Children Of The Atom!

Captain Atom created by Steve Ditko and Joe Gill for Charlton Comics, is almost certainly the most famous and most enduring of the many superheroes who were born of the atomic age. He was the very byproduct of an atomic blast, a man transformed by the destructive power of an atomic bomb into something which could use atomic power for the betterment of the world. But while he was the most famous, he was hardly the only hero. 

From Atoman by Jerry Robinson from Spark in 1946 to Radioactive Man from Bongo in 1996, here are fifty years of fun-loving characters who adore nothing so much as to play with the very fabric of nature and reality. But then, that's what comics are all about anyway Enjoy a good look at these four-color "Children of the Atom"!

More Atomic Action tomorrow!

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The Adventures Of Superman!

Superman looks singularly heroic but still quite human in the drawing by Steve Ditko above. It was produced for an anniversary celebration of the Man of Steel. Though not technically an "atomic hero", I plan to revisit the most famous superhero, one powered by the radiation of our Sun itself. 

I want to look at the absolutely exquisite cartoons produced in the early 40's by the Fleischer and Famous Studios for Paramount. I'm always blown away by the craftsmanship in these earliest of adaptations of the hero to the big screen. 

Superman gets a bit more real when Kirk Alyn is tapped to portray the hero in two movie serials from Columbia. The animation is still important as it is used to showcase Superman in flight. The first introduces the hero and the second pits him against Lex Luthor, who also doubles as the "Atom Man" of the title. 

 

Most of my time though will be spent revisiting the classic Superman TV show starring George Reeves. These wonderful vintage shows are among the most pleasant and heartwarming adaptations of the great DC hero. I haven't watched these in nearly a decade or more and it will be great fun to dive into them again. 

And if time permits, I also want to take a look at those early 60's Superman cartoons created by Filmation. These were, along with a few well-handled comic books, my introduction to the character. 

I'll be using the 1976 tome Superman - Serial to Cereal to give me some background insights to these shows as the month rolls along. I'll not be reviewing them, so as to keep the focus on Captain Atom and Doctor Solar, but below is a review I did some time back of my favorite George Reeves outing as Superman. 

If you forced me to pick a single Superman feature as my all-time favorite, Superman and the Mole Men would get the nod. I love this delightful introduction to the George Reeves Superman which functions very effectively as a fable of mankind's fear of the unknown.

The Mole Men are small people who rise up out of a oil well hole which has sunk too far down. They emerge and are deemed hostile as humans get injured around them through a combination of fear and the innate radiation which emanates from the creatures themselves. They explore the small town in which they emerge and are met with fear by adults and ease with a small girl who warmly welcomes them into her bedroom.

This scene of the Mole Men lurking around the window scared the bejeezus out of me when I was a youngster. It seems a pretty naive scene today, but back then I was most affected by it. I love to revisit that tiny terror memory when I watch this one over and over. Phyllis Coates is effective as Lois Lane, though she is a particularly bitchy version of the character. No other regulars from the eventual Superman series appear.

This is a very good entertainment and gets my highest recommendation. So up, up and away amigos. 

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Nuclear Fiction - Atomic Heroes!

This month is all about the mighty atom. Steve Diko's first superhero creation was Captain Atom. Joining forces with the indefatigable Joe Gill, Ditko created a hero born of his era in the 1960's, a time besotted with concerns and fascinations with atomic power. It was a time when atomic doom could arrive anytime, but also a time when naively folks thought that atomic power could create a future filled with wonders and with little or no cost. It was a dream and Captain Atom was born of that dream, a military man who was both destroyed and resurrected by an atomic blast. 

A few years later Gold Key designed and presented their own version of an atomic superman in the form of Doctor Solar - Man of the Atom. Like Captain Atom, Solar was subjected to lethal atomic energy, only to have that energy reconstruct him in impossible ways giving him vast powers but also isolating him from his fellow man. Expect weekly excursions into the long career of Doctor Solar as the month goes on. 

I've collected Captain Atom stories many times over. I have all of them in their original comic book form, which we will take a look at as the month rumbles along. But I will be reading rereading them in the sundry collections I have from DC Comics, Famous Comics and elsewhere. The Captain Atom stories, both the earliest yarns from the 60's and the later material from the middle of the decade have fascinating aspects to explore. 

I'll be using the Dark Horse reprint collections to read the Doctor Solar stories. Doctor Solar ran for quite a long time and was handled by some of the best comic artists of the time. I'm very much looking forward to diving into these again. 

So, this month should be fun as the Dojo lights up with atomic power. 

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