchen and discuss the blackmailers' demands. Their daughters are seen in the next room, framed between their parents but far enough away so that they cannot hear their conversation; the girls innocently watch TV and the contrast between their activity and the discussion of the blackmailers' demands shows the necessity of keeping the truth hidden in order to maintain the family's happiness.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After visiting the police station, Jim waits in the woods at night and an owl is heard hooting. The owl is heard in all of the scenes that take place at night in the forest and serves as a harbinger of bad luck or death. The novel's chapter eight, where details of the blackmailers' background are provided along with an explanation of how they met Anne's real father, is removed, and another discussion between Jim and Linda is added in which Jim underlines his concern for his daughter's mental health. The first part of the novel's chapter ten is omitted, which delineates Parker's actions in the hours leading up to the night he murders Gill. Instead, in the nighttime scene between Mallory and Locke, Parker is seen up close for the first time. He speaks with a thick Southern accent and drinks from a bottle, his rough appearance and behavior are contrasted with Locke's more polished demeanor.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtqdEzbZ3rcMTQP3a_DqPo-KwZNeYS6eW3K8kKQlr_EgpYtALgUAGqnZUaZchZBHKG7loOhNjfwj9f1t9An97aXaa3xUcL7mMF8k5xId5FYI1kaQ8OnxppbUl7K7HEPXxWqq80vng9HDoKsfEb-gmLSk-AmhN5UQWDobLZ-I23JVcmXdPxsLUg8pabII/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h30m43s380.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtqdEzbZ3rcMTQP3a_DqPo-KwZNeYS6eW3K8kKQlr_EgpYtALgUAGqnZUaZchZBHKG7loOhNjfwj9f1t9An97aXaa3xUcL7mMF8k5xId5FYI1kaQ8OnxppbUl7K7HEPXxWqq80vng9HDoKsfEb-gmLSk-AmhN5UQWDobLZ-I23JVcmXdPxsLUg8pabII/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h30m43s380.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Robert Bray as Ames</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Parker refers to himself as "O.D." and murders Locke before taking the dead man's cigarette lighter and setting fire to the forest; his eyes are seen in extreme close up with the lighter's flame dancing before them. After the mid-show break, the second half begins with stock footage of firefighters battling a forest fire. Jim discovers Locke's corpse, which is not shown, and in the next scene he is back at the police station, being interrogated by Lieutenant Ames and Captain Garner. Jim admits that he killed Locke "'in my mind a hundred times I wanted to, but I didn't'" and Ames asks if he is disturbed by the thought that he might have been a murderer; the comment makes a subtle parallel with Anne's situation and Jim's fear of harming her with the truth.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Back at home, Jim awakens from a nightmare after having slept all day, exhausted from fighting the fire and spending time with the police. Anne comforts him and their close bond is shown when she intuits that he is worried about something having to do with her. Parker calls Jim and demands that he bring money to the woods tonight; when Jim and Anne discuss Parker, Anne overhears them talking about him being a killer, something that is new to the TV show. In the novel, Mallory sets out to meet Parker carrying a billhook; in the TV show, he carries a gun. A major change occurs to the story when Anne climbs out of a window and follows her father to the woods.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL_Q2sc8tXhvSp3S6PUPo5rpa7SMRo0nx9cd7YOWtsUc-tpgd1LVS-iCgJRUJL_6E2Ja-Un_QqOxc4AIIYU9Q8GvXDaJ5c2fS8Gdkd8S8BhHg00djhtiEKMmKPrDROE3lgA4ziXT_jVgjqpF3I9tBlzlm-Y1QjFlcle5WGWLq2cHmCpogxdzMYpdXMUQ/s764/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h12m50s163.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="764" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL_Q2sc8tXhvSp3S6PUPo5rpa7SMRo0nx9cd7YOWtsUc-tpgd1LVS-iCgJRUJL_6E2Ja-Un_QqOxc4AIIYU9Q8GvXDaJ5c2fS8Gdkd8S8BhHg00djhtiEKMmKPrDROE3lgA4ziXT_jVgjqpF3I9tBlzlm-Y1QjFlcle5WGWLq2cHmCpogxdzMYpdXMUQ/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h12m50s163.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frank Ferguson as Garner</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">As in the book, Jim finds Parker up in a tree and confronts him, with a gun instead of a billhook. The shots of Parker up in the tree are evocative, his grinning face illuminated only by the beam of Jim's flashlight. Suddenly, Anne appears, and when Jim tells her to go home and tell Linda to call the police, Parker threatens to kill Jim if she leaves. The young woman is torn and, at this point, the TV show takes a sharp turn away from the novel by having Parker tell Anne that he is her "'second cousin, twice removed.'" He goes on to reveal that her father killed her mother with an axe and then "'hung'" himself in prison! Anne screams and holds her head in her hands; this powerful scene is new to the TV show and definitely not in the novel, in which Anne never learns the truth about her parents.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6sJaf0_tS2WkH0yIQqIwx-L-QeCH4zZopv9rMRRvSpLJpY34U13CiIawsyf7VsLWU90pLwNa4qqR_gF9f_R4H4dXTDuaiPgXJVtZt2KGKW2kYi0eAi6xUe9OXNUppKvtihcWesXbqceyCNV0ugLS3F8GcgS-VwUlRf8lV_qE7vA7H8gxF6ZCikaEdEg/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h08m22s268.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6sJaf0_tS2WkH0yIQqIwx-L-QeCH4zZopv9rMRRvSpLJpY34U13CiIawsyf7VsLWU90pLwNa4qqR_gF9f_R4H4dXTDuaiPgXJVtZt2KGKW2kYi0eAi6xUe9OXNUppKvtihcWesXbqceyCNV0ugLS3F8GcgS-VwUlRf8lV_qE7vA7H8gxF6ZCikaEdEg/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h08m22s268.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Norman Leavitt as Ben</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">The young woman runs off and the men struggle, the fight ending with Jim thinking he has killed Parker. Much of the latter part of the novel is eliminated from the TV show and Mallory does not attempt to stage Parker's death as accidental for the benefit of the police. Instead, there is a new scene between father and daughter at home in her room, which resolves the show's psychological theme. Instead of being distraught, Anne tells Jim that she feels sorry for her real parents and is grateful for the love that she has received from the parents who adopted her. "'I never felt special until now,'" she tells Jim, showing a completely unexpected reaction to learning the horrible truth. Claudia Cravey, as Anne, is particularly good in this emotional scene.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The novel ends with Ames explaining to Mallory that Parker's death was accidental. The TV show ends with Ames telling Mallory that Parker is not dead after all and that he has confessed to Locke's murder. "Night of the Owl" is an interesting adaptation of <i>The End of the Track,</i> keeping most of the book's plot details while greatly expanding the character of Anne and changing the focus from her father's efforts to keep the truth from his daughter to her father's concern about her fragile psyche and the revelation that she was stronger than he thought. The climax, where Anne follows Jim into the woods and learns the truth, only to process it successfully when back at home, works mainly because of the acting skill of Brian Keith and Claudia Cravey. In the book, Mallory succeeds in maintaining the illusion he has created for his child; in the show, his failure to do so allows her to take an important step toward maturity, one that may well allow her to alleviate some of the doubts that have been plaguing her.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrSQsnzZeQyEaQQhYGIShV2IBnijmqHnTSl-xoBwATKEdI1kAo-D7Se49E8Ejg-Q9_ocYi_PLG3VdDO_Re2SgRe_3kG7h-405I1cL6pFsMs4sH-J-Aaxt_ilQOyx5kHtbXwrlZN7V44C-llbMlGCtlXgoTdc86awvhNaVJuPtKklIfVEUZEayN5-6LYo/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h21m04s458.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrSQsnzZeQyEaQQhYGIShV2IBnijmqHnTSl-xoBwATKEdI1kAo-D7Se49E8Ejg-Q9_ocYi_PLG3VdDO_Re2SgRe_3kG7h-405I1cL6pFsMs4sH-J-Aaxt_ilQOyx5kHtbXwrlZN7V44C-llbMlGCtlXgoTdc86awvhNaVJuPtKklIfVEUZEayN5-6LYo/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h21m04s458.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Night of the Owl" is directed by Alan Crosland, Jr., and the direction is a mixed bag. Many of the shots are close ups that surely worked well on small TV screens in 1962; on today's larger TVs they are less successful. The stock footage used for the forest fire adds little to the show, but a few scenes are evocative, especially the one near the end when Parker is in the tree, lit only by Mallory's flashlight. Crosland (1918-2001) started out as a film editor, working on features from 1944 to 1954 and on TV from 1955 to 1957, then began directing episodic television in 1956. He directed 16 half-hours and three hours of the Hitchcock series, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-hitchcock-project-bryce-walton-part_18.html" target="_blank">"The Woman Who Wanted to Live,"</a> as well as episodes of <i>The Twilight Zone</i> and <i>The Outer Limits</i>. Crosland directed a handful of movies, but his main focus was on TV, and he directed his last show in 1986.</div><div><br /></div>Andrew Garve, who wrote <i>The End of the Track,</i> was a pseudonym of Paul Winterton (1908-2001). Winterton began his career as a reporter and published his first novel in 1938. He also wrote under the names Roger Bax and Paul Somers. In 1947, he retired from journalism "to become a full-time thriller writer." He published 40 books between 1938 and 1978. A few of his stories were adapted for TV or film, including two for <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i>; the other was <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part_30.html" target="_blank">"House Guest."</a><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjec7lgqohq5TwQrRF0oYQdqRfrZtubzPTux_5qUC-icpNx4ZjMpZoMI0iN38HeJuq2aHGu_TOpKTgauXMiyOuJUCjKSByJ3pF2LUkzLCC3zYuytXJ3F2wTaPSX0RZFeV_fWHhy3txRI-BRaOmwoHZIN94v52XkLzyCdlRYTioJnlug361AXC_xaMz188c/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h20m54s698.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjec7lgqohq5TwQrRF0oYQdqRfrZtubzPTux_5qUC-icpNx4ZjMpZoMI0iN38HeJuq2aHGu_TOpKTgauXMiyOuJUCjKSByJ3pF2LUkzLCC3zYuytXJ3F2wTaPSX0RZFeV_fWHhy3txRI-BRaOmwoHZIN94v52XkLzyCdlRYTioJnlug361AXC_xaMz188c/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-17h20m54s698.png" width="320" /></a><div>Giving a strong performance as Jim Mallory is Brian Keith (1921-1997), who was a popular actor in TV and on film. Born in New Jersey, he made his film debut in 1924 at age three. He was a Marine air gunner in World War II and went into acting as an adult after the war. He started on TV in 1952 and eventually would star in no less than 11 TV series and miniseries, the most famous being <i>Family Affair</i> (1966-1971). He also appeared in the film <i>5 Against the House</i> (1955), based on a novel by Jack Finney. He appeared on the Hitchcock series five times, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-hitchcock-project-william-fay-part_25.html" target="_blank">"Your Witness."</a> He committed suicide in 1997.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Linda Mallory, Patricia Breslin (1931-2011) portrays a woman who is a strong wife and mother, giving good advice to her husband and not afraid of letting him take the lead when dealing with their adopted daughter. She acted mostly on TV from 1950 to 1969 and was in five episodes of the Hitchcock show, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-hitchcock-project-john-cheever-part.html" target="_blank">"O Youth and Beauty!"</a> She was a regular on a series called <i>The People's Choice</i> (1955-1958) and on <i>Peyton Place</i> (1964-1965); she also made appearances on <i>The Twilight Zone</i> and <i>Thriller</i>. She was in a handful of films, including <i>Homicidal</i> (1961) and <i>I Saw What You Did</i> (1965), and she left acting in 1969 and married Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns football team. She spent the rest of her life engaged in philanthropy.</div><div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFYtbRAkHc8fHe-NpL7RDSitH9LObRDE1mDFTJxux-CFdqWFqGc4nepO60z15y2ceSk5Ubt2x3jVP0TEVe927t-AJnAYpnomDx73VnMqfbuVWKQCdhqlc9iG6uLxDz9EvAxagps9VIfPIdP_CO51pMVpOFgJ7Kcnx7R86Njhn0xdWlprrPiyTLbcBIR4/s768/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h51m30s087.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFYtbRAkHc8fHe-NpL7RDSitH9LObRDE1mDFTJxux-CFdqWFqGc4nepO60z15y2ceSk5Ubt2x3jVP0TEVe927t-AJnAYpnomDx73VnMqfbuVWKQCdhqlc9iG6uLxDz9EvAxagps9VIfPIdP_CO51pMVpOFgJ7Kcnx7R86Njhn0xdWlprrPiyTLbcBIR4/s320/vlcsnap-2024-01-02-16h51m30s087.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Terry Ann Ross as Barbara</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Claudia Cravey (1948- ) gives an excellent performance as Anne. She began studying dance as a child and spent ten years as a professional ballerina, in Chicago, New York City, and overseas. While in New York, she began teaching dance, and she has been teaching since the 1960s. In addition to this episode of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i>, she appeared in two films under the name Claudia Corday.</div><div><br /></div>Mike Kellin (1922-1983) plays the menacing O.D. Parker; he served in the Navy in WWII and then attended the Yale School of Drama. He was busy on Broadway and appeared on screen from 1950 to 1983. In addition to this episode, he was in one episode of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents,</i> <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-hitchcock-project-bernard-c.html" target="_blank">"And the Desert Shall Blossom."</a><div><br /></div>Philip Coolidge (1908-1967) is suitably cast as Locke; a radio announcer turned stage actor, he was on screen from 1947 to 1968, appeared in Hitchcock's <i>North By Northwest</i> (1959), and was in seven episodes of the Hitchcock TV series, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-hitchcock-project-john-williams_29.html" target="_blank">"Whodunit."</a> He was also on <i>The Twilight Zone.</i><br /><div><br /></div>Robert Bray (1917-1983) plays Lt. Hank Ames; he was a Marine in WWII and who followed his service with a screen career that lasted from 1946 to 1968. He played Mike Hammer in <i>My Gun is Quick</i> (1957), was a regular on <i>Stagecoach West</i> (1960-61), appeared on <i>The Twilight Zone,</i> and was in five episodes of the Hitchcock series, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part.html" target="_blank">"Not the Running Type."</a> He is best-known for his role as a regular on <i>Lassie</i> from 1964-68.<br /><div><br /></div><div>In smaller roles:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Frank Ferguson (1906-1978) plays Captain Garner, who is with Lt. Ames at the police station when Mallory is interrogated. Ferguson played numerous roles on screen from 1940 to 1976, including parts in <i>This Gun for Hire </i>(1940),<i> Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein </i>(1948), and<i> Rancho Notorious </i>(1952). This was his only appearance on the Hitchcock TV show.</li><li>Norman Leavitt (1913-2005) as Ben Kaylor, who is the other firefighter who speaks with Mallory right before Locke's body is discovered; he was on screen from 1946 to 1978 and appeared in seven episodes of the Hitchcock show, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-hitchcock-project-james-p-cavanagh.html" target="_blank">"One More Mile to Go."</a></li><li>Terry Ann Ross (1952- ) as Barbara, Anne's younger sister; she had a brief career on screen from 1955 to 1962 and this was her only role on the Hitchcock series.</li></ul>Watch "Night of the Owl" online <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxisaN7ffs0" target="_blank">here</a>. It is not available on DVD in the US.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;">"Archives West Finding Aid." <i>Richard Fielder Papers - Archives West</i>, archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv778738. Accessed 2 Jan. 2024. </p><div></div><p></p></span></div><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">"Artistic Staff." <i>Ballet Palm Beach</i>, 8 Nov. 2023, balletpalmbeach.org/the-company/artistic-staff/.</span></p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Garve, Andrew. <i>The End of the Track.</i> NY: Lancer Books, 1963. [1955.]</span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. </span><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">. OTR Pub., 2001.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1cm;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>IMDb</i>, www.imdb.com.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><div><span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>"Night of the Owl." </span><i> The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i><span>, season 1, episode 3, CBS, 4 October 1962.</span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;">"Out My Backdoor: Halloween Superstitions and Backyard Wildlife." <i>Out My Backdoor: Halloween Superstitions and Backyard Wildlife | Department Of Natural Resources Division</i>, georgiawildlife.com/out-my-backdoor-halloween-superstitions-and-backyard-wildlife#:~:text=Owls%20have%20also%20long%<span style="text-indent: -1cm;">20been,that%20can%20live%</span><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">20with%20ghosts. Accessed 2 Jan. 2024.</span></p></span></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-indent: -36pt;"><span style="text-indent: -37.7953px;">Wagner, Jodie. "Longtime Dancer Now Ballet Mistress at Palm Beach Gardens' Esther Center." </span><span style="text-indent: -37.7953px;"><i>The Palm Beach Post</i></span><span style="text-indent: -37.7953px;"><i>,</i> Palm <span> </span>Beach Post, 8 Apr. 2012, www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2010/09/29/longtime-dancer-now-ballet-mistress</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-indent: -36pt;"><span style="text-indent: -37.7953px;">/7275724007/.</span></span></div><div><i style="text-indent: -36pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i style="text-indent: -36pt;">Wikipedia</i><span style="text-indent: -36pt;">, www.wikipedia.org.</span></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "The End of Indian Summer" <a href="https://aadl.org/ahp61" target="_blank">here</a>!<br /><br />In two weeks: Our series on Richard Fielder concludes with a look at "To Catch a Butterfly," starring Bradford Dillman and Diana Hyland!</span></div></div></div></div>Jack Seabrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-22919094509115103402024-01-08T04:00:00.000-08:002024-01-08T04:00:00.138-08:00Batman in the 1960s Issue 13: January/ February 1962<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/s350/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="350" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/w400-h154/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Caped Crusader in the 1960s<br />by Jack Seabrook<br />& Peter Enfantino</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWiUNSFIw6qTV4ZHeEBXQSRx9pj40fQCuxp4bdasF9Q1HbkL5jPyCZvJL4znrQxfkovFmU_tvxQyDNIBz6rN8HERW6NswxFH7nvjCkoCU2GB-ysFRFYsIhr-nbq0Q0AA_VqE8uKQT6Eoql5tG1kcFgSQXWU-6TkbVcqPJzVCMqatqM9yBm-1kmRzC1Ygf/s596/5404.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWiUNSFIw6qTV4ZHeEBXQSRx9pj40fQCuxp4bdasF9Q1HbkL5jPyCZvJL4znrQxfkovFmU_tvxQyDNIBz6rN8HERW6NswxFH7nvjCkoCU2GB-ysFRFYsIhr-nbq0Q0AA_VqE8uKQT6Eoql5tG1kcFgSQXWU-6TkbVcqPJzVCMqatqM9yBm-1kmRzC1Ygf/s320/5404.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dillin (?) and Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #299</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Prey of the Alien Hunters"</b></div><div><b>Story Uncredited</b></div><div><b>Art by Jim Mooney</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Bodyguard for a Spy"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Aquaman's Secret Teacher"</b></div><div><b>Story Uncredited</b></div><div><b>Art by Nick Cardy</b></div><div><br /></div><div>While on patrol one night, Batman and Robin are zapped by a sparkly red ray and transported to a "weird, unknown world," where they encounter violent alien beings who attempt to hunt them down. None of the alien hunters are able to nab our heroes and, as they catch their breath, a strange orb in the sky explains that they are to be stalked by extraterrestrial hunters. If the Caped Crusaders can elude capture, they will be granted their freedom.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7zCa5MMshiJdZ9uzEpadRUKXSRWCs4_S-ZF3ykktWPJFSmwrmZDurMBxFDbD8RWeTGh565raDDt1SjrPGw_d5URZkjZQ2jrEp5kYY42c6RYSyV_iLHrsp1QLar-y0EP65dKjbmjbtWpZfGyKQoXf_PpAehXo2yKnFuOpyRZkNBH7mH6V8-jgDiae95mW/s1472/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%2010.46.29%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="1472" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7zCa5MMshiJdZ9uzEpadRUKXSRWCs4_S-ZF3ykktWPJFSmwrmZDurMBxFDbD8RWeTGh565raDDt1SjrPGw_d5URZkjZQ2jrEp5kYY42c6RYSyV_iLHrsp1QLar-y0EP65dKjbmjbtWpZfGyKQoXf_PpAehXo2yKnFuOpyRZkNBH7mH6V8-jgDiae95mW/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%2010.46.29%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>More attacks follow and the Dynamic Duo are even menaced by giant, dinosaur-like creatures. Luckily, the boys stumble upon a band of friendly natives, led by green-skinned Alta, who reveal their plan to overthrow the barbaric emperor Kaale; would the Earthlings like to help? Did you have to ask?</div><div><br /></div><div>After some fierce battles, Batman and Robin conquer the three alien hunters and bring them to the emperor in his palace. When Kaale congratulates Batman and Robin on their feats, the Dark Knight gives him a quick right uppercut and Alta and his boys arrive to stage their coup. Batman and Robin smile and shake the hands of their new alien friends, never once wondering why they could breathe on the strange, distant planet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not one of the better weird fantasy tales of Batman, "Prey of the Alien Hunters" feels like a patchwork of lots of other stories (chief among them, of course, being "The Most Dangerous Game") and Mooney's art isn't as strong as it was last time out; his alien designs look patterned after those of Moldoff. The script wanders all over the place, like a really bad acid trip. Still, superheroes, dinosaurs, and aliens must have been the trifecta for an eight-year-old kid in 1961.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YGbwEAMufm1w33SeiCx1Bo2sN2bm1b_yraCtRx7a9IBsAyqI0n0hQby-wF_MsixubpCeCp_0uDCanl6lwEO40VMgMY5w0sfdZsMSNDMFW4cP5PSHv1JqR_DGoNLwcM4otNPsiYwZktRK7XEfe2xb80fDxYg2nXcLi9lhQY2d4luLj_k7NcIP2dUF7hvx/s734/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%201.03.04%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="734" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YGbwEAMufm1w33SeiCx1Bo2sN2bm1b_yraCtRx7a9IBsAyqI0n0hQby-wF_MsixubpCeCp_0uDCanl6lwEO40VMgMY5w0sfdZsMSNDMFW4cP5PSHv1JqR_DGoNLwcM4otNPsiYwZktRK7XEfe2xb80fDxYg2nXcLi9lhQY2d4luLj_k7NcIP2dUF7hvx/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%201.03.04%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Detective John Jones is assigned as bodyguard for visiting Princess Cassandra, but a jealous Diane Meade knows a phony when she sees one. Sure enough, Diane overhears the princess discussing the sale of secret government documents with some ruffians in a darkened alcove. When the princess gets into a car with the hoods, Diane gives chase and the Martian Manhunter must follow before Diane does something really dumb. Too late! Diane is captured and brought before the ringleader and the princess in a shack in the woods. Cassandra suddenly pulls a gun and blurts out that she's working with Detective Jones on the espionage ring and she'll blow the hell out of anyone who moves.</div><div><br /></div><div>The mob boss guffaws and (inexplicably) reveals that he had the princess's gun emptied on the way to the cabin. Cue J'Onn J'Onzz, who breaks through the thin wall and makes quick work of the out-of-shape criminals. The Martian Manhunter gets a kiss on the cheek from a grateful Cassandra and an exasperated sigh from an embarrassed Diane Meade. It's been a long time since we saw MM take credit for any of his actions; usually he's using his super-breath to blow a car off the road and attributing it to a brave beat cop or some such poppycock. Not here; J'Onn makes his grand entrance and wallops the baddies, sending one through the roof and on to what is surely a life-ending head injury. The variant in M.O. doesn't make "Bodyguard for a Spy" any more readable; I just thought it was worth noting.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_QPeLI3utctDoQ3_ulVvnKevAVexm7nmmt_m3USvSY-d4WGe-6miNqn1RE-_gmuAjVpI6XGhVOFJA4ZxPUj1ZztZIpxpBWBF-GhyphenhyphentubS108IE5pHwFdegkwYVFzb98OeQdSv0LBKCs6fAIz9Mkaac1PD-iBmB6UwJ5cj5lB56VukWiqQqhtUlGj6gD0c/s1466/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%201.41.05%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="1466" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_QPeLI3utctDoQ3_ulVvnKevAVexm7nmmt_m3USvSY-d4WGe-6miNqn1RE-_gmuAjVpI6XGhVOFJA4ZxPUj1ZztZIpxpBWBF-GhyphenhyphentubS108IE5pHwFdegkwYVFzb98OeQdSv0LBKCs6fAIz9Mkaac1PD-iBmB6UwJ5cj5lB56VukWiqQqhtUlGj6gD0c/w200-h184/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%201.41.05%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>Captain Bean is a braggart, but he's a sweet old guy who loves telling the seashore scalawags all about the many times he helped Aquaman and Aquakid save the world. Then, one day, in the middle of a whale of a tale, the Aquaduo walk out of the water and onto Capt. Bean's beach. The kids insist Bean go see his old friends, but the salty sea dog is a bit hesitant. When the kids bombard Aquaman with questions about past team-ups with their local hero, the Sea Sleuth pauses. Luckily, the awkward moment is saved when a ship is enveloped in a sudden typhoon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Captain Bean remarks that the ship would probably survive if it were a submarine, and Aquadude exclaims that that is a fabulous idea. He has jellyfish close up all openings on the ship and then a pod of whales arrives to drag what must be a terrified sea crew and ship under the water. The typhoon passes in record time and the ship is brought back to the surface, all hands... well, let's suppose they're just fine.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6L80jfKJCoyVGX7-zGBpTIsTHlk-R6OX1CJn-07FiC025-_AWRxXLrN7mtYibAIaPhALSj2LMyxemlh2C1Sj-tGa5s53MvXp9Rz3CStROHkHAQmXpgafTuQR1HFe3UtJBbdTDxhnsFeVUxs2TPYfIlcI3PnXqe2NyUGQ9CMpmB8qTDiywQbjdRmm_brU/s790/Detective-299-20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="504" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6L80jfKJCoyVGX7-zGBpTIsTHlk-R6OX1CJn-07FiC025-_AWRxXLrN7mtYibAIaPhALSj2LMyxemlh2C1Sj-tGa5s53MvXp9Rz3CStROHkHAQmXpgafTuQR1HFe3UtJBbdTDxhnsFeVUxs2TPYfIlcI3PnXqe2NyUGQ9CMpmB8qTDiywQbjdRmm_brU/w127-h200/Detective-299-20.jpg" width="127" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Missed it by that much!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Aquaguy praises Captain Bean's brilliant solution to the problem and tells him he wishes he were around for all the hero's problems. Aquateam heads back into the water and Captain Bean goes back to lying to his pre-teen audience. "Aquaman's Secret Teacher" is goofy, sweet fun; easily the best strip this issue. I love these deadly sea storms that rise up and pass in mere minutes while an audience stands right on the beach and suffers no ill effects.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div></div><div><b>Jack-</b>Not a great issue of <i>Detective</i>. Among the influences I thought of while reading the Batman story, in addition to "The Most Dangerous Game," were <i>King Kong</i>, DC's "The War That Time Forgot" series, and "Arena." The story is full of business but never seemed interesting. I was initially glad to see the return of Patrolwoman Diane Meade in the Martian Manhunter strip, but that quickly devolved into exasperation at her idiocy. At one point, J'Onn causes a big oak tree to fall right in front of her to stop her pursuit. Wasn't that a bit risky? A few inches one way or the other and she'd have been squashed. I agree that the Aquaman story was the best of the issue, only because Nick Cardy drew it. The real highlight is probably the cover, showing once again that Dick Dillin's pencils are much smoother than Shelly Moldoff's.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMV42mLfeTnHUYMfDYcg_GqdNZkW5HtvF0fuGM680qLMBVMGpmLLfR9QcLMh5b-MCJkEO_m7OoCqUIa4DaLViAAoIGiFT3aakedCUWZ33LQGAEGYtzNrBIbqDnGVLdnXIIxGM93nxkcM78I0Ed3CjZ_nVk6aU3b9J4Pp8j1yHsRaNloUQqO1AJf94drN-/s588/2607.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMV42mLfeTnHUYMfDYcg_GqdNZkW5HtvF0fuGM680qLMBVMGpmLLfR9QcLMh5b-MCJkEO_m7OoCqUIa4DaLViAAoIGiFT3aakedCUWZ33LQGAEGYtzNrBIbqDnGVLdnXIIxGM93nxkcM78I0Ed3CjZ_nVk6aU3b9J4Pp8j1yHsRaNloUQqO1AJf94drN-/s320/2607.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #145</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Hunt for Mr. 50"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Tiniest Villain in the World"</b></div><div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Son of the Joker"</b></div><div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff </b></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Gems wrapped in rice paper lead the Dynamic Duo to fly the Bat-Plane to the newest state, Hawaii, to crack a diamond-smuggling racket. The "Hunt for Mr. 50" is on when they learn that the mysterious figure behind the crimes goes by that nickname. A stop at the Honolulu Police Department leads Batman and Robin to Chinatown, where they catch a crook who tells them that he collects gems from a sailor and mails them to Hilo.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICBeb_9dqH_Ri7lMLW7_lVNIXx0SPFOaMEqmwSIGhIuNLC9YvvEMAFsQeL6iR_HvIx8hPXXUp54SpWpZmgqZBF3lsKAkb_3RmzYO_Cy4stu9kOfG7un1kTpqd24mUeABREGSyNG-3mtFXV7I-u8CVgGIRXdwLCMaJpubM9VYjKDXBUDaI54TRNOniWlU/s635/BATMAN%20145%20010.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="635" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICBeb_9dqH_Ri7lMLW7_lVNIXx0SPFOaMEqmwSIGhIuNLC9YvvEMAFsQeL6iR_HvIx8hPXXUp54SpWpZmgqZBF3lsKAkb_3RmzYO_Cy4stu9kOfG7un1kTpqd24mUeABREGSyNG-3mtFXV7I-u8CVgGIRXdwLCMaJpubM9VYjKDXBUDaI54TRNOniWlU/s320/BATMAN%20145%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Batman and Robin follow the trial to the island of Hawaii, where they hop into their Whirly-Bats to follow the man who picks up the gems at the post office. Batman catches the rascal but must rescue Robin when the volcano known as Mauna Loa suddenly erupts and the Boy Wonder's Whirly-Bat flies dangerously close to the opening. Next, it's on to Oahu by Bat-Plane, where Batman is caught, tied up, and left to die in a cane field that has been set afire. Robin comes to the rescue and the Duo catch the elusive Mr. 50, who was hiding stolen gems in sacks of sugar to ship them around the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hawaii become a state in August 1959, but it took until January 1962 for it to be featured in a story in <i>Batman</i>. The tale is more travelogue than anything else, with Batman and Robin trailing one low-level crook after another through the Hawaiian islands.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joe Burr is a fugitive who kidnaps a scientist who has invented a shrinking machine. Joe tests out the machine on the scientist and, when the inventor is a few inches high, Joe turns the machine on himself and becomes "The Tiniest Villain in the World." In order to have himself smuggled out of the country, Joe heads to the Gotham Toy Company, figuring that he can hide in a shipment of toys bound for an overseas destination.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbxK6-pjbCjJzLRoy8f-D8a_PESCsUp7YASlRnAeZeG-lEy36lk0Unr3ODdR8eqk7aBGJKYZt24Y2dXY3xoHZ5OxwX_X_WRuTPzy3cOtXJmoLzTub3sVeRFRFgh7lyDej53js4CNrbo3_Vx7Nw6ppB710GacwjT8OPunRuN1AORt6riE_tUnwSZ18X-M/s652/BATMAN%20145%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="652" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbxK6-pjbCjJzLRoy8f-D8a_PESCsUp7YASlRnAeZeG-lEy36lk0Unr3ODdR8eqk7aBGJKYZt24Y2dXY3xoHZ5OxwX_X_WRuTPzy3cOtXJmoLzTub3sVeRFRFgh7lyDej53js4CNrbo3_Vx7Nw6ppB710GacwjT8OPunRuN1AORt6riE_tUnwSZ18X-M/s320/BATMAN%20145%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Did this toy really exist? Apparently so!