APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS: Atlas

Monday, May 5, 2014

ROBOT WEEK Day 2 - I, ROBOT and I, THE ROBOT (and more)

I am

THE APOCOLYTE!

I am back again for DAY 2 of ROBOT WEEK!

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"Hey, you got Robot in my Comic Book!"

"Oh yeah? Well, you went and got Comic Book all over my Robot!"

TWO GREAT THINGS THAT GO GREAT TOGETHER!

That's right,

ROBOTS

and

COMIC BOOKS!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, one of the more popular and enduring ROBOT stories that
emerged after the dawn of the robot age has been Earl and Otto (Eando) Binder's I, ROBOT,
the saga of robot ADAM LINK.

AMAZING STORIES Jan. 1939

By the time "I, ROBOT" was published in 1939, Earl Binder had retired from writing and Otto continued to write utilizing the Eando pseudonym. All the Adam Link stories were in fact written by Otto Binder alone.

EC Comics brought the character to the comic book pages in the January-February 1955 issue of

WEIRD SCIENCE-FANTASY #27. Otto Binder was doing quite a bit of writing for EC around this time, and although he gets the writing credit for EC's "I, ROBOT" stories, it was in fact Al Feldstein who adapted the Adam Link robot stories for EC.

The artwork for all the Adam Link stories published by EC (they did three of them) was done by Joe Orlando. Orlando would continue drawing the character for WARREN's early CREEPY issues, where he drew eight Adam Link stories between 1965-67.

(To see another Joe Orlando ADAM LINK story, click here to go to

BLACK 'N' WHITE AND RED ALL OVER

and enjoy yet another version of "I, ROBOT!")

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Today's second presentation in our Robotic Double Feature comes from ATLAS / MARVEL Comics.

From the final issue of MENACE (#11, 1954) comes a slightly sinister tale of mechanized mayhem.

With artwork by Marvel stalwart John Romita (Sr.), the uncredited author here transmogrifies

Otto Binder's well-known title and turns it into

"I, THE ROBOT"!

- Digitally Restored Comic Art -

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Have you ever wanted your own robot?

When I was much younger I thought it would be cool to have a robot like this one on LOST IN SPACE.

Well, apparently lots of other people had the same idea,

and now the dream can become a reality.

Yes, you too can own your very own personal B9 ROBOT, just like Will Robinson!

For a mere pittance of $25,000 (Earth money) this company (click for link) will build your very own

LOST IN SPACE Robot. They have many satisfied customers.

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Thanks for dropping by!

Stop by again tomorrow when your friend

THE APOCOLYTE

will have more great stuff on Day 3 of

Don't forget!

Click on the picture to see another ADAM LINK Robot story!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Bill Everett -- An AMAZING MAN

One of my favorite comic artists is Bill Everett.
But Bill Everett wasn't just an artist, he was also a writer, and a creator of comic book characters.
His biggest creation played a major role in the formation and development of comics as we know them today.

At 21 years of age, Bill Everett sold his first comic book page of artwork for $2 in 1938.

It featured his first comic book character creation, Skyrocket Steele,

a "Buck Rogers"-like space adventurer.

AMAZING MYSTERY FUNNIES #1, 1938,

featured Skyrocket Steele on the cover, even though Bill Everett's creation didn't make his debut until issue #2.

Cover art by Bill Everett, one of his first published comic artworks.

Everett's SKYROCKET STEELE.

"As related from the diary of Bill Everett"

Everett's next creation, DIRK THE DEMON,

from AMAZING MYSTERY FUNNIES #3, 1938.

Everett's next creation to hit the news-stands was AMAZING-MAN, in September 1939.

Though Centaur Comics art director Lloyd Jacquet is credited for co-creating Amazing-Man,

it was Everett who scripted and drew his origin in the debut issue (#5),

as well as his adventures in subsequent issues.

AMAZING-MAN COMICS #5, 1939.

Cover art by Bill Everett.

The stage is set for Everett's biggest creation.

Though created before AMAZING-MAN for for the ill-fated MOTION PICTURE FUNNIES WEEKLY #1, Everett's original 8-page story about Namor, The SUB-MARINER was repackaged and sold to Martin Goodman (with an added new 4 pages) for MARVEL COMICS #1.

In October, 1939, THE SUB-MARINER debuted and, along with compatriot Carl Burgos' creation THE HUMAN TORCH, changed the face of comics forever. With Marvel's addition of Simon and Kirby's CAPTAIN AMERICA, which debuted two years later, THE SUB-MARINER and THE HUMAN TORCH would make up the trinity of characters that would remain at the heart of Marvel Comics for the next two decades and beyond.

From MARVEL COMICS #1, 1939.

Well, if comics fans liked ONE under-water hero,

why not create another one?

Bill Everett's THE FIN debuted in Marvel's

DARING MYSTERY COMICS #7, 1941.

Speaking of aquatic themes, we can't forget about Everett's HYRDOMAN, created in 1940, a hero who could transform himself into living water!

In the 1950's Everett was one of Stan Lee's best artists for Marvel's Atlas period, where he contributed dozens of fantastic stories and incredibly detailed and moody covers, such as these examples,

many of these comics I purchased solely based on the beautiful Bill Everett cover artwork:

Everett worked for Marvel doing comics through the 60's and into the early 70's, using his artistic abilities to draw such popular characters as the HULK, DR. STRANGE, and his own SUB-MARINER. He did many covers, pencils, and inks for a variety of comics. In 1964, along with Stan Lee, Everett used his creative powers again and helped create DAREDEVIL, drawing the 1st issue (Jack Kirby also had a hand in designing the character, giving him his billy club, and Steve Ditko and Sol Brodsky helped finish the artwork, handed in at a late hour).