OCTOBER 1963      

CHARACTERS – MAD SCIENTIST, EXTRATERRESTRIAL INVADERS

STORYLINE – This anthology features six illustrated comic stories and one text-only entry. Break an Egg – The issue’s signature sci-fi story follows an alien invasion where extraterrestrials infiltrate Earth inside ordinary chicken eggs. When a scientist discovers the plot and tries to warn the public, he is written off as insane.

Grandma’s Cookie Jar – A suspenseful mystery/horror short centered around a grandmother’s strange or supernatural cookie jar.

Typical of Charlton Comics’ horror anthologies from this era, these consist of brief, twist-ending supernatural tales.

A mandatory one-page prose story included to satisfy U.S. Postal Service regulations for magazine distribution rates at the time.

PUBLISHER – CHARLTON

WRITER – JOE GILL

INTERIOR ART – BILL MOLNO, CHARLES NICHOLAS, ROCCO MASTROSERIO “ROCKE”

COVER ART – DICK GIORDANO

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OCTOBER 1987

CHARACTERS – ABBY HOLLAND, ANGEL O’DAY, B’WANA BEAST, CONGORILLA, DJUBA, GORILLA BOSS, GORILLA GRODD, JANU, MONSIEUR MALLAH, PRINCE CHARLES, ROY RAYMOND, SAM SIMEON, SOLOVAR, SWAMP THING, THE BRAIN

STORYLINE – DISTANT COUSINS

Gorilla Grodd attempts to conquer Gorilla City by taking over the minds of the other ape-themed superheroes and supervillains on the planet. For some reason his psychic powers also affect Swamp Thing. He is ultimately defeated when he attempts to stretch his psychic abilities too far and damages his brain.

PUBLISHER – DC COMICS

WRITER – Rick Veitch

INTERIOR ART – Rick Veitch

COVER ART – BRIAN BOLLAND

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MARCH 1965

CHARACTERS – Superman (Clark Kent/Kal-El), Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Lois Lane, Lucy Lane, Kandorian Look-Alike Squad, Superman Revenge Squad

STORYLINE – The Nostradamus of Metropolis!; cartoon: Peg; The Great Miss Universe Contest!; Jimmy Olsen’s Captive Double!

A man who calls himself Nostradamus makes some startling predictions that come true. Will his prediction of an earthquake that will hit Metropolis also come true?

PUBLISHER – DC COMICS

WRITER – Leo Dorfman, Sam Rolfe, Jerry Siegel, Henry Boltinoff

INTERIOR ART – John Forte, Curt Swan, Henry Boltinoff

COVER ART – Curt Swan

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SEPTEMBER 1968

CHARACTERS – Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bizarro Superman, Superman Emergency Squad, Superman, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane

STORYLINE – Lois Lane’s Wedding Day!; The Wife of Superman!; Lana Lang’s Romance with Superman VI!; Lois Lane’s Secret Identity!; The Silver Coin of Fate!; The Bride of Luthor!; The Devil and Lois Lane!

This “80 pg. Giant” reprints issues that involve Lois Lane and getting married where “she weds him in his Clark Kent identity,” “she adopts a secret identity of her own,” and “she even makes a deal with the Devil!”

PUBLISHER – DC COMICS

WRITER – LEO DORFMAN, JERRY SIEGEL, ROBERT BERNSTEIN

INTERIOR ART – JOHN FORTE, KURT SCHAFFENBERGER, CURT SWAN, GEORGE KLEIN

COVER ART – NEAL ADAMS, AL PLASTINO

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JUNE 1958

1^ST APPEARANCES – TOM HALLEY (PATROLMAN), AL

CHARACTERS – TOM HALLEY (PATROLMAN), AL, UNCLE FEATHERBY, MRS. FEATHERBY, ORVILLE WRIGHT, WILBUR WRIGHT, HUGH BRACE, TALCOTT, SUSAN CAIN, GALACTIC GUARDIANS

STORYLINE – TWELVE SECONDS THAT CHANGED HISTORY; WHIRLPOOL OF SPACE; OPERATION SATELLITE; UNCLE FEATHERBY WEATHER- OR NOT; VALOR UNLIMITED

Strange Journey #4, published by Ajax-Farrell (under their America’s Best Comics imprint) in June 1958, contains an assortment of science fiction, historical non-fiction, and humor stories. Because the industry was adapting to the restrictions of the Comics Code Authority, the issue showcases the publisher’s shift from pre-Code style horror to safer, kid-friendly genres.

“Twelve Seconds That Changed History!” – A 7-page biographical, non-fiction comic story detailing the historical account of Orville and Wilbur Wright and their first successful motorized flight at Kitty Hawk.

“Whirlpool of Space” – A science fiction tale featuring Al and Tom (Patrolman Tom Halley) of the Galactic Guardians, who are sent to investigate a spaceliner that mysteriously vanished into a massive cosmic space whirlpool.

PUBLISHER – AJAX-FARRELL – AMERICA’S BEST COMICS

WRITER – IGER SHOP STAFF WRITERS

INTERIOR ART – JERRY IGER, HENRY C. KIEFER, DICK AYERS

COVER ART – JERRY IGER, HENRY C. KIEFER, DICK AYERS

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OCTOBER 1961 – SILVER AGE

CHARACTERS – Tommy Parker (Space Museum), Howard Parker (Space Museum), TOM GRANGER, PANKEL, JAVVAN

STORYLINE – The Invisible Dinosaur!; Star Names!; PSA: Otto the Robot; The World Of The Spectrum Sun!; The Immortal Spaceman!