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Joe did not count on the appearance of Batman, who has Robin shrink him down to Joe's size so that he can locate and capture the tiny crook! Being so small in a toy shop brings a new set of challenges, however, and the Dark Knight must avoid giant darts and a hungry pussycat before he can successfully imprison Joe in an improvised cage made from a model dinosaur skeleton. Fortunately, Robin is on hand to return everyone to normal size, and it's off to prison with Joe.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Incredible Shrinking Batman would have saved himself a lot of trouble if he'd told the toy shop owner not to let any shipments leave the premises until Joe either turned up starving or was killed by the cat. As it is, the story is fun, and it allows Moldoff and Paris to draw lots of seemingly giant toys--for once, the giant-sized objects that seem to populate Gotham City are normal sized and only seem large in proportion to the shrunken humans.</div><div><br /></div><div>From the typewriter of Alfred the butler comes "The Son of the Joker," another imaginary tale set in a future where Dick Grayson is Batman and Bruce Wayne Jr. is Robin! The New Dynamic Duo are judging a charity water skiing obstacle race when an impossibly young looking Joker on water skis makes off with the money! Announcing that he is the Joker's son, the white-faced and green-haired criminal escapes using skin-diving gear after Batman knocks him off his skis.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LXJyPdw9qwyoaeevhD-pKnhsPenn2xc8tkbgiGcvfnuqYjdOqnZ3wpItN2NJkRmGKjj2VxC2m92fDbSDIEoXLfwSIHLVPceRkMvbb8yZajkgx3-VimFdKoJqJb7Bcyb9R3bJB9_t-loS_CewPVzfbNY12CWgzIawHzIZPZgyyP6zCU278wz37eF_EMo/s652/BATMAN%20145%20029.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="652" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LXJyPdw9qwyoaeevhD-pKnhsPenn2xc8tkbgiGcvfnuqYjdOqnZ3wpItN2NJkRmGKjj2VxC2m92fDbSDIEoXLfwSIHLVPceRkMvbb8yZajkgx3-VimFdKoJqJb7Bcyb9R3bJB9_t-loS_CewPVzfbNY12CWgzIawHzIZPZgyyP6zCU278wz37eF_EMo/s320/BATMAN%20145%20029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The original Batman pays a visit to the original Joker, who is now more interested in tending to his garden than robbing banks. The former Clown Prince of Crime calls the Joker's son an impostor and claims he wants to live out his remaining years in peace. Soon, the Joker's son challenges Batman II to a game of wits and grabs a priceless necklace that is being used in a new film about Ancient Rome. Batman II and Robin II track the son to the home of the original Joker and, before you know it, the new crime fighters have been tied to the wall. Just as the Joker is about to unmask Batman II, in comes Batman I and, after some fisticuffs, the crime-fighting trio have defeated the Joker, his fake son, and their gang. In the end, the Joker remarks: "'That fool! He's not worthy of my famous name! BAH!'" and we see that the Joker's son is just a run of the mill criminal in a Joker mask.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whew! There's a lot to unpack in this story. Has anyone else noticed that the most entertaining stories in the 1961-62-era Batman comics have to do with Batman II, Robin II, Batgirl, or Batwoman? What does that say about the original Dynamic Duo? I guess they're too busy keeping Earth safe from aliens to do much of interest.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkui4jgCnSsciSed6c8v2T4Q9bukMsZBgm0ZWOpBQuMWnJk9zJ8_s0cw9KI8kH7fA6xSLD7vcv8MSBMHk77Q0YzW7eGeC0tFP4_xvU-FWLqOb2Pbon06YtzcgM7ZKKRe4oCruq94pDP48lZ5BFbHHQW3-DiNq3XMejIaM3zmcDhTQpyzq1dy1Uw1H6i4J/s684/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%208.25.13%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkui4jgCnSsciSed6c8v2T4Q9bukMsZBgm0ZWOpBQuMWnJk9zJ8_s0cw9KI8kH7fA6xSLD7vcv8MSBMHk77Q0YzW7eGeC0tFP4_xvU-FWLqOb2Pbon06YtzcgM7ZKKRe4oCruq94pDP48lZ5BFbHHQW3-DiNq3XMejIaM3zmcDhTQpyzq1dy1Uw1H6i4J/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%208.25.13%20AM.png" width="196" /></a></div>The Joker's son is first seen on water-skis, wearing swimming trunks; his skin is the same color as that of every other character (no Black people in DC comics in 1962), but his face is chalk-white and his hair is green. I recall the Joker's origin story and I always assumed his entire body turned white when he fell into that vat of chemicals, so would his son inherit the condition? The question is solved (somewhat) when the Joker tells Batman that the guy pretending to be his son is an imposter. We finally learn the truth in the third-to-last panel, when Robin II tackles the Joker's son and his mask pops off! He looks like every other criminal drawn by Moldoff. The story is a blast, by the way--easiest the best in this issue. We first covered this story in <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2012/07/batman-in-1970s-part-29-january.html" target="_blank">2012</a>!<b>-Jack</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Peter-</b>Sure seems like a whole lot of wasted tension in "Hunt for Mr. 50." After all the suspense regarding the secret identity of this master criminal, we discover that it's... no, not the Riddler, the Joker, or even the Polka-Dot Man, but a common plantation foreman named Narkin! Holy letdown, Batman. "Tiniest Villain" shows Bill Finger once again combining several checklist items for the average eight-year-old funny book fan: gigantism (or shrinkage, in this case), dinosaurs, and toys. All that's missing is the reveal that Joe Burr is actually an alien from Planet 6 in Solar System Z. Joe Burr certainly seems short-sighted; he's got what could potentially be one of the greatest weapons known to mankind and he wants to be shrunk down to doll size and smuggled out of Gotham? At least pull a candy store heist before you tuck your tail and head out of town.</div><div><br /></div><div>I sure hope Bruce isn't paying Alfred to sit in front of his typewriter all day instead of dusting the Bat-cave or washing Robin's tights. "The Son of the Joker" is goofy fun; the highlight has to be the panels of old Joker tending his garden and complaining about back pain. Gotta love it!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzUb2O7jawTESl6w8AxZRE0XWBDdojE65tFDil-98KQgdH_e89PlSrRj2jPw1wXU04YStmNsyIT94oTFNkHdISzg4nJvyIj34NG7Eq4_HHcvUnH_wpdK5YZC0_zUQPSjXmtzpZ66p6GIfNecZTOLdCDGTnL00H8k4rtptnsvxrv-oSw4KJHnLV1w2upON/s588/5405.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzUb2O7jawTESl6w8AxZRE0XWBDdojE65tFDil-98KQgdH_e89PlSrRj2jPw1wXU04YStmNsyIT94oTFNkHdISzg4nJvyIj34NG7Eq4_HHcvUnH_wpdK5YZC0_zUQPSjXmtzpZ66p6GIfNecZTOLdCDGTnL00H8k4rtptnsvxrv-oSw4KJHnLV1w2upON/s320/5405.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #300</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Bizarre Polka-Dot Man"</b></div><div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The J'Onn J'Onzz Museum"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Mystery of the Undersea Safari"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Nick Cardy</b></div><div><br /></div><div>While (yet again) out on patrol, the Dynamic Duo witness a villainous trio drop through the skylight of the Spot Service Carpet Cleaning Company and approach for a closer look. They too drop through the roof and face two of the hoods cracking a safe. They engage in battle but are interrupted by a voice from behind. "Call me Mr. Polka-Dot!" says the snazzily-dressed rapscallion as he rips one of the dots from his suit and hurls it at the bewildered duo. The dot becomes a buzzsaw in mid-air and only some fast acrobatics prevent DC from renaming their cash cows "The Fantastic Four." Polka and his men flee.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UmbqZ6K09efnjU1lZMHGPML5lhw4imFe6kWcDb2O1KxbWihlxYFrwXGl_SJHNUJPizi7gxY19Q4L3n_dpr00BWw_Sr7QZqYqDtXKs1cAotiSUX6pi5pOoth5jQjFOuub_0fNZ4cy1zytle_DcVCgbeXj_4XMCFgq79BBC8Y6wkXMeY3QGqXbUpGPU0Ic/s720/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%205.13.24%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="720" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UmbqZ6K09efnjU1lZMHGPML5lhw4imFe6kWcDb2O1KxbWihlxYFrwXGl_SJHNUJPizi7gxY19Q4L3n_dpr00BWw_Sr7QZqYqDtXKs1cAotiSUX6pi5pOoth5jQjFOuub_0fNZ4cy1zytle_DcVCgbeXj_4XMCFgq79BBC8Y6wkXMeY3QGqXbUpGPU0Ic/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%205.13.24%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The next night, Batman and Robin are watching TV when an announcer reports that emissary Ran Jafir has arrived in Gotham with his pet leopard, Dagar. "Great Scott!" chortles the Caped Crusader, "That's the next target for the Polka-Dot Man!" The boys head down to the embassy where, sure enough, a heist is in full swing. Polka nabs the ruby from Jafir's turban and hurls a Sun-dot at the heroes, while the baddies escape in a giant bubble. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Using his vast detective skills, Batman deduces that Polka-Man is centering his heists around the theme of circles or dots. So Robin stakes out the Red Mill ice skating rink (with a trademark of a big red circle) and Batman hangs out at "The Bull's-Eye." Knowing that ice skating rinks are a huge money-maker in Gotham, Polka hits the Red Mill and hits it hard. Robin throws on a pair of skates but he's stymied by a dot that transforms into a plethora of bullying fists. The Polka-Dot Gang escape yet again. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeJ25aCbgOTkNP-1UgYF4JEFW-a1tT23wfj1oiddPLlvCJQlgcRNRKNfzk-GZxLhEUEMOvBQY954jy2IsJ4erOLb8fTA6be6Wl8SOvV1kfJtrCvN4sdF9iObGsofkdGTsEt5v2GUJt-L8EiqIyqz3wd-98hW5gxAZt1CT77N235Jgib_XRhkCFAIhhm6L/s798/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%205.14.33%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="798" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeJ25aCbgOTkNP-1UgYF4JEFW-a1tT23wfj1oiddPLlvCJQlgcRNRKNfzk-GZxLhEUEMOvBQY954jy2IsJ4erOLb8fTA6be6Wl8SOvV1kfJtrCvN4sdF9iObGsofkdGTsEt5v2GUJt-L8EiqIyqz3wd-98hW5gxAZt1CT77N235Jgib_XRhkCFAIhhm6L/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%205.14.33%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>When Robin regains consciousness, he's hit with a brainstorm of epic proportions: he hoofs it to the embassy where he convinces Ran Jafir to loan him his leopard to track the Polka-gang to its lair. The cat indeed picks up the scent but he and Robin are gassed as they approach the building. Robin awakens in a cage and is ordered by Polka to write a letter luring Batman into a trap. If Robin refuses, Dagar will die! The kid agrees but (using detective skills taught to him by his boss) also jabs a secret braille message to Batman on the same page while penning the missive.</div><div><br /></div><div>The world's greatest detective receives the coded warning not to walk into a trap and, instead, arrives at the warehouse where Robin and Dagar are being held. Bats kayos the Polka-hoods but their boss is out on the town, casing another heist. Back in the Bat-cave, while studying a map of Pokemon's previous heists, Batman guesses the next target is the Drummond Map Company (Mr. Polka thought he'd be a wise guy by mapping out his robberies in the form of a stick figure). The Duo race over to the building where a violent battle rages on for four panels before Batman apprehends the latest addition to his Rogues' Gallery and the Dynamic Duo head back out to the street for yet another patrol.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqewjwZT_AnOEsRPD3cPNQ2Zu_AkpWWNLMEcpOPuSLXVVtEcwSZPL3_jU2uQeIQBSd-od4KmxFA9vxj36uOlaGs0_gmzuBejRBg2cIgEypCD0RJA8cykPIJX_1Y0hXWKKtwQEe8PJvJKqeOBkqrceSdrPu-2B3lbYb25TZ2aM1PsQBif0ZXROV6ywMUvo/s800/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%205.14.44%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="800" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqewjwZT_AnOEsRPD3cPNQ2Zu_AkpWWNLMEcpOPuSLXVVtEcwSZPL3_jU2uQeIQBSd-od4KmxFA9vxj36uOlaGs0_gmzuBejRBg2cIgEypCD0RJA8cykPIJX_1Y0hXWKKtwQEe8PJvJKqeOBkqrceSdrPu-2B3lbYb25TZ2aM1PsQBif0ZXROV6ywMUvo/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20at%205.14.44%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The general outline of these adventures (at least the ones involving human adversaries) seems to be: pull a job, escape; pull a job, escape; pull a job, escape; pull a job, get captured in some sort of clever fashion. I think we need a little variety now and then. Having said that, "The Bizarre Polka-Dot Man" is yet another pleasurable experience, with several goofy elements to keep the smiles coming. The Bat-villains of the 1970s and 1980s had long before realized that there were probably more ill-gotten gains to be had from a savings and loan or an armored car than from a pillow factory or an inflating-needle manufacturer. Seriously, why are Polka's goons not questioning the boss's targets? </div><div><br /></div><div>Who knew that you could domesticate leopards and, with a simple whisper in their ear, turn the big cat over to a superhero for tracking purposes? Genius. For once, this is a 1960s lower-tier villain who actually makes a return visit years later. In fact, this guy's most famous appearance might be in the James Gunn-directed<b><i> Suicide Squad </i></b>of a couple of years ago. The art is back to the barely-there team of Moldoff/Paris, who probably giggled at the chance to draw panel after panel of circles.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonJ5jP7N18oleBQVzJok6zXudRUTAkvH2mBlotyvjid9GSk9E-I8FK4O7GJWlZEtMshiYFPr8vluVVOwSOVZAvug-UX3Azh6nR7zy05FepykNN1MkOHMfDC0Cm_GuLBULYwq2-soP6XgZDhjs2BQHiObmKSAS6lgwWhQ-5zayT9vRSu6S6cn2muwv0lnN/s740/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%205.40.52%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="740" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonJ5jP7N18oleBQVzJok6zXudRUTAkvH2mBlotyvjid9GSk9E-I8FK4O7GJWlZEtMshiYFPr8vluVVOwSOVZAvug-UX3Azh6nR7zy05FepykNN1MkOHMfDC0Cm_GuLBULYwq2-soP6XgZDhjs2BQHiObmKSAS6lgwWhQ-5zayT9vRSu6S6cn2muwv0lnN/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%205.40.52%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Though the intentions of Aloysius Bean, Martian Manhunter fan extraordinaire, are admirable, his opening of "The J'Onn J'Onzz Museum" leads to one of MM's most dangerous adventures. At the gala opening of the museum, Bean shows "home movies" of MM busting up several heists and the fact that J'Onn avoids fire in every clip is not lost on a couple of well-dressed thugs. A few nights later, Detective Jones gets the assignment: stop the Torch Raiders, criminals wearing flame-throwing helmets! </div><div><br /></div><div>Knowing full well that he can't come near the flames, J'Onn wisely grabs Bean's full-figure animatronic replica of the Martian Manhunter and manipulates the dummy from afar. J'Onn puts the kibosh on the Torch Raiders and bids a fond farewell to his lifeless twin. I was frankly surprised that A. Bean was able to edit together enough footage of MM actually displaying his powers rather than hiding in a bush somewhere and manipulating the clouds. I'm still not sure why criminals who dress so nattily have to rob banks in the first place.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43DXOW6RsLShIghsKN97ut0lLuoe-JdC0S87rcd4QI_NNTN0wg_voJetBHRjfphevbHXMJhBohd5a7cF6fUUPOYAOE_rBO8G1_ruXV7JPsvqDaD4iOSbUr2cjAQBq6MgBdJvRvdNsz_q0OKhAyVb4nwFu9FxTpnNjx1LpHDthJ-1aebX5yRZ2Cwtkr5W7/s1434/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%206.15.28%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="1434" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43DXOW6RsLShIghsKN97ut0lLuoe-JdC0S87rcd4QI_NNTN0wg_voJetBHRjfphevbHXMJhBohd5a7cF6fUUPOYAOE_rBO8G1_ruXV7JPsvqDaD4iOSbUr2cjAQBq6MgBdJvRvdNsz_q0OKhAyVb4nwFu9FxTpnNjx1LpHDthJ-1aebX5yRZ2Cwtkr5W7/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%206.15.28%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Aquaman and Aqualad attempt to save a treasure-seeking professor who may have been lost under the sea. Unfortunately, the Aquateam discover they've been manipulated by sea pirates. Fortunately, Aquaguy has the entire sea population at his beck and call. "The Mystery of the Undersea Safari" is another enjoyable installment; I'm beginning to dig the "Sleuth of the Sea." Nick Cardy's art is top-notch (resembling Russ Heath's work here and there), that's a given, but the script (which may or may not have been written by Jack Miller, a genre-hopping strip writer responsible for a whole lot of DC scripts) is clever and has a really good twist in its climax. Unfortunately, the Aquaboys were about to be jettisoned from the pages of <i>'tec</i> since they had their own title by that time, so "Undersea Safari" would be the swan-song for this feature. Double unfortunately, this would mean, rather than create yet another six-page back-up, the powers-that-be decided that, as of issue #301, it would be great to double the Martian Manhunter's page count. Joy to the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>A couple of sidenotes: this here is the 300th issue of <i>Detective Comics</i> and yet you wouldn't know it unless you paid attention to the little number in the top right hand corner of the cover. No celebration. No "Super-sized Anniversary" banner. Just another issue of America's longest-running funny book title. What a difference a few years will make. Also, we get our yearly circulation figures this month. '<i>tec</i> weighs in at a healthy 325, 000 sold each month (up from 314,000 the year before) while <i>Batman</i> moves a whopping 485,000 on average (down slightly from 502,000). Both titles combined would not measure up to the holy-crap 820,000 copies <i>Superman</i> was selling at the time.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IyZmZWQx2zzwnvjFgJcOfXoyVEfOrV8y4DHTfhqAs0QFa91cANFRuF4hUc2VQQqfEqGAr3wtpD3rQEBzIgqh8yr6ypvdY6QIM7pmXaMpPbeGpdvUB1fHygHCVb6afWRPt_3gXEQodKA9mtOuEqy9bQJmuEozOIoXCIHrXQ1ICFxBkbVMBD02I4asFQk/s637/DETECTIVE%20COMICS%20300%20010.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="637" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IyZmZWQx2zzwnvjFgJcOfXoyVEfOrV8y4DHTfhqAs0QFa91cANFRuF4hUc2VQQqfEqGAr3wtpD3rQEBzIgqh8yr6ypvdY6QIM7pmXaMpPbeGpdvUB1fHygHCVb6afWRPt_3gXEQodKA9mtOuEqy9bQJmuEozOIoXCIHrXQ1ICFxBkbVMBD02I4asFQk/s320/DETECTIVE%20COMICS%20300%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><b>Jack-</b>I guess that's why everyone Superman knew got his or her own comic eventually! I was disappointed in the story of "The Bizarre Polka-Dot Man" and surprised that he ever made another appearance. This is not the first time that a character has one name in the story's title and on the cover and another in the story. The best thing about this one was the scene where polka-dots turn into disembodied flying fists that pummel the Boy Wonder. The Martian Manhunter story is yet another example of people figuring out either who he is or what his weakness is and him using a dummy or something like it to confound the crooks. The Aquaman story has more good art and a quick setup and resolution--it's hard to do much in six pages.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcSrBTXs0bkcQVzlTMYHa7h9FyDuT4Z1mEOCFakn962dAxwvkw1R7P8-ZQoqcoImI_toselNMQ33sDhr7jE6wCe6HzQKX1D4zL7gRzbbelsUWwo1woWoLPkPy77h87dlPHkIZX5Y8r3zyXNBHCU3tA8s5GXwesQmLFIXGyEV_U4RV0BCop2XG7YiaUtau/s589/2443.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcSrBTXs0bkcQVzlTMYHa7h9FyDuT4Z1mEOCFakn962dAxwvkw1R7P8-ZQoqcoImI_toselNMQ33sDhr7jE6wCe6HzQKX1D4zL7gRzbbelsUWwo1woWoLPkPy77h87dlPHkIZX5Y8r3zyXNBHCU3tA8s5GXwesQmLFIXGyEV_U4RV0BCop2XG7YiaUtau/s320/2443.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Swan/Moldoff/Sprang/Paris</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman Annual<i> </i>#2</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Underseas Batman"</b></div><div><b>Story by Edmond Hamilton</b></div><div><b>Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from <i>Batman </i>#86, September 1954)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Lord of Batmanor!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Leigh Brackett & Edmond Hamilton</b></div><div><b>Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from <i>Detective Comics</i> #198, August 1953)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Batman--Indian Chief!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Ed Herron</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Stan Kaye</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from <i>Batman </i>#86, September 1954)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Jungle Batman!"</b></div><div><b>Story by David Vern</b></div><div><b>Art by Bob Kane, Lew Sayre Schwartz & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from<i> Batman </i>#72, September 1952)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"When Batman Was Robin"</b></div><div><b>Story by Edmond Hamilton</b></div><div><b>Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from <i>Detective Comics </i>#226, December 1955)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Batman the Magician!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from<i> Detective Comics</i> #207, May 1954)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Batman--the Superman of Planet X!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Ed Herron</b></div><div><b>Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b>(Reprinted from<i> Batman </i>#113, February 1958)</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF28dY-LP73tmtEd_iu3W_onqeulLF8Dsp3tD8sGkr7H_2kgUaO5hC3_aaM05bYffrVR_psrW5RZ1cnAIduIRzvOsWcDwesff6irYEts5EEjHEZh6Z_7uhX3ydS8mzGERJLUIboNem4BJ03D1njf8_e2G8JUCvZLa8YY66TffxzalyKwEnBRPu7ugnx-OT/s536/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%209.53.29%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="532" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF28dY-LP73tmtEd_iu3W_onqeulLF8Dsp3tD8sGkr7H_2kgUaO5hC3_aaM05bYffrVR_psrW5RZ1cnAIduIRzvOsWcDwesff6irYEts5EEjHEZh6Z_7uhX3ydS8mzGERJLUIboNem4BJ03D1njf8_e2G8JUCvZLa8YY66TffxzalyKwEnBRPu7ugnx-OT/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%209.53.29%20AM.png" width="318" /></a></div>Peter-</b>Just what is an<i> </i>annual? Webster's defines<i> annual</i> as "an event that occurs yearly." Well, clearly DC had a different outlook after <i>Batman Annual</i> #1 sold like hotcakes only six months before. Eighty pages of long-out-of-print Batman adventures for a quarter! Bat-loving kids would eat that up every month if they could. So DC issued<i> Batman Annual</i>s every six months through 1964 and then the 80-page giants were absorbed into the regular numbering the following year. But try telling your English teacher that annual means "every six months."</div><div><br /></div><div>If I were a dorky little kid (instead of a dorky old geezer) in 1961, I'd also be confused about the science of "the bends." In "The Underseas Batman," Batman is clearly told he has to stay put for two days and yet the boys have no problems when they infiltrate the "basement" of the aquarium. The thing that jumps out at you when you read most of these 1950s adventures is the detailed artwork. No blank Shelly Moldoff backgrounds or half-finished character features. Dick Sprang's work truly is "art." All seven stories are readable but my "Best Reprint of the Issue" award would have to go to "The Jungle Batman," which has enough twists and turns to fill two or three Bat-adventures.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLICyQXZxxi0zSOO1JNLQar1oRlrjpQFAu8EBSVJ3540kVilkm47ZoUNI0GD6qVOjs_XS4hr9I9Er6WfbMho2dXZpsMgn2ne7FJic-IFxDNLlbDszu7F5vzgHSkTximuXSEfcYA1t4VjiDAojoykj830307iQ4KVENFdmZTV-pdDYS2RzWYslMCfRACk/s1539/Batman_Annual_n02p82rc.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="1073" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLICyQXZxxi0zSOO1JNLQar1oRlrjpQFAu8EBSVJ3540kVilkm47ZoUNI0GD6qVOjs_XS4hr9I9Er6WfbMho2dXZpsMgn2ne7FJic-IFxDNLlbDszu7F5vzgHSkTximuXSEfcYA1t4VjiDAojoykj830307iQ4KVENFdmZTV-pdDYS2RzWYslMCfRACk/s320/Batman_Annual_n02p82rc.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><div><b>Jack-</b>These annuals are great! The story and art quality are high throughout. The earliest story is "The Jungle Batman," from 1952, while the latest is "Batman--The Superman of Planet X!" from 1958. What struck me, apart from the art, were the names: Edmond Hamilton and Leigh Brackett both contributed scripts and they were two accomplished science fiction writers. I saw a bit of a Chester Gould influence in the way Sprang drew "Slant" Stacy's slanted face in "The Underseas Batman," but I guess Gould was always an influence on Batman and his Rogue's Gallery. In "The Jungle Batman," when the Dynamic Duo must leap off a sinking ship, Batman orders Robin to join him in removing all nonessential clothing, so both gents strip down to their underwear and leave their masks on! Robin sports some pretty chic leopard skin skivvies.</div><div><br /></div><div>The other notable story is "When Batman Was Robin," in which we see a teenaged Bruce Wayne left at home by his parents while they take a vacation. Of course, we all know that they were murdered when Bruce was a child, so this is some serious revisionist history! In addition, Bruce dons his first costume here, but it's as Robin, not Batman! The influence of the space race is seen in the last story, from 1958, which points the way toward all of the outer space/alien tales we've been reading from the early '60s.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe0vrUMOU6rQs-S7FbaBSNjLfsg1jNceTsRNI6ZlxCUn7xCTzeT2LNUDf1J-JJI7CI5thyv59Rz15W2c8eeyW26foRo4GuNtN8q2gF-LMG9AtfWKGZlIPPq30PidnyY2X13fcFDpTXjXityCH1eHxEwfFFkXcAXZmfuLXE2lc6BmDdANbmoXYMM2uIg0/s1907/BATMAN%20145%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1907" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe0vrUMOU6rQs-S7FbaBSNjLfsg1jNceTsRNI6ZlxCUn7xCTzeT2LNUDf1J-JJI7CI5thyv59Rz15W2c8eeyW26foRo4GuNtN8q2gF-LMG9AtfWKGZlIPPq30PidnyY2X13fcFDpTXjXityCH1eHxEwfFFkXcAXZmfuLXE2lc6BmDdANbmoXYMM2uIg0/w269-h400/BATMAN%20145%20002.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From <i>Batman </i>#145</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR6e45m4ENbow7B3Qzj4r4HJtx_4MXGXmKPq6aFModNqyg5B_yLA5H3wvzVWs-OopH-KYU9GEqzxw61i3hXNv2edMb7-LaFHTlFNQ-85Xp4-rSR4x0n5AthJsUBotkg67t81U50hXWtz13jnwH8a6FukIY_6ZVecAk5J8cePcJXmEbKppWTEUp2-MhyeT/s688/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%206.21.08%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="684" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR6e45m4ENbow7B3Qzj4r4HJtx_4MXGXmKPq6aFModNqyg5B_yLA5H3wvzVWs-OopH-KYU9GEqzxw61i3hXNv2edMb7-LaFHTlFNQ-85Xp4-rSR4x0n5AthJsUBotkg67t81U50hXWtz13jnwH8a6FukIY_6ZVecAk5J8cePcJXmEbKppWTEUp2-MhyeT/w398-h400/Screenshot%202023-12-06%20at%206.21.08%20AM.png" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />John Severin to the Rescue!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-73229823224951826562024-01-01T04:00:00.062-08:002024-01-01T04:00:00.142-08:00Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 102: Atlas/ Marvel Horror & Science Fiction<p> </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s1600/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Marvel/Atlas </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horror Comics</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part 87</b></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 1955 </b></span><b style="font-size: large;">Part II</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by Peter Enfantino</b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>and Jack Seabrook</b></span></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKtRiL6ok4L7Daqt6z0v3rWcJJInORMWG90wJ_2ot1SJqiJwN0HXwAgdWRuVxeQjb44ttPRCaf4u_ZWmQKHCVSZkhJI3UcO2LYW2GC5Qvs8EUXF7crZXqXIKfz7aNV6NmZIg8-pn355NaEGdQxfzxd6K7U8bNlfEYz_JhZttYWBrEGWFqA8s-48I3YS0r/s582/193255.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKtRiL6ok4L7Daqt6z0v3rWcJJInORMWG90wJ_2ot1SJqiJwN0HXwAgdWRuVxeQjb44ttPRCaf4u_ZWmQKHCVSZkhJI3UcO2LYW2GC5Qvs8EUXF7crZXqXIKfz7aNV6NmZIg8-pn355NaEGdQxfzxd6K7U8bNlfEYz_JhZttYWBrEGWFqA8s-48I3YS0r/s320/193255.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><b>Mystery Tales # 33</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"They Melt at Night!" (a: John Forte) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b></div><div><b>(r: <i>Dead of Night </i>#9)</b></div><div><b>"The Unseen!" (a: Sid Greene) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Time-Saver!" (a: Tony DiPreta) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>(r: <i>Weird Wonder Tales</i> #9)</b></div><div><b>"The Locked Door" (a: Robert Q. Sale) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"The Voices!" (a: Bill Everett) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>(r:<i> Crypt of Shadows</i> #14)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>All around the city, automobiles begin to melt and the authorities are at a loss. What is happening to all of our sports cars? Only one man, Dr. Jeremy Miller, can answer that question. Spurned by the scientific community at large for his eccentric beliefs, the dopey scientist has dropped a formula into the city's main gasoline pipeline, a corrosive that affects every car that takes a drink. It's only when the egghead has a crisis of faith and realizes what the formula could do were it to fall into the wrong hands (read that as the Reds) that he decides to reverse the process. "They Melt at Night!" is another example of how much the Atlas way of life was disrupted by the CCA; Miller does a 180 on his warped views in a matter of seconds it seems, eschewing a life of luxury for being a Good Sam. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdO3oE1jz0eReo8CwmcWlsNqsRF7JeW7Oo1uh109FGBRXTJ-U8l0JUW6Rkdfq0IGUUhFAGHirRSYeWRYuCt9oQdcwJ6q3P6_RaLczn4I61gFVGK_pGQ2pyfENcfQMMQY11-PgIUTKWW7Kj4yI-G9w6y_61zFoDCE0_aVQ8Aac8F0Bcm4jW9aU354sQXDxe/s706/Screenshot%202023-11-19%20at%2010.55.06%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdO3oE1jz0eReo8CwmcWlsNqsRF7JeW7Oo1uh109FGBRXTJ-U8l0JUW6Rkdfq0IGUUhFAGHirRSYeWRYuCt9oQdcwJ6q3P6_RaLczn4I61gFVGK_pGQ2pyfENcfQMMQY11-PgIUTKWW7Kj4yI-G9w6y_61zFoDCE0_aVQ8Aac8F0Bcm4jW9aU354sQXDxe/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-19%20at%2010.55.06%20AM.png" width="238" /></a></div>Flame, the acting wonder dog, is the only being on Earth who can sense the approach of "The Unseen!" Turns out Flame was an alien sent to Earth to pave the way for an invasion (that's how canines came to be) but then fell in love with Man and changed his mind about the whole conquest bit. Now, his bosses are on their way and he has to think fast or our world will go to the dogs. It's hard not to laugh at "The Unseen," with its deadly serious tone and awful artwork (though Flame's canine commander topped with a space helmet is... unique).</div><div><br /></div><div>Phineas Purdy has worked hard his entire life, never wasting a moment's time, and now that toil has paid off: he's been named district supervisor of the bank he works for. He owes it all to his Uncle Jasper, who taught him at a young age that every second counts. Speaking of ol' Jasper, Phineas's favorite uncle pays a visit to the Purdy household that very day and his nephew remarks upon the fact that he hasn't aged a day! Jasper confides in Phineas that he saves his time and deposits it at the Time Bank. Though he's incredulous, Phineas buys into the old man's story when he sees the Depository himself and the concept is explained to him.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEvj0HtK3qG_eMcfrEAUHbrLB_iwkfDzzJTZ70luakRJbSVmP-SsilVraqDYzHHTCcT-0oLrw_UBI7LSY88-1xbVpzzEjL8NHyXdhPkkd8JAb18-Q5IdHkqu-RW7p3dC42VQ0G0JxjGSq5g11lM3KLUKLl6y1Ps6EKYReDh2a6_s3Z8dmrc_jEPrIrPsz/s696/Screenshot%202023-11-21%20at%204.13.52%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="670" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEvj0HtK3qG_eMcfrEAUHbrLB_iwkfDzzJTZ70luakRJbSVmP-SsilVraqDYzHHTCcT-0oLrw_UBI7LSY88-1xbVpzzEjL8NHyXdhPkkd8JAb18-Q5IdHkqu-RW7p3dC42VQ0G0JxjGSq5g11lM3KLUKLl6y1Ps6EKYReDh2a6_s3Z8dmrc_jEPrIrPsz/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-21%20at%204.13.52%20PM.png" width="308" /></a></div>From then on, Phineas cuts every corner: sleeping only three hours a night and banking six; working through his lunches; never using the bathroom. After twenty years, "The Time-Saver!" looks just as fit as the day he began his regime, but he's somewhat annoyed when the Bank invites him to an exclusive party for depositors. He arrives but the festivities are somewhat dampened when everyone there begins to age. Seems there was a heist down at the Time Bank and thieves made away with all the paperwork! A clever concept and entertaining execution with some decent DiPreta graphics. Jack will wonder how many hours he could have banked if I hadn't talked him into this journey.