Amph 1001 Comic Books You Must Read: 280. "Superboy" #49

245. "The Thing" #15

[image=http://www.ditko-fever.com/sdthing01.gif]

Writer: Uncredited

Artists: Steve Ditko

Charlton (July-August 1954)

"This issue has Ditko art from cover to cover. "The Worm Turns" is a terrifying tour de force of mad scientist and monster mayhem in which laws of nature are violated, civilization is destroyed, and mankind's destruction is inevitable. Or is it?"

 

I should look into these. I always felt Ditko really shined on the grotesque, so his horror work seems like a good place to find it.

 

246. "Action Comics" #195

[image=http://images.wikia.com/marvel_dc/images/b/bd/Action_Comics_195.jpg]

Writer: William Woolfolk

Artists: Wayne Boring, Stan Kaye

DC (August, 1954)

"When she witnesses Tiger Woman Knock Clark Kent into molton stell Lois Lane goes into shock and assumes the criminal's identity. I find it disturbing that Lois is so incredibly hot as a villainess. Maybe she missed her true calling."

 

Well, I find it disturbing that this issue made an essentials list. Because it's pretty damn bland.

 

247. Four Color #574: The Hand of Zorro

[image=http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/4/1071-927-1143-1-four-color_super.jpg]

Writer: Paul S. Newman

Artist: Everett Raymond Kinstler

Dell (August, 1954)

"The fourth of seven adaptations of the original Johnston McCulley novels. Kinstler would become a revered portrait painter. His work hangs in the National Portrait Gallery; his subjects include John Wayne, Ronald Reagan and the first President Bush."

 

Oh my God, what a cover.

 

248. Shock SuspenStories #16

[image=http://www.blastoffcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Shock-Suspense-16-791x1024.jpg]

Writer: Carl Wessler

Artist: Reed Crandall

E.C. (August-September 1954)

"Veteran writer Wessler produced thousands of stories for all kinds of comics, including four for this issue. "A Kind of Justice" is bold even by E.C. standards: a chilling story of rape, mob fury and abuse of power."

 

I like how the cover says "IMPACT" and the guy's getting decked across the face. It's the little things.

 

249. "Casper, the Friendly Ghost" #24

[image=http://www.wwcomics.com/images/large/Casp_24_60.jpg]

Writer: Uncredited

Artist: Uncredited

Harvey (September 1954)

"I love 'comics in the comics' stories. Casper befriends an artist and, with him, creates a hit comic book starring...Casper! But making up stories about helping people isn't as satisfying to the friendly ghost as actually helping people."

 

250. "Foxhole" #1

[image=http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/simonandkirby/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/Foxhole1.jpg]

Writer: Uncredited

Artist: Jack Kirby

Mainline (September 1954)

"He didn't go for blood in spooky comics, but Kirby wasn't so reticent about showing the horrors of war. He'd learned war close up, and his battlefield experience shows up on what could be the most powerful war comic cover of all."

 

251. "World's Greatest Songs Illustrated" #1

Link

Writer: Uncredited

Artist: Russ Heath, Joe Maneely

Marvel (September 1954)

"A one-hit wonder. This odd title took lyrics to songs performed by such contemporary stars as Eddie Fisher and Frank Sinatra and turned them into comics. This one and only issue also featured Fisher's life story...in four pages!"

 

There's really only one thing you can say to that.

[image=http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1273/5184976413_09f423ce8d.jpg]

 

252. "Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen" #1

[image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/ff/Supermans_Pal_Jimmy_Olsen_1.jpg/250px-Supermans_Pal_Jimmy_Olsen_1.jpg]

Writer: Otto Binder

Artist: Curt Swan, Ray Burnley

DC(September-October 1954)

"Jack Larson's portrayal of Jimmy on TV's Adventures of Superman was so popular the cub reporter got his own comic within two years of the series' launch. The Jummy of these early issues was less of a goof than he became in the 1960s."

 

Jimmy Olsen is an absolute must-read for absolutely all of the wrong reasons.

And then in the 1970s Jack Kirby took over and it became a must-read for all the RIGHT reasons.

Just... read Jimmy Olsen.

