Welcome to Comic Book Plus, a massive site where every day is party day!
We are the original, and still the best site to read and download Golden Age comic books. We also hold a large and growing selection of Silver Age comic books, Comic Strips, Pulp Fiction, Old Time Radio (OTR), Fanzines, a lively and active Forum plus lots more ...
The even better news is that all the content is FREE and LEGAL.
This is a historically significant archive, that has taken a great many people thousands of hours to create, and we are ever vigilant to ensure that no content breaches copyright or trademark laws.
There is something for everyone here. We hope you enjoy your time with us, and come back really soon!
You are WELCOME to enjoy our site & read ALL our books online. But to download & join our forum please create a FREE account or
login
Mark Trail started life as a newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Ed Dodd. Introduced April 15, 1946, the strip centers on environmental and ecological themes. It was syndicated through the New York Post in 1946 to 45 newspapers. Dodd, working as a national parks guide, had long been interested in environmental issues. The character is loosely based on the life and career of Charles N. Elliott (November 29, 1906 - May 1, 2000), at the time a U.S. forest ranger who edited Outdoor Life magazine from 1956 to 1974. Dodd once said that the physical model for Trail was John Wayt, his former neighbor in north Atlanta.
On January 30, 1950, Mutual Broadcasting System launched a radio adaptation, Mark Trail, featuring Matt Crowley in the title role. The 30-minute episodes aired three times weekly, and 174 episodes were produced, running until June 8, 1951. A second radio series, starring Staats Cotsworth, was broadcast on ABC beginning September 18, 1950, with 51 half-hour shows that ran thrice weekly until January, 1952. The series then switched to a 15-minute format, producing 125 episodes that aired weekdays through June 27, 1952. Only a handful of the 15-minute episodes are known to have survived. (Source: wikipedia.org)
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims.
In April 1930, Ripley brought "Believe It or Not" to radio, the first of several series heard on NBC, CBS and the Mutual Broadcasting System. When Ripley's 1930 debut on The Collier Hour brought a strong listener reaction, he was given a Monday night NBC series beginning April 14, 1930, followed by a 1931-32 series airing twice a week. After his strange stories were dramatized on NBC's Saturday Party, Ripley was the host of The Baker's Broadcast from 1935 to 1937. He was scheduled in several different 1937-38 NBC timeslots and then took to the road with popular remote broadcasts. In 1944, he was heard five nights a week on Mutual in shows with an emphasis on WWII. Romance, Rhythm and Ripley aired on CBS in 1945, followed by Pages from Robert L. Ripley's Radio Scrapbook (1947-48).
Robert Ripley is known for several radio firsts. He was the first to broadcast nationwide on a radio network from mid-ocean, and he also participated in the first broadcast from Buenos Aires to New York. Assisted by a corps of translators, he was the first to broadcast to every nation in the world simultaneously.
As the years went on, the show became less about oddities and featured guest-driven entertainment such as comedy routines. Sponsors over the course of the program included Pall Mall cigarettes and General Foods. The program ended its successful run in 1948 as Ripley prepared to convert the show format to television. (Source: wikipedia.org)
Here was have a second radio show from the highly successful Ripley's Believe It or Not! franchise.
These must rank as some of the shortest radio programs ever broadcast. Most of them struggle to get to the full minute claimed. However in that short space of time the show impressively packs in a dramatic introduction complete with sound effects over which the narrator says:
"Truth is stranger than fiction ... This is Ripley's Believe It or Not!"
Then follows a fact ... an interlude for a local advertiser or sponsor ... a second fact ... and the ending music.
Smokey Bear was created by the art critic Harold Rosenberg, and is administered by three entities: the United States Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council. Smokey Bear's name and image are protected by U.S. federal law after the Smokey Bear Act of 1952!
This radio series was produced by the Ad Council in 1959. In each show Smokey Bear talks to a big star of of the day about fire prevention. Music is provided by The Sons of the Pioneers, a Western Harmony group, originally formed by Len Slye who later found fame as Roy Rogers!
Smokey has a message for everyone, which you must not forget: "Remember ... Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires!!
Strange as It Seems appeared as a syndicated cartoon feature in 1928. Created by John Hix, who insisted every published fact be verified by a minimum of three sources.
Strange as It Seems began as a 15 minute radio program on March 22, 1935. It was broadcast over the Columbia - Don Lee Coast radio network. The show was hosted by Gayne Whitman and included two or three segments of dramatized events in mini plays. This run of the shows concluded at the end of January 1937, after over 210 shows. It began again in January 1938 as a 15 minute once a week program ending at the end of December 1938, with 53 shows in this run.
The Strange as It Seems radio program was picked up as a 30 minute network program on the Columbia Broadcasting System from August 17, 1939 to December 26, 1940. There were 72 broadcasts of these broadcasts. The sponsor was Palmolive Shave Cream and the host was Alois Havrilla. Havrilla was the announcer on the Stranger Than Fiction movie shorts beginning in 1934 and continuing in that role until the shorts were ended in 1942. Stranger Than Fiction was the successor to the Strange as It Seems movie shorts that ran from 1930 until 1934.
The program had one final run in its original 15 minute format from Nov. 10, 1946 to April 13, 1947, airing at 7:30 PM on Sunday nights. There were 22 episodes aired in this run. (Source: wikipedia)
CB+ Chat AI - At Your Service▼
CB+ ChatAI is training & may be inaccurate. In truth, it's a pathological liar. Do not trust it!
Mission: Our mission is to present free of charge, and to the widest audience, popular cultural works of the past. These are offered as a contribution to education and lifelong learning. They reflect the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times. We do not endorse these views, which may contain content offensive to modern users.
Disclaimer: We aim to house only Public Domain content. If you suspect that any of our material may be infringing copyright, please use our contact page to let us know. So we can investigate further. Utilizing our downloadable content, is strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
CB+ Chat AI - At Your Service▼
CB+ ChatAI is training & may be inaccurate. In truth, it's a pathological liar. Do not trust it!