</div><div><br /></div><div>David doesn't want Mildred to open "The Locked Door," for behind it lies something sinister and evil. Or so we would like to think. In actuality, as David tells Mildred (after forty years of marriage), he broke his mother's vase when he was a teenager but didn't have the courage to tell her the truth. When she questioned the boy and he answered in the negative, mom told him that his conscience would bother him until he told the truth and the truth would set him free. So, David has carried the sack of broken pottery around with him for fifty-plus years. Mildred reaches into the closet and opens the sack, revealing a vase meticulously put back together and showing no sign of breakage. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMZHgC6nGH8InuxzBY4Wf7dqFLzBF0-9rnTeE6Op_EamAO9cKr9oVHiWlaODQL9_7YLQkkA4n0QnUNrVSHcDhoXx-iGn9sFoRFmRwmsaN1ssSC6EVbaiVQFg0hkpQNa5RU6neo_c3aeqNSZv2HE4Ez6ohBpRF5jlePO6p63pKTJxhKYRYIFyeA6KMbj4o/s692/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%208.29.02%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="692" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMZHgC6nGH8InuxzBY4Wf7dqFLzBF0-9rnTeE6Op_EamAO9cKr9oVHiWlaODQL9_7YLQkkA4n0QnUNrVSHcDhoXx-iGn9sFoRFmRwmsaN1ssSC6EVbaiVQFg0hkpQNa5RU6neo_c3aeqNSZv2HE4Ez6ohBpRF5jlePO6p63pKTJxhKYRYIFyeA6KMbj4o/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%208.29.02%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Well, at least that's what the text says. To me, it sure looks like a quilt. "The Locked Door" is three and a half pages of promised dread that never happens. David carts his sack to work one day and his boss has a look inside. We get a look of horror on the old guy's face and he fires David on the spot. All for some pottery shards? Artist Robert Sale does his best with a nothing script.</div><div><br /></div><div>Old Man Carlson (evidently, his birth name) has been receiving messages on his Ham radio from the people of planet Floranus (obviously, the CCA was asleep the week this one went across their desk), telling him of a paradise millions of miles away. What OM Carlson doesn't know is that the transmissions are from some practical jokers in town, who think it's fun to make fun of old timers. </div><div><br /></div><div>One night, the three jerks send a message to OM, telling him it's top secret, but before they can get out their BS, the line crackles and the jokers hear a loud thud from Carlson's end of the radio. They rush over, only to find the shack empty. On a table is a handwritten goodbye from a space-bound Carlson. This hook had been used before, but it's still slightly effective; the obvious draw here is Bill Everett's stylish art. I never get tired of seeing Bill's detail<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwftaYLLVImFoZmnvL-AmOJnHt3Aa42LXkWXUuS27gv51Fv8SeBlBSSJLBtqJasIjMSw4QE9YIWjJI87Zfh-lT9G6B2W0-T-IG_PCQX2kfPLQligBjteZHUr3V-SeL6biU195EMTEjG-MNRgjsJSsa0SNsPXVygSP86dUocMjyiCz2bcSL7tDlR6euA92I/s618/197308.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwftaYLLVImFoZmnvL-AmOJnHt3Aa42LXkWXUuS27gv51Fv8SeBlBSSJLBtqJasIjMSw4QE9YIWjJI87Zfh-lT9G6B2W0-T-IG_PCQX2kfPLQligBjteZHUr3V-SeL6biU195EMTEjG-MNRgjsJSsa0SNsPXVygSP86dUocMjyiCz2bcSL7tDlR6euA92I/s320/197308.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><b>Mystic #39</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos (?)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Couldn't Die!" (a: Sam Kweskin) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Fury!" (a: Werner Roth) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"Twenty-One Footsteps" (a: John Forte) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"The Old Man!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"Return to Nowhere!" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Professor Ivy Brutus is perhaps the greatest lecturer the Society of Historical Researchers has ever had, but he's also a mystery. Where did he come from? How could know so much about ancient Rome in such minute detail? Well, it's because he's actually Brutus, one of the guys that slipped it to Caesar back in the day. Before the emperor died from his wounds, he cursed Brutus to walk the Earth until forgiven for his sin.</div><div><br /></div><div>One night, a man named Julie attends the lecture and Ivy immediately recognizes the face as that of his old boss. Brutus follows the man into a bar and engages him in conversation, further convincing him this 20th Century bar owner is the real deal. Julie shrugs off Ivy's tale of ancient Rome and slaughter but jokingly forgives the crackpot anyway just to get rid of him. Ivy Brutus disappears.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiV3dyV7UpCktgFMcoTCJ8rC4u-U6timYKaHKvMdrKU9py7nUPfnB5XfMb8TGFr7NFhlAzv1nSLob9uyROguD5o9Mp5ztG_EN4uYyjHgu3iG3rP8uW9vmb6PkKNxuupitiZpIrQ-hLOcIhUdRPLf4CD0MFI80uLTy9zGXSzYHqPq0KyhvFzeQIP8U3TOT6/s628/Screenshot%202023-11-22%20at%203.35.38%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiV3dyV7UpCktgFMcoTCJ8rC4u-U6timYKaHKvMdrKU9py7nUPfnB5XfMb8TGFr7NFhlAzv1nSLob9uyROguD5o9Mp5ztG_EN4uYyjHgu3iG3rP8uW9vmb6PkKNxuupitiZpIrQ-hLOcIhUdRPLf4CD0MFI80uLTy9zGXSzYHqPq0KyhvFzeQIP8U3TOT6/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-22%20at%203.35.38%20PM.png" width="255" /></a></div>I really liked "The Man Who Couldn't Die," which replaces the nasty edge of pre-'55 with a gentleness not often found in the Atlas horror comics. That's out of necessity, of course, but good scripts as a rule were not born after 1955. I think most writers felt handcuffed to a set of regulations that stifled imagination, especially when faced with penning a story of horror or fantasy. The art by Sam Kweskin takes turns being atmospheric and amateurish.</div><div><br /></div><div>When murderer Gerard Kram is acquitted due to a technicality, Zeus sends a Fury down to haunt Kram until he repents his sins. Unfortunately for Zeus, he's picked one of the daffier Furies on Olympus and the stunning beauty begins haunting composer Gerald Kramm (!). Fury won't listen to Kramm's protests even after the real Kram overhears her conversation and surrenders to the police. Luckily for Gerald Kramm, innocent composer, the energetic babe not only has a bad memory but bad eyes as well and he makes his exit while she's droning on to pile of clothes in an easy chair.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Fury!" is hilarious, tantamount to one of those charming Hollywood fantasies of the 1940s, complete with a daffy broad and a misunderstood but handsome man. I laughed out loud when the Fury listened to Zeus's orders and then did a double take: "I go, O Zeus! But... what was that name again?" And in the end, justice is served but the innocent also pays. Those CCA guys were at lunch again!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTb3q4o4YI6b1Bso83yurIIu6lRwkZIkuzBYvfI9RiMM6a5zEToeL_KzvmPuSy-QHihqmqkXhMxLX8dqwTKbulgO0SRg2EbwDqx9HPYk2_UScVWg113LyKdhgDLzM6miP3spy7dFKaW0x4WceQC-MRhFqhEstkUja4sQGRBNiM5OzKw7f2hcbxGhKPWt1/s670/Screenshot%202023-11-23%20at%2012.24.07%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="670" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTb3q4o4YI6b1Bso83yurIIu6lRwkZIkuzBYvfI9RiMM6a5zEToeL_KzvmPuSy-QHihqmqkXhMxLX8dqwTKbulgO0SRg2EbwDqx9HPYk2_UScVWg113LyKdhgDLzM6miP3spy7dFKaW0x4WceQC-MRhFqhEstkUja4sQGRBNiM5OzKw7f2hcbxGhKPWt1/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-23%20at%2012.24.07%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Bond... Harold Bond and the Mrs. are looking for a bit of land in England to build on, but Mrs. Bond has grown rawtha impatient with the real estate agent's constant chronicling of the histories of various properties. At the final viewing of the day, Harold decides the parcel is perfect, but Fleming insists it's all wrong and shows Bond the footprints imbedded in the grass, explaining that, during a war, two brothers fought and killed each other on that spot. Ergo, the everlasting imprints. Bond isn't buying the mythology and buys the land anyway but, once the house is built, he comes to regret his rash decision.</div><div><br /></div><div>Though it's nothing more than a Ripley's Believe It or Not wannabe, "Twenty-One Footsteps" succeeds in tickling the funny bone, especially in the panels where uppity Mrs. Bond proclaims her lack of excitement for British history. The rich really are in a class of their own. John Forte continues our luck with artists this issue with some really good depictions of people talking to each other. Well, if you have to have three and a half pages of exposition, at least make it graphically pleasing. Hard to believe that Forte would become one of the most prolific artists of the Atlas/Marvel horror/fantasy titles (162 appearances in all) and yet today is remembered predominantly by scholars.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Old Man" is a silly bit of nonsense about a 155-year-old man who visits his insurance company to claim his fifty million dollars in benefits. Seems he signed a policy one hundred years before that guaranteed him the hefty sum should he live to be 155. After collecting the award in gold bullion, the old timer gets in his spaceship and heads back home... to Saturn. What would a Saturnian want with Earth gold? Is Stan (or whoever) claiming that gold is interstellar currency? Saturn fuel must be cheap.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGbHUdwmCIgPcBebYF1z8gcNKjxXmmo70JSjsqcDaF9bN8IWO8Gz_lxhYnn9fZC684g7uQR9wPxWe6RQzNTKwMKCA1n_YSOZs-CWVrxEUbMe1GJTQJJmlG_0v4248CL2uj558Kv2r2wNEQNHpulhOylT2VH0zD9IXWzGkgug_df6FbfqjLxUIYaYaX-Ju/s696/Screenshot%202023-11-23%20at%201.00.12%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="696" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGbHUdwmCIgPcBebYF1z8gcNKjxXmmo70JSjsqcDaF9bN8IWO8Gz_lxhYnn9fZC684g7uQR9wPxWe6RQzNTKwMKCA1n_YSOZs-CWVrxEUbMe1GJTQJJmlG_0v4248CL2uj558Kv2r2wNEQNHpulhOylT2VH0zD9IXWzGkgug_df6FbfqjLxUIYaYaX-Ju/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-23%20at%201.00.12%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Archaeologists on another planet unearth a journal documenting how the human race came to be. Eons before, a party of explorers searching for a planet to colonize in case Earth became uninhabitable become stranded on this planet and begin a new civilization. Now, scientists want to blast off into space to find the mother planet to see what the original population is up to. Unfortunately, they land and discover the world is a jungle, ruled by prehistoric beasts, with no 7-11s or Macy's (sorta like present day, right?) in sight. They head back to Earth-II without catching sight of the newspaper in the dirt's headline screaming, "All Out Atomic War!!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Yep, the climax of "Return to Nowhere!" was a cliche already by 1955 (and it's been used at least 1000 times since), and the setup is also an oft told tale, but the atmosphere and solemnity really worked for me this time out. This set of explorers doesn't want to plunder; they're simply intrigued by their race's origin. It's really no surprise that the new people are descended from Earth travelers and the author (could it be Paul S. Newman, who also wrote the two previous stories?) wastes no time trying to make<i> that</i> the awesome reveal. The big surprise is that dinosaurs would rule the Earth again. Well, them and Keith Richards. Again, I have to give a shout out to the artist, this time the ever-reliable Paul Reinman, who manages to draw even spaceships uniquely.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuobDEUzUQkg25Faz_VxMkoPVdmUyJiKVpIVLsFPe4lNATQLDfodYTFgn3OYH_-QNfIPrO_IjC1to5faDmtX-EbDj_1mgogubemtLOuljoMKBqUqMMjF_G1kf3VNt8HUNdfHXRq_WE8ZwGI0O7U2wCW4grpjInLCXa71E2SD_1B6pXG2xyK9iN5kzqcnp/s595/28960.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuobDEUzUQkg25Faz_VxMkoPVdmUyJiKVpIVLsFPe4lNATQLDfodYTFgn3OYH_-QNfIPrO_IjC1to5faDmtX-EbDj_1mgogubemtLOuljoMKBqUqMMjF_G1kf3VNt8HUNdfHXRq_WE8ZwGI0O7U2wCW4grpjInLCXa71E2SD_1B6pXG2xyK9iN5kzqcnp/s320/28960.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><b>Strange Tales<i> </i>#38</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Man in the Sky" (a: Al Hartley) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"The Shaggy Creature!" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"No Escape!" (a: John Forte) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"Time Crime" (a: Art Peddy) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Boy Who Saw!" (a: Dick Ayers) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>A man plants new asparagus seeds in his garden and one suddenly sprouts and grows to enormous height. The man grabs hold of the stalk and is whisked up among the clouds, where he discovers seven piles of jewels and gold. Taking as much as he can carry, he climbs down the <strike>bean</strike>stalk, but greed makes him soon climb back up for more loot. This time he's stuck in the clouds with no sign of a stalk to climb back down. "The Man in the Sky" meets five other people with stories similar to his own; a wise old man informs him that only when someone who is not greedy climbs up will they all be freed.</div><div><br /></div><div>This warmed-over take on Jack and the Beanstalk left me not wanting to eat my vegetables.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9b3gz_5uU1QNCBFrgkAsCiSsLdIVWWywS1t9h5PSAlC2NG8e7cytV_FUWvYFcGQdYO8dbGJgTK6HiBcSZuJT3_ekaTkHXk1salsKKtZ3Swf_S7VmvQF-0RUZArRnBDwiR6tzl5AGfUtYfnZSnW3sTdWsQgx4JanwvWxFPNVqH_5k1G7ovas15W69OoU/s466/strange_tales_038_13.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="466" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9b3gz_5uU1QNCBFrgkAsCiSsLdIVWWywS1t9h5PSAlC2NG8e7cytV_FUWvYFcGQdYO8dbGJgTK6HiBcSZuJT3_ekaTkHXk1salsKKtZ3Swf_S7VmvQF-0RUZArRnBDwiR6tzl5AGfUtYfnZSnW3sTdWsQgx4JanwvWxFPNVqH_5k1G7ovas15W69OoU/s320/strange_tales_038_13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Ever since he was a little boy, Bradley Benton has treasured his teddy bear. Now that he's a successful businessman, he brings it to board meetings and sleeps with it. Why such devotion to "The Shaggy Creature"? No one else knows that, behind closed doors, the teddy bear dons a pair of glasses and advises Bradley on world issues and business concerns.</div><div><br /></div><div>I thought this was going to be another dumb Atlas story until the next to last panel, which cracked me up. There's Bradley, leaning back in a chair with a martini and a cigarette, getting advice from his teddy bear! Nuts!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWCbhVI7OAVr0Nh_WsNmE6jBj44xxFlsNZtul5UROvAc-gmzm72z19Ust4MXqJtwCkUYJ9Y3PF9OzV82pLOB59W7pT2BDuSd7Y9je3W2CHpBjvyc7YToZqxNvcufhmCrVpBa9Ub-tffoJiiA5P6JcBiM-DdfnhqALgNYTlXjeca1iYepaaVMN7DHPDpM/s412/strange_tales_038_17.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWCbhVI7OAVr0Nh_WsNmE6jBj44xxFlsNZtul5UROvAc-gmzm72z19Ust4MXqJtwCkUYJ9Y3PF9OzV82pLOB59W7pT2BDuSd7Y9je3W2CHpBjvyc7YToZqxNvcufhmCrVpBa9Ub-tffoJiiA5P6JcBiM-DdfnhqALgNYTlXjeca1iYepaaVMN7DHPDpM/s320/strange_tales_038_17.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>Harry and Gloria have been together for eleven months, ever since they met on a blind date, and they're already sick of each other. A new show comes on TV called <i>Supposing</i>, and the couple watch with fascination as they see variations of their own meeting; each variation concludes with them ending up together and getting married. Realizing that there's "No Escape" from each other, they accept that destiny brought them together and resolve to appreciate each other. Suddenly, they notice that the TV was not plugged in!</div><div><br /></div><div>Not that one again! I know we just had a story recently with a similar ending, where someone was getting phone calls but it turned out the phone had not been hooked up yet. I scanned the last few posts but didn't see it, so I can't identify it, but it's a cliched conclusion that is supposed to justify calling this a "strange tale." Believe me, there's nothing strange about it, other than that the couple suddenly starts cuddling after discovering they were going to be stuck together no matter what. It doesn't figure.</div><div><br /></div>Ed Evans is a con man who invents a time machine and uses it to travel to 2055, where police immediately accost him and remind him of the time traveler's oath not to violate events in the past or the future. They add that the time adjusters will fix anything he does wrong. Ed returns to 1955 and figures he'll outsmart the future cops by just traveling to the next day, where he empties a bank vault of its cash and puts it in the wall safe of his own home.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_ggUPYCziR4hsH05gz9_e5xocPWHaSQE4WxPvO_KJTEofcTMh-0ltSlbzV4Z6k921ysN9heyXgYA0EUhrE4byqgUlm0-TfiKghVv8sAuz1EMwBZNLtu2BSatJmVoZzevYs9sdMZAjP8zZxpWwo1cSZgA6mP_EQD3OX_g5jbssjXNecnkiEVgVC_-0dc/s445/strange_tales_038_22.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="282" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_ggUPYCziR4hsH05gz9_e5xocPWHaSQE4WxPvO_KJTEofcTMh-0ltSlbzV4Z6k921ysN9heyXgYA0EUhrE4byqgUlm0-TfiKghVv8sAuz1EMwBZNLtu2BSatJmVoZzevYs9sdMZAjP8zZxpWwo1cSZgA6mP_EQD3OX_g5jbssjXNecnkiEVgVC_-0dc/s320/strange_tales_038_22.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><div>He then turns in a torch and crowbar to the police, so he won't have them in his possession when the bank is robbed and, the next morning, he reports to the police station to say his wallet was stolen, hanging around chatting while the bank is being robbed in order to craft an alibi. Certain that he has outsmarted the time cops, he opens his wall safe to find a calling card from the time adjuster service, which has set things right again and put the money back in the bank vault.</div><div><br /></div><div>Like so many Atlas stories, there is an intriguing premise to "Time Crime" that is quickly forgotten when the narrative wraps up at the end of page five with a sudden letdown. I've reproduced a panel from page three in which Art Peddy's work looks quite a bit like that of Mike Sekowsky.</div><div><br /></div><div>Young Tad Wilson has a better idea for a way to make money than the traditional lemonade stand. He offers to tell a client's future for one penny! Three men pay a penny and scoff at his predictions, only to find that they come true. When the trio rush back to Tad's stand to learn more about their futures, he says he's closing up shop because his mother told him it was dishonest to charge people for false information. He tears up his sign and walks up into the sky, saying he has to head upstairs to bed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, the author gives the story an unwarranted and unnecessary twist in the last panel that doesn't really gibe with the rest of a story. The pattern of unlikely predictions coming true generates reader interest, only to have it dashed at the end. Is the kid an alien? Where is he going? Who knows? It just ends with a thud.<b>-Jack</b><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWo8lC1Ukv3YWg4llfyqtcTOOvqVD-uUcv6hHpOTC05IVa766iNZf3_xOYLc9yqhhw2fUySGbzwbFDgmI62IH7ljg1AFI1eP8UzTojGGagWvFT-3MlfaaEzrAddjGgpxyhSLsdZuppPGQRFUxhMvYou-zOYyXhyphenhyphen_gxuL8Vg3soWMxouo1f2n7lwPpu99M/s579/30236.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWo8lC1Ukv3YWg4llfyqtcTOOvqVD-uUcv6hHpOTC05IVa766iNZf3_xOYLc9yqhhw2fUySGbzwbFDgmI62IH7ljg1AFI1eP8UzTojGGagWvFT-3MlfaaEzrAddjGgpxyhSLsdZuppPGQRFUxhMvYou-zOYyXhyphenhyphen_gxuL8Vg3soWMxouo1f2n7lwPpu99M/s320/30236.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Uncanny Tales<i> </i>#35</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos & Joe Maneely</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Last Two on Earth!" (a: Pete Tumlinson) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"They Appear at Night!" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"He Stands in the Shadows!" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"The Magic Coin!" (a: John Forte) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Lived Again!" (a: Joe Maneely) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>In a future where the world has been destroyed, a man and his wife are the only survivors. Fortunately, he built a time machine, and they climb aboard. He sets the dial for 1965, but for some reason they travel back to 20,000 B.C. They exit the time machine and it melts into a heap of metal. Realizing they are the only people alive, Adam and Eve get a bright idea...</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Last Two on Earth!" was a fairly enjoyable Ray Bradbury knockoff for the first 4 and 3/4 pages, with Pete Tumlinson trying his best to draw like Alex Raymond, but I groaned out loud when I reached the last panel and saw that the protagonists were Adam and Eve. Not that one again! This is not the first time I realized that a twist that seemed new on <i>The Twilight Zone </i>when I was a young teen was actually not new at all to sci-fi fans.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0BTDRMJfWHz6yI2-Ydpsqt5NSpLxu7vQeEqCkhfIQtELg-XJXBfOmGtzL2GElh6suVjouZtxugvSXIzwyp1p33bxQj3M7XXHNbHeY2n2erk5kanPg2Xg6KFGAshqPwXzZj7blX9-Bqe2bNXVbVedgBm616oty8fUL68j1EXJuUTW8GOgDmyjcs9TsqY/s1462/uncanny_tales_035_10.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0BTDRMJfWHz6yI2-Ydpsqt5NSpLxu7vQeEqCkhfIQtELg-XJXBfOmGtzL2GElh6suVjouZtxugvSXIzwyp1p33bxQj3M7XXHNbHeY2n2erk5kanPg2Xg6KFGAshqPwXzZj7blX9-Bqe2bNXVbVedgBm616oty8fUL68j1EXJuUTW8GOgDmyjcs9TsqY/s320/uncanny_tales_035_10.jpg" width="140" /></a></div><div>A real estate broker named Crowe appears unexpectedly one evening at the Goodbody house to ask about some property that Mrs. Goodbody owns out West. He is told to wait and meets Phoebe Goodbody, the eight-year-old daughter of the homeowner. Phoebe begins to chat with Crowe, telling him a story about her father and brothers who were killed in an accident during a sailboat race. According to the child, "They Appear at Night!" She tells Crowe that the dead trio return to the house each night through a door that she insists on leaving open.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crowe witnesses a boat sail up to the nearby dock and a man and two boys disembark and walk toward the house. Afraid, the broker leaves immediately, before Phoebe's father and brothers enter and happily greet her. Mrs. Goodbody asks where Crowe disappeared to and the child reports that he "'just left,'" as her mother prepares dinner for the family, Phoebe gazes out at the cove, "a hint of pleasure creeping into the solemnity of her face, so filled with the wisdom and secrets of an imaginative eight-year old!'"</div><div><br /></div><div>Not a bad little story! I like Jack Abel's art, for the most part, and recall that he was one of the artists featured in the earliest DC horror comics when the line returned in 1968. The little girl in this story manages to be both cute and creepy, and I like that the end required a bit of thought to understand--not something that is usually the case with Atlas tales. Now if only I could figure out why she decided to scare away the real estate man!</div><div><br /></div><div>As visitors to a museum pass by the statue of a beautiful woman with disinterest, a nearby male statue gazes at her longingly, knowing his love for her is hopeless. Atlas stories are usually four or five pages in length, but this one seemed long at three pages. Even the talented Mort Lawrence can't do much with "He Stands in the Shadows!"</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYH0TC03T9GPAYs9vFBBUk6tKKL4MF0Npza7NI8eRcrDHVSV3DWhbt1Eisa3NbK6E7U37Xpk1w7an5HArO5dp2scJffseFJ8ghyphenhyphen2n8nJZOhQJRhyphenhyphen9Q3ed85ak3HLvmguiXHSMxHw5gjZNhUKMBN4LTYnTrLJ8inITK57xummPCAtDfxavzJjVKE9PXtw/s611/uncanny_tales_035_28.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="363" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYH0TC03T9GPAYs9vFBBUk6tKKL4MF0Npza7NI8eRcrDHVSV3DWhbt1Eisa3NbK6E7U37Xpk1w7an5HArO5dp2scJffseFJ8ghyphenhyphen2n8nJZOhQJRhyphenhyphen9Q3ed85ak3HLvmguiXHSMxHw5gjZNhUKMBN4LTYnTrLJ8inITK57xummPCAtDfxavzJjVKE9PXtw/s320/uncanny_tales_035_28.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Some things never change.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Terrible golfer Ted Rogers is certain that he'll come in last in tomorrow's tournament, so he buys "The Magic Coin!" from a strange little man who assures him that it will guarantee a win. The next day, Ted wows everyone at the golf club with his incredible shots and easily prevails. At the clubhouse, he is shocked to discover that all of the other players also bought magic coins, but his was the only one that worked! Or did it?</div><div><br /></div><div>I am no fan of the game of golf, but I enjoyed this effort from Carl Wessler and John Forte for some reason, perhaps because I did not predict the ending. Forte's art continues to have a bit of a Golden Age feel to it.</div><div><br /></div><div>A reporter named Whit Clark makes his name by reporting on the dangers posed by flying saucers. Needing a break, he takes a vacation in the Maine woods, rifle in hand and pipe in mouth, and comes upon a flying saucer that has landed near a brook. Gun at the ready, he rushes toward the craft and trips over a rock wall; his head strikes a rock as he falls and he is killed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whit awakens inside the flying saucer, where an alien voice informs him that he has been restored to life. The aliens are the last of their race and want to help the people of Earth, but they fear that their strange appearance will cause fear and distrust. Whit promises to use his influence to prepare Earth people for their coming and says to come back in a month, but as soon as the spaceship takes off, it is shot down and destroyed by a fighter plane. "The Man Who Lived Again!" realizes to his horror that it was his own campaign of fearmongering that deprived the Earth of the help the aliens offered.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joe Maneely turns in a workmanlike job on this thoughtful story, which extends to an unusual (for Atlas) length of six pages. I like the conclusion, which eschews any kind of dumb twist and instead shows Whit, head in his hands, lamenting his own actions. A nice way to wrap up an issue.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyRNa4NP7eZsP2lSDSDio_Kt20UyVAV4kZjLCBXXEowXSsVyWh7c0h4VE2Ri23esqthHCyo7vUN4ceTVArxlvdG7xzLxAg5WYzoOROO36_uzBuX8WvXKFtHrs93HBO6EAjc1yFxrdMV1SC7qEbhsSweYkJnWLsrLt89MKuLhlvEnc_eFWlSfqK9NeB7PY/s642/Screenshot%202023-11-23%20at%201.08.14%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="558" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyRNa4NP7eZsP2lSDSDio_Kt20UyVAV4kZjLCBXXEowXSsVyWh7c0h4VE2Ri23esqthHCyo7vUN4ceTVArxlvdG7xzLxAg5WYzoOROO36_uzBuX8WvXKFtHrs93HBO6EAjc1yFxrdMV1SC7qEbhsSweYkJnWLsrLt89MKuLhlvEnc_eFWlSfqK9NeB7PY/w348-h400/Screenshot%202023-11-23%20at%201.08.14%20PM.png" width="348" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Jack and Peter celebrate the craziness that<br />was the Batman of the 1950s in Batman Annual 2<br />and then ponder the question...<br />"Why weren't the Annuals annual?"</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-5343575669523699732023-12-28T03:00:00.000-08:002023-12-28T03:00:00.136-08:00The Hitchcock Project-Thomas Grant, Part Two-Hooked [5.38]by Jack Seabrook<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyhJ545SCijZxLxEWzG2u7kPdM0x2Z3UC8tQ9jSse23LjXGJyOTVc5_QYRwlYvna3A_-q097RDQy_tZroTb3b5xry3x3cLTjMiBFjkyfo3d9VvwQY9or-p2-HsqAL2BtLxbeOsl1edKDDsdKQlwBo9FeUUOclnziT_64oMURRyY-Eudmb-h4FvgvHOQE/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-17h08m56s643.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyhJ545SCijZxLxEWzG2u7kPdM0x2Z3UC8tQ9jSse23LjXGJyOTVc5_QYRwlYvna3A_-q097RDQy_tZroTb3b5xry3x3cLTjMiBFjkyfo3d9VvwQY9or-p2-HsqAL2BtLxbeOsl1edKDDsdKQlwBo9FeUUOclnziT_64oMURRyY-Eudmb-h4FvgvHOQE/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-17h08m56s643.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div>Robert Turner's short story, "Hooked," was the source for the last episode of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> to air on CBS; the show premiered on Sunday, September 25, 1960, as the last offering of season five. Two nights later, <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-hitchcock-project-roald-dahl-part_30.html" target="_blank">"Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat"</a> aired as the first episode of the series to be shown on NBC, opening season six on a Tuesday after five years of being shown on Sundays.</div><div><br /></div><div>The story begins as Ray Marchand, a handsome man of 27, drives up to a fishing camp to pick up his wife, Gladys, who is almost twice his age. Ray is immediately captivated by Nila Foster, the beautiful young daughter of the camp's owner, Floyd. Ray makes a play for Nila right away, but she resists. Soon, Gladys returns from a day of fishing with Floyd, and Ray makes no secret of his desire for Nila; Gladys is not surprised and reminds her husband of their arrangement: as long as he is discreet, she tolerates his flings.</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OdgfHPsLE_eHfrU0qignJgACVxHE-ey-qgG-IQBMjNkPLiNL1TXzIzWCCoMpfMNEaSO7bfYvJM_ZPN_uG7djlIg7dIWbcbzRO-T0t3VVq-jgImXC5uZlDdHfKLIvK-uOGH4hbi_7EX37bTbbbokm7t0Meh8u8lb_YLKouNn-n2bKDWL93SLXNV_OzHU/s529/manhunt_195802.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OdgfHPsLE_eHfrU0qignJgACVxHE-ey-qgG-IQBMjNkPLiNL1TXzIzWCCoMpfMNEaSO7bfYvJM_ZPN_uG7djlIg7dIWbcbzRO-T0t3VVq-jgImXC5uZlDdHfKLIvK-uOGH4hbi_7EX37bTbbbokm7t0Meh8u8lb_YLKouNn-n2bKDWL93SLXNV_OzHU/w151-h200/manhunt_195802.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Hooked" was first<br />published here</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The next afternoon, Gladys goes shopping and Ray visits Nila, who insists that her father won't let her be alone with Ray. Finally, she tells him to come back on Monday when they go to an out of the way spot where she succumbs to his lust. Afterwards, she says it can't happen again, and he spends the next week thinking about her. On the following Monday, he visits the camp and finds her alone on a beach, where they again give in to passion. Later, he admits that neither he nor Gladys knows how to swim. Ray and Nila discuss the idea of him taking his wife out in a boat and throwing her overboard; if she dies, he'll inherit her money.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ray pretends to develop an interest in fishing, and eventually he takes Gladys out in the boat alone. He sees Nila and Floyd watching from the dock; as he throws the anchor in the water, he almost loses his balance and, to Ray's surprise, Gladys uses an oar to shove him overboard. As he drowns, he realizes that Gladys must have fallen for Floyd and that Nila must have helped them execute their plan to do away with Ray.</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaof9MW2W6Sk7dC5JBxuz2RKHX4mMW6nxlo6UUmVcoK6PRm6TjNdqWNF8SLaGRgjQQy9n6j2oNHf9ubHzqqkIPPBHkfCCVOVzq6YDRBAnhm3iW5uPkoayLxv-a5rF-YZTvvzaZDGyaPP227gUxVB-c8vBfQcBV3jhZGu2VmCxgfSA56oB3N2qiuAnXEa8/s1631/Screenshot%202023-12-03%20at%2012.10.45%20PM%20(1).png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1631" data-original-width="1126" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaof9MW2W6Sk7dC5JBxuz2RKHX4mMW6nxlo6UUmVcoK6PRm6TjNdqWNF8SLaGRgjQQy9n6j2oNHf9ubHzqqkIPPBHkfCCVOVzq6YDRBAnhm3iW5uPkoayLxv-a5rF-YZTvvzaZDGyaPP227gUxVB-c8vBfQcBV3jhZGu2VmCxgfSA56oB3N2qiuAnXEa8/w138-h200/Screenshot%202023-12-03%20at%2012.10.45%20PM%20(1).png" width="138" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The art on the story's<br />first page gives away<br />the ending!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>"Hooked" manages to execute a nice surprise twist at the end, even though the narrative is padded with too many pulp cliches describing Nila's beautiful body. The title has two meanings, both the literal one involving fishing and the figurative one about how Ray is hooked by the plotting and planning of Nila, Gladys, and Floyd. Ray's vanity is so great that he does not realize he is a pawn in their game; his hubris and his ego blind him to the fact that he is the fish and they hold the fishing pole.</div><div><br /></div><div>Robert Turner (1915-1980), the story's author, was a prolific contributor to the pulps and the digests from 1939 until his death. He also wrote for comic books in the 1940s and several of his stories were adapted for TV in the 1950s, including one other for <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>The TV version of "Hooked" follows the short story closely for most of its length, with some important changes toward the end that make it work better on the small screen. Some extraneous scenes in the story are cut, such as one where Ray and Gladys are in the car and she gives him permission to pursue Nila while also warning him about Floyd. Also deleted is a scene where Ray goes home and paints a portrait of Nila, as well as background about how Ray and Gladys ended up in Florida. One thing that is preserved is the focus on Nila's beauty and Ray's ogling of her; in one early scene, he can't help looking from her face to her chest, and in another, the camera takes his point of view as he follows her along a path, looking her up and down and focusing on her swaying hips.