The story centers on a protagonist named Tom Granger. It involves a confrontation with a giant, invisible prehistoric Tyrannosaurus rex that threatens a 20th-century American town. T

he conflict is orchestrated by alien antagonists known as the Pamonians (specifically characters named Pankel and Javvan) from the planet Pamonia. The iconic cover depicts a dramatic scene of military personnel using a bazooka to fire at the massive, shadowy silhouette of the invisible dinosaur.

PUBLISHER – DC COMICS

WRITER – Gardner Fox

INTERIOR ART – Murphy Anderson

COVER ART – Murphy Anderson

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JANAURY 1960 – SILVER AGE

CHARACTERS – Tommy Parker (Space Museum), Howard Parker (Space Museum)

STORYLINE – Menace of the Size-Changing Spacemen!; Tomorrow’s Hero!; Revolt of the Spaceships!

A Silver Age sci-fi anthology comic book. This issue features iconic cover art by Gil Kane and Joe Giella, famously depicting a giant alien menacing the Statue of Liberty.

An alien scientist arrives in a flying saucer near New York City. Armed with an “enlargi-reducer” device, he manipulates sizes and spreads gamma smoke, causing chaos in the Atlantic Ocean and right next to the Statue of Liberty.

PUBLISHER – DC COMICS

WRITER – Gardner Fox, John Broome

INTERIOR ART – Mike Sekowsky, Sid Greene, Carmine Infantino

COVER ART – Gil Kane

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SEPTEMBER 1967

1^ST APPEARANCES – GEM GIRL (AND ORIGIN), TOYMASTER

CHARACTERS – Gem Girl (Suzy Shoemaker), Robby Reed (Dial H for Hero), Velocity Kid (Robby Reed/Dial H for Hero), Astro Man of Space (Robby Reed/Dial H for Hero), Marco Xavier (Martian Manhuter), Martian Manhunter (J’onn J’onzz), Toymaster

STORYLINE – The Terrible Toymaster; The Manhunter Monster!; Cap’s Hobby Hints

Robby Reed’s neighborhood friend, Suzy, accidentally discovers his superhero secret when she sees him use the H-Dial to transform into the superhero “Velocity Kid” to battle a villain named the Toymaster. She blackmails Robby into letting her use the mystical H-Dial.

Suzy dials the device and is transformed into the heroine Gem Girl (marking the first appearance and origin of this temporary superhero persona). Together, Velocity Kid and Gem Girl defeat the Toymaster. At the end of the story, Suzy suffers amnesia from the battle, causing her to entirely forget her experience as a superhero and Robby’s secret identity.

PUBLISHER – DC COMICS

WRITER – Jack Miller, Otto Binder, Henry Boltinoff

INTERIOR ART – Jim Mooney, Joe Certa, Henry Boltinoff

COVER ART – Jim Mooney

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APRIL 1966

1^ST APPEARANCES – DIABOLU, QUAKE-MASTER, THE SQUID, DAFFY DAGAN, SMIKE, THE SIREN GANG

CHARACTERS – Robby Reed, Martian Manhunter (J’onn J’onzz), Quake-Master (Robby Reed/Dial H for Hero), Squid (Robby Reed/Dial H for Hero), Zook (Martian Manhunter’s sidekick)

STORYLINE – Dial “V” For Villain; The Origin of the Diabolu Idol-Head; Cap’s Hobby Hints

Criminal Daffy Dagan and his “Siren Gang” terrorize a local town using a deafening siren to paralyze citizens during robberies. Hearing the commotion, the teenager Robby Reed uses his mystical H-Dial to transform into a new superhero named Quake-Master. Quake-Master uses localized vibration waves to fly and stop the crooks.

However, Robby loses control of the transformation and knocks himself unconscious. Finding the magical dial, Daffy Dagan acts on curiosity and randomly spins the letters V-I-L-L-A-I-N, transforming himself into a horrific monstrous super-villain named “Daffy the Great”.

PUBLISHER – DC COMICS

WRITER – Dave Wood, Jack Miller, Henry Boltinoff

INTERIOR ART – Jim Mooney, Joe Certa, Henry Boltinoff

COVER ART – Jim Mooney

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CGC – GRADED 9.6 NEAR MINT+

UNIVERSAL GRADE – BLUE

CERTIFICATE NUMBER – 2088500015

FEBRUARY 1987 – NEWSSTAND VARIANT

2^ND CAMEO – EDDIE BROCK (VENOM)

CHARACTERS – AUNT MAY, EDDIE BROCK, HARRIET PALERMO, HOBGOBLIN, JOY MERCADO, NATHAN LUBENSKY, SPIDER-MAN, THE ROSE, VENOM, VICTOR PALERMO, VULTURE

STORYLINE – HIGH STAKES

We are in a casino and Aunt May is telling Pete how worried she is about Nathan’s gambling. He has been out of the books since Spectacular 113 when he allowed a SWAT team to shoot a young burglar – much to Aunt May’s disgust. Nathan has seemingly lost a lot of money and is desperate to win it back.

Pete, meanwhile is wearing the most ridiculous white suit you have ever seen. This is pure Travolta in Saturday Night Fever and worse. It’s so bad it’s good.

Anyway, back with the story. Pete feeds a few coins into a slot machine but loses his money. He thinks about using his ’emergency’ money before his brain kick in and he walks away. He then offers to take Aunt May out on the boardwalk for ice cream.

PUBLISHER – MARVEL COMICS

WRITER – LEN KAMINSKI

INTERIOR ART – DELL BARRAS

COVER ART – KYLE BAKER, VINCE COLLETTA

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