1960s Star Spangled War Stories

Continuing our look at DC's war comics of the 1960s, here is Star Spangled War Stories, with two heroes about as opposite as you could get.

Mademoselle Marie from Star Spangled War Stories #88 (December-January, 1959/1960) with cover art by Jerry Grandenetti, and the Enemy Ace from Star Spangled War Stories #148 (December-January, 1969/1970) with cover art by Joe Kubert.

Mademoselle Marie debuted in Star Spangled War Stories #84 (August, 1959) but her French resistance fighter found that her series did not last long.  Still, the battle doll continued on, guest starring with other World War II heroes, including Hunter's Hellcats, Johnny Cloud, the Haunted Tank, Sgt. Rock and the Unknown Soldier (who would eventually take over her title and claim it for his own as well).

Enemy Ace was Hans Von Hammer, a flying ace from World War I....who worked for the Germans.  Debuting in Our Army At War #151 (February, 1965), Hammer kept up his fight through a few issues there, moving to Showcase, then taking over Star Spangled War Stories for a time.   Though he was the enemy, Hammer fought with honor, even after losing his spot in the title, though resurfacing in Unknown Solider for a time towards the end of that series' run.

Remembering Artist Darwyn Cooke

Remembering artist Darwyn Cooke on his birthday (November 16, 1962 - May 14, 2016) with a look at his covers for DC: The New Frontier...

...a six issue mini-series that tells of the secrets behind the formation of the Justice League of America, involving the heroes of the early 1960s as well as others to combat invading aliens with the Martian Manhunter at the forefront, all while police scientist Barry Allen deals with his new lightning speed in becoming the Flash and pilot Hal Jordan comes to terms with becoming Earth's Green Lantern.

New Frontier #1 and #2 (March and April, 2004)

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New Frontier #3 and #4 (May and July, 2004)

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New Frontier #5 and #6 (September and November, 2004)

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New Frontier collections #1 and #2 (February and June, 2005)

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Justice League: The New Frontier Special and DC: The New Frontier (May, 2008 and August, 2016)

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A wonderful story, with the charter members of the Justice League of America (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Flash and Green Lantern), along with a few others like the Losers, the Suicide Squad, the Challengers of the Unknown, the Blackhawks, Robin, Green Arrow, Adam Strange, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and members of the Justice Society...all based loosely on a secret origin of the JLA from long ago...

1960s Our Fighting Forces

Looking back at the 1960s, and DC's war comics of that era...here, a look at Our Fighting Forces, who started off the era with #53 (January-February, 1960) and ended with #122 (November-December, 1969), both covers by Joe Kubert.

#53 featured Gunner (of Gunner and Sarge, two infantry men fighting in the Pacific), and he and his partner would later join the Losers, who would feature in the title until its end.  Lt. Benjamin Hunter gained his Hellcats to fight the Axis in #106 (March, 1967), prisoners from the stockade including Brains, Brute, Cracker, Hard Head, Juggler, Light Fingers, Snake Oil, Swinger and Zig-Zag, adding the female Heller right before their feature ended (with the Losers taking over in #123, February, 1970). 

Saluting Our Veterans

Saluting our veterans on this Veterans' Day with a slightly more lighthearted Joe Kubert cover from Our Army At War #206 (May, 1969)...as Sgt. Rock gets to take a little time off.

But, as always, a reminder to still pray for those still at war, and hope that soon, their war will be over too.

1960s G.I. Combat

Looking back at the heyday of DC's war comics, which was the 1960s...starting with G.I. Combat...which started the decade with #79 (December-January 1959/1960) with a cover by Jerry Grandenetti and Jack Adler, and ended #139 (December-January 1969/1970), covered by Joe Kubert.

The earlier G.I. Combat issues were just generic war stories, but the series changed, adding the Haunted Tank as a regular feature (the story of Jeb Stuart who commanded a World War II tank, and was aided by a relative of his, who was a Confederate General who appeared to Jeb as a ghost) with G.I. Combat #87 (April-May, 1961), ending with the title in G.I. Combat #288 (March, 1987)

Don't Get Mad, Go Vote

Time again to go to your city hall or voting precinct and vote for president.

Alfred E. Newman will show you the way....or maybe not...from this cover by Norman Mingo from Mad #185 (September, 1976).

War On Time

Sgt. Rock is here to remind you that it's time to fall back again, as Daylight Saving Time ends tonight and you have to move your clock back an hour.

But. as you can see by this Joe Kubert cover to Sgt. Rock #352 (May, 1981), the Rock of Easy Company is ready for war anytime!

The Rock Face Of War

Showing the determined face of World War II's best soldier, Joe Kubert shows incredible expressions with Sgt. Rock for these two covers...

...Our Army At War #192 (April, 1968) and Sgt. Rock #395 (December, 1984).

Though the decades change, Kubert keeps a consistent style, yet also shows how much he has evolved as an artist as well.

Happy Halloween With Vampirella

A happy Halloween to one and all, here with a pair of covers from the Harris' Vampirella Halloween Special from 2006..

....one by Amanda Conner, and the other by Tommy Castillo.

Terror Illustrated

Here, a couple of magazine sized issues from the 1950s with covers by Reed Crandall...with adult tales of terror illustrated!

Inside these two magazines (Terror Illustrated #1 from November-December, 1955 and #2 from April, 1956) were prose stories by Al Feldstein, John Larner and Jack Oleck with accompanying art by Reed Crandall, Joe Orlando, George Evans, Graham Ingels, Johnny Craig, Charles Sultan and Jack Davis...with a third issue planned at the time, but not published until 2006, with the collection of the first two issues.

Shocking Weird Mystery Tales

Just a little electrical horror here, with a pair of Nick Cardy covers to Weird Mystery Tales (#3, November-December, 1972 and #7, August-September, 1973)...just to keep things grounded.

Remembering Artist Bernie Wrightson

Remembering artist Bernie Wrightson on his birthday (October 27, 1948 - March 18, 2017)...

...with a couple of his more Halloween inspired covers to Secrets Of Haunted House (#5 and #44, December-January, 1975/1976 and January, 1982).

Fear The Funhouse Toybox Of Terror

Archie Comics gets into the horror market, with this entry from December, 2023, and the two variant covers (one by Ryan Caskey and a little girl doll, the other by Sweeney Boo with an Archie doll) in their anthology....Fear The Funhouse: Toybox Of Terror #1!

Remembering Artist Nick Cardy

Remembering artist Nick Cardy on his birthday (October 20, 1920 - November 3, 2013) with some of his rarely seen art...

..covers featuring the Spectre!

Spectre #8 and #9 (January-February and March-April, 1969)

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Spectre #10 and Secret Origins #5 (May-June, 1969 and November-December, 1973)

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....and read about Spectre's Secret Origins here!

Tales Of Terror Annuals

Horror from the 1950s!

Here, with covers by Al Feldstein, are the three EC annuals for Tales Of Terror...and, horror of horrors, each issue could be different, as they just contained bound volumes of 4 unsold EC issues from 1951, 1952 and 1953!

Happy Columbus Day

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue....and in September, 1992, Dark Horse gave us this tome, Columbus, by Starlen Baxter and Jack Jackson...

...with a cover by Sam Yeates, covering the historical significance of Christopher Columbus' journey across the Atlantic Ocean to help introduce his generation to the Americas.

Celebrating Artist Jim Starlin

Celebrating the birthday of writer/artist Jim Starlin (October 9, 1949) with a special edition...of Warlock, that is.

Adam Warlock was a character that started as "Him" in the Fantastic Four and Thor, finding his way to his own series, with adventures on a Counter-Earth...at least for a bit.  Then, Jim Starlin worked on Warlock in Strange Tales and soon a revival series, making Warlock a little more cosmic, introducing allies such as Pip the Troll and Gamora, as well as facing foes like the Magus, Thanos, the In-Betweener, the Gardner, the Stranger...and cancellation.  This epic wrapped up (after a detour to Marvel Team-Up) in Avengers Annual and Marvel Two-In-One Annual in the 1970s.

In the 1980s, Marvel, cashing in on the high quality Baxter reprints, reprinted this saga, but with the wraparound covers. as seen below!

Warlock #1 (December, 1982)

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Warlock #2 (January, 1983)

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Warlock #3 (February, 1983)

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Warlock #4 (March, 1983)

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Warlock #5 (April, 1983)

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Warlock #6 (May, 1983)

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Marvel Masters Of Terror

From a time in the 1970s, when Marvel was making magazines, comes these two issues entitled Masters Of Terror, all under the editing of Tony Isabella, who usually gave a page on an original writer in the issue, taking classic tales of horror, and presenting them in comic style.

Masters Of Terror #1 (July, 1975)

In the first issue, with a cover by Gray Morrow, are stories of "It!" by Theordore Sturgeon (adapted by Roy Thomas), with art by Marie Severin and Frank Giacoia, "The Horror From The Mound!" by Robert E. Howard (adapted by Gardner Fox) with art by Frank Brunner, "The Terrible Old Man!" by Robert E. Howard (adapted by Roy Thomas) with art by Barry Windsor-Smith, Dan Adkins and John Verpoorten, "The Drifting Snow" by August Derleth (adapted by Tony Isabella) with art by Esteban Maroto, "The Shambler From The Stars" by Robert Bloch (adapted by Ron Goulart) with art by Jim Starlin and Tom Palmer and "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" by Robert Bloch (adapted by Roy Thomas and Ron Goulart) with art by Gil Kane and Ralph Reese, plus some cartoons and horror history!

Masters Of Terror #2 (September, 1975)

The second issue, with a cover by Dan Adkins, contained stories of "The Invisible Man" by H. G. Wells (adapted by Ron Goulart) with art by Dan Adkins and Val Mayerik, "The Man Who Cried Werewolf" by Robert Bloch (adapted by Gerry Conway), with art by Pablo Marcos, "Dig Me No Grave" by Robert E. Howard (adapted by Roy Thomas) with art by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer, "The Music Of Erich Zann" by H. P. Lovecraft (adapted by Roy Thomas) with art by Johnny Craig and Dan Adkins, "Pickman's Model" by H. P. Lovecraft (adapted by Roy Thomas) with art by Tom Palmer, and "The Roaches" by Thomas M. Disch (adapted by Gerry Conway) with art by Ralph Reese, with creepy cartoons and historical articles as well.

Dealing With The Joker

Back in the later 1960s, Joker had just become another clown that Batman faced.

But, he was due for a revival in a big way, and here is a look at two of the issues that established the new normal (if Joker could ever be considered normal) for the Clown Prince Of Crime well until the Crisis On Infinite Earths...

The Joker's Five-Way Revenge

Here, in Batman #251 (September, 1973), by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams, this team did to the Joker what they had been doing with the Batman...took him back to his roots.  While still having the clown motif, Joker was also shown to be much more of a homicidal killer as he methodically worked his way through 5 of his ex-henchmen.

Also important here, is that the Joker establishes that he enjoys his battles with the Batman...

Death Has The Last Laugh

In Brave and the Bold #111 (February-March, 1974) by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo, the unlikely idea that Batman and Joker team up happens (especially with the new norm just established in the Joker's last appearance above).  Still, it happens, as Joker lets Batman know that he was innocent of murdering a family, and the two work together to find the killer.

Still, as always, the two spar and there's a twist at the end.

But these two appearances set a tone for the Joker, as well as giving him more comic exposure, leading to the introduction of Arkham Asylum in Batman #258 (October, 1974) where a Two-Face rivalry was established, as well as Joker's 9 issue series which kept the Joker in the public eye...but, sadly, the Joker series ended before its tenth issue could be published due to low sales, because the series missed one important fact...the Joker needs Batman to be successful, it was their epic battles fans wanted, not just the Joker's murderous mirth.

Remembering Artist Ramona Fradon

Remembering artist Ramona Fradon on her birthday (October 2, 1926 - February 24, 2024) with these two spooky covers to Super Friends...#10 (Febraury-March, 1978) where the Super Friends face off against a monstrous looking batch of characters and #28 (January, 1980) where the Super Friends face off against Bizarro, Swamp Thing, the Demon Solomon Grundy and Man-Bat...or so it seems.

Halloween Terror

Couldn't find much information on this issue from Malibu Comics in September, 1990...

,,.but what better way to start off October than with a little Halloween Terror?

Remembering Artist Russ Heath

Remembering the tremendously talented artist Russ Heath on his birthday (September 29, 1926 - August 23, 2018) with something not a war comic or a western, but instead a throwback to Batman's earliest days, as he and Catwoman fought a Cat-Man killing innocent women in Gotham in the four part Heat series featured in Legends Of The Dark Knight.

Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #46 and #47 (June and July, 1993)

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Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #48 and #49 (Early and Late August, 1993)

Celebrating Artist Bob Layton

Celebrating the birthday of editor, writer and artist, Bob Layton (September 25, 1953).

For a talent this big, time to go with some big issues...the four covers he drew for Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars, featuring the Hulk, the X-Men, Dr. Doom and Captain America!

Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #4 and #5 (August and September, 1984)

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Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #6 and #7 (October and November, 1984)

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