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4UD7VtPk8yPqY_o1Uxh9Br5GAVLFHKTpgmSUKhXbpTknxGxFkLQhdgU9bLpJBuNzbklYIUTtzsGpT8EzdcgiPYGz0C2ataQ0tOta2rSMx2zb5ZopC0RNYMAktZg-KXLfTR93XCIBrVvoVg1mcHms-j6QedkSOBLRQPFqjTql-0T41KGn2TGfrKtgFoU/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-16h55m02s503.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4UD7VtPk8yPqY_o1Uxh9Br5GAVLFHKTpgmSUKhXbpTknxGxFkLQhdgU9bLpJBuNzbklYIUTtzsGpT8EzdcgiPYGz0C2ataQ0tOta2rSMx2zb5ZopC0RNYMAktZg-KXLfTR93XCIBrVvoVg1mcHms-j6QedkSOBLRQPFqjTql-0T41KGn2TGfrKtgFoU/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-16h55m02s503.png" width="320" /></a></div>When Ray returns to the camp for the first time, a scene that occurs outside in the story is moved inside the bait and tackle shop, allowing for a visual joke when Ray stands next to a sign that reads, "Live Worms"--it's hard not to associate the man with the sign. A deaf and dumb Black man who works on the boats in the story is eliminated from the TV show, which includes only four characters. In the story, Ray and Nila go out on the lake in a boat, but in the TV show they are together instead on a beach in a cove. This scene is particularly well choreographed, as Ray repeatedly tries to kiss Nila and she succeeds each time in wriggling away from him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead of having sex, as they do in the story, Ray and Nila just share a passionate kiss in the TV show. Director Norman Lloyd shows her resistance give way the first time they kiss by focusing the camera on her hand, which starts out tense but soon relaxes. The second time they are together on the beach, the TV show diverges from the story when Ray dives into the lake after the young woman, demonstrating his ability to swim. At this point, the viewer who has read the story must wonder how this will affect the ending; in the story, Ray drowns because he can't swim.</div><div><br /></div><div>Much of Ray and Nila's discussion of how he can make Gladys's death look like an accident is cut, and a short scene is added between Ray and Gladys where she almost seems to believe that he is sincere about wanting to learn how to fish. She looks for a kiss on the lips but is disappointed to receive just a peck on the cheek. Ray's lust for Nila is thus contrasted with his coolness toward Gladys.</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFzdhAMk8aaePGW3yyCUPcOj-fRRWna5_F_V6vNqAcr5JF4Pa3M2vBIlo9AHFWdu8MQOuizMv62xW5a0ou54Cb98hWYG_RAd6ihO12H7HEN4y-S5-Sl4ydV0BmPl-66asA5z0PFshiIikgAw2Y-zWjArEuXi4-7e-12djrzziTLfAuxJpk_bSQ13lkrM/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-16h52m43s081.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFzdhAMk8aaePGW3yyCUPcOj-fRRWna5_F_V6vNqAcr5JF4Pa3M2vBIlo9AHFWdu8MQOuizMv62xW5a0ou54Cb98hWYG_RAd6ihO12H7HEN4y-S5-Sl4ydV0BmPl-66asA5z0PFshiIikgAw2Y-zWjArEuXi4-7e-12djrzziTLfAuxJpk_bSQ13lkrM/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-16h52m43s081.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Robert Horton as Ray Marchand</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The end is set up beautifully and is more effective than the conclusion of the short story. When Ray and Gladys fish together, Nila looks on as if jealous, and Ray and Nila pretend that they barely know each other. When Ray and Gladys return for a repeat fishing trip, Floyd apologizes and says that he can't go with them. Ominous music plays on the soundtrack as Nila is shown watching the couple, looking as if she knows that Ray plans to stage a fatal accident. Gladys reluctantly agrees to go and Floyd tells Nila to give Gladys a basket with lunch that she packed for another couple; none of this is in the short story.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the story, Gladys drives the boat, but Ray mans the motor in the TV show. They stop and the boat rocks gently on the lake as Gladys takes the basket and asks Ray if he wants a sandwich or a bottle of beer. There is a tight closeup of Ray's eyes as he watches Gladys climb over a bench to get to the anchor; his gaze at her hips is much different than his corresponding gaze at Nila's hips earlier in the show. More ominous music plays on the soundtrack, and suddenly, Ray seems to lunge and the screen goes black. What happened? In the short story, there is no question and no suspense, but in the TV show, this dark screen leaves the viewer guessing.</div><div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY5VMBmgakpQ-aW9Wfb4zAJbEMo91IXVdN0jFQYIOtnetKTheVVwGkKhoolDX5kpH3p-_cZB3VjIuLzbaulmXLv2wC8DA07o_42PPbFtm5a0z3ZdJe3f4MUQTy7azEZUZi510KiVdSGCyToyH_I6Ddf7oaHllNuUIaNdBO7-KeJRA5n_yRAVXy0wHjTE/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-16h49m03s110.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY5VMBmgakpQ-aW9Wfb4zAJbEMo91IXVdN0jFQYIOtnetKTheVVwGkKhoolDX5kpH3p-_cZB3VjIuLzbaulmXLv2wC8DA07o_42PPbFtm5a0z3ZdJe3f4MUQTy7azEZUZi510KiVdSGCyToyH_I6Ddf7oaHllNuUIaNdBO7-KeJRA5n_yRAVXy0wHjTE/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-16h49m03s110.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Anne Francis as Nila Foster</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>The next shot fades in on Floyd and Nila inside the shop as they hear the boat returning. Nila smiles and looks satisfied, as if expecting Ray to return alone. Outside the shop, she and her father watch the boat return, but since it is filmed in a long shot, the viewer cannot tell who is driving, other than that the person is alone. The boat reaches the dock and the driver is revealed to be Gladys. She climbs up on the dock and tells Floyd, "'I did just what you told me to,'" removing a Billy club from the picnic hamper. The trio agree that it was a tragic accident and walk back to the bait shop smiling, arm in arm.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, Gladys and Floyd get the partners they want, Nila ensures that her father will have money, love, and happiness, and they all get rid of Ray, the "live worm." In the story, Ray realizes that he's been duped as he drowns, while in the TV show, the viewer learns what happened after Gladys returns to the dock. The revelation that Nila was setting Ray up for disaster is a complete surprise, and the realization that she was working in concert with her father and Ray's wife makes the denouement quite satisfying.</div><div><br /></div>Norman Lloyd (1914-2021), the director, was one of the people most responsible for the success and quality of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> and <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i>. Born Norman Perlmutter and active in the theater in the 1930s, he had a long career as a film and television actor, from 1939 to 2015, and appeared in Hitchcock's <i>Saboteur</i> (1942) and <i>Spellbound</i> (1945). He also directed for television from 1951 to 1984. He acted in five episodes of the Hitchcock series and directed 22, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-hitchcock-project-roald-dahl-part_16.html" target="_blank">"Man from the South."</a></div><div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpI7CqA0Lsy1vNHpOqDvNsXhOZWR4h6Y6XpeO5Nw_I_EQxY2NsL25lb3HTf3UnnMMBCLP43k6PCgUomrfrxsKN6eD2vMS3WSTpfXT1ZXzLiCE9NTyxy2RHmmbuyB5OmeC7tzOJ65yNbSH4eIpgXk4SdYfEHAifNyozsVfFRYisF4TC19bMTojxITE6YLM/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-16h52m36s644.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpI7CqA0Lsy1vNHpOqDvNsXhOZWR4h6Y6XpeO5Nw_I_EQxY2NsL25lb3HTf3UnnMMBCLP43k6PCgUomrfrxsKN6eD2vMS3WSTpfXT1ZXzLiCE9NTyxy2RHmmbuyB5OmeC7tzOJ65yNbSH4eIpgXk4SdYfEHAifNyozsVfFRYisF4TC19bMTojxITE6YLM/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-16h52m36s644.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vivienne Segal as Gladys</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Starring as Ray is Robert Horton (1924-2016), who had been active in film since 1945. From 1952 to 1989, he was a busy TV actor, co-starring in <i>Wagon Train</i> (1957-1962), and then starring on the short-lived series, <i>A Man Called Shenandoah</i> (1965-1966). A website devoted to his career is <a href="https://roberthorton.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. This was one of seven episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> in which he was featured, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-hitchcock-project-robert-c-dennis_26.html" target="_blank">"Crack of Doom,"</a> and after his television career ended he spent many years on stage.</div><div><div><br /></div>Anne Francis (1930-2011), who plays Nila, was born Ann Marvak in upstate New York. She began modeling at age five and was on Broadway by age eleven. Her first movie came out in 1947 and she was on the scene at the dawn of television in 1949. She worked both in movies and TV until 1969; after that, most of her roles were on episodic TV. She is best known for <i>Forbidden Planet</i> (1956), as the star of the <i>Honey West</i> series (1965-1966), and for a couple of roles on <i>The Twilight Zone.</i> She appeared on the Hitchcock show five times, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part.html" target="_blank">"What Really Happened."</a><div><br /><div>Gladys is played by Vivienne Segal (1897-1992), who began singing opera at age 15 and performed in the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s. She was often featured in Broadway shows from 1915 to 1953 and appeared in seven films from 1930 to 1934. She made four TV appearances between 1951 and 1966, two of which were on <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents. </i>She was married to Hubbell Robinson,<i> </i>who was an executive at CBS from 1947 to 1959 before leaving to produce TV shows, including <i>Thriller.</i></div><div><i><br /></i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKkwRJVKPkdKBPXsCsFJ6RuOUDTHWNxIgWPlY1THtxNxHel-hb5LhTnJqhscphVwUxe3gzuJyzb6yGJeIDri3pSPACF2_t0YbdmX2H04n48s76c3yKB06RpusKlUCeC8L08pHBxA9D6I4k0gcl3pVE7MxulBJPuB69LEl-wl-Frkax9gCgt6acgolYfs/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-17h06m14s644.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKkwRJVKPkdKBPXsCsFJ6RuOUDTHWNxIgWPlY1THtxNxHel-hb5LhTnJqhscphVwUxe3gzuJyzb6yGJeIDri3pSPACF2_t0YbdmX2H04n48s76c3yKB06RpusKlUCeC8L08pHBxA9D6I4k0gcl3pVE7MxulBJPuB69LEl-wl-Frkax9gCgt6acgolYfs/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-18-17h06m14s644.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Holland as Floyd</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Finally, John Holland, who plays Floyd, was born Harold Boggess. He was on screen from 1937 to 1986, but this was his only role on the Hitchcock show. He also appeared on <i>The Twilight Zone.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Watch "Hooked" online <a href="https://archive.org/details/Alfred_Hitchcock_Presents/Alfred+Hitchcock+Presents+(Complete)/Season+5+-+(1960-61)/S05E38+-+Hooked.avi" target="_blank">here</a> or buy the DVD <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alfred-Hitchcock-Presents-Season-5/dp/B005UL4NF2" target="_blank">here</a>. Read the GenreSnaps review <a href="https://genresnaps.com/alfred-hitchcock-presents-hooked-09-25-60/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>After researching the two episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> where the teleplay is credited to Thomas Grant, I think that the name is a pseudonym for Henry Slesar. After seeing nine of his short stories adapted for the show by other writers in seasons three, four, and five, Slesar began adapting his own stories for TV with <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part_22.html" target="_blank">"Forty Detectives Later"</a> and <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part.html" target="_blank">"Insomnia,"</a> episodes 28 and 30 of season five. He used the pseudonym "Eli Jerome" to adapt his own stories, <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part_19.html" target="_blank">"One Grave Too Many"</a> and <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part.html" target="_blank">"Party Line,"</a> as episodes 32 and 33 of season five. Episodes 31 and 38 of this season, <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-hitchcock-project-thomas-grant-part.html" target="_blank">"I Can Take Care of Myself"</a> and "Hooked," were not based on stories by Slesar, but since Thomas Grant has no other credits anywhere, I think that the producers of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> decided to have Slesar use fake names so it did not look like one writer was writing too many episodes in too short a time. Though Slesar's other four episodes in this season were all adapted from his own stories, he did go on to adapt works by other writers in subsequent seasons of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> and <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.</i> To date, my queries to the agency for his estate, a family member, and someone who edited a collection of his stories have garnered no response, but perhaps the truth will one day come to light about the identity of Thomas Grant.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span></div><div><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-indent: -1cm;"><br /></i></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1cm;">The FICTIONMAGS Index</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1cm;">, www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/0start.htm.</span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-indent: -48px;"></div><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-indent: -48px;"></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><i style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1cm;">Galactic Central</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1cm;">, www.philsp.com/.</span></p></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span>Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. </span><i>The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion</i><span>. OTR Pub., 2001.</span></p><div style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Hooked." </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, season 5, episode 38, CBS, 25 September 1960.</span></span></span></div><div><i style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1cm;"><br /></i></div><div><i style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1cm;">IBDB</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1cm;">, www.ibdb.com.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1cm;"><br /></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>IMDb</i>, www.imdb.com.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Turner, Robert. "Hooked." <i>Manhunt</i>, Feb. 1958. pp. 33-42.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i style="text-indent: -36pt;">Wikipedia</i><span style="text-indent: -36pt;">, www.wikipedia.org.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-indent: -36pt;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "The End of Indian Summer" <a href="https://aadl.org/ahp61" target="_blank">here</a>!<br /><br />In two weeks: Our series on Richard Fielder begins with a look at "Night of the Owl," starring Brian Keith and Patricia Breslin!</span></div></div></div>Jack Seabrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-11667193200385332532023-12-18T05:00:00.000-08:002023-12-18T05:00:00.129-08:00Batman in the 1960s Issue 12: November/ December 1961<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/s350/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="350" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/w400-h154/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Caped Crusader in the 1960s<br />by Jack Seabrook<br />& Peter Enfantino</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAymbNWv16zO6bj5Pu4aLPJQgZH9J8o83FWPTUQDAzHdwXDG9wIdUMhU1AmAQiI_vTehXqvzCRSAzYcnT3K5qsv4FXI7Bg477XVZvj0yedKtuiSmIYy7ft0CgC4hsFHa40RbtCz29Tz0s0s6OqwXVBQp_davwxPODns8FaZeMAqu8K1jgebgAyXLdg1HMx/s590/5402.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAymbNWv16zO6bj5Pu4aLPJQgZH9J8o83FWPTUQDAzHdwXDG9wIdUMhU1AmAQiI_vTehXqvzCRSAzYcnT3K5qsv4FXI7Bg477XVZvj0yedKtuiSmIYy7ft0CgC4hsFHa40RbtCz29Tz0s0s6OqwXVBQp_davwxPODns8FaZeMAqu8K1jgebgAyXLdg1HMx/s320/5402.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #297</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Beast of Koba Bay"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"J'onn J'onzz vs. the Vigilantes"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Aqualad, Stand-In for a Star"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Batman and Robin fly to Koba Island in the Bat-Plane to arrest a mobster named Albey, who is hiding there (we find this information out from some clunky exposition in the first few panels) from the authorities. When they get there, the local gendarme informs them that a legendary creature, "The Beast of Koba Bay," has risen from the nearby ocean and is terrorizing the inhabitants. Coincidentally, as the two men and the pre-teen Boy Wonder discuss the monster, it rises from the water and attacks the port.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJucR5FsxLja-PI7U_cljl9nTwMbMSBLsgc15JT31U8z9NENND2XE8aXxUrWYvcvGqsyWfTizD_qxoc4tMNEt0DIJwSBWq4SxvyqTm71KMggn1KkXTaqwZBLzuK_Plv7hrh1qqEFfAyAcpbbHFR2zAvoPqFXHRLgVewAqvNFzBshvT4XJJeeZ6anUN-hiY/s762/Screenshot%202023-11-24%20at%206.16.53%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="762" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJucR5FsxLja-PI7U_cljl9nTwMbMSBLsgc15JT31U8z9NENND2XE8aXxUrWYvcvGqsyWfTizD_qxoc4tMNEt0DIJwSBWq4SxvyqTm71KMggn1KkXTaqwZBLzuK_Plv7hrh1qqEFfAyAcpbbHFR2zAvoPqFXHRLgVewAqvNFzBshvT4XJJeeZ6anUN-hiY/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-24%20at%206.16.53%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Batman uses his detective skills and grabs a handy fish net to slow the creature's advance into the village. After a bit of snorting and harumphing, the giant turns tail and heads back into the water. An excited cry from the town's police chief alerts Batman to the fact that the mob boss he'd come there to arrest has been killed in the sea dragon's attack. Holy coincidence!</div><div><br /></div><div>The caped crusaders head to the dead thug's house and find a charred note in the fireplace, directing Albey to meet the scribe at the dock where (not so coincidentally) the criminal would later be killed. Suddenly, screaming erupts from the street; the monster has returned! Bats and Robin head down to the beach and manage to ward off the Beast of Koba Bay with torches, but Bats knows that next time the behemoth will be better prepared (asbestos hide?) and they must come up with a plan, pronto.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5sJW1PSvqJLCvovvaoDT8ybc1La3ukusWcW6eZv5BhSoBRvjVhAnOfhzccr6VKkviT6MgVnccQu2sfesHoc-B5qpeBDrMlLTC3DkjdN7778q6BG_Xo7XS4KDvJDjl7uGC8lR8KKbDNTjg__RfGe9qURqZQfjY7GThZIVo4iSe6u8uAjaUopaEvHmru5h/s1478/Screenshot%202023-11-24%20at%206.17.16%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="1478" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5sJW1PSvqJLCvovvaoDT8ybc1La3ukusWcW6eZv5BhSoBRvjVhAnOfhzccr6VKkviT6MgVnccQu2sfesHoc-B5qpeBDrMlLTC3DkjdN7778q6BG_Xo7XS4KDvJDjl7uGC8lR8KKbDNTjg__RfGe9qURqZQfjY7GThZIVo4iSe6u8uAjaUopaEvHmru5h/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-24%20at%206.17.16%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>A clue leads Bats to suspect that another local thug named Spence might be responsible for both the monster and Albey's killing, so the Dynamic Duo tail the criminal while he dives into the bay and enters a secret cave wherein is stored... ta da... the giant robot Beast of Koba Bay! You see, Spence was afraid his name might come up if Albey were arrested and told the names of his criminal accomplices. After the boys make their appearance, Spence gets the drop on Bats with a heater, but our hero has a few tricks up his sleeve and flips his flipper at the gunman. Bats reveals that he saw some oil leaking from the monster the first time they battled and immediately knew the goliath was a fake (but evidently decided not to share that info with his partner), but then brings down the house by informing Spence that the second attack was carried out by the<i> real </i>Beast of Koba Bay!</div><div><br /></div><div>As they're swimming to the surface, Batman spots the Beast heading for town, so he swims back down into the cave and hops into the Faux-Beast, using his Greatest Detective in the World skills to effortlessly master the controls. He heads to the surface and engages in a brutal, terrifying battle of the Beasts, finally sending the real monster back to the Bay for a final time. The Beast of Koba Bay is dead and the town suddenly realizes they've lost all hope for future tourism revenue.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-feV__6lwC8I7hv95goVoXRZ-2iHlSURE9aV0jib10sC5SD5tqLPYEP0efzKLK7-ElJXpUyjyV0WUIWjCHMgwjp_8FGSx2hkC3LPl0LvJfYwrwqQHsizyXUODItjWPa7KI7j8N8Q1vo8_s30k_tZqGWhGNwUni-3AoUVizUWZ8XPF8Y27MODe1p6mAUG8/s1492/Screenshot%202023-11-24%20at%206.17.39%20AM.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="1492" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-feV__6lwC8I7hv95goVoXRZ-2iHlSURE9aV0jib10sC5SD5tqLPYEP0efzKLK7-ElJXpUyjyV0WUIWjCHMgwjp_8FGSx2hkC3LPl0LvJfYwrwqQHsizyXUODItjWPa7KI7j8N8Q1vo8_s30k_tZqGWhGNwUni-3AoUVizUWZ8XPF8Y27MODe1p6mAUG8/w400-h190/Screenshot%202023-11-24%20at%206.17.39%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXWUqN1gV0DvwTo_LZOrDILvKTjxKiurODG1UCs5uz8bBLgpOUfn1JVoX67ZEjf74yoRxITNkzH9FPBBCKALS51K5ZWaQ0uVPybPnTB9Z665eoIwcXtP9aEjRe6ATDlXXa_Sdj7-ZYKK9ci1czudABeKSJ4qZRusEFw7IoJkIEznpKk8bVFVZVjFB3lS6/s818/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%207.17.31%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="818" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXWUqN1gV0DvwTo_LZOrDILvKTjxKiurODG1UCs5uz8bBLgpOUfn1JVoX67ZEjf74yoRxITNkzH9FPBBCKALS51K5ZWaQ0uVPybPnTB9Z665eoIwcXtP9aEjRe6ATDlXXa_Sdj7-ZYKK9ci1czudABeKSJ4qZRusEFw7IoJkIEznpKk8bVFVZVjFB3lS6/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%207.17.31%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>It's redundant to mention that these 1960s adventures are fun, but they really do require a mighty suspension of disbelief. How could the World's Greatest Detective not know upon first sight that this monster is a gizmo? Does it have fluid movement? And how did Spence create this creature? Did he build it from scratch out of materials found in the local junkyard, or did he visit the Criminal Store and hand them his specs? At least Bill Finger threw a clever curveball at us with the reveal of a second (and gen-u-ine) dinosaur, albeit one that was easily done in by a creaky robot twin.</div><div><br /></div><div>When "Fangs" Frazer gets off on a technicality, local businessmen are so angry that they form a vigilante group to take Frazer and his ilk off the streets. Despite being a "vigilante" himself, J'onn knows these well-meaning citizens can't take the law into their own hands. Besides, it's a dangerous business and, when it all comes down to it, these guys are all dopes anyway. They'll get themselves killed. So, it's "J'onn J'onzz vs. the Vigilantes," whether he likes it or not. If these guys are pissed about the weak justice system in their town, they should move to Gotham, where psychotics and terrorists are paroled after three months.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5JZHDBJ5lVYqKXQOsnwiybVjU5hxsF1r_0lwGT7T5-bh9Tt3MDeborkpqYSUKSLDjN1Ol-DbppnJWmj7dsvYp7WKiUoF8kNJF0HgUZ3gyfuurS1ySp6pj_cQXDuwUbomgNrNLnSx9BhcSIwA2Uqky67K3lHFTzs2L9JGQnLHlpjAisT7v9_xm3TwE6GZ/s720/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%207.31.08%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="720" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5JZHDBJ5lVYqKXQOsnwiybVjU5hxsF1r_0lwGT7T5-bh9Tt3MDeborkpqYSUKSLDjN1Ol-DbppnJWmj7dsvYp7WKiUoF8kNJF0HgUZ3gyfuurS1ySp6pj_cQXDuwUbomgNrNLnSx9BhcSIwA2Uqky67K3lHFTzs2L9JGQnLHlpjAisT7v9_xm3TwE6GZ/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%207.31.08%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Aqualad is recruited as stuntman for young superstar Barry Blaine, who's making his debut as "Sea-Boy" in a new summer tentpole. The dough the Aqua-boys make will go to charity, so the Lad knows he'll have to grin and bear it, even when spoiled brat Blaine starts hogging the limelight. In the end, though, Blaine proves he's a solid kid when he saves Aquasquirt from a random, floating war mine. The Aquaboys strip is childish rubbish, but at least we were graced with some great Nick Cardy art. This issue's "Aqualad, Stand In For a Star" sees the mediocre Moldoff take over chores. Not a good combination.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Jack-</b>"The Beast of Koba Bay" could have been titled "Batman Meets Godzilla," or perhaps Mecha-Godzilla. It's a weak story, and the big battle between the real beast and the robot doesn't fit the Batman strip at all. The J'onn J'onzz story is better than the lead story for a change, and that's saying something. The Martian Manhunter finds himself in the rare position of helping crooks, but it all works out in the end. I groaned when I saw that Moldoff drew the Aquaman story, but it's not as bad as I expected. At least they keep the helpful fish to a minimum this time out.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79_5s9EgGdzdfJpycQch90ORGxjds0yBr_Hr6liX4NdZbq8z9dvRSHhxyDWEQM5OArmcdWLwDNSB0vXANhSQKusnpw-sPgYgTWIc3mSGghoODYrjDu1u9uO11MmlybuqBGRakdecuHIZLpq_eBeC8bpN4zEwvJ2W4ZmqvOaIifNdO_ykcSu3cx2f1zIJy/s588/2606.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79_5s9EgGdzdfJpycQch90ORGxjds0yBr_Hr6liX4NdZbq8z9dvRSHhxyDWEQM5OArmcdWLwDNSB0vXANhSQKusnpw-sPgYgTWIc3mSGghoODYrjDu1u9uO11MmlybuqBGRakdecuHIZLpq_eBeC8bpN4zEwvJ2W4ZmqvOaIifNdO_ykcSu3cx2f1zIJy/s320/2606.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #144</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Alien Feud on Earth"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Played Batman"</b></div><div><b>Story by Arnold Drake</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Bat-Mite Meets Bat-Girl"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Batman and Robin happen upon a couple of aliens who seem to be feuding because they are shooting blasts from their ray guns at each other. Batman tries to intervene but is first sent floating into the air and then imprisoned in a prism-shaped force screen. The World's Greatest Detective deduces that the aliens are dueling, so he dresses up as one of them and is able to get close enough to the other to sock him in the jaw. Just as Batman is about to switch disguises and wait for the other alien, a female alien in a mini skirt arrives and chastises the alien duo for dueling for her honor on a faraway planet to avoid being found out. She tells them to cut it out and says she won't marry either of the louts; the trio head back into outer space.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zAb36Mj6S58SIdOICOz3vAhZORmIJhGP4oPW2t8Wm-GHEApualANL-jDxX-c_KwY7lVGcN-ldjKCDVEkpAXfIdcsmLFdh3C7o7-5LO6plq4-N_cysn7uuciMvDKgO0AWmn1pQt99xhU56fDIr2poKtgkTINRFRJRz8BOEjMUAgR2d9s2lg50H5S_A2Y/s532/BATMAN%20144%20011.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="532" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zAb36Mj6S58SIdOICOz3vAhZORmIJhGP4oPW2t8Wm-GHEApualANL-jDxX-c_KwY7lVGcN-ldjKCDVEkpAXfIdcsmLFdh3C7o7-5LO6plq4-N_cysn7uuciMvDKgO0AWmn1pQt99xhU56fDIr2poKtgkTINRFRJRz8BOEjMUAgR2d9s2lg50H5S_A2Y/s320/BATMAN%20144%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Batman alien story #400 of 1961, "The Alien Feud on Earth" is thin on plot but turns humorous in the final pages when Rilla, the alien gal, shows up. She sports a very Earth-like hairdo and mini skirt with a cool belt that cinches her outfit at the waist and shows off her out of this world curves. Just what every alien chick should have been wearing in 1961! No wonder Hylk and Zorb were fighting over her.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Joker is back, and he's determined to build a Batman-proof gang! He dresses up as Batman and uses a mockup of Gotham City to see if his goons can outwit the Caped Crusader, but they fail as usual. Elsewhere, Batman and Robin capture a criminal known as Gum-Ball Burke. Batman deduces that the Joker is planning a big job, so he disguises himself as Burke and is taken to the Joker's secret hideout.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLypOlhpkFFMW6N4EUHUzE4zPR0DQY93-aftWIF7t2wRalwpxBBI1WqAoEzx13DFX3zP5QyRh5-DB-tx7wZ0gxRWc4YrTBIzGcDqv3fiY3OUKQXHEbdfEe9Le0QpE4diNv5eDwW9kl9wpBtQggxVTyAwHV_ONWp-4gg3o41Aw-CaGO8LjmOfSp9KEjGSg/s510/BATMAN%20144%20021.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="475" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLypOlhpkFFMW6N4EUHUzE4zPR0DQY93-aftWIF7t2wRalwpxBBI1WqAoEzx13DFX3zP5QyRh5-DB-tx7wZ0gxRWc4YrTBIzGcDqv3fiY3OUKQXHEbdfEe9Le0QpE4diNv5eDwW9kl9wpBtQggxVTyAwHV_ONWp-4gg3o41Aw-CaGO8LjmOfSp9KEjGSg/s320/BATMAN%20144%20021.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div>Disguised as Burke, Batman helps the Joker's goons outwit every trap set for them by the Joker, who is dressed as Batman. Batman/Burke does so well that Joker/Batman tells him to put on the Batman suit and Joker will see if he can lead the goons with equal success. Eventually, Joker figures out that Batman/Burke/Batman must be the real Batman and says, "'Grab him, boys!'" Robin arrives just in the nick of time with the cops, having located Batman by means of a radio transmitter hidden in a gumball that Batman/Burke was chewing, and Batman socks Joker in the jaw, ending the efforts of "The Man Who Played Batman."</div><div><br /></div><div>Scripter Arnold Drake sets up enough double- and triple-takes in this story to keep it fun and interesting. I'm always happy for an appearance by the Joker! My favorite line is uttered by Gum-Ball Burke when Batman catches him as he tries to escape on a train: "'Ooof! Blast you, Batman--you not only trapped me, but you made me swallow my gum!'"</div><div><br /></div><div>When Commissioner Gordon tells Batman and Batwoman to go to Washington to testify before a Senate crime committee, he asks Bat-Girl to help Robin patrol Gotham City. Outside City Hall, Batgirl leaps on Robin and tells him he's adorable, but the embarrassed lad confesses that he's devoted to another woman. Bat-Girl retires to her aunt's underground lair to weep, when she's suddenly joined by Bat-Mite, who is delighted at the prospect of playing Cupid.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>That night, Bat-Mite remains invisible while he helps Bat-Girl apprehend two bandits at the Gotham Playground Equipment Company, but Robin seems unimpressed. The following evening, a tiger gets loose at an outdoor circus, and Bat-Mite helps Bat-Girl capture the beast. As a reward, she receives a peck on the cheek from young movie idol, Chip Danton, which makes Robin jealous.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHW2aEHU7a6ZYyt3FiQZREhlhMR00wqPxx8ty2XPutgjqQ4Ad-bNeuk9JPehrrm5Xi2uHG3hbZ-LqR0M92mCb1A_nLdD2vw4hJph3cPm5kxalwznDyB9okgZa4T1iUnYQ9LwB1QrxXaP2m1lynGm9Fp00X0aQqI0nLuViskI93iRkhcgQha0u64L4gHR0/s521/BATMAN%20144%20033.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="521" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHW2aEHU7a6ZYyt3FiQZREhlhMR00wqPxx8ty2XPutgjqQ4Ad-bNeuk9JPehrrm5Xi2uHG3hbZ-LqR0M92mCb1A_nLdD2vw4hJph3cPm5kxalwznDyB9okgZa4T1iUnYQ9LwB1QrxXaP2m1lynGm9Fp00X0aQqI0nLuViskI93iRkhcgQha0u64L4gHR0/s320/BATMAN%20144%20033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>Finally, Bat-Mite plans to make it appear that Bat-Girl has been abducted by gangsters, but real gangsters come along and kidnap her before Bat-Mite arrives! Robin shows up and he and Bat-Mite locate and free Bat-Girl. In the end, Robin admits that the other woman is the statue of justice outside City Hall. Batman and Bat-Woman return from D.C., Bat-Girl plants another smack on Robin's cheek, and Bat-Mite pops back to his dimension.</div><div><br /></div><div>My delight at seeing another story featuring Bat-Girl is slightly dampened by the appearance of the ever-annoying Bat-Mite, but that imp is less troublesome this time around, perhaps because he's trying to help Bat-Girl get through to the stone cold Boy Wonder. In the end, Robin confesses that Batman told him his own crime-fighting career precludes romance, and Robin has decided that he must also sacrifice the joys of young ladies in order to battle the Joker, etc. Eventually, he'll get over this concern and start playing the field heavily, but that's a few years off.