Weird Wednesday - MAGNO AND DAVEY

I've decided to run a new feature here at

APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS!

It's called

and it's basically when I find a comic or a story or a cover that just seems so WEIRD I have to post it for you.

Today's story features MAGNO and DAVEY.

They were the stars of ACE COMICS most popular title, SUPER-MYSTERY COMICS. 

MAGNO debuted in SUPER-MYSTERY COMICS #1, July 1940, and DAVEY appeared and became his kid sidekick (everybody had one back then) in issue #4. As his name implies, MAGNO's powers were magnetic in nature, in a typically pseudo-science fiction comic book manner. MAGNO could apparently magnetize any object at will and thereby control it. It was in this manner he attained the power of flight. If he wanted to go to the city library, for example, all he had to do was (somehow) magnetize himself to the library, and he was drawn there in an instant. Davey was an ordinary kid who acquired his magnet powers via MAGNO just deciding to "magnetize" him, though DAVEY's powers did wear off after a certain time period and would need to be re-charged by MAGNO.

ACE employed several artists who would later become more well known, artists like Harvey Kurtzman, Dave Berg, and Jim Mooney, for example.Our story was drawn by Lou Ferstadt. Ferstadt was a muralist and a comic book artist whose claims to fame include co-creating this WEIRD comic book character, THE BOUNCER.

This cover, seen in various places throughout the web,

 was drawn NOT by Ferstadt, but artist E.C. Stoner.

By today's standards, the art here by Ferstadt comes off as, well, weird.

MAGNO's chief villain was THE CLOWN, a creepy character who appears to be a distant cousin to the Batman's JOKER. 

The Clown is aided by some other weird villains, one of whom enjoys roasting his victims to a crisp with a flame-thrower in various decidedly violent pre-code scenes.

The story comes from SUPER-MYSTERY COMICS (Vol.3) #5, 1943.

If someone can figure out what the weird villains are trying to do in this weird cover, you get bonus points.

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Well, was I kidding?

It was weird, right?

Come back soon and there will be more 

WEIRDNESS!

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Getting DOWN TO EARTH with Wally Wood

Wally Wood is one of the undeniable masters of comic book art.

His striking and powerful work grabs your attention from the first moment you see it, 

and once you've seen it, you'll never look at comics the same way again.

Since his earliest days in comics Wally Wood has impressed and inspired legions of artists, myself included. His unmatched proficiency with handling light and dark forms has set the standard for comic book chiaroscuro. Compared to most of his contemporaries, Wood's art didn't just fill panels with run of the mill images. No, the world he created was more real than anything else seen in comics, his characters were three-dimensional, alive! His comic stories had the ability to transport you to a magical realm where the impossible became reality.

It is then with great pleasure I present to you one of the premiere science fiction artists ever to draw in comics,  with a story presented in one of the greatest issues of one of the most celebrated science fiction comics ever produced. Written by the equally influential Al Feldstein, (and colored by Marie Severin) for EC Comics WEIRD SCIENCE # 16, 1952, the story is titled "DOWN TO EARTH!", and features fantastic flying saucers and disgusting alien creatures as only Wood could envision them.

Oh, yes, before I forget, I have a bonus treat for you.

While the color version of the comic is presented here, over at 

BLACK 'N' WHITE AND RED ALL OVER 

I have Wood's original art, displayed in all it's glorious detail,

which is a must see, I must say!

When you're done here,

just click the link above (or here) and go enjoy it!

You'll be glad you did!

But first, let's get

"DOWN TO EARTH!"

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Wood;s incredible cover art for WEIRD SCIENCE #16

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Okay, now, go enjoy Wood's amazing original artwork at

-click link above-

  

Basil Wolverton's MYSTIC MOOT And HIS MAGIC SNOOT!

A unique voice in comic art, Basil Wolverton's work can never be mistaken for someone else's.

Here are two short tales starring MYSTIC MOOT AND HIS MAGIC SNOOT!

From COMIC COMICS #6 & #7, 1946.

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