Monday, February 2, 2015

Hound Of The Atom!


Space Adventures #33 dated March, 1960 was as momentous a comic as any Charlton Comics ever published because it featured the debut of the character who arguably became their flagship superhero.  Captain Atom created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko appeared in one story in the middle of an issue featuring two typical Charlton sci-fi adventures of the time.

But sharing almost equal billing with the good Captain is faux stamp announcing a contest to win trips to Disneyland and as it says "many other great prizes".


Here is that ad with all the details. Love how they are selling the awesomeness, thrill, and glamour of air travel in a day when such things were about adventure as much as they are about humdrum commerce today. Ironically TWA (Trans World Airlines) like Charlton Comics is also now defunct with its assets now part of another firm.


Also it cracks me up that "neatness" will be a factor in deciding the winner. And as with most comics of the day you have demolish the comic to enter. Ah to live in those simpler halcyon days of impending nuclear holocaust when comic books were mere disposable entertainments.


And if you didn't know, despite his gold and red togs on the cover, the good Captain is dressed in blue and purple with gold trim inside the story. Check out the complete issue here thanks to the good folks at The Charlton Comics Reading Library.

Oh and I would've named the dog "Sparky" after seeing Ditko's lovely and distinctive rendition of Captain Atom in flight. 

Salute!

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