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBwCNGYTGLIOSnIxDvpGIC-A7aByQFjYnFxjHr0r-7Ux36vhyphenhyphen7ISNRX7rbo-nGHIhnXFKSrNYXDNGstWZZa_LaaAsbdGnDrnzp-3Jnupkim5RWM3qlte9YyV7NIiLEk9_2N7KggUy-ZpYbUneg88IOV3N3a2Or77pTQgSZ8G24SlkcLs7nJqZY6lheZE/s589/BATMAN%20144%20029.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="589" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBwCNGYTGLIOSnIxDvpGIC-A7aByQFjYnFxjHr0r-7Ux36vhyphenhyphen7ISNRX7rbo-nGHIhnXFKSrNYXDNGstWZZa_LaaAsbdGnDrnzp-3Jnupkim5RWM3qlte9YyV7NIiLEk9_2N7KggUy-ZpYbUneg88IOV3N3a2Or77pTQgSZ8G24SlkcLs7nJqZY6lheZE/s320/BATMAN%20144%20029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Peter-</b>This issue elicited several chuckles and guffaws, so it succeeded in its mission. Robin exclaims "Golly, am I seeing things?!" when confronted by the sight of an alien, as if the kid hadn't encountered dozens of them in the last few months in Galactic Gotham City, battleground of the Solar System. Batman's transistorized bubble gum was a hoot but thank goodness he invented new technology that prevented rot from his Bat-saliva. As usual, a baddie (in this case, Joker) spends millions on props he'll never use again to accomplish a goal he could just as easily have reached in an abandoned barn.</div><div><br /></div><div>But my deepest laugh this time out was reserved for little Larry Fenstermaster of Stockton, CA, who wrote in to scold Bill Finger (?) for including a 1901 Lincoln Head Penny in a previous story. "Any good coin collector knows that Lincoln Pennies weren't minted until 1909!" Jack Schiff does what any responsible editor would do--he blames the fictional villain who created the coin! This issue sees the cover price of DC Comics skyrocketing 20% to the ungodly price of twelve cents. No wonder circulation declined!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJOpP7zavPRnwAR7GwTk46nXF2xmiyWnx14HnGCBmJCALwnaaPKUdFlGE8oFr5PMhpJoLdtsjXjtO-aEgULaMibMWaCuKnTtT3shT2vn6Duzwc4CZzli7x9PZ43IldgaoCnrCoPkD8jAida1kcCKXeq9sN_NroasXN0ouWwpSfY9syGmphtiMTqhsc_ll/s593/5403.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJOpP7zavPRnwAR7GwTk46nXF2xmiyWnx14HnGCBmJCALwnaaPKUdFlGE8oFr5PMhpJoLdtsjXjtO-aEgULaMibMWaCuKnTtT3shT2vn6Duzwc4CZzli7x9PZ43IldgaoCnrCoPkD8jAida1kcCKXeq9sN_NroasXN0ouWwpSfY9syGmphtiMTqhsc_ll/s320/5403.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #298</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Challenge of Clay-Face"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Impersonated J'Onn J'Onzz</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Secret Sentry of the Sea"</b></div><div><b>Story Uncredited</b></div><div><b>Art by Nick Cardy</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Batman and Robin arrive at the estate of a noted philanthropist to pick up a hefty donation to the Police Benefit Fund, but the gaiety is short lived when a man made of clay steps from the shadows and grabs the bag. Acting as one titanic fighting force, the Dynamic Duo go into action, attempting to corral this new foe. But "The Challenge of Clay-Face" is that he can become whatever his heart desires, and he displays that very quickly, changing from a giant snake to a buzz-saw to, finally, a huge eagle. He grasps the money bag in his talons and flies away, leaving mud on the faces of our heroes.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLIRIjRzmbaXIpSapxI7r2dgsf6yiXnT8MxaWIbZ1NeWaWLTNyl5Z76gTEv2emcV5Tzcg4ari7DqyHjlOhimaLMewbXuW83zYBZvy5BIBrOn5g11SqkSV1nhfgtvkli35gbCJ-B3EO05HqGcQ9MMByziBrwLLUGo4vyZXQcAdUwX6rG_A5ydFt3pzJHHF/s662/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.41.50%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="662" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLIRIjRzmbaXIpSapxI7r2dgsf6yiXnT8MxaWIbZ1NeWaWLTNyl5Z76gTEv2emcV5Tzcg4ari7DqyHjlOhimaLMewbXuW83zYBZvy5BIBrOn5g11SqkSV1nhfgtvkli35gbCJ-B3EO05HqGcQ9MMByziBrwLLUGo4vyZXQcAdUwX6rG_A5ydFt3pzJHHF/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.41.50%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>When he arrives back at his flat, Matt Hagen goes through his origin story in his brain, kindly orating the events out loud for the reading audience to hear. Seems Matt was a lazy skin-diver, hoping to find sunken treasure so that he would never have to work an honest day in his life, when he stumbled on a hidden grotto and accidentally plunged into a pool of chemicals. His entire body became liquid mud, enabling him to take on any shape his mind would imagine. A Clay-Face was born! But back to our story--</div><div><br /></div><div>Clay-Face's next heist occurs at an art gallery, where he yearns to become a part of high society by stealing priceless paintings. Batman and Robin arrive at the gallery just as Mudman is pocketing a Warhol but, through some advanced trickery (impersonating a Gallery guard!), the fiend escapes once again. With his powers dwindling, Hagen heads back to the pool and takes a dip in its rejuvenating fluids. He then swears to hire some henchmen so he never has to get his hands dirty fighting superheroes. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmz5-clGX_tEVZzJ6vpGckcglwEa7by2WTMcmbWrfx-WDvlTr2PKv_XNiLKou4qWLRuI169f-W5ZkUesD7X7n5uhOW5RxxcEGG4Qn140BnOZh4lIt-p6TEmE02AuQyygOYLXkugdbAOARCCQs_DYceY5mg45BJnPLLm9FOc2uQoEMLm7r_qm2ZAgXIboph/s722/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.44.33%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="722" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmz5-clGX_tEVZzJ6vpGckcglwEa7by2WTMcmbWrfx-WDvlTr2PKv_XNiLKou4qWLRuI169f-W5ZkUesD7X7n5uhOW5RxxcEGG4Qn140BnOZh4lIt-p6TEmE02AuQyygOYLXkugdbAOARCCQs_DYceY5mg45BJnPLLm9FOc2uQoEMLm7r_qm2ZAgXIboph/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.44.33%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The next day, with his new goon squad, Clay-Face rips off a Chinese museum, nabbing a very expensive jade statue but, at the same time, leaving a very valuable clue for the World's Greatest Detective, who arrives later that day. It seems that Clay-Face should have vetted his new employees a little more intensely, since the dopes have tracked rare mud into the museum on the bottom of their shoes. Batman takes those bits back to the Bat-Cave for analysis. Ah-hah! The glop leads our boys right to Henchman #1's abode. There, Batman and Robin follow the trio of dopes to the Natural History Museum, where a heist has been planned.</div><div><br /></div><div>A terrifying fistfight ensues, and Clay's goons hoof it, leaving their boss to fend for himself. Batman, seeing Clay has escaped, gives chase, leaving Robin on the museum's lawn, apparently unconscious. Clay-Face comes out of hiding (he was cleverly impersonating a tree) and races back to his place, unaware that Robin was playing possum and followed. Robin alerts Batman to his whereabouts and breaks into the house, confronting Clay, who transforms into a horned beast. He tries to run the Boy Wonder through, but his powers begin to fade again. Batman arrives just in time to put the cuffs on Hagen. Later, in his cell, Matt Hagen swears that Clay-Face will return!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieC7nSA0dlcTCQVl0J9rXG5TLSHqsmCE0KbrtEGXLhLI5XHPuXEMX5Bs_hClIISn2-uph2JTNbaNd7MBW8H31t40oPj4dE82E5535_l3OvPqwRaMrjvjdxyujdLMEnlQQU4M8jZO2VLu3tVPY5dSBCjgBlzzGXO2ThaSx7QY-gVtPnCGVoNN7OjGKvwrbs/s1476/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.44.52%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="1476" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieC7nSA0dlcTCQVl0J9rXG5TLSHqsmCE0KbrtEGXLhLI5XHPuXEMX5Bs_hClIISn2-uph2JTNbaNd7MBW8H31t40oPj4dE82E5535_l3OvPqwRaMrjvjdxyujdLMEnlQQU4M8jZO2VLu3tVPY5dSBCjgBlzzGXO2ThaSx7QY-gVtPnCGVoNN7OjGKvwrbs/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.44.52%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Way back when we were writing the <a href="http://marveluniversity.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Marvel University</a> blog (all three million words are still there for all to enjoy, by the way), we came up with a "Landmark Issue" designation (Captain America's Golden Age shield was the icon) to mark what we thought were important stops along the journey. If Jack and I still applied that icon, it would go on this issue, since Clay-Face is definitely a member of the Rogues Gallery and we're afforded an honest-to-goodness origin (brief though it may be) to boot. The character design is solid and one might say it resembles that of Ben Grimm, the new hero introduced a few months before over at the competition, but I think coincidence is all it is. The fact that our heroes had faced a similar villain named Clay-Face two decades before (<i>Detective Comics</i> #40, June 1940) must have slipped the minds of Bill Finger and the World's Greatest Detective himself. How do you forget a guy like that?</div><div><br /></div><div>From start to finish, this is one solid fantasy, without the usual traces of inanity. Sure, we have to swallow some strange science (I think the toxicity of the mixed chemicals Hagen falls into probably would have melted his skin down to the bone), but I can live with that. It's odd that, with the incredible power Hagen has, Clay-Face pulls such lightweight heists. He steals one painting, one jade figurine, even a hundred k's seems like chump change to a man who can alter his features and get out of just about any jam. While we're discussing the nuances of super-villain motives, what's this guy's end game? Will he steal just enough to retire to the country? Why does he need all this money? How do you buy a house when you're on the Gotham's Most Wanted List? Do your goons do the grocery shopping? If I were Bill Finger and grew tired of all the alien-visitor yarns, I'd pen a script about Clay-Face's trip to the car dealership.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6wxh2MGc6ZQ0jL9gFyBIxJLO7TMqIfe5D3amvljoymCY-zCqNckCWBEpLn5omFT0D3qfJPi0qT-9Es_JRyqmTWhwcxzwYtgBMfw8p51gNAUzC_UdPtS2PwXAJKCQyKV_d2tova_DvZmo5sMkWowCxbtUl9IIihHD9BcUYm5XHrJuhuSiItzODV5dENSH/s836/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.22.40%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="836" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6wxh2MGc6ZQ0jL9gFyBIxJLO7TMqIfe5D3amvljoymCY-zCqNckCWBEpLn5omFT0D3qfJPi0qT-9Es_JRyqmTWhwcxzwYtgBMfw8p51gNAUzC_UdPtS2PwXAJKCQyKV_d2tova_DvZmo5sMkWowCxbtUl9IIihHD9BcUYm5XHrJuhuSiItzODV5dENSH/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.22.40%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>After Barry Clark, "The Man Who Impersonated J'Onn J'Onzz," sprains his ankle before his big debut on stage, the real Martian Manhunter (swell guy that he is) agrees to appear in the man's place without the audience's knowledge. The act is a success and Barry's even offered a gig on TV, but the merriment is short-lived when hoodlums rob the box office. In a hilarious case of mistaken identity, the hoods run into J'Onn and think he's the impersonator! In the end, the Martian Manhunter is able to round up the guilty parties with the aid of his twin. Again, I laugh out loud as J'Onn scrambles to find some way to mask his powers while someone is staring down the barrel of a .44. "Never mind his death, I can't ruin Barry's career before it gets started. Let me think of what I can do...!" </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirUo0hrl2RHHNeSDhDpq3F9_lHKHcUoIul6VadhGiZZ2I5rttEIPN-YyArFekguZhMPlXfHjkXKyxQIHBka0lch7RIARXrMmvfH4uHem5fFCKKzeiVnZH4hK2FWHHINNjD98xZFGPxgO6_xTOYs9sqD6mjZL9L2uRb3dMhWn7EgN7IUqnUFOi7uwJTC2D/s1482/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.47.29%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1482" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirUo0hrl2RHHNeSDhDpq3F9_lHKHcUoIul6VadhGiZZ2I5rttEIPN-YyArFekguZhMPlXfHjkXKyxQIHBka0lch7RIARXrMmvfH4uHem5fFCKKzeiVnZH4hK2FWHHINNjD98xZFGPxgO6_xTOYs9sqD6mjZL9L2uRb3dMhWn7EgN7IUqnUFOi7uwJTC2D/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.47.29%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>The ambassadors to two warring countries are set to meet on a yacht in a secluded spot far off land to sign a historic peace treaty. With Aquaman and Aqualad providing security, all parties involved are confident they can quickly come to an agreement. But there appears to be a spy on board; how else to explain that the yacht comes under attack no matter where it goes? Thankfully, Aquaman solves the riddle (electronically-controlled swordfish beaming the location back to the stinkin' Commies, no doubt) and the treaty is signed. The world is a much safer place to live, thanks to the Aquasquad. Welcome back, Nick Cardy. Oh boy, did we miss you! The script for "The Secret Sentry of the Sea," brief as it is, is pretty good for a change, but I could have told Aquaman that that ever-present swordfish was the culprit almost from the first panel. This guy is definitely not the Atlantic's Greatest Detective.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Jack-</b>I love when we happen across an unexpectedly good issue like this one! I had the same thought about Clay-Face resembling the Thing, even down to the blue trunks. The story is excellent from start to finish and I'm thrilled to see a new super-villain. The Joker can only do so much! The Martian Manhunter story was better than usual, as was the Aquaman story, thanks in large part to the welcome return of Nick Cardy. Still, haven't we had other stories recently featuring duplicate Martian Manhunters and robot fish? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65Exh9oixSvvOzpRk5OUf40srwmsXcyppd9WXaFWMO8cjnT_yVDTIpn1_twNrJgJFaF5jtD2RPqBiw-dDb-YPnbQMXHQRJGNq3CuaPQyqeWqBv2XUQ0fJfgxmRPtVF1c5aFxGHZpcbFF-Gdw9Z9-v0dtBLwf2Mbh5-hEwuh6AsFA9GYLkRIobXif6fxE/s1609/BATMAN%20144%20023.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1609" data-original-width="1126" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65Exh9oixSvvOzpRk5OUf40srwmsXcyppd9WXaFWMO8cjnT_yVDTIpn1_twNrJgJFaF5jtD2RPqBiw-dDb-YPnbQMXHQRJGNq3CuaPQyqeWqBv2XUQ0fJfgxmRPtVF1c5aFxGHZpcbFF-Gdw9Z9-v0dtBLwf2Mbh5-hEwuh6AsFA9GYLkRIobXif6fxE/w280-h400/BATMAN%20144%20023.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitDwVMAataQKPz2I4U0WT9ts_Mz2YV-oLgYfE-IKBmDXVBl_3EAQZrcDW729y-LeaHOCIB5WTUXZ-MJNs_TFzSTLI9Joff_ZA552uWX5ZFv_h5weiXWpKb45sJijyPxfPQZf2SkbdR_bXX9vpslsqz8TgGbpZx6hvBYmzB8lKr1z2Of__bZmYThtsXXX4/s658/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.56.49%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="598" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitDwVMAataQKPz2I4U0WT9ts_Mz2YV-oLgYfE-IKBmDXVBl_3EAQZrcDW729y-LeaHOCIB5WTUXZ-MJNs_TFzSTLI9Joff_ZA552uWX5ZFv_h5weiXWpKb45sJijyPxfPQZf2SkbdR_bXX9vpslsqz8TgGbpZx6hvBYmzB8lKr1z2Of__bZmYThtsXXX4/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-26%20at%203.56.49%20PM.png" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />We're on Vacation!<br />But in Two Weeks...<br />Could this be the best<br />"End of the World" story <br />of the post-code Atlas era?</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-20942562894187490842023-12-14T03:00:00.000-08:002023-12-14T03:00:00.143-08:00The Hitchcock Project-Thomas Grant, Part One-I Can Take Care of Myself [5.31]by Jack Seabrook<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_c-eXmwhLYDkxBNUpelcKG80YR86Dwwyn5PIwLhXOaZtL_meCw_gsiAV2HJgxZb9IYPuO-word4Cpop1xh-kwU6eEjKnoGhv_9_JB97GoxsU7tiGdy1aDdvOyIV63L2NVktuWm91f8KfLcwUE0De0XJcS1C-_hp2B2il50yu04iMdbyAAaE8KVmTdnY/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h19m48s663.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="720" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_c-eXmwhLYDkxBNUpelcKG80YR86Dwwyn5PIwLhXOaZtL_meCw_gsiAV2HJgxZb9IYPuO-word4Cpop1xh-kwU6eEjKnoGhv_9_JB97GoxsU7tiGdy1aDdvOyIV63L2NVktuWm91f8KfLcwUE0De0XJcS1C-_hp2B2il50yu04iMdbyAAaE8KVmTdnY/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h19m48s663.png" width="320" /></a><div>As the short story, "I Can Take Care of Myself," opens, Bert Haber, a jazz pianist in Joey Palermo's bar, sits down at the piano one evening and begins to play. His singer, Georgia, doesn't show up for their ten o'clock set, so Bert tells Joey to call Andy and Alice to rush to the bar to fill in and perform for the impatient crowd. At Joey's request, Bert speaks to Detective Jack Burton from Manhattan East, who is sitting at a table.</div><div><br /></div><div>Burton shows Bert a shocking photo of Georgia, who is dead, and questions the musician about his movements in the last 24 hours. Bert explains that he took Georgia home at 4:01 a.m. and then went home himself and slept till 6 p.m., when he called her but got no answer. Bert insists that his relationship with Georgia was all business, despite her beauty and talent. Burton suggests that Georgia was murdered by a criminal known as Little Sammy, based on how she was killed. Bert explains that Sammy started coming to watch her sing a couple of weeks ago and was smitten, sending her drinks and flowers. She "'couldn't stand the crumb'" and, last night, when he grabbed her arm as she walked past his table, she "'took his drink and poured it down his shirt.'"</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjcW5I7ELOdKFZOr_AwU2ztTX6q6qJb5i9UCxtdIGmVNAc0c52SQYH-LkKYWeyJsA-juo9pODgGc9ucMp2ZoFV0tJ6xwIHH9jkws8dZa5F05FFZWHlIUoHQlpoYhoXlHAEE-JyDg5E3oQ3idZtq0-KIe1SpxhSXg-lN9KUW55bBZlV0GuzhEZW28UOps/s538/saturday_evening_post_19581108.jpg" style="clear: left; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="420" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjcW5I7ELOdKFZOr_AwU2ztTX6q6qJb5i9UCxtdIGmVNAc0c52SQYH-LkKYWeyJsA-juo9pODgGc9ucMp2ZoFV0tJ6xwIHH9jkws8dZa5F05FFZWHlIUoHQlpoYhoXlHAEE-JyDg5E3oQ3idZtq0-KIe1SpxhSXg-lN9KUW55bBZlV0GuzhEZW28UOps/w156-h200/saturday_evening_post_19581108.jpg" width="156" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"I Can Take Care of Myself"<br />was first published here</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Bert compounded Little Sammy's embarrassment by playing a song called "By a Waterfall"; Sammy, a man proud of his clothes, stormed out with his "'apes.'" Bert went to the bar and, while he had a drink, a man who looked "'like an insurance man'" began chatting with him. The man knew Bert's name and home address and suggested that it would be a good idea to buy some insurance. The man got up and left the bar, and Bert realized that his message was a warning from one of Sammy's associates.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bert later took Georgia home and suggested that he stay with her, or that she stay with him, or that she call the cops, but she sent him on his way, telling him, "'Don't you worry, baby, Mamma's a big girl.'" Burton offers Bert protection and says that he'll be a material witness. The detective suggests that Bert come with him and Bert follows him to a car. Burton tells Burt, "'get in back with my partner'" and Burt does; once the car is moving, Bert sees that the man next to him is the insurance man from the bar.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4C9SWKQgDNEdpnyn_fbmEcNSgQ8Fs6xErFvipLWOtfw8j5zRiJFDlKGHWkoKrEyRPaxjrz8NT0beI7MBYm-V2giKyogTJEU6xnThdoA-sVOxA6tZsLEUtj2P8vR4r49vZrY4lHZ2-rdkXp3KeoFK5-jT8kx88SMDOiMSshbIzMZCS2rOmneghXbmI-ew/s415/picture.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="415" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4C9SWKQgDNEdpnyn_fbmEcNSgQ8Fs6xErFvipLWOtfw8j5zRiJFDlKGHWkoKrEyRPaxjrz8NT0beI7MBYm-V2giKyogTJEU6xnThdoA-sVOxA6tZsLEUtj2P8vR4r49vZrY4lHZ2-rdkXp3KeoFK5-jT8kx88SMDOiMSshbIzMZCS2rOmneghXbmI-ew/s320/picture.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This illustration accompanies the story.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>"I Can Take Care of Myself" is a short, hardboiled story that takes place in a bar and ends in a car. There is no violence, just its aftermath and the suggestion of more to come. The ending is subtle and depends on the reader to realize that Bert has been deceived into getting into a car with a criminal who will surely kill him. Is Detective Burton a real policeman in league with Sammy, or is he a criminal masquerading as an officer of the law? It really doesn't matter since he succeeds in convincing Bert that it's safe to leave the bar with him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fred McMorrow (1925-2000), the story's author, served in WWI and was a writer, editor, humorist, poet, jazz pianist, columnist, and desk chief at several daily newspapers in New York City. He was friends with the writer Jimmy Breslin, who once said that McMorrow could write as well as anyone he ever met. The FictionMags Index lists 12 short stories published between 1958 and 1972, and the author also wrote two books of humor. This was the only time that one of his stories was adapted for film or TV.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyl1lLCE3c-96t74cenPxSSaz0YzJcRjrLPQ4ZkYpLIczvyzt7YUC03Cwl0Lsep8xA20UDveb3gQo7fsBMl0PkHYVJYnzwW96sCyQUml891iXlEGUtt17knwLT_i9jH0GTVagUQTgzrUpTKoMXLIVc-eQHwxUQCmh9tNRb3lmIqgHpGXZGuJGkWGKQtAk/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h03m06s219.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="720" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyl1lLCE3c-96t74cenPxSSaz0YzJcRjrLPQ4ZkYpLIczvyzt7YUC03Cwl0Lsep8xA20UDveb3gQo7fsBMl0PkHYVJYnzwW96sCyQUml891iXlEGUtt17knwLT_i9jH0GTVagUQTgzrUpTKoMXLIVc-eQHwxUQCmh9tNRb3lmIqgHpGXZGuJGkWGKQtAk/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h03m06s219.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Myron McCormick as Bert</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>"I Can Take Care of Myself" was broadcast on CBS on Sunday, May 15, 1960, near the end of season five. The teleplay is credited to Thomas Grant, who has no other credits than this and one other episode of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> and who seems to be a mystery man. The name may be a pseudonym for Henry Slesar, who wrote the teleplays for the next two episodes under the pseudonym Eli Jerome; I sent queries to the agent for the Slesar estate and to Francis M. Nevins and I will update this post if I find out more.</div><div><br /></div><div>The TV version does away with the story's method of presenting the events of the night before by way of Bert's relating them to Detective Burton. Instead, events are presented more or less chronologically, with the first scene featuring Georgia singing a number with Bert accompanying her. At the end, Little Dandy, as Little Sammy has been renamed, claps loudly, and has a drink sent to the performer, who pointedly ignores him as she walks to her dressing room. The insurance man, who appears midway through the story and again at the end, is visible at the bar right from the start of the show and is always in the background in the initial scenes.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tvMqqDYZty4k6tBbSHb8h5w4Xj6cLp3oT8wmIlBANZO_YhtXM4Zfkq5W-qNKMvaitWWzf30iuCrH6sYiaGsKor2R6qoAOzT4cxHZFfS4GJtJNj3YXbumK7MeKfHOT8t1PIy-C5cBKXA61EVSMn-xrpC61-IYUnqLemFhT4ELbjJw0oq72Yi842T0Msw/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-16h51m10s760.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="720" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tvMqqDYZty4k6tBbSHb8h5w4Xj6cLp3oT8wmIlBANZO_YhtXM4Zfkq5W-qNKMvaitWWzf30iuCrH6sYiaGsKor2R6qoAOzT4cxHZFfS4GJtJNj3YXbumK7MeKfHOT8t1PIy-C5cBKXA61EVSMn-xrpC61-IYUnqLemFhT4ELbjJw0oq72Yi842T0Msw/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-16h51m10s760.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Linda Lawson as Georgia</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Bert visits Georgia in her dressing room and their relationship is more father and daughter than potential romantic partners; Myron McCormick, as Bert, was eighteen years older than Linda Lawson, as Georgia. A big lug brings a bouquet of flowers from "'Mr. Dorf'" and Bert and Georgia are rude to him; she ends up giving the flowers to the cook and suggesting that he serve them to Little Dandy in a salad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back in the bar, Dandy grabs Georgia's hand as she passes his table and propositions her as Bert plays piano and looks on. Georgia pours a drink over Dandy's head and turns to go back to her dressing room. There is a brief melee as Bert rushes over and Dandy falls to the floor before he and his goons exit the bar. In the story, Bert does not physically intervene, but rather plays a humorous song to underline what happened; the result is the same. After they leave, Bert sits at the bar and talks to Joey, realizing that he is now on Dandy's list of enemies, before the insurance man joins him and they speak. The TV version leaves no doubt about the man's role; after suggesting that Bert should buy insurance, the man adds: "'Little Dandy recommends it'"</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFqlhwTlrYjbVWygFBOp-OaIR3YT-bLLwSQ8ztgqf6AZ384aLFEUCW8R2l7-d4hldtvjxEhQfnzkHQFCSar7DwA3mb76Nmav01bewuLPoAulvKV4YrZvhP3GbkE5HNAFKrImgfSU4tYdaGzkEjWrLVznolK05cisqMKZr-dIBr20Fuo0xlrVDqFnTuvg/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h01m23s148.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="720" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFqlhwTlrYjbVWygFBOp-OaIR3YT-bLLwSQ8ztgqf6AZ384aLFEUCW8R2l7-d4hldtvjxEhQfnzkHQFCSar7DwA3mb76Nmav01bewuLPoAulvKV4YrZvhP3GbkE5HNAFKrImgfSU4tYdaGzkEjWrLVznolK05cisqMKZr-dIBr20Fuo0xlrVDqFnTuvg/w200-h149/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h01m23s148.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Will Kuluva as Joey</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The second half of the show picks up where the short story begins, as Bert arrives at the bar and begins to play with no sign of Georgia. Director Alan Crosland, Jr., uses deep focus in this sequence, where Bert is in the front of the shot, closer to the camera, playing the piano, while the viewer's eye is drawn to events in the distance, in the right of the frame, as the detective enters the bar and sits at a table. Bert soon joins the detective, who has been renamed Jack Simpson. The dialogue follows that of the short story almost word for word.</div><div><br /></div><div>In an effort to make the show more interesting, Bert takes Simpson to Georgia's dressing room to continue their conversation in a more private setting. When Bert discusses his relationship with Georgia, her voice floats onto the soundtrack, singing, as if this is what he is hearing while he speaks. There are more interesting camera setups in this scene, with Bert sitting in front of a trio of mirrors and the mirrors displaying dual images of the detective, who is reflected across the room. The conversation is interrupted by the arrival of the replacement piano player and singer, causing Bert and Simpson to vacate the dressing room and return to the bar, where they continue their conversation.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SNes58Kjh6R82z0A-VzXFBrLiL2PnMDoDaZpyZIJOa57dzbsOkLYRUhxO_cIvXNbG_7Jb7S5hZoDWhjonIijLoT5TojCqW-yqL-HOyLBXAZx4U887X7TjDyOzQAEIiQ34Z9sERiaXMwLOpVOwwiilUrCndQbfI-H9tOab6gug0iGKcLuKjpK0oJrfag/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h09m15s653.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="720" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SNes58Kjh6R82z0A-VzXFBrLiL2PnMDoDaZpyZIJOa57dzbsOkLYRUhxO_cIvXNbG_7Jb7S5hZoDWhjonIijLoT5TojCqW-yqL-HOyLBXAZx4U887X7TjDyOzQAEIiQ34Z9sERiaXMwLOpVOwwiilUrCndQbfI-H9tOab6gug0iGKcLuKjpK0oJrfag/w200-h148/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h09m15s653.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Edmon Ryan as Simpson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>There is a bit of rehashing of what was depicted in earlier scenes, as the writer attempts to stretch a thin narrative to fill the time slot. The new pianist and Bert exchange looks as Bert follows Simpson out of the bar; the subtle message is that Bert and Georgia have already been replaced and will not be missed. Outside, Bert gets in back of the detective's car and the car starts to move. The man next to Bert in the back seat holds a newspaper in front of his face, so neither the piano player nor the viewer can see who it is at first. He is soon revealed to be the insurance man. The story ends subtly, with the man simply saying hello, but the TV show leaves no question in the viewer's mind about what is happening. Bert looks shocked when he sees who is riding next to him. The man pulls out a gun, points it at Bert and, instead of "'Hello,'" utters the show's final line: "'Little Dandy says hello.'" The screen fades to black and Bert's fate is sealed.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EBcNmJ_vV9mcvfQftKwupKW-X6pHo3Rv3d-k7Mz5-iLmY_QaXOfqVjFHnHioi4rBqBjMdi3-vkAXU99L3m3Iq7WeBRavYrU0u1BALVVdHkgQso4vYYXXNEUAMrx0My-VTAffRFb79fHuOCajyv4OVBlCx1WRazEOwaZ-9i2yiAtGSnJ9hq5O6PnQw2E/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-16h50m56s830.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="720" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EBcNmJ_vV9mcvfQftKwupKW-X6pHo3Rv3d-k7Mz5-iLmY_QaXOfqVjFHnHioi4rBqBjMdi3-vkAXU99L3m3Iq7WeBRavYrU0u1BALVVdHkgQso4vYYXXNEUAMrx0My-VTAffRFb79fHuOCajyv4OVBlCx1WRazEOwaZ-9i2yiAtGSnJ9hq5O6PnQw2E/w200-h149/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-16h50m56s830.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frankie Darro as Little Dandy</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>"I Can Take Care of Myself" is a straightforward adaptation of the short story that puts the events in chronological order and adds a couple of lines in the scenes with the insurance man to make his role clear. The director tries to create some interest in the rather thin plot with his shot choices, but in the end, there is not much suspense and the surprise ending is not very much of a surprise.</div><div><br /></div>Alan Crosland, Jr. (1918-2001), the director, started out as a film editor, working on features from 1944 to 1954 and on TV from 1955 to 1957, then began directing episodic television in 1956. He directed 16 half-hours and three hours of the Hitchcock series, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-hitchcock-project-bryce-walton-part_18.html" target="_blank">"The Woman Who Wanted to Live,"</a> as well as episodes of <i>The Twilight Zone</i> and <i>The Outer Limits</i>. Crosland directed a handful of movies, but his main focus was on TV, and he directed his last show in 1986. "I Can Take Care of Myself" was the first episode he directed for the Hitchcock show.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcG2hBKv20HWm669sHf6DzvDK60HVnd0Uf98LoCEfC9RYq6ssk9yEDkVeJRVzfcnPx37B56lwDn4NclpCw_b0e4wQQxT4ABSx11nUt0GiNNt36CbiUD3gUPvSyXmnBwUQhyphenhyphenK2J1v1WAp201SinkioTnTODT36Og-VVrwfDUuWsJhgcq58N-UtFlsnI7M/s720/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h03m15s534.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="720" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcG2hBKv20HWm669sHf6DzvDK60HVnd0Uf98LoCEfC9RYq6ssk9yEDkVeJRVzfcnPx37B56lwDn4NclpCw_b0e4wQQxT4ABSx11nUt0GiNNt36CbiUD3gUPvSyXmnBwUQhyphenhyphenK2J1v1WAp201SinkioTnTODT36Og-VVrwfDUuWsJhgcq58N-UtFlsnI7M/w200-h148/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h03m15s534.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pat Harrington, Jr., as<br />the insurance man</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Receiving top billing as Bert is Myron McCormick (1908-1962). He was on Broadway from 1932 to 1957 and had a supporting role in <i>South Pacific</i> from 1949 to 1954, winning a Tony Award in 1950. He was also on radio and he began appearing on film in 1936 and on TV in 1948. He returned to Broadway for a two-year run of <i>No Time for Sergeants</i> (1955-1957) and had a role in <i>The Hustler</i> (1961). He was in one other episode of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents, </i><a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-hitchcock-project-harold-swanton_27.html" target="_blank">"Museum Piece."</a><br /><br />Linda Lawson (1936-2022) is suitably sexy as Georgia; born Linda Gloria Spaziani, she was on screen from 1958 to 2005, mainly in television roles. She was in the film <i>Night Tide</i> (1961) and she was seen on the Hitchcock show three times, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-hitchcock-project-arthur-ross-part.html" target="_blank">"Three Wives Too Many."</a></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPW9tEZVZOTv2WEJZF7_ONiwqX9VOrevWdi9dZpVrg3xnvTjzvaE0LzB65AVDiVALCGncBkbRlFR2KuDJBbTXqmxUzb6hQcdRVl5QD18q1KBRLKAHVw_UmdRSEUOAZ9ILcGJMIz-GMvquxan8P3jFZm_ZGPSUb1YpYApPYqMHOCascyFt_gy4T6YsySI/s535/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h16m15s103.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="269" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPW9tEZVZOTv2WEJZF7_ONiwqX9VOrevWdi9dZpVrg3xnvTjzvaE0LzB65AVDiVALCGncBkbRlFR2KuDJBbTXqmxUzb6hQcdRVl5QD18q1KBRLKAHVw_UmdRSEUOAZ9ILcGJMIz-GMvquxan8P3jFZm_ZGPSUb1YpYApPYqMHOCascyFt_gy4T6YsySI/w101-h200/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-17h16m15s103.png" width="101" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Leonard Weinrib<br />as Amos</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Will Kuluva (1917-1990) plays Joey Palermo. He was on screen from 1949 to 1988. He appeared in one other episode of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents,</i> <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part_31.html" target="_blank">"The Money,"</a> and he was also on <i>The Twilight Zone </i>twice.<br /><br />Edmon Ryan (1905-1984) portrays Detective Simpson; he was born Edmon Ryan Mossbarger in Kentucky. His screen career spanned the years from 1936 to 1970 and he also had some roles on Broadway during that time. He was on the Hitchcock show four times, including a part in <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part.html" target="_blank">"Isabel,"</a> and he was seen in Hitchcock's spy thriller, <i>Topaz</i> (1969).<br /><br />Frankie Darro (1917-1976), who plays Little Dandy, was born Frank Johnson Jr. and was the son of circus aerialists. He started out as a child actor on film but only grew to 5'3" as an adult. He was on screen from 1924 to 1975 and had a voice role in <i>Pinocchio</i> (1940). He was also one of the actors to play Robby the Robot in <i>Forbidden Planet</i> (1956). This was one of his two episodes of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents; </i>the other was <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-hitchcock-project-william-fay-part_0754932076.html" target="_blank">"Ten O'Clock Tiger."</a> He also appeared on <i>Batman</i>. A website devoted to him is <a href="http://www.frankiedarro.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yGDAWFlteqWLXdtmr0XnF7o9dE0JrPgmn-JRPCkiCU4urUAfShuw8EsR4sPh553hCfimERXhSZBV3Z918X0_ajM6nPJLN0-FGgs9e8rinRiORurgMUtUX0TQFhobSUMjIINcXtwqjqDi5wrihSamnI1IrFkUPERjf5BB__ipw7Hv4jG3G-NBQ1tj5xo/s534/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-16h56m09s597.png" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="273" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yGDAWFlteqWLXdtmr0XnF7o9dE0JrPgmn-JRPCkiCU4urUAfShuw8EsR4sPh553hCfimERXhSZBV3Z918X0_ajM6nPJLN0-FGgs9e8rinRiORurgMUtUX0TQFhobSUMjIINcXtwqjqDi5wrihSamnI1IrFkUPERjf5BB__ipw7Hv4jG3G-NBQ1tj5xo/w102-h200/vlcsnap-2023-12-04-16h56m09s597.png" width="102" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">William Sharon</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Leonard Weinrib (1935-2006) as Amos, the replacement piano player; he started on TV in 1959 and was seen on <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> three times, including <a href="http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-hitchcock-project-henry-slesar-part.html" target="_blank">"The Last Remains."</a> He also had a long career as a voiceover artist, writing and starring as H.R. Pufnstuf in the Krofft TV series, as Scrappy Doo in <i>Scooby Doo,</i> and many others.<br /><br />The big lug who delivers unwanted flowers to Georgia's dressing room is played by William Sharon, who died in 1968. He played bit parts on TV from 1947 to 1963 and was also in two episodes of <i>The Alfred Hitchcock Hour</i>, including <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-hitchcock-project-cornell-woolrich.html" target="_blank">"The Black Curtain."</a><div><br /></div><div>Finally, Pat Harrington, Jr. (1929-2016) is effective as the insurance man in his only appearance on the Hitchcock TV show. He was on screen from 1948 to 2012 and had a recurring role on <i>The Danny Thomas Show</i> in 1959 and 1960. He appeared on <i>The Night Stalker</i>, did standup comedy and recorded comedy albums, and was a voice actor, but his most memorable role was as Schneider, the handyman, on the TV series <i>One Day at a Time,</i> from 1975 to 1984.</div><div><br /><div>Read "I Can Take Care of Myself" online <a href="https://archive.org/details/sim_saturday-evening-post_1958-11-08_231_19/page/n31/mode/2up" target="_blank">here</a>, watch it online <a href="https://archive.org/details/Alfred_Hitchcock_Presents/Alfred+Hitchcock+Presents+(Complete)/Season+5+-+(1960-61)/S05E31+-+I+Can+Take+Care+Of+Myself.avi" target="_blank">here</a>, or order the DVD <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alfred-Hitchcock-Presents-Season-5/dp/B005UL4NF2" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Read the GenreSnaps review <a href="https://genresnaps.com/alfred-hitchcock-presents-i-can-take-care-of-myself-05-15-60/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><i>The FICTIONMAGS Index</i>, www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/0start.htm.</p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: -48px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></div><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: -48px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: -1cm; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">Finkelstein, Katherine E. "Fred McMorrow, 74, an Editor."<span> </span></span><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">The New York Times</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2000, www.nytimes.com/2000/04/21/nyregion/fred-mcmorrow-74-an-editor.html.</span></p><div style="text-indent: -48px;"></div><p style="text-indent: -48px;"></p></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span></span></p><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-indent: -36pt;"><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><i style="text-indent: -1cm;">Galactic Central</i><span style="text-indent: -1cm;">, www.philsp.com/.</span></p></span></span></div><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span>Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. </span><i>The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion</i><span>. OTR Pub., 2001.</span></p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;">Hammill, Pete. "Jimmy Breslin." <i>New York,</i> 25 April 1988, p. 74.</p><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>IBDB</i>, www.ibdb.com.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span>"I Can Take Care of Myself." </span><i> Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i><span>, season 5, episode 31, CBS, 15 May 1960.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>IMDb</i>, www.imdb.com.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">McMorrow, Fred. "I Can Take Care of Myself." <i>The Saturday Evening Post</i>, 8 Nov. 1958. pp. 30, 98, 102.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i style="text-indent: -36pt;">Wikipedia</i><span style="text-indent: -36pt;">, www.wikipedia.org.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-indent: -36pt;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "Number Twenty-Two" <a href="https://aadl.org/ahp60">here</a>!<br /><br />In two weeks: Our series on Thomas Grant concludes with a look at "Hooked," starring Robert Horton and Anne Francis!</span></div></div></div></div>Jack Seabrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-44576199357327529532023-12-11T04:00:00.216-08:002023-12-11T04:00:00.169-08:00Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 101 Atlas/ Marvel Horror<p> </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s1600/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn10_KW8hiRTy8aEdl2amZ4VFDXLXKQ1YWDlpJR-4WrPU6pmh0im2OU4YZTuUNC1HBKKA82gzUKadsnShmAgvrG5crFFTVi5jQBLRZkz81z7ey6jj1OHqUYkMMJdrYKnGz1ynx8Kwdbis/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Marvel/Atlas </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horror Comics</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Part 86</b></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>September 1955 </b></span><b style="font-size: large;">Part 1</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>by Peter Enfantino</b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>and Jack Seabrook</b></span></div></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEn9AO4wcnF2v09zBPo4VGjxsbRTal1_ftvVjstqaaEGesSlcLU3yr6mXoLZ9Ky5LxZpchsAykfiDureAA3avxFFEvo0FmICruzCL0i2rNGSxIvai1smJqyodiGhH0jaKAj4Uw-ubQSuy0nW7MO7221TP1MVrzQCleatvsbcCEh-K4pJe3uwhL50T1BJa3/s595/155563.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEn9AO4wcnF2v09zBPo4VGjxsbRTal1_ftvVjstqaaEGesSlcLU3yr6mXoLZ9Ky5LxZpchsAykfiDureAA3avxFFEvo0FmICruzCL0i2rNGSxIvai1smJqyodiGhH0jaKAj4Uw-ubQSuy0nW7MO7221TP1MVrzQCleatvsbcCEh-K4pJe3uwhL50T1BJa3/s320/155563.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><b>Astonishing<i> </i>#41</b><div><b>Cover by Russ Heath</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Locked Room!" (a: Mort Drucker) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Inventors!" (a: Bill Benulis) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b></div><div><b>"Wings in the Night!" (a: Dick Ayers & Ernie Bache) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Rag Doll!" (a: John Tartaglione) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Living Proof" (a: Pete Tumlinson) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★★</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="white-space: normal;">While vacationing in India, millionaire Bennett Baker stumbles upon <span style="font-family: inherit;">a mystic meditating in a cave. The mystic insists his will pulled Baker to him, but the wealthy businessman (who dresses like he’s heading to the office while on vacay!) insists it was only by chance that they met. The swami explains that he wants to build a temple nearby and that the construction will set him back a half a million bucks. Would Bennett care to make a wager about the old man’s powers?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4P77l4fFtSFCVS1tIyOTl_5eesPoltij-kDYZa18AGGMnDXqw-bhOYdS-A02ePJolxEcN2D9fPwuq3H6u6xUgUGwWdCqBkLxMei-TL3fYUHp-314RQ9XoGMOGvv9HE7gxW-RhnXD1qK3Gr2qEUKaheyuNnCzomLejUcnqEyskSE9v9NXWb4qP9PwmCRyy/s600/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.39.30%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4P77l4fFtSFCVS1tIyOTl_5eesPoltij-kDYZa18AGGMnDXqw-bhOYdS-A02ePJolxEcN2D9fPwuq3H6u6xUgUGwWdCqBkLxMei-TL3fYUHp-314RQ9XoGMOGvv9HE7gxW-RhnXD1qK3Gr2qEUKaheyuNnCzomLejUcnqEyskSE9v9NXWb4qP9PwmCRyy/s320/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.39.30%20PM.png" width="318" /></a></div>Baker agrees to pay the dough if the old man can play a chess game "ten thousand miles away" behind a locked door in his mansion. The bargain is made and Bennett heads back to America, stuffing 500 thousand-dollar bills in a safe. Every day, he and his butler check on the board and find that, miraculously, the chess pieces are moving! Bennett calls in a troop of reporters to help him debunk the phenomenon, but none of the writers can find anything that points to a hoax. The old man wins the game, but Bennett refuses to pay. The reporters head to India to get the other side of the story and notify the swami that the millionaire refuses to pay, but the old man produces the money from a safe and begins counting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;">“The Locked Room!” (surely, one of the top ten overused Atlas titles) is a clever and well-illustrated fantasy that never wears out its welcome, courtesy of the ever-reliable scripter Paul S. Newman. Even though the rug was pulled out from under these writers, they’ve done a fairly good job of adjusting to a little-to-no-violence policy. I would have liked to have seen the missing panel of the wads of cash flying through the air to India.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;">"The Inventors!" has an all-too-familiar ring to it: in the future, robots are built to take care of man, but they’re built too smart and soon take over. The striking Benulis art is the saving grace here.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;">Vagrant Sloan loves to feed the birds, but he’s out of money. Overhearing the man bemoan his situation, the birds take it upon themselves to fly through the park and steal money from passersby. Sloan is arrested for training birds to pull heists, but the judge drops the charges when the winged creatures storm the courthouse. Believe me when I say that "Wings in the Night!" is just as dumb as it sounds and the Ayers/Bache work is hideous (Sloan, for some strange reason, has a little Hitler mustache--surely, the best way to drum up sympathy for your character).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2Fq_EbaYLWPMzetWF3Dcy02cdORnIt-JZ8Wasz2b2EW_3J5VDcTNtd1DiQeH4IaKwOBdKISO9AndsUJRbrjvUyphE5zCpiNn-WV-RXA2Lz3z02HxVwMKWDEDkUDrXr-0kdkCKr6P3HSaaAbzUReM4ZhmjNLPUySZeLKNOxbZMpnN66xGIVn2aJ5qMaay/s650/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.41.01%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="650" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2Fq_EbaYLWPMzetWF3Dcy02cdORnIt-JZ8Wasz2b2EW_3J5VDcTNtd1DiQeH4IaKwOBdKISO9AndsUJRbrjvUyphE5zCpiNn-WV-RXA2Lz3z02HxVwMKWDEDkUDrXr-0kdkCKr6P3HSaaAbzUReM4ZhmjNLPUySZeLKNOxbZMpnN66xGIVn2aJ5qMaay/s320/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.41.01%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Once they bring her brand-new sibling home from the hospital, it's like her parents have no time for Dorothy and the little girl retreats into her own fantasy world, where her favorite doll becomes her "baby." When Dorothy takes "The Rag Doll" out for a walk in the rain and develops pneumonia, her parents realize they've been neglecting their first-born and change their ways. Maudlin weepie with a child protagonist who deserves to have her little head twisted off. Thanks goodness Mom and Pop saw the error of their ways, or little Dorothy might have gone on a shooting spree in a few years' time. The John Tartaglione art <i>just </i>saves this one from a flush down the bowl.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: normal;">Reporter Walt Nichols has fallen in love with his editor's daughter, Pat, but the old man refuses to give his consent unless Nicholls can bring back a "headline story!" Walt heads out and stumbles onto a spaceship full of Martians, but when he relates his tale to his editor, the man scoffs. It doesn't help that, when Walt brings the chief out to the landing spot in the woods, there's no longer any proof of galactic visitation. Walt is tossed out of the old man's office but comes back a few weeks later to present his proof: the Martians have made Walt one of their own. Not only that, they've converted Pat to Martian as well! The two lovebirds marry and fly away to their new home on Mars. Deliriously dopey and guilty of meandering, "The Living Proof" might have been a good joke tale had it been cut by a couple of pages. As it is, it's overlong and repetitious. The Tumlinson art falls in the Ayers/Bache camp, barely digestible with hardly any verve.<b>-Peter</b></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8QsSjfaNM7dcyOh_RR5Gf29sIE26fzEP-vioUwCWsPoRPoaSF__yQRmyUC4vJdzbURACOeH0vjyNmx70i_jZFsgop82KogNNawYbQNhjgxTJ5ZzAZ8YHB6l93Ww3iMnOMHqW72fOJlqUtv4UICgYwtMrP7K5mkwND3TL0YC9-XGsiJnw8E6ew5rnOxkQ/s580/131351.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8QsSjfaNM7dcyOh_RR5Gf29sIE26fzEP-vioUwCWsPoRPoaSF__yQRmyUC4vJdzbURACOeH0vjyNmx70i_jZFsgop82KogNNawYbQNhjgxTJ5ZzAZ8YHB6l93Ww3iMnOMHqW72fOJlqUtv4UICgYwtMrP7K5mkwND3TL0YC9-XGsiJnw8E6ew5rnOxkQ/s320/131351.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><b>Journey Into Unknown Worlds #37</b><div><b>Cover by Sol Brodsky (?)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Man Who Didn't Exist!" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"Those Who Dream!" (a: Art Peddy) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Wreckers!" (a: Vic Carrabotta) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Ship That Wasn't There!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"Man Alone!" (a: John Forte) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Andy Purvis takes a rough tumble off a small mountain while searching for exotic bird eggs but, luckily, there's a flying saucer just below to break his fall. Hours (or days) later, Andy wakes up and walks into Dalesburg, but no one recognizes him, not even his best friends. It's like he's "The Man Who Didn't Exist!" What's the deal? Well, turns out that flying saucer brought Andy back to Venus, where there's a duplicate Dalesburg and Andy-buddies. How or why is never explained. Nor are we told how Andy survives without oxygen on Venus, nor why the Venusians thought him so important that they'd kidnap him and then disturb their own little town.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxSzvaaHo4_Z7ZcPGX4MVW8D7ViZ9Inrla4_eDba_V-GEF2yuzJTW5wHPeYhiOp7aFwVsBl4r7qNMjEXQMTuKZ5vQkh5S7YcxnafpNLYkGgXnBT7kXhAGCnrJ6hecvLjz9sl3PoucG95b1LMESzwJ7A2V1xUNfP5Oz9gPNwzgE_n08Bpt2KGNtxxmUBvD/s760/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.42.22%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="760" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxSzvaaHo4_Z7ZcPGX4MVW8D7ViZ9Inrla4_eDba_V-GEF2yuzJTW5wHPeYhiOp7aFwVsBl4r7qNMjEXQMTuKZ5vQkh5S7YcxnafpNLYkGgXnBT7kXhAGCnrJ6hecvLjz9sl3PoucG95b1LMESzwJ7A2V1xUNfP5Oz9gPNwzgE_n08Bpt2KGNtxxmUBvD/s320/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.42.22%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Professor Roger Brent believes that the future can be foretold by "Those Who Dream" and he's willing to stake his good name and career on said theory. Now, if he could just present a<i> personal</i> example of that theory, he'd have the Science Board eating out of his hands. The doorbell rings, and it's the postman with a special letter from the Board for Roger: "Nope, we ain't buyin' it. Now, if you had some <i>personal</i> experience..." Roger wakes from his nap to the doorbell ringing. It's the postman with a special letter...</div><div><br /></div><div>In "The Wreckers," a wrecking crew arrives at the old Merrywell place to start demolition but discovers a startling fact: this house does not want to be destroyed! The Carrabotta art is about the only highlight of this tired tale, one that leaves us with a very predictable "twist."</div><div><br /></div><div>No one at the Atlas Home for the Aged believes old man Ferris is really building an invisible spaceship, but then he up and vanishes one day, leaving behind a burned patch of ground and little else. "The Ship That Wasn't There!" has no plot (if this ship isn't all an illusion in Ferris's mind, how was he tipped off that he could build it with invisible tools and material?), nor does it provide pleasing visuals.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kq_aXTY0OVmVPHbXB91qeIbf3nQQik_AtaxCil_IKChTTep91SkV5ybGUaR16Dx_beTb6U0qKK6but3OlmmHW_cjlIgDJAE2v1xhAeOOLjQVjGTLqg3z5zhN5cXQdgEui3ZVpJgBOZehUOyJ0IAlp6suqm7Vf2Xw4bTgoi7RFGPIn3iHvxU683-5zcaW/s1362/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.43.10%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="1362" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kq_aXTY0OVmVPHbXB91qeIbf3nQQik_AtaxCil_IKChTTep91SkV5ybGUaR16Dx_beTb6U0qKK6but3OlmmHW_cjlIgDJAE2v1xhAeOOLjQVjGTLqg3z5zhN5cXQdgEui3ZVpJgBOZehUOyJ0IAlp6suqm7Vf2Xw4bTgoi7RFGPIn3iHvxU683-5zcaW/s320/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.43.10%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Newspaperman Fred Barrows is just sitting around one day, trying to think up an angle for a piece, when the thought of his old friend, Peter King, just pops into his head. Not knowing why, Fred hops in his car and heads for King's office. When he gets there, Fred is surprised to learn that King was expecting him. King explains that he sent a message to Fred telepathically and that the journalist must aid him, or the world will be destroyed. Peter has picked up brainwaves from a sinister force somewhere out in outer space, a being who's heading to Earth as they speak.</div><div><br /></div><div>King's plan is that he will pilot a spaceship and drop bombs all over Earth while Fred writes about the evil entity, in hopes this will join the people of our world as one. The plan works and the monster from space heads back to its planet without so much as setting foot on Earth. Fred sighs and looks out into space, wondering why his friend never returned. Easily the best story this month, "Man Alone!" is a cleverly-crafted little science fiction tale that makes the most of the rut the Atlas titles find themselves in. With no chance of featuring ghouls and demons, the distraught Atlas bullpen must utilize the only tools left to them: vanishing houses and spaceships. We never do see the creature from space, which gives me a small bit of hope that Peter King was actually a crazed telepath who will return to bomb the rest of the planet when the CCA lifts his constraints. The Forte splash almost looks like some creepy remnant of the pre-code era.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwtP1BPQHA_oIEDWYzccgxcyLYmURQkPT4N_ulfbbBc2ZFAEeMkoABPD7BkLRpktnjIp9gWV5lmxjr1bs6w9pHYwgUYolYFFmADfgJxS192HIhw2we2je_0Qy8NGJRXhjW8q_ZUNUmJ5oiJVqBBzakJkizK4OMFzF5KN4XQoDGuyluCRyekFpLoytLk5k/s600/23784.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwtP1BPQHA_oIEDWYzccgxcyLYmURQkPT4N_ulfbbBc2ZFAEeMkoABPD7BkLRpktnjIp9gWV5lmxjr1bs6w9pHYwgUYolYFFmADfgJxS192HIhw2we2je_0Qy8NGJRXhjW8q_ZUNUmJ5oiJVqBBzakJkizK4OMFzF5KN4XQoDGuyluCRyekFpLoytLk5k/s320/23784.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Journey Into Mystery #26</b><div><b>Cover by Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Wishing Well!" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Plane to Nowhere!" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>"The Machine!" (a: Ed Winiarski) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"Stormy Night!" (a: Bob Brown (?)) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>"The Man From Out There" (a: Pete Tumlinson) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Johnny and Bess Dana buy an old house and enjoy making plans to fix it up until they encounter "The Wishing Well" and ask for a million dollars. Bess receives a phone call telling her that she inherited that very amount, and suddenly all the fun has gone from their lives, since they no longer have any common goals to strive toward. They ask the well to cancel all of their wishes and walk back toward the house. On the way, they meet the man from the phone company, who tells them that he ran into some difficulty hooking up phone service and will have it finished by tomorrow. No longer millionaires, the Danas are happy again.</div><div><br /></div><div>The moral that money can't buy happiness is one that even I, in my brief association with Atlas comics, recognize as having been used more than once. Paul Reinman's art is serviceable, but the story doesn't contain any surprises. Still, I got a warm, fuzzy feeling reading it, so that's something, I guess.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCtnh2ROyZW00Wguj5hvg_W8tl2yOQ9UvvsThWM6Fu5-m0grF4QhEwAYA6CcW7pwlHSdBqqpFfdOPg2AfpC4BBqMT1zhyphenhyphenx6QQl81oWP8KdY7RTlDQZVGe65v1eckwaygh3wczLCWaTWTJK6Q6xVPPnk7qn83g7zViFWOTX5ouVedRD0S0p05KjRrKdfs/s915/journey_into_mystery_026_10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="915" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCtnh2ROyZW00Wguj5hvg_W8tl2yOQ9UvvsThWM6Fu5-m0grF4QhEwAYA6CcW7pwlHSdBqqpFfdOPg2AfpC4BBqMT1zhyphenhyphenx6QQl81oWP8KdY7RTlDQZVGe65v1eckwaygh3wczLCWaTWTJK6Q6xVPPnk7qn83g7zViFWOTX5ouVedRD0S0p05KjRrKdfs/s320/journey_into_mystery_026_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>After an argument with his wife, Ruth, Arthur Wilson heads for the airport and boards "The Plane to Nowhere!" He's all alone as the plane flies through a storm, and when it lands, he's back where he started and the ticket clerk tells him that no planes took off today. Arthur returns home to find himself and Ruth entertaining friends; when he insists that he's the real Arthur Wilson, he's attacked by Rags, the dog, and the police are called. Arthur holds off Rags by grabbing his collar, which snaps off in his hand.</div><div><br /></div><div>Arthur returns to the airport, takes another plane trip, and arrives home, where Ruth tells him it was all a dream. Yet why is Rags missing a collar and why is the torn collar in Arthur's pocket?</div><div><br /></div><div>Hoo boy, not the old bit about finding an object that proves a strange occurrence must have happened! Other than a decent, half-page splash, Mort Lawrence's art looks rushed, but not as rushed as the hackneyed plot.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6AawDDG88PW9DNVFB5L2IbjdQScuXGBQbMl8dvLEA8f5o-cXLO7UoYNC0PzJ2QrTHwTDbOkLM1ZNuQCBK5kjK8HfEnFK3rB66CCnwqwUQhFMX9uhvR79jHfEnRhwnieRpwwGOC9-_Y01lQLXqY_kes_7nrlMIv8KUvPbqa-YZY3jRFKsd5qgpxTqYjc/s975/journey_into_mystery_026_16.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="975" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6AawDDG88PW9DNVFB5L2IbjdQScuXGBQbMl8dvLEA8f5o-cXLO7UoYNC0PzJ2QrTHwTDbOkLM1ZNuQCBK5kjK8HfEnFK3rB66CCnwqwUQhFMX9uhvR79jHfEnRhwnieRpwwGOC9-_Y01lQLXqY_kes_7nrlMIv8KUvPbqa-YZY3jRFKsd5qgpxTqYjc/s320/journey_into_mystery_026_16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Scientists work together to create "The Machine," a big red computer with a humanoid face that can solve any problem. At first, it solves problems that have stumped mankind for centuries, then it begins to respond that the questions being fed into it are too easy. Finally, it shows signs of movement and soon disappears, leaving a message that it solved the problem of space travel and is headed for a planet where people are smarter!</div><div><br /></div><div>The art is standard Winiarski, but for a four-page quickie, this story made me smile. I like how the machine quickly outthinks its creators and soon figures out a way to escape the stupidity of those around it.</div><div><br /></div><div>A man barely makes the drive from Barton to a hospital in town on a terribly "Stormy Night!" He needs to take serum back to Barton to treat victims of a pandemic, but he's too worn out to make the perilous journey, so an ambulance driver volunteers to go and is handed a St. Christopher medal by a nurse. Incredibly, he completes the return trip, only to learn that a bridge he crossed was washed out hours before. The patron saint of travelers must have given him some extra help!</div><div><br /></div><div>I have nothing against religious themes in comics, but this story is weak. The sole mysterious element pops up in the last three panels of the final page, and it has to do with a bridge that was washed out. The only problem is that there was no panel where the truck crossed a bridge, so we are left to imagine the unusual event for ourselves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEngA12Tikogudhu8SuP-LWHaq29MRSQT4zBU5byLIgbjnZgFxs01P2gTegBdbAcuSnirJrguwRfgPg5gbL_PlAyZAmBQqbzW4zFwFLR9e3tFqn7QtyvTFtXfsMUOCG9Q3ycuM1U08HZqOXVwaOisLs0gN_52YFonbfgUmXxYebtPBoMl7dBkUXhyKlw0/s449/journey_into_mystery_026_32.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="449" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEngA12Tikogudhu8SuP-LWHaq29MRSQT4zBU5byLIgbjnZgFxs01P2gTegBdbAcuSnirJrguwRfgPg5gbL_PlAyZAmBQqbzW4zFwFLR9e3tFqn7QtyvTFtXfsMUOCG9Q3ycuM1U08HZqOXVwaOisLs0gN_52YFonbfgUmXxYebtPBoMl7dBkUXhyKlw0/s320/journey_into_mystery_026_32.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>During a visit to the zoo, Prof. Grant Garson observes animals writing on the ground and realizes that they are doing simple mathematical equations. When he joins in, an animal emerges from a cage and transforms into humanoid form. "The Man from Out There" tells the prof that he is a visitor from another planet, here to determine the most peaceful and organized species, so that he can share advanced discoveries. After seeing various examples of mankind's inability to get along, he spies an ant hill and tells Garson that his people will return as ants to share their knowledge with the most intelligent and socially-organized society on Earth!</div><div><br /></div><div>No big surprises once again, but it's interesting to note that Atlas writers (this time, an uncredited Paul S. Newman) can simultaneously be harshly critical of Soviet and Chinese Communists while also chiding Americans for their inability to achieve peace.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4U1acDamkAloiDTXXtMHS4EIS0rI2W_6WD0wP5I7qAYva4xnwW29FGPq7GpmgY3c64zD6v9TFg7cTzwnTVODDwA98h9DdBfxF6GK8gsE5RmP8QH_8DEI4Pa2h9t0JABr4S7eaigqRdZbp5SuHpcmrEdNW9UzvH6sFXlSkHRzfjarKdhJSLg6jaZalVsc/s582/25594.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4U1acDamkAloiDTXXtMHS4EIS0rI2W_6WD0wP5I7qAYva4xnwW29FGPq7GpmgY3c64zD6v9TFg7cTzwnTVODDwA98h9DdBfxF6GK8gsE5RmP8QH_8DEI4Pa2h9t0JABr4S7eaigqRdZbp5SuHpcmrEdNW9UzvH6sFXlSkHRzfjarKdhJSLg6jaZalVsc/s320/25594.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><b>Marvel Tales<i> </i>#138</b></div><div><b>Cover by Joe Maneely & Carl Burgos</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Tomorrow!" (a: Mort Lawrence) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>(r:<i> Crypt of Shadows </i>#9)</b></div><div><b>"Last Seen Climbing a Ladder!" (a: Vic Carrabotta) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>(r: <i>Uncanny Tales</i> #2)</b></div><div><b>"The Little Men!" (a: Paul Reinman) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★1/2</span></b></div><div><b>(r: <i>Weird Wonder Tales</i> #2)</b></div><div><b>"When Warren Woke Up!" (a: Gene Fawcette) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>(r: <i>Beware </i>#7)</b></div><div><b>"Crack-Up!" (a: Doug Wildey) </b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span class="s1" style="font-family: "PingFang SC"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">★</span></b></div><div><b>(r: <i>Weird Wonder Tales</i> #2)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Having just been fired from his job, Harry Dunston is quickly hired by a man who calls himself the Protector to view accidents occurring "Tomorrow" through a pair of futurity glasses and report back on them. Harry notes various mishaps but purposely leaves out one: he sees the man who fired him drowning below a bridge. Aware of his deceit, the Protector fires Harry, who did not realize that his boss was in the water to save Harry, who was knocked into the river by an out-of-control truck. He is rescued and vows to be a changed man.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtZ_lwM0zgHIwFcRRr5z2Db1iFe0RrCgUC9Hvo7vG0IKqdilnCjFbLnxZWHqQUhNzSHO4kIMn6jFHk8mGUdemwt26DTkj2f1zU85Q76PS43mCQHtbSob53Igx-iNNOYWDSZYxKdnY2083JK_-7jS7AMRNXApnzN_yeGydmXt69rJS5xiYSnf1-iIlht8/s505/marvel_tales_138_07.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="472" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtZ_lwM0zgHIwFcRRr5z2Db1iFe0RrCgUC9Hvo7vG0IKqdilnCjFbLnxZWHqQUhNzSHO4kIMn6jFHk8mGUdemwt26DTkj2f1zU85Q76PS43mCQHtbSob53Igx-iNNOYWDSZYxKdnY2083JK_-7jS7AMRNXApnzN_yeGydmXt69rJS5xiYSnf1-iIlht8/w187-h200/marvel_tales_138_07.jpg" width="187" /></a></div><div>Some particularly sloppy art by Mort Lawrence hurts this story, which has an intriguing premise. I had a feeling that the uncredited author would flub the ending, and, unfortunately I was right. Still, the idea of a company hiring people to look through special glasses and note down future accidents so that they can be prevented is promising and gives me some hope that Atlas stories might improve.</div><div><br /></div><div>An asteroid approaches Earth but stops outside the reach of any plane. Everyone laughs at Daniel Farley when he builds a really long ladder, dons a spacesuit, and climbs toward the asteroid. He was "Last Seen Climbing a Ladder!" and eventually sends a message that he reached his destination and found an advanced civilization! He encourages Earthlings to climb up and meet them, but everyone scoffs, so the ladder is pulled up to the asteroid and no one ever sees or hears from him again.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAAn1w55t8WEGhk1QzXNpaji9Bp0xZgdHx6zBk5btzIipzKqd19Ic28d5dQyhKO_KVMEfBN7hrcab91LhXATj5RhIhW7HBZNuDhG4S38SYlJiUF3JP2C0WviT3ZWwdLOY-2Arl5m7MvJbE3KqFwq7VzA5YIQf9wQOG4Rs06cORNnhML5VtW6djo1pCpg/s952/marvel_tales_138_08.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="952" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAAn1w55t8WEGhk1QzXNpaji9Bp0xZgdHx6zBk5btzIipzKqd19Ic28d5dQyhKO_KVMEfBN7hrcab91LhXATj5RhIhW7HBZNuDhG4S38SYlJiUF3JP2C0WviT3ZWwdLOY-2Arl5m7MvJbE3KqFwq7VzA5YIQf9wQOG4Rs06cORNnhML5VtW6djo1pCpg/w200-h178/marvel_tales_138_08.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>The idea of building a ladder to climb up to an asteroid in outer space seems ludicrous, but the writer succeeds in selling it, due in part to decent art by Carrabotta. As usual, the ending is a bit of a letdown, since a caption reports that no one was able to reach the asteroid to apologize. We are left to infer that the fact that the ladder was pulled up to the asteroid was proof enough that Farley was telling the truth.