 

"Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis" #16

[image=http://images.wikia.com/marvel_dc/images/b/bf/Adventures_of_Dean_Martin_and_Jerry_Lewis_Vol_1_16.jpg]

Writers: Uncredited

Artists: Uncredited

DC (October, 1954)

"Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were superstars of radop. movies, and TV. DC figured that they would equally successful in their own comic. They headlined 40 issues until their real-life breakup necessitated a change in the comic book's format."

 

Wait, you mean to tell me Jerry Lewis had a comic with the word balloons and the panels and the narration and the oyvenoyven and the illustrations with the things doing the other things?!

 

"Piracy" #1

[image=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P5wwSmOGTNg/TZR2rC5E4nI/AAAAAAAAFZQ/6anW5HJ9jAo/s1600/Piracy_1-01.jpg]

Writers: Uncredited

Artists: Wally Wood, Reed Crandall

DC (October-November, 1954)

"The loss of their profitable horror titles led E.C. to new directions. This anthology of sea stories was meticulously researched to be as true to life as possible but it never found an audience and ended after only six issues."

 

He could've at least mentioned that the dreaded CCA was born just a month prior, single-handedly destroying the horror comic as they knew it. 1954 in general was a bad year for the industry, as it saw the publication of freaking Seduction of the Innocent, which in turn led to senate hearings that directly resulted in the aforementioned Code. Expect the next few issues to be representative of publishers scrambling like chickens with their heads cut off before Carmine Infantino sweeps in to take all the marbles.

 

"Black Magic, Vol. 5, #3"

[image=http://d1466nnw0ex81e.cloudfront.net/iss/600w/704/397041/8167811_1.jpg]

Writers: Uncredited

Artists: Jack Kirby, Joe Simon

DC (November-December, 1954)

"Before Jaws, there was "Lone Shark". A shark is mutated by an undersea atomic testing, and grows a tumour-like second brain, giving him human intelligence. He's so smart that he's actually the narrator of this scary and simultaneously sad story."

 

257. "Weird Science Fantasy" #26

[image=http://www.comicartville.com/ufowsf26.jpg]

Writers: Al Feldstein

Artists: Wally Wood, Reed Crandall

DC (December, 1954)

"Publisher Gaines and editor Feldstein devoted this entire issue to supposedly factual illustrated accounts of flying saucers. The documentary presentation ended with EC challenging the Air Force "to tell us the truth about the flying saucers."

 

258. "Classics Illustrated #124: The War of the Worlds"

[image=http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/images/class_x.jpg]

Writers: H. G. Wells, Henry Miller

Artists: Lou Cameron

DC (January, 1955)

"One of the few Classics I bought myself---because "War of the Worlds" is my favorite Wells novel and because the art captured the story so well. Cameron also painted paperback covers and wrote several novels and more than 300 short stories."

 

259. "Tales From the Crypt" #46

[image=http://www.benzilla.com/uploads/2010/10/tales-from-the-crypt-46.gif]

Writers: Al Feldstein

Artists: Jack Davis, George Davis

DC (February-March, 1955)

"The last issue of the E.C. horror comics goes out with stories drawn by Davis, Joe Orlando, Graham Ingles, and one more classic: "Blind Alleys" by Feldstein and George Evans. "And then some idiot turned out the lights."

 

260. "Adventure Comics" #210

[image=http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/9541/370179-3105-128752-1-adventure-comics_super.jpg]

Writers: Otto Binder

Artists: Curt Swan, Sy Berry

DC (March, 1955)

"Krypto lands in Smallville. He was Superboy's dog on Krypton until Jor-El used him as a test animal and shot him into space. Most of us would have serious issues with a father who did that to our pet. The Kents raised Kal-El right.

 

261. "Impact" #1

[image=http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw6kbsqEC81qeyxkso1_500.png]

Writers: Al Feldstein, Carl Wessler

Artists: Reed Crandall, Bernard Krigstein

EC (March-April, 1955)

"Every story in this issue is a gem, but Krigstein's ground-breaking storytelling for Feldstein's "Master Race" elevated the tale of a concentration camp commander's final moments to masterpiece status. One of the greatest stories in comics history."