Wow! A surprisingly dark plot and absolutely gorgeous Murphy Anderson art.
This is a wonderful comic. Thanks for the upload!!!
By crashryan
I always wondered how Murphy Anderson came to draw this comic. As far as I know he did nothing else for Dell/Western. It's a terrific job, too. Anderson captured William Lundigan's likeness nicely. The only thing that is out of place is the spaceship design. The TV show based its hardware on Chesley Bonestell's designs, the ones he developed for the Willy Ley-Wernher von Braun space travel books. Anderson's rather rudimentary rocketship sticks out from the slick artwork like a sore thumb.
The story is more mature than your typical TV comic. It seems to have taken pieces from TV episodes. I haven't seen the show since 1959 so I remember almost nothing, but on IMDB someone describes the scene where McCauley, drifting in space, repeats his name over and over so the crew can get a fix on him. Then again, most of the comments were from people who also hadn't seen the show since 1959. Maybe this guy was remembering the comic book!
By TrueScot
I enjoyed the plot and the artwork. I was, however, disappointed to find that their wasn’t 1083 space men sent to the moon.
Additional Information
Name
1083 - Men Into Space | Published
Publication
Price: 0.10 USD | Pages: 36
Notes
Indicia title is "MEN INTO SPACE, No. 1083." Code number is M.I.S.O.S. #1083-603. Copyright 1960 by Ziv Televison Programs, Inc. First and only Men Into Space Four Color. Based on the CBS TV series "Men Into Space," which aired from September 30, 1959, to September 21, 1960.
Cover
Men Into Space / 1 page
Feature
Men Into Space
Pencils
? (photo)
Inks
? (photo)
Colors
? (photo)
Letters
typeset