</div><div><br /></div><div>Frank Ferris runs a small circus that includes among its exhibits very small people and very large people. After he reads an article in the newspaper about an epidemic of births of "midget children," his wife tells him to fire all of his small employees, since they'll no longer be a draw. He refuses and she berates him for being soft-hearted, so he goes out for a walk, and ends up going for a drive in the country with Cluny the giant, another circus employee.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzW82Yyi6uy11DFeH49qyIWW40U4c7e8ZCtzhW8JHKOtQmGBeSCZ2iVMelVnmpQJ7iOlT5YuxaCs3JcHieEqf619PfSxU2E2JMw8Zs0-AA0LrVEPnMl84uK7HdV8eyJSGXUnetpL_PT4m_xK4cNhhPA6Hx0agyXg8iq0DUF_ssU-csSoGgOehwZoIta4o/s491/marvel_tales_138_15.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="491" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzW82Yyi6uy11DFeH49qyIWW40U4c7e8ZCtzhW8JHKOtQmGBeSCZ2iVMelVnmpQJ7iOlT5YuxaCs3JcHieEqf619PfSxU2E2JMw8Zs0-AA0LrVEPnMl84uK7HdV8eyJSGXUnetpL_PT4m_xK4cNhhPA6Hx0agyXg8iq0DUF_ssU-csSoGgOehwZoIta4o/s320/marvel_tales_138_15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>By a lake, Frank gets out to stroll around while Cluny naps in the back seat. Frank encounters a spaceship, and from it emerge a number of "The Little Men," dressed like jockeys, who explain that their planet of little people has become overcrowded. They plan to colonize Earth and have been spraying a chemical on the crops to ensure that all new children are born small. Once everyone on Earth is wee, the extra-terrestrials will come and populate our planet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not wanting Frank to spill their plans, they grab him and head for their spaceship, but he stops them by telling them that their spray isn't working--most people who have eaten the altered crops have become giants! To prove it, he leads them back to his car and awakens Cluny, whose large stature scares the aliens into zipping off back to their planet right away. Emboldened by his success at saving Earth, Frank returns home and stands up to his wife.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnWnH7u26engNpYzEtWMesQPHSxjvGHpL44m0fIDFROb0lyBxN_KYc9RI5uf6pqB6CEY-YO6PnSxxL1lf9oUY8JTSznXfekFBPlPSILaJLC752fa4TsirSfSRgpZ_0Qd0udxg5fh9CeGt03SCmGUh4SybHEyMB_ZJ5yQO9zUHsVwaT1zhM2ytDUtc0Ww/s510/marvel_tales_138_23.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="510" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnWnH7u26engNpYzEtWMesQPHSxjvGHpL44m0fIDFROb0lyBxN_KYc9RI5uf6pqB6CEY-YO6PnSxxL1lf9oUY8JTSznXfekFBPlPSILaJLC752fa4TsirSfSRgpZ_0Qd0udxg5fh9CeGt03SCmGUh4SybHEyMB_ZJ5yQO9zUHsVwaT1zhM2ytDUtc0Ww/w200-h191/marvel_tales_138_23.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>What a creative, clever story! The uncredited author had to work pretty hard to get to the payoff, but it was worth it, and for once, an Atlas story ends with a satisfying turn of events. It's too bad Reinman's art isn't better; the story is a good one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scientist Matt Warren is tired after participating in the most powerful atomic bomb test in history. He goes to sleep and dreams that nature fights back against man's advances by engaging in a wild period of plant growth. Humans respond by agreeing to cooperate and stop fighting each other. "When Warren Woke Up!" he looked out the window and saw that all of the vegetation outside has gone wild!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRHyK4Lo5Y-F0LztWMonbj_01VK6IcbDtDOocUAY6xKudK2RNlMLWmY0pt59dT7GQlwWrP_k_cLqWzkNhpHpfNY43IV40QtmUIU4GqugdYyYTrNXwrbpF0WZ4hP1xjFXEMRBRZgKk3q9EMoavodn-gaPmE3bWVBNnUSsJM-GF_G_NA7UHaaZiOs_mo9E/s462/marvel_tales_138_29.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRHyK4Lo5Y-F0LztWMonbj_01VK6IcbDtDOocUAY6xKudK2RNlMLWmY0pt59dT7GQlwWrP_k_cLqWzkNhpHpfNY43IV40QtmUIU4GqugdYyYTrNXwrbpF0WZ4hP1xjFXEMRBRZgKk3q9EMoavodn-gaPmE3bWVBNnUSsJM-GF_G_NA7UHaaZiOs_mo9E/s320/marvel_tales_138_29.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>Gene Fawcette had been around comics since the early days, and this is one of his very few jobs for Marvel. That's a good thing, because story and art are both of low quality.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jayson grows up gazing at the stars and hoping to fly one day. He does well in school and soon attends the rocket academy, but his lack of emotional stability under pressure leads to a suggestion that he join the research department. He insists on flying, so he is put in a rocket for his first solo flight into space. Near the moon, he experiences a "Crack-Up!" and has to land; he passes out and awakens on a table at the academy, where it's revealed that the whole flight was a simulation, using a planetarium from the 20th century. Jayson shyly asks his teacher if the research job is still open.</div><div><br /></div><div>A strong issue of <i>Marvel Tales</i> ends with a decent story that features some art by Doug Wildey that reminds me of Flash Gordon in spots. I wonder if he was swiping from old newspaper strips?<b>-Jack</b></div><div><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ts9MB1hTAYWLrjtM9_zBbYj3VCKLnX98bXOuuUBm91d4nvbLa_AvwBm9yFyJns6W1OWBOcicbXmoleg2b6zxEtbDtuaqAJ2D67ZAMrF4D2OCxpcJDqMHv7aMD6WxGXehSt1u-ldN9MddGruBqgPZ1-WI_JGbcVJ7UCBoysIY1gOzRBLAelRuYQBuO3p2/s660/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.53.39%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="660" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ts9MB1hTAYWLrjtM9_zBbYj3VCKLnX98bXOuuUBm91d4nvbLa_AvwBm9yFyJns6W1OWBOcicbXmoleg2b6zxEtbDtuaqAJ2D67ZAMrF4D2OCxpcJDqMHv7aMD6WxGXehSt1u-ldN9MddGruBqgPZ1-WI_JGbcVJ7UCBoysIY1gOzRBLAelRuYQBuO3p2/w400-h338/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%201.53.39%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Our First Gander at the<br />Silver Age Clay-Face!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-81277225636503889262023-12-04T04:00:00.085-08:002023-12-04T04:00:00.144-08:00Batman in the 1960s Issue 11: September/October 1961<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/s350/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="350" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6u4qXc5ygK5tpL-G1Jdzvo0aPj364IsyqLuH2wxfwWtSM_ae765z1yCjyf1-CiDQLgjS_lBX5pNcHToigYqvCjNxJmqOveuCuguAAehfkhypXcUk2K7ZAyfNnHg3F2WccNnlafUULmrAdFeRTKsiAzWfwF_6okb4m_JWROiDXD2DCsDmu9LcfO_0fQ/w400-h154/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-07%20at%202.13.20%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Caped Crusader in the 1960s<br />by Jack Seabrook<br />& Peter Enfantino</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VMKuheo79EJ7MpcSIqFY_aEAYC5i3h7aNbJ0eKgjUWJhbDxY7hoQKcFbCGqainiRQfCIiiBQ8Icf9erLgmwfQo4j2WDIn6PEUv7_zsbDSdDr2XjX2BVv57pQYIoGEeLeP-o1FFhUQYxc_sdh7DD3bub9a1wPeOLL4ZWRG9mvgwUOSQe87efYTHeqq26z/s590/2604.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VMKuheo79EJ7MpcSIqFY_aEAYC5i3h7aNbJ0eKgjUWJhbDxY7hoQKcFbCGqainiRQfCIiiBQ8Icf9erLgmwfQo4j2WDIn6PEUv7_zsbDSdDr2XjX2BVv57pQYIoGEeLeP-o1FFhUQYxc_sdh7DD3bub9a1wPeOLL4ZWRG9mvgwUOSQe87efYTHeqq26z/s320/2604.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #142</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Batman's Robot-Guardian"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Crimes of the Ancient Mariner"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Ruler of the Bewitched Valley"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Batman's friend from outer space, Tal-Dar (last seen in <a href="https://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2023/09/batman-in-1960s-issue-4-julyaugust-1960.html" target="_blank"><i>Detective</i> 282</a>), sends him a gift: a robot programmed to save his life whenever he's in danger. Realizing that this might put a crimp in his crime-fighting, Batman orders the robot to go home, but when the Dynamic Duo confront crooks stealing a shipment of gold at the Gotham Airport and one bad guy takes a shot at the not-so-Dark Knight, "Batman's Robot-Guardian" swoops in from above and blocks the bullet from reaching its target.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Lq0UcUTl2nJjZzfhd9QtZDPGSpNOrp2o87Ks3YC8LcX9wdxURPnZO0Va14g97RTrIDlh4PSoCPYNi326yfOtFLxw36iFRYrs3W1PcUbFHcnJW4NcEmlQ7VxRu9JEZc3pXrHEwHvamsJKiEnMqYnqFJc5zQOmM3DOQpyJTVYit9NhKXdJPxXWu_pISwc/s562/Batman142-0010.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="562" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Lq0UcUTl2nJjZzfhd9QtZDPGSpNOrp2o87Ks3YC8LcX9wdxURPnZO0Va14g97RTrIDlh4PSoCPYNi326yfOtFLxw36iFRYrs3W1PcUbFHcnJW4NcEmlQ7VxRu9JEZc3pXrHEwHvamsJKiEnMqYnqFJc5zQOmM3DOQpyJTVYit9NhKXdJPxXWu_pISwc/s320/Batman142-0010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The next day, the robot gets in Batman's way when he and Robin are battling crooks who are trying to steal the company payroll from a steel mill. Even worse is the following morning, when the robot won't even let Batman try to stop a group of thieves from stealing a shipment of art from a warehouse because it might put his life in danger. Back at the Batcave, Batman wonders out loud if this "will eventually mean the end of our crime-fighting careers!" The following night, Batman finds a box of explosives hidden in a shed by the TNT Gang, but when the robot tries to grab the box, it explodes, and Batman appears to be dead. The robot short-circuits and falls over, only to have the real Batman emerge from the shed. He used the Batman-Robot to trick Tal-Dar's robot, thinking it would return to its home planet; instead, when it was no longer needed, it malfunctioned and no longer poses a threat.</div><div><br /></div><div>This story presents an interesting problem, in that it demonstrates that Batman has to take risks in order to be effective in fighting crime. Having a robot nanny, which eventually would not let him cross the street for fear of being hit by a speeding car, prevents the Caped Crusader from doing the job he loves. It's good to see Tal-Dar return, since a lack of continuing characters can make these early '60s stories seem like they're not part of an ongoing narrative. The story has its silly aspects, but there's a hint of danger and thoughtfulness beneath them.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRIXeCgj6BzOAgZb7P5IHpBLvDt01KAAOEJ5Y37TA3CjEVev-QnyZbv4IaDBpeim6YHSah3OWMIKFTujNWVAtJSYJRn2KGjXVEkrBGlk_HN046rVrm3frzgWguTs2L9nqEoKF7fhcbjQszATamjsJlZmECzEgG6RO5IdTNL_aD1REW5C-2KbwjnAC2LU/s611/Batman142-0018.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="611" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRIXeCgj6BzOAgZb7P5IHpBLvDt01KAAOEJ5Y37TA3CjEVev-QnyZbv4IaDBpeim6YHSah3OWMIKFTujNWVAtJSYJRn2KGjXVEkrBGlk_HN046rVrm3frzgWguTs2L9nqEoKF7fhcbjQszATamjsJlZmECzEgG6RO5IdTNL_aD1REW5C-2KbwjnAC2LU/s320/Batman142-0018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Old Mr. Stubbs has been pensioned off by Dutton Shipyards and hangs around the waterfront, bitter that he's lost his job. Tom Travis, who runs the boarding house where Stubbs lives, gives him a pet albatross named Davy Jones and tells Batman that Stubbs is known as the Ancient Mariner. The next evening, a wave of events that will come to be known as "The Crimes of the Ancient Mariner" get underway, as Batman witnesses Stubbs running off with the shipyard payroll.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day, Stubbs sets sail on a stolen model of an ancient Phoenician War Galley, from which the Ancient Mariner launches a giant spear with an explosive attached that damages a nearby freighter. Later that night, the Dynamic Duo locate Stubbs in his hideout and neutralize his pet albatross with a bagful of fish. Batman pulls off Stubbs's mask to reveal Tom Travis, who was impersonating the old man and committing crimes; Stubbs was tied up in a back room the whole time. Batman sets him free and leaves a smile on the old seaman's face when he tells him that he's the new ferry captain.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIpr9W_aNGg3g479lyGuDipBmWS6sJ8rAB_B0CsjPW_314xT6g1Kr4x5UEGvFUhEtfoBbm1nA151F_KV8SuydBFDYLN6X8cA8EMfzQ4rJ0e6fTAS7qzmam9oZnrvaw_qf8c2ZqGnyf9KPWPqy0L077hIm8W95-MkL6R08UiIQy_ZG8hd3PS1e8D8rsPM/s1198/Batman142-0031.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="1198" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIpr9W_aNGg3g479lyGuDipBmWS6sJ8rAB_B0CsjPW_314xT6g1Kr4x5UEGvFUhEtfoBbm1nA151F_KV8SuydBFDYLN6X8cA8EMfzQ4rJ0e6fTAS7qzmam9oZnrvaw_qf8c2ZqGnyf9KPWPqy0L077hIm8W95-MkL6R08UiIQy_ZG8hd3PS1e8D8rsPM/w320-h146/Batman142-0031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>A terrible story with below-average art from Moldoff, this one smells like rotting fish. The ending, where Batman pulls the mask off of Travis, is the sort of twist that elicits groans and thoughts of Scooby-Doo.</div><div><br /></div><div>Batman and Robin fly the Bat-Plane to Central America, landing near a Mayan temple in a remote valley. They are there to search for Detective Regan, who disappeared a month ago while trailing a wanted criminal. Suddenly, Tezcatlipoca, god of the Mayans, appears atop the temple, warning Bat-Hombre (as a local farmer calls him) and Robin to get lost. A giant jaguar leaps out of the tall grass and is only repelled by a powerful blast of exhaust from the Bat-Plane. When Batman and Robin approach the temple, a huge, flying serpent emerges, and they have to retreat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next morning, Batman and Robin sneak into the temple and discover that the jaguar and the serpent are really robots. It seems that the phony Mayan god is using the temple as a hideout for wanted crooks, several of whom tie Batman, Robin, and Detective Regan to posts atop the temple. Tezcatlipoca announces to the peasants gathered below that the trio will be sacrificed, but when the jaguar and the serpent emerge, they blow a gasket. Batman frees himself and the others and quickly mops up the criminals and the phony god. He later explains that he short-circuited the wires on the robots before he was captured, and a friendly peasant thanks him for ending the reign of terror.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0qKTGQCMACR3hV-nVZsYzmBbqznr00fx72HiGd3_ROmHTnL1R687u7z6EneEccJwyJe73zqeER5GzeoW0gjEXLTO_2cldnZn4L5fRCF11rsIXczMP2YVHemGjCEkI7cs2Blu4KBqjgdDB6pfgGdk8bkf8JwvFej6xYYPn0D214VRnFUzH3E8XD8K2uh1/s746/Screenshot%202023-11-05%20at%2010.49.26%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0qKTGQCMACR3hV-nVZsYzmBbqznr00fx72HiGd3_ROmHTnL1R687u7z6EneEccJwyJe73zqeER5GzeoW0gjEXLTO_2cldnZn4L5fRCF11rsIXczMP2YVHemGjCEkI7cs2Blu4KBqjgdDB6pfgGdk8bkf8JwvFej6xYYPn0D214VRnFUzH3E8XD8K2uh1/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-05%20at%2010.49.26%20AM.png" width="263" /></a></div>It's always nice to see Batman and Robin in a new setting, and I liked that the local farmer referred to him as Bat-Hombre. The ability of crooks to build giant robots that look just like the real thing never ceases to amaze me.<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Peter-</b>Neither "Robot-Guardian" nor "Ancient Mariner" are anything above silly fluff. I love how Bats immediately figures out what the robot is up to when it issues a few beeps and snorts. "<i>Something I said caused the robot's electronic 'memory' to record some new information.</i>" Just once, I'd like for the Boy Blunder to look over his shoulder and tell the boss he's full of crap.</div><div><br /></div><div>I liked "Ruler of the Bewitched Valley" much more (even if it climaxes with the obligatory "the monsters were just robots that were probably more expensive than the booty the villain had hoped to gain."). Renting out an ancient Mayan temple as a BnB seems like an idea whose time has come. I'll eat my cowl if Tezcatlipoca wasn't heavily influenced by the then-recent<i><b> Reptilicus </b></i>movie and funny book (which I covered to the extreme in the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bare-Bones-4-Fall-2020/dp/B08P3QVQTP/ref=pd_ybh_a_sccl_43/134-6044750-9136046?pd_rd_w=fDleT&content-id=amzn1.sym.67f8cf21-ade4-4299-b433-69e404eeecf1&pf_rd_p=67f8cf21-ade4-4299-b433-69e404eeecf1&pf_rd_r=403CKHFF5T3E3NCH1CHZ&pd_rd_wg=gBsrA&pd_rd_r=929d2b41-21d9-463c-ba6a-fdbd2b53fdd8&pd_rd_i=B08P3QVQTP&psc=1" target="_blank">4th issue of the print version </a>of this here blog).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfT22AT2XSCgEys9PwvA3uc1IDQQRlyXUQTzrrOO7S9G_5_76osQ3RBN60EY0CwkzSqAq65T5uPk1RcISU_xpytVk9ZZGdezBgzG2xnelBLwPRvwg6npqU0O7Ev7V3HNfR2eNOpdcH4HGGpSMlmwUxDGdN7zm3CVcJXYYs0RrNGPiOY5QQLFTJfheVaBlZ/s574/5400.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfT22AT2XSCgEys9PwvA3uc1IDQQRlyXUQTzrrOO7S9G_5_76osQ3RBN60EY0CwkzSqAq65T5uPk1RcISU_xpytVk9ZZGdezBgzG2xnelBLwPRvwg6npqU0O7Ev7V3HNfR2eNOpdcH4HGGpSMlmwUxDGdN7zm3CVcJXYYs0RrNGPiOY5QQLFTJfheVaBlZ/s320/5400.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #295</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Secret of the Beast Paintings"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Martian Show-Off"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Curse of the Sea Hermit"</b></div><div><b>Story by George Kashdan</b></div><div><b>Art by Nick Cardy</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Batman receives an excited phone call from old friend (well, to be clear, he's an old friend to Bats, but we've never heard of the guy and probably will never see him again), Professor Nichols, who has stumbled across some insanely excellent find in the 'burbs of Egypt. Jumping into the Bat-plane (which is always cleared by the FAA, no matter where our heroes go), Batman and Robin jet to the "faraway rendezvous" and meet up with the excitable egghead. But this find proves to be more than just King Am-A-Toot's cigar holder or Princess Namamoka's brassiere; Nichols has found evidence that Batman lived in pre-BC Egypt!</div><div><span> </span><br /></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfHwaC44o8GsMiiHmOi1DGAY7Wfq_tGaJLwEzUXAgYw9wWMCrlU1cKAtjMQrCjwrdQVEWCoLXAH4mGOteM8SutHeHzWS3i5xh0w_HqwAXj-q1Op9E2bJmewnE69hkbKCL1q38TyKu2wdFKlV061MUcB1b0F34SBnoBaqQfDu6NIVWVRaMSs86q7oDKlza/s1494/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.26.40%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1494" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfHwaC44o8GsMiiHmOi1DGAY7Wfq_tGaJLwEzUXAgYw9wWMCrlU1cKAtjMQrCjwrdQVEWCoLXAH4mGOteM8SutHeHzWS3i5xh0w_HqwAXj-q1Op9E2bJmewnE69hkbKCL1q38TyKu2wdFKlV061MUcB1b0F34SBnoBaqQfDu6NIVWVRaMSs86q7oDKlza/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.26.40%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Well, that's what we would surmise from the paintings found deep in an ancient structure, graphics depicting Bats fighting two gigantic Kaijus. One, a giant green guinea pig with a third eye on a stalk atop its head, suddenly materializes in the desert and attacks the explorers with a sizzling "disintegrating beam" emanating from its giant orb. Bats makes quick work of the thing by tying up the eye-stalk but, oddly, the creature disappears. Very soon, the other beast depicted in the comics on the wall takes its monster-brother's place, this one an orange beetle with deadly pincers. Quickly noticing that the monster has no eyes and must detect its enemies via its super-powered nostrils, Batman tosses a handy bucket of gasoline on the thing and it, too, disappears.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>While this has been going on, Professor </span>Nichols evidently thought it wiser to investigate the inner chambers of the temple and finds a third Sheldon Moldoff original on one of its moldy walls. This panel shows a scarlet-hued Batman and Robin standing before a pharaoh. Suddenly remembering an unimportant conversation our hero had with the uber-brainy Prof, Bats asks if the archaeologist happened to pack his time machine on this voyage. "Why yes! I did!" blurts out the absent-minded professor. The Dark Knight explains that the only way to get to the bottom of "The Secret of the Beast Paintings" is to go to the source, the Pharaoh himself! Disregarding the old standard that messing with the past screws up the present, the boys hop into Nichols's machine (which could double as a ride car at Disneyland) and buzz back to... whenever!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9D29Hb_nTz5iirxEE7qe-8b9FkxgldyM_6_-YSkEXuj5fAVgEZIfeVZTXPXRttFyOFXhaEmJEQoaJietCJcACAk946xR-CuVZbkwrAO5bxMJcQupfoTdI2-t9mbMGL4jHuYYaap5eVKKCtI_JNdkDoA_WXAk-Cx57qlWAKzqeZQReI8y57AWDqKsfO6v/s968/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.28.28%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="968" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9D29Hb_nTz5iirxEE7qe-8b9FkxgldyM_6_-YSkEXuj5fAVgEZIfeVZTXPXRttFyOFXhaEmJEQoaJietCJcACAk946xR-CuVZbkwrAO5bxMJcQupfoTdI2-t9mbMGL4jHuYYaap5eVKKCtI_JNdkDoA_WXAk-Cx57qlWAKzqeZQReI8y57AWDqKsfO6v/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.28.28%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Entering the temple (which is now sparklingly new), our heroes are immediately assaulted and captured by a band of (what else?) aliens. Picture J'Onn J'Onzz with a yellow head and beak. The captain of the creatures identifies himself as Torg, from the world of Nakor, a planet far beyond our solar system, and further proclaims that he intends to invade and conquer Earth as a summer home for Nakorians. The creatures that attacked Batman in the present time were sent there to see if earthlings were easy pickings (<i>or something like that--please don't stop to think about it</i>) for the marauding band of space conquerors. Watching Batman battle his pets, Torg decides that humans are more clever than he suspected, so he heads back to his ship to discuss plans with his war council. (No, I don't follow the logic, either.)</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZe3U7Rrzl9bFDmWN9RFGrXlC2KWhkJxvkkp0oi8fAPl9zyJup9cgZzNW5_dTjhLy9XD7MDJMXaqLrtpHFZcm7pIiT_rs5kGKHLfM-2KO1XcjIHcd5SV2QLsGmzob0rwHhyvs1nkVj8vUslmWhqYI8oeuNh_x5IEwfRZMi7b2CX567md-iA0LQM65Rp_x/s770/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.27.25%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="770" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZe3U7Rrzl9bFDmWN9RFGrXlC2KWhkJxvkkp0oi8fAPl9zyJup9cgZzNW5_dTjhLy9XD7MDJMXaqLrtpHFZcm7pIiT_rs5kGKHLfM-2KO1XcjIHcd5SV2QLsGmzob0rwHhyvs1nkVj8vUslmWhqYI8oeuNh_x5IEwfRZMi7b2CX567md-iA0LQM65Rp_x/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.27.25%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>While the beaked bastard is orating, Batman notices Robin hiding behind a pillar, but "the flaring end of his red jerkin is sticking out..." Torg doesn't seem to notice as he exits the chamber and Robin emerges to free his mentor. The two escape the temple and round up a group of friendly Egyptians to head back and defeat the aliens. Batman deduces that the reason Torg missed Robin is that the Nakorians don't see the color red, so he has Khau-Re, leader of the local Egyptian rumble gang, round up as much red dye as he can find. The Caped Crusaders paint themselves red and head back to the temple, where they cause quite a ruckus amongst Torg's henchmen. Realizing there's no way the Nakor Nabobs can defeat an invisible enemy, Torg packs his beaked bozos into his ship and blasts off into space. Our heroes zip back into the present and explain their crazy adventure to Professor Nichols, who admits that maybe this whole Butterfly Effect is a lot of hogwash. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1nz4Ft3ToRTcSHRO6VCfmnsJv_AazVhIir4vRXDpC1j3nO9NvHu5qVB5LnOliEOEGbC8H_KB_RZuWO8GTo4jPJFay3lIV9TTPm8A3Uic3eEjObN490WDTyhy6OzBWDmBq-OlhI4mShSWftb0rEZAfRuPOYjsQyXUN0f-I0Xc4twAu6G6F5HU8c4gIMZa/s1476/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.27.58%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1352" data-original-width="1476" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1nz4Ft3ToRTcSHRO6VCfmnsJv_AazVhIir4vRXDpC1j3nO9NvHu5qVB5LnOliEOEGbC8H_KB_RZuWO8GTo4jPJFay3lIV9TTPm8A3Uic3eEjObN490WDTyhy6OzBWDmBq-OlhI4mShSWftb0rEZAfRuPOYjsQyXUN0f-I0Xc4twAu6G6F5HU8c4gIMZa/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.27.58%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Yeah, there's the usual eye-rolling to be had in "The Secret of the Beast Paintings!" but I really enjoyed its ditzy logic and frenetic pacing. This time machine that Prof. Nichols brought along as an after-thought intrigues me. Why would any archaeologist bother digging when he has a time machine? Couldn't Nichols simply set the way-back machine for 23 B.C. and find out where all the good stuff was buried? In fact, wouldn't the gizmo fly in the face of whatever standards and practices the digger has upheld all these years? A time machine would effectively render an archaeologist unnecessary. Speaking of which, how does Nichols know what year to set his contraption to? Did the artist sign his name and date it? That Robin. Entrusted as number two to Gotham's savior, and yet the kid can't even hide behind a pillar. </div><div><br /></div><div>As enjoyable as the script may be, we really have to talk about Shelly's seeming inability to craft new alien designs that don't look suspiciously like the twenty that passed before them. Or perhaps the poor guy shouldn't be handed script after script of alien invasions (of course, his Gotham bad guys all look alike, too).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEaZgWfTiTqpRo3uv1V2x5kHC9r7Gk7oTbM2XL9Zf3C_jvAPQclj5TOSydKZXaqBSaBh86FQrRnwR5874JxYqeus9KSdQPTvk5MyqtCoi8NAX0AqUgM7n_diFE4HNqZT5YVlExhnNS4dELRJ3PB2OWKFjnKKSJ-z5iDydbta-nfgn7Fn8qgim85JKjwc8/s1502/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.30.29%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1502" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEaZgWfTiTqpRo3uv1V2x5kHC9r7Gk7oTbM2XL9Zf3C_jvAPQclj5TOSydKZXaqBSaBh86FQrRnwR5874JxYqeus9KSdQPTvk5MyqtCoi8NAX0AqUgM7n_diFE4HNqZT5YVlExhnNS4dELRJ3PB2OWKFjnKKSJ-z5iDydbta-nfgn7Fn8qgim85JKjwc8/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.30.29%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Patrolman Danny Jensen needs only one more arrest to nab him that coveted trip to Paris, where he'll study with the great French detective, Jacques Clouseau, but damn that Martian Manhunter for constantly butting in and nabbing the bad guys before Danny. Of course, J'Onn explains that the bad guys he's been apprehending are armed to the teeth with semi-automatics and dynamite, but the chief ain't buying it. He's had enough of "The Martian Show-Off"! Either the hero stands to the side and lets Danny get his man, or the chief will out J'Onn as a glory-hunter. J'Onn suspects something's up, so he follows Danny to a rural shack and discovers a gang of baddies holding the real Danny Jensen hostage. You see, one of the villains, Biff Stearns (!), needed a way out of the country and, with the help of some minor plastic surgery, became Danny Jensen. The free prize was the perfect escape, fingerprints be damned! The Martian Manhunter forgives the chief for his blackmailing tactics and allows Danny to collar Biff, thus winning the prize. Everybody wins... except for Biff!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzymSpA5Vs8zCh_8pdRfr1uXx6iUkRDH7NnI36Lf1ivPObzB4zg2PnfWX8pCSaHl_O8BvhXYkNNjnUqdAqE7R_z9ozK1faputRFjesRXlw8kfs-tSE-d-ddJg7G5nL96f_R-37WtOT3hDeasVRIo-hsLZl6X1uBcexnKqZFe3dHrzh04FKjhdNGaQsY1ra/s1432/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.31.34%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1432" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzymSpA5Vs8zCh_8pdRfr1uXx6iUkRDH7NnI36Lf1ivPObzB4zg2PnfWX8pCSaHl_O8BvhXYkNNjnUqdAqE7R_z9ozK1faputRFjesRXlw8kfs-tSE-d-ddJg7G5nL96f_R-37WtOT3hDeasVRIo-hsLZl6X1uBcexnKqZFe3dHrzh04FKjhdNGaQsY1ra/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.31.34%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Another simply dreadful chapter of DC's worst back-up feature (to be fair, I haven't read any of the other titles, so I'm just guessing but, I assure you, I will not put my theory to the test), with awful story and amateurish art. Imagine a police chief admonishing a superhero for bringing in a dangerous felon because his star beat cop can't get to one thousand arrests. Surely, there were hundreds of jaywalkers and candy store shoplifters to pad those stats.</div><div><br /></div><div>Aquaman and Aquasquirt encounter a sea hermit who claims to have been cursed by an ancient Aztec sorcerer for daring to seek out a treasure chest. Now no one can approach the miser's ship without perishing in boiling water or octopus tentacles or being chained to a chair and forced to listen to Taylor Swift's entire oeuvre. Of course, in the end, it turns out the old hermit is actually <strike>Biff Stearns</strike>, a survivor from a recent Aquaman bust, disguised as a crusty old codger to keep the authorities off his tail. Below his ship lies an insanely elaborate set of gizmos designed to churn up the ocean. Aquaboys put the kibosh on the villain's plans and return him to jail. Broken record time... good art, lousy writing. It's amazing these tenth-rate hoods can figure out elaborate mechanisms but forget that a quiet shack in the back woods would probably attract less attention than churning boiling waters. I do love that this bad guy has set up this plot so that he and his sea pirates can wait out "the statute of limitations" on his crimes. At least he was trying to travel the straight and narrow path, eh?<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yllLgcF0EupXbrqikD0OSmMR7NePKtda-G01_VejoCHobo-m_9HoVdR64nHJu88n2f0dXaXbDmJNvaNQtIY9QS3QpFWBbyjgQz8LZfKk4NRTOqwUWi56BLZ-PsUPiflliAnqFCBhozsMBdBGo-1BQsMcsikBKGC8tFTGOiDBnP3J9R6Vc_OAteBuuU4/s1224/DETECTIVE%20COMICS%20295%20008.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="1224" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yllLgcF0EupXbrqikD0OSmMR7NePKtda-G01_VejoCHobo-m_9HoVdR64nHJu88n2f0dXaXbDmJNvaNQtIY9QS3QpFWBbyjgQz8LZfKk4NRTOqwUWi56BLZ-PsUPiflliAnqFCBhozsMBdBGo-1BQsMcsikBKGC8tFTGOiDBnP3J9R6Vc_OAteBuuU4/w400-h188/DETECTIVE%20COMICS%20295%20008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>Jack-</b>My problem with Aquaman stories is that various fish escapades always have to be shoehorned in, not to mention the fact that the stories all take place in or around a body of water. It gets predictable. Unfortunately, also predictable is the mediocre quality of the J'Onn J'Onzz tales. They're at least readable, and the art meets minimum standards, something one can't always say about Atlas Comics, but the Martian Manhunter's adventures have a sameness to them that quickly gets tiresome.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's not the case with the lead story, which I enjoyed a great deal, despite the aliens. I love stories about Ancient Egypt, so I was happy to see hieroglyphics portraying the Dynamic Duo. It only got better when they traveled back in time as if it were something we all do on a daily basis, and I liked the business with the aliens' not being able to see red.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVq5iJxfZz5gRUwB2Cs7Vxl09xKRrsMOb4sGGZbs6HRw8xwilAlvgIL7wFEtXREY-ilF0zDVgUoFsQFUB-uU-HP50nHV3agJvPF-pMne23kZspzzrmXVgeb47tbdoCboRG-EgugskRPZaDJTqbioB8r-AEU3ph5HceAeUi_VcDzfF3thVT-4KYwhEpp0h4/s587/2605.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVq5iJxfZz5gRUwB2Cs7Vxl09xKRrsMOb4sGGZbs6HRw8xwilAlvgIL7wFEtXREY-ilF0zDVgUoFsQFUB-uU-HP50nHV3agJvPF-pMne23kZspzzrmXVgeb47tbdoCboRG-EgugskRPZaDJTqbioB8r-AEU3ph5HceAeUi_VcDzfF3thVT-4KYwhEpp0h4/s320/2605.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Batman #143</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Twice-Told Tale of Batman and Robin"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Blind Batman"</b></div><div><b>Story by Arnold Drake</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"Bat-Hound and the Creature"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger</b></div><div><b>Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris</b></div><div><br /></div><div>After Batman and Robin succeed in capturing Nitro Joe at his mountain hideout, Dick wonders how the story might be told far in the future. A story-teller would have the Dynamic Duo flying on Batwings, rather than using Whirly-Bats, and the stool pigeon they shake down for the location of the hideout would be a small genie with the power to transform into a giant serpent.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIYMHy6AvpWsAuas0096hFIi6QpruKz4Zl_9xc_AdMTzK0IMmR22geWRRXoJtM5Pselzp0LaQOD3R1wgrvfTnS8zA-5wC-TOdMO8vpN71UBRorcR9w_BuGdnxptgdAxbwPDlgBe9mR6GDQ6BZI4QdasWH-3peunTcVli1mJTWJX3QffTF8VjG9cimlZQ/s558/Batman143_06.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="558" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIYMHy6AvpWsAuas0096hFIi6QpruKz4Zl_9xc_AdMTzK0IMmR22geWRRXoJtM5Pselzp0LaQOD3R1wgrvfTnS8zA-5wC-TOdMO8vpN71UBRorcR9w_BuGdnxptgdAxbwPDlgBe9mR6GDQ6BZI4QdasWH-3peunTcVli1mJTWJX3QffTF8VjG9cimlZQ/s320/Batman143_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Instead of a shack, Nitro Joe (renamed Nidor) would live in a fortress atop a glass mountain, and the big lug outside would become a giant holding a massive club. Nidor is a wicked sorcerer who conjures up the symbols of the Zodiac in living form to battle Batman and Robin. However the story is told, the result is the same, and good triumphs over evil.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's not quite <i>Rashomon,</i> but "The Twice-Told Tale of Batman and Robin" does a fair job of showing how mundane events can be reinterpreted as great heroics when viewed through the lens of history. Dick is reading a book at home in the evening after Nitro Joe's capture and remarks to Bruce that "the real facts about heroes like King Arthur have been exaggerated through the ages;" this level of thoughtfulness is often absent from Batman and Robin tales.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dr. Pneumo blows the door off the Burke Street Bank vault by pumping the vault full of compressed air. Batman and Robin arrive before the doc can escape in his pneumatic car (hovercraft), but the doc knocks Batman off his feet with a blast of compressed air. Batman hits his head in the fall and is struck blind due to an optic nerve injury! The Dynamic Duo keep this development a secret from the public, as Batman uses radar earplugs to increase his hearing to compensate for his loss of sight.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMZW8Nf_RVj3dbmeM0WUiN2DhIoXMqXA4b6jEOVAxS6QqQJdfDsuwfdvHRtNe3yoSlv1a4SZSdrfXDbT8e9WomEJUVF-I4ryJqREZVJLpGwJjDdPcQBZy_BYTL9C-ye-ZN7rKZHef4AmyKQPkkrXrzxWsKX0TWtd_bcRJV_xSBBAhDRbi-nF-4fm4rQM/s523/Batman143_18.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="523" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMZW8Nf_RVj3dbmeM0WUiN2DhIoXMqXA4b6jEOVAxS6QqQJdfDsuwfdvHRtNe3yoSlv1a4SZSdrfXDbT8e9WomEJUVF-I4ryJqREZVJLpGwJjDdPcQBZy_BYTL9C-ye-ZN7rKZHef4AmyKQPkkrXrzxWsKX0TWtd_bcRJV_xSBBAhDRbi-nF-4fm4rQM/s320/Batman143_18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>The next day, Batman and Robin confront Dr. Pneumo as he attempts to rob a factory safe. All is going well until the doc dumps a box of tinfoil; when the pieces of metal float through the air, they interfere with Batman's radar, and he is unable to get over his blindness. That night, Dr. Pneumo deduces that Batman has lost his sight so, when the doc and his gang burgle the Yang Sung Curio Shop, the Dynamic Duo respond and plunge the space into darkness to even the playing field. Once again, Dr. Pneumo knocks Batman over with a blast of compressed air. Batman and Robin follow Dr. Pneumo to his hideout, where Batman easily captures the villain; his sight returned with his second fall!</div><div><br /></div><div>Bill Finger takes a break this time out and Arnold Drake provides a fun script for "The Blind Batman." Dr. Pneumo is yet another one-time villain whose use of compressed air leads to fun developments. The cliche about going blind with one knock to the head and regaining sight with another allows Drake to show Batman figuring out some amazing ways to hide and get around his blindness; for once, this is a story that could have gone on longer and remained enjoyable.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLTO1AQGgf0Yjo9OsgZ2CVBHbxMxxDtq-I9gsuj36toWY1pgR3kHSiuH91LEis_nRUcQ46AmsGS-NdcKRBKAebubt6cwS0UHx9xJwl7HSQswEgx0DCHtYwSDIm1Q1Trg1JWQHo4ARWPun1HMD0eYLSDdrHnTkTncBVpRe2jw0ns1z76afYdflOmZ1ZfU/s587/Batman143_30.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="587" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLTO1AQGgf0Yjo9OsgZ2CVBHbxMxxDtq-I9gsuj36toWY1pgR3kHSiuH91LEis_nRUcQ46AmsGS-NdcKRBKAebubt6cwS0UHx9xJwl7HSQswEgx0DCHtYwSDIm1Q1Trg1JWQHo4ARWPun1HMD0eYLSDdrHnTkTncBVpRe2jw0ns1z76afYdflOmZ1ZfU/s320/Batman143_30.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Batman, Robin, and Bat-Hound trail the Yates Gang to a paper mill and capture most of them, but Bat-Hound disappears after the fighting ends. The Dynamic Duo find him near an astonishing scene: state troopers are shooting at a huge, alien creature that resembles a big red and green insect. Surprisingly, Bat-Hound jumps at a trooper who is about to fire on the alien! Why is Bat-Hound protecting the creature? Batman and Robin discover a space capsule and deduce that the creature emerged small but grew gigantic when exposed to the Earth's atmosphere. It was launched as an experiment from another planet and is confused and frightened, something Bat-Hound instinctively sensed.</div><div><br /></div><div>When the crime-fighters are captured by Lippy Yates and his gang, the alien helps to free them, and the huge creature saves their lives by holding up a trestle bridge after Yates throws a bomb and blows it up. Yates is apprehended but the bridge collapses, killing the alien creature. As the sun sets, Batman and Robin bury the creature and erect a memorial to it; Bat-Hound lies next to the pile of stones, missing his alien friend.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9D_8ouHevM1ZGvwo8eENnW7g7ddjGw9xfHbDalImkUeazWBGGJ2q61ydHGGqhNalUIiWtT2vQo3WUtLM5Y1Ja8LZ4EgR7S3t3wy8Rw5yleiExmoJofUuUW8XjFSSiMrow53LLN7Hf0UCuClAmHr1PTz3jmjinfZ_9CDXhuSuvSIca_AeXhjQ2Kh-GAY/s568/Batman143_32.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="568" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9D_8ouHevM1ZGvwo8eENnW7g7ddjGw9xfHbDalImkUeazWBGGJ2q61ydHGGqhNalUIiWtT2vQo3WUtLM5Y1Ja8LZ4EgR7S3t3wy8Rw5yleiExmoJofUuUW8XjFSSiMrow53LLN7Hf0UCuClAmHr1PTz3jmjinfZ_9CDXhuSuvSIca_AeXhjQ2Kh-GAY/s320/Batman143_32.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>"Bat-Hound and the Creature" takes a surprising turn halfway through when it's revealed that the alien creature is not a threat. The ending is surprisingly downbeat, with the creature dying and being honored with a memorial. <i>Batman</i> 143 is an unusually good issue!<b>-Jack</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Peter-</b>What occurs to me after reading "The Blind Batman" is that the Caped Crusader's body took quite a pounding in the 1960s. The guy was super-sized, elemental, turned into an alien, baked in a giant cake, and now rendered blind. The other thing that occurs to me while reading two of the three stories in this issue is that Bill Finger was running out of ideas. Oh, Bill could still come up with some entertaining twists now and then, but most of these scripts (especially the shorter ones in the <i>Batman</i> title) are drivel. The best of the three is the imaginative "Bat-Hound and the Creature," simply because it made me laugh the loudest (well, except for the ending, which was sad and not at all maudlin). My favorite part of these space operas is when either Bats or the Boy Wonder steps out on a ledge and gives a perfectly reasonable explanation for what's going on ("<i>People on another planet must've launched the small animal on a space experiment, just as we do--and the capsule drifted through space until it landed here</i>" says Robin, as a very patient Batman nods his head, possibly in boredom), and that theory usually holds up. Oh, and I can't get enough of Bat-Hound with a mask on. Could you imagine Frank Miller doing <i>Batman: Year Two </i>with the masked mongrel at our hero's side?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHoCtyjeuyAOmZ1ra0NBTdkfZqkjPf019qWesXfIwzd6bWt32KYLmlM9mAs6jZqHYrY4KQvailTZxPCnTYY4OJZ-s8-4cxyv4ZNDxJRLflITC87IrT6k8FAGvYK8eLDr2iFa4UWAAT2n3xRf2UwQEA9hamYj3BvXXT7dgpJqiADMsNkMeiGw42MgZ1A8V/s585/5401.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHoCtyjeuyAOmZ1ra0NBTdkfZqkjPf019qWesXfIwzd6bWt32KYLmlM9mAs6jZqHYrY4KQvailTZxPCnTYY4OJZ-s8-4cxyv4ZNDxJRLflITC87IrT6k8FAGvYK8eLDr2iFa4UWAAT2n3xRf2UwQEA9hamYj3BvXXT7dgpJqiADMsNkMeiGw42MgZ1A8V/s320/5401.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dillin/Moldoff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Detective Comics #296</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Menace of the Planet-Master"</b></div><div><b>Story by Bill Finger (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Jim Mooney & Charles Paris</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Alien Bodyguard"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Joe Certa</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>"The Mystery of Demon Island!"</b></div><div><b>Story by Jack Miller (?)</b></div><div><b>Art by Nick Cardy</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Holy solar system! The Dynamic Duo encounter their most dangerous and powerful foe since last issue's alien Egyptians! The Planet-Master! A villain who has designed his weapons and planned his heists around the (then) nine planets in our universe. The metal-melting fires of Mercury shoot from his wrists; he can summon the mists of Venus; make ordinary items grow to the size of Jupiter; and then there's the trick with Uranus. The guy even has multiple costumes!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDGJa-cnWCVXURC6jX0_ip3rAWhgaDDWbt33W1pnV9hiNpZX82FaOrnYbyTacaK-ggzl_nSshShT3JKz-DosMDZCiMV5dlbt_iIspw_X9p67drNRZfS1IHBDIW5e77epnDN8ronHpBek9L8_5WASAtizZb_2RwcBbRKgk_dUhJfvd5fAL7ffw_sYe5hB7/s778/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.48.28%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="778" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDGJa-cnWCVXURC6jX0_ip3rAWhgaDDWbt33W1pnV9hiNpZX82FaOrnYbyTacaK-ggzl_nSshShT3JKz-DosMDZCiMV5dlbt_iIspw_X9p67drNRZfS1IHBDIW5e77epnDN8ronHpBek9L8_5WASAtizZb_2RwcBbRKgk_dUhJfvd5fAL7ffw_sYe5hB7/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2010.48.28%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Batman, using his skills as the World's Greatest Detective (and the fact that one of Planet-Master's discarded weapons actually has a manufacturer's label!), tracks the Planet-Master to the home of well-regarded genius, Professor Norbet. Waking Norbet, the Caped Crusaders climb through his bedroom window to interrogate the old timer. Norbet suggests that the Planet-Master has snuck into his lab and stolen some of the Prof's contraptions. Later, after Batman and Robin leave, the egghead opens his secret lab door and discovers the uniforms of the Planet-Master hanging right next to the Liberace outfit he wears to parties on Friday nights.</div><div><br /></div><div>Norbet immediately calls Batman who, for some reason, happens to be hanging around a Gotham police precinct, and theorizes that the Planet-Master must be... Norbet's estranged assistant, Edward Burke, who stole some platinum from the Prof some time before. Batman tells the Prof to stay put and they'll be right there, but when the boys get there, the scientist is nowhere to be found. The Duo head to Burke's place and the ex-lab asst. admits he's been doing nothing since he was fired but reading the newspaper and listening to the radio; Bats works him over, demanding that the lazy bum hand over Professor Norbet. Burke pleads his innocence just as a bulletin screams out over the airwaves: "The Planet-Master, wearing a costume suggesting Saturn, has been seen at the Gotham Gold Refinery." Bats unhands Burke, admonishes him about the dishes in the sink and the dustballs in the living room, and hightails it, leaving Burke to scratch his chin and ponder a trip to his old boss's lab.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8imosw6NP37QvavEMt9td0Yj7xmemNq_K-BEoRFisT_GPoqrhyLpioz8cOk7DifPWZe1tSiP6n7SumAlgSbJvodkNXGoBAUxdx6oaTjLD_asH121r9XCoJMqVRLhFRlfbTX3Oe1LSt0ioJ8C9VLLdA4WL3nYiZCEzmWfXDRUHKAb8XZs0TTTBpJtXrFy/s838/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2011.40.14%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="838" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8imosw6NP37QvavEMt9td0Yj7xmemNq_K-BEoRFisT_GPoqrhyLpioz8cOk7DifPWZe1tSiP6n7SumAlgSbJvodkNXGoBAUxdx6oaTjLD_asH121r9XCoJMqVRLhFRlfbTX3Oe1LSt0ioJ8C9VLLdA4WL3nYiZCEzmWfXDRUHKAb8XZs0TTTBpJtXrFy/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2011.40.14%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Batman and Robin arrive at the Gold Refinery and, sure enough, there's P-M dressed to the nines in a natty outfit resembling the sixth planet from the sun. The boys barely miss being sawed in half when P-M hurls his deadly rings. Realizing he's in a pickle, P-M nullifies gravity and propels himself through the air. Batman suggests to Robin that they head back to Norbet's to head off the master criminal. Meanwhile, at said laboratory, Burke finds the hidden closet just as Professor Norbet arrives, dressed as the Planet-Master! Burke hides and overhears Burke's expository: while opening up a meteorite, Norbet was exposed to an evil gas from another world, which overpowers his senses and makes him do bad things. Even though he has the wherewithal and time to design and manufacture nine different costumes and elaborate weapons, he also is granted full amnesia, so he doesn't even know he's a criminal by night.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNE-sHETvN0A-e93Tu6addSvLNF_8kDU3_3u_VbSaAKJiQGARfIryeMnPg67aAE95RNKCdyuLjayDrM54_LpAti-AJmVPF1p_jrQaf2HS4cgr9Y3txbX2eYXXxsaB_xUirUNCsSbiiYlOVj32CdaI8xCT8KVACjxzCGzVlSxM72Rd-VEBZ6d_D9-8E6lcM/s826/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2011.40.04%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="826" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNE-sHETvN0A-e93Tu6addSvLNF_8kDU3_3u_VbSaAKJiQGARfIryeMnPg67aAE95RNKCdyuLjayDrM54_LpAti-AJmVPF1p_jrQaf2HS4cgr9Y3txbX2eYXXxsaB_xUirUNCsSbiiYlOVj32CdaI8xCT8KVACjxzCGzVlSxM72Rd-VEBZ6d_D9-8E6lcM/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2011.40.04%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Batman and Robin arrive and are, to say the least, nonplussed at the sight of the septuagenarian wearing tights. Burke takes advantage of the situation and explains to Norbet that together they can become the greatest crime force in the universe. Norbet agrees and then hurls a Saturn ring at Burke, directing Batman to take the man (who was, to be honest, a lousy lab assistant) to prison and claiming he knew nothing about his own evil deeds. Batman, becoming judge and jury on the spot, assures Norbet that he'll serve no time if he has anything to say about it. Everyone wins... except Burke!</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Menace of the Planet-Master" is another masterpiece of excitement and lunacy, packed full of wild ideas and puzzling science facts. I love the twists and turns behind the true identity of the Planet-Master and it gives me some hope for my future that a 70+-year-old amnesiac can craft intricate toys and plots while juggling a full lab schedule. At least Bill Finger (?) addresses the age-old question, "Where does he get those fabulous toys?" when the Dark Knight discovers the Acme Criminal Weapon Plant stamp inside the P-M's "Growth-Dome." I only wish we had more pages to show us what Pluto could do.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3KPxfAKtBsSOr39WUDZubtYYtU-DU7JJsEI6gr_9b-TktdIVDo_imPvLOzEyz4bS1pxBZ6gsrBzogSmWvyhBTFXJ2W8PG35cb9sz0KKE3r9We80-2GgpAvj2j1HTwmlBsaDRLD4aJ2MO-iq2KQJEdt_DNvpxkLyp4jVrMA8_WyxOYlHnE98ezxbMVaeB/s788/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2011.17.55%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="788" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3KPxfAKtBsSOr39WUDZubtYYtU-DU7JJsEI6gr_9b-TktdIVDo_imPvLOzEyz4bS1pxBZ6gsrBzogSmWvyhBTFXJ2W8PG35cb9sz0KKE3r9We80-2GgpAvj2j1HTwmlBsaDRLD4aJ2MO-iq2KQJEdt_DNvpxkLyp4jVrMA8_WyxOYlHnE98ezxbMVaeB/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2011.17.55%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Let's bring up a subject I usually avoid: the art. This is the first we've seen of Jim Mooney and it might just be the fact that it's an artist other than the bland and rote Sheldon Moldoff, but I really like our first look. The choreography is dynamic, the suits (as goofy as they may be) actually show a little originality, and the backgrounds are filled in with something other than a solid blue or yellow. There are things going on in these panels. I will say that the inking looks denser on pages 2, 3, 10, and 11; I'm not expert enough to say what's going on there, but it's a bold, refreshing look, and I hope we see more of it. For the sake of my sanity, if nothing else.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, J'Onn J'Onnz must hide in the shadows and act as bodyguard for some poor sod, this time the gorgeous Diane Meade, who has been struck with temporary amnesia while investigating underworld boss, <strike>Biff Stearns </strike>Rocky Dawson. For some inexplicable reason, Diane's doctor thinks she should return to duty and that will jog her memory. This despite the fact, as J'Onn notes, Diane has forgotten everything she's learned about the judicial system and its practices. No red flags here! </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauOhzPYijNV0VnxX1ZImCPj9nOE2MS9T938clKhWJLfTZWO2-BQmUIpkelQn7PwSYw5D7myhNvJ6xECbGvITAzIQtyySfJK8jAupLldSj8asiaI0eucxKl01Tdy-Wwz6qgMfDEUa-Q5abBp9UR2Nokb25kQRp6MwjwoAW6icnNTGc9CXp1MlxySiKwegg/s682/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2011.56.19%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="682" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauOhzPYijNV0VnxX1ZImCPj9nOE2MS9T938clKhWJLfTZWO2-BQmUIpkelQn7PwSYw5D7myhNvJ6xECbGvITAzIQtyySfJK8jAupLldSj8asiaI0eucxKl01Tdy-Wwz6qgMfDEUa-Q5abBp9UR2Nokb25kQRp6MwjwoAW6icnNTGc9CXp1MlxySiKwegg/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2011.56.19%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>So now the Martian Manhunter must follow the beautiful blonde around the city and save her as she wanders from one calamity to another. Eventually, Diane finds herself wandering by the van where Rocky Dawson bases his multi-million-dollar crime empire and, just as J'Onn is about to save her, a huge fire engulfs a nearby building and drains the Martian Manhunter of his powers. The alien hero must dig his way underground, setting off still more gas fires and destroying a vast number of water pipes before emerging through the flooring of Dawson's crime wagon and saving the day. Suddenly, Diane's memory comes back, just as John Jones walks the bad guys to prison. Diane is justifiably furious that she missed the collar. Jack brought up in our last visit how the Martian Manhunter does very little besides spin and hide. I agree. In fact, how did this dope get his reputation as a hero when he gives all the credit to everyone else? There's being a nice guy and then there's being a wallflower. You only hope that when the Martian Mutilator starts to dig, he's not under a hospital that just might need electricity and running water.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXpyhBXA1WN0xLqpn4ZIHfc9wwd5hkwUf03zFx9fUX9hUJxa-NcBybu16UcZahMspLr7KUvlhJQ0fQwn79RFR9et3I3_lRXtnkCOBIzNuWB9S7PQ8lZRjQ8CUCn13O9gz0bQfns09kBsTWZk_LoggZYJQBkcTPn4ddf2iJOFICQuxugoaeva_Dj2Ra0rI/s762/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2012.08.27%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="742" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXpyhBXA1WN0xLqpn4ZIHfc9wwd5hkwUf03zFx9fUX9hUJxa-NcBybu16UcZahMspLr7KUvlhJQ0fQwn79RFR9et3I3_lRXtnkCOBIzNuWB9S7PQ8lZRjQ8CUCn13O9gz0bQfns09kBsTWZk_LoggZYJQBkcTPn4ddf2iJOFICQuxugoaeva_Dj2Ra0rI/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2012.08.27%20PM.png" width="312" /></a></div>Aquaman and AquaKid come to the aid of some dim-witted coastal residents who are being forced to donate their valuables to a sea demon who lounges atop a huge sea horse and holds a trident that shoots bolts of electricity. In the end, Aquaman unmasks the demon as a con man, taking advantage of the village idiots. I'm not sure why, but every time the boys encounter a semi-sorta-supernatural force, Aquatoddler swallows the mirage hook, line, and sinker, despite the fact that in 97.5% of all their adventures (based on exhaustive research conducted by yours truly, the hardest-working comics scholar in the industry), the demons are unmasked as crafty hoods with a lot of extra money lying around to pay for elaborate special effects. If I were Aquaman, the next time Aquakid says something along the lines of "Hey boss, it's all true, this really is the ghost of Davey Jones!" I'd backhand the twerp. Shelly could learn something from Jack Miller (?)'s creature design.<b>-Peter</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Jack-</b>The Aquaman story was a bit better than the one in the last issue, though not by much. I like Cardy's art, but these stories suffer from the problem of everyone being fooled by masks and "underwater cycles" (whatever they are) that look remarkably like demons and seahorses. The Martian Manhunter story is silly; here, the patrolwoman gets amnesia after a blow to the head, unlike Batman, who suffered blindness. Lucky for her, her memory returns without a second blow.</div><div><br /></div><div>I agree about the promise of the Batman story, due to the arrival of Jim Mooney. The cover is penciled by Dick Dillin, who will eventually draw <i>Justice League of America</i> for years and years, and it looks more exciting than any of the many Moldoff covers we've seen.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCM2NFpaJBGEGZtgoVDqMmw8Xfe5S9tns4SLcTK71Lf4237zMtqxkmbvRiDur4q7CumVwnrU1boFZmry_GFeA0Riy_bvLLurUZ6kwVkrp-EJEBOxhWKZj0JJSLKjcyLgr9zTQSELOHgywpo0GzbgttK38YX6d1DmRFJK2qJshnilK_S9rwZ-YTBzDk7Xa/s686/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2012.12.34%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="686" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCM2NFpaJBGEGZtgoVDqMmw8Xfe5S9tns4SLcTK71Lf4237zMtqxkmbvRiDur4q7CumVwnrU1boFZmry_GFeA0Riy_bvLLurUZ6kwVkrp-EJEBOxhWKZj0JJSLKjcyLgr9zTQSELOHgywpo0GzbgttK38YX6d1DmRFJK2qJshnilK_S9rwZ-YTBzDk7Xa/w400-h354/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%2012.12.34%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Next Week...<br />Mort Drucker invites you into...<br />The Locked Room!</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div>Peter Enfantinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04317575598411394944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6672923492889685727.post-40058161727391108092023-12-02T03:00:00.000-08:002023-12-02T03:00:00.152-08:00Hammer-Amicus Blogathon IV: Dracula Has Risen from the Grave<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAbKhyphenhyphen7fKRC9yBlUQnBQ5TJDi0mSnh_n2s8RLwAe6-ThXmIoILjynAwEyPMuVql2h05J5f5jorT8aBhSHCF20w3ZQtwDLG0tjS1ZpEJ0JJn6sLjk3E8QLkY-dnma5FG4ll8g24FRXmRHMlxUfZUb669_6hvRihf9FxXNW5UTV8RDNrXKqaQLqLkisNMo/s640/hammer-amicus-iv_torture-garden.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="640" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAbKhyphenhyphen7fKRC9yBlUQnBQ5TJDi0mSnh_n2s8RLwAe6-ThXmIoILjynAwEyPMuVql2h05J5f5jorT8aBhSHCF20w3ZQtwDLG0tjS1ZpEJ0JJn6sLjk3E8QLkY-dnma5FG4ll8g24FRXmRHMlxUfZUb669_6hvRihf9FxXNW5UTV8RDNrXKqaQLqLkisNMo/s320/hammer-amicus-iv_torture-garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">by Jack Seabrook</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I have a long ago memory of being taken by my father to a grindhouse in Downtown Newark to see a double feature of <i>It!</i> with Roddy McDowall and <i>Dracula Has Risen from the Grave.</i> It must have been 1969 or 1970, which means I was six or seven years old, and I vaguely recall a few scenes from both movies. I also recall being so frightened that I had nightmares for a month.</div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i>It!</i> recently showed up on TV one evening and I was able to catch bits and pieces of it. It was more silly than scary, so when the Hammer-Amicus Blogathon IV came along, it seemed like a good opportunity to revisit the other film from that double bill of over 50 years ago to see how it holds up. Fortunately, my local library had a Blu-ray of the Dracula film, so watching it again after all this time was easy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fnUUB9oMZpAF_CWMG1UM4dvhjlZptshax429jbD40sQ7eZ3z8b007QBp1yG2KadkkNuXOiFsJ2XVcbpKsOt_HYN7NVryUDo9n5RQADmHyFkH4KTO87WnSubvR3iagFxZM1BZamdL1HSgRMu9HCni9ONr-p6agTZorKzwWbxdAfjgYb6rD69nvaO7uIY/s678/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20173359.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="451" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fnUUB9oMZpAF_CWMG1UM4dvhjlZptshax429jbD40sQ7eZ3z8b007QBp1yG2KadkkNuXOiFsJ2XVcbpKsOt_HYN7NVryUDo9n5RQADmHyFkH4KTO87WnSubvR3iagFxZM1BZamdL1HSgRMu9HCni9ONr-p6agTZorKzwWbxdAfjgYb6rD69nvaO7uIY/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20173359.png" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The opening credits certainly set things up well, with blood dripping down the screen and a loud, orchestral score setting the mood. A dead woman is discovered hanging upside down inside a bell in a church tower in the opening scene; of course, she has two puncture wounds in her neck and there's a trail of blood, so you-know-who has been at it again.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A year later, a Catholic priest, depressed because no one comes to mass anymore (shades of 2023!), receives a visit from a monsignor, who questions the local pubgoers as to why they've stopped showing up. Learning that it's due to their fear of nearby Castle Dracula, the plucky monsignor grabs a large, metal cross and drags the parish priest along with him on a journey up a rocky mountain to the castle. The priest bails halfway up and, while the monsignor is attaching the cross to the castle's front door, the dopey priest manages to fall, tumble down among some rocks, and sustain a cut on his head. Dracula happens to be frozen in ice right nearby, having ended up there at the end of his last flick (<i>Dracula: Price of Darkness</i>) and, not surprisingly, blood from the priest's head trickles through a crack in the ice and reaches the vampire's lips. Voila! In the blink of a bloodshot eye, he's up and out of the ice, all warmed up and pointing at the priest with a hypnotic stare. Uh oh.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxc7VEQ4MT4UdCMJjANDoEPe9p2Qo7cVaiAz9v6jOn_yfFTFOctOZukpiRXhL-rgtjr5YOxlxGILglE6HjADsayE0bGdNycqf4HYGgJP1x7EVZFNZZuxT4AUkZmFGf-yMLXIO_zF0EW8ApuYP8HaGsDqNP6Lw3tH1B7jmgVEHfUd8LsKdcn0juSsar-zQ/s1016/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20173055.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1016" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxc7VEQ4MT4UdCMJjANDoEPe9p2Qo7cVaiAz9v6jOn_yfFTFOctOZukpiRXhL-rgtjr5YOxlxGILglE6HjADsayE0bGdNycqf4HYGgJP1x7EVZFNZZuxT4AUkZmFGf-yMLXIO_zF0EW8ApuYP8HaGsDqNP6Lw3tH1B7jmgVEHfUd8LsKdcn0juSsar-zQ/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20173055.png" width="320" /></a></div>The movie then alternates domestic scenes with darkened scenes of Dracula and the hypnotized priest getting Dracula all settled in a comfy, second-hand coffin in the basement of a pub/bakery, where Paul--a Roger Daltrey lookalike--works. His girlfriend, Maria, is a knockout blonde who is so virginal that she sleeps with a doll. She is contrasted with the earthy, busty barmaid, Zena, who wears the standard issue Hammer low-cut blouse and bends over at every opportunity. Paul is a 1960s Swinging London guy in a movie set in 1906--he proudly tells the monsignor, who happens to be Maria's uncle, that he's an atheist, which is not the best way to ingratiate himself with her family.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Zena the busty barmaid ends up being chased through the woods one night by the priest, who drives a horse and carriage; she ends up panting and heaving her bosom in front of Dracula, who quickly puts the bite on her. Unfortunately for Zena, the vampire prefers blondes to brunettes and orders her to bring Maria to him. The gorgeous Maria barely avoids being bitten in the basement, and Zena is quickly disposed of by the priest at Dracula's request, tossed unceremoniously into a fireplace in the basement bakery.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLETdreLlHOsMHU2bJHLoKIN7p7P91eo_cRTuCnIc5d_fleSrkx_seU2W82uUvaL0J9fc241VtKVfMySM2RljB_z892G2EqT5cJPTixQgWRnOcgvblcCBJU8tmPnKuuZOMmgftPjmgLTSUxSPWLQtD-SOroV5rvB6mwS9DGkYQhNHRlKxmaSJhJvOz1D0/s1066/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20173016.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1066" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLETdreLlHOsMHU2bJHLoKIN7p7P91eo_cRTuCnIc5d_fleSrkx_seU2W82uUvaL0J9fc241VtKVfMySM2RljB_z892G2EqT5cJPTixQgWRnOcgvblcCBJU8tmPnKuuZOMmgftPjmgLTSUxSPWLQtD-SOroV5rvB6mwS9DGkYQhNHRlKxmaSJhJvOz1D0/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20173016.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">That night, Dracula pays a visit to Maria and her dolly in her room, where he bites her neck. He's back the next night for more, but this time the monsignor pops into her room, holding a cross, and it's out the window for Dracula. The monsignor gives chase but receives a fatal head wound from the priest. On his death <strike>bed</strike> sofa, the monsignor charges young Paul with protecting Maria but, since Paul is an atheist, that presents a challenge. Paul must have one of the hardest noggins in England? Germany? Transylvania?, because he recovers quickly after being bashed in the noodle with a candlestick by the priest.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Paul orders the priest to take him to Dracula, which isn't hard, since the vampire is resting in his coffin in the basement of the pub/bakery. Paul plunges a stake into the vampire's chest but, because he won't pray (he's an atheist, remember), Dracula hops up, pulls the stake out of his own chest, and throws it at Paul! This is the scene I remember from over 50 years ago--it was frightening and baffling, since Dracula usually vaporizes the moment a stake enters his thorax.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGcTdDhRx2IhwUcFQeIP4K6cjsixJ4Ru_FpZ70mHNcCCwQ7aD6a4DageWDE5v93Ii-09KK2PcChypgHD6PoBggZgpONZn9txKoKevAxjSAbilxa2hbJNp-3puuF4wbnyv8zSUyC8LLKRzkjixkxEftgURrcH-QAdlfdPY-fi3XmrsEzeKyQwLYXkGM4s/s671/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20173335.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGcTdDhRx2IhwUcFQeIP4K6cjsixJ4Ru_FpZ70mHNcCCwQ7aD6a4DageWDE5v93Ii-09KK2PcChypgHD6PoBggZgpONZn9txKoKevAxjSAbilxa2hbJNp-3puuF4wbnyv8zSUyC8LLKRzkjixkxEftgURrcH-QAdlfdPY-fi3XmrsEzeKyQwLYXkGM4s/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20173335.png" width="206" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Dracula escapes to the rooftops, where Maria approaches him. Things turn baffling from here on in, as Dracula drives pell-mell through the forest in his horse and carriage, with Maria at his side, while Paul rides equally hard on a horse, looking for him. Paul rushes into the pub (a different pub?) that had been seen at the start of the film, asking if there's a castle anywhere nearby where a vampire might hang out. I had thought the pub was atop Paul's bakery and that he lived upstairs, but that doesn't seem to be the case.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, Dracula makes it to his castle and has Maria remove the cross from the door and toss it over a parapet; it falls to the rocks below and lands right side up, which is key. Paul appears and struggles with Dracula, causing both to fall over the parapet. Paul is fine, but Dracula is impaled on the cross! The priest shows up and must no longer be hypnotized, since he starts praying, which finishes off the vampire. Paul and Maria live happily ever after, with Paul crossing himself at the end, and Dracula disintegrates, though the budget must not have allowed for a shot of the process, since we see Dracula impaled, there is a cut away, and then we see just his cape and the cross, implying that he has turned to dust and scattered in the breeze.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Dracula Has Risen from the Grave</i> benefits from the usual Hammer colors and supporting players, but the script is a bit weak. Christopher Lee does the staring thing that he does so well, and the action scenes are fine, though the ending is a bit rushed and rather confusing, seeming like the writer didn't know how to get all of the characters into place for the conclusion he had in mind. Still, Veronica Carlson is stunning as Maria, there are some good, bloody shots, and the 92-minute running time passes quickly. It's far from the best of the Hammer Draculas, but it's worth a look. And it's not nearly as scary as it was when I was seven years old!</div>Jack Seabrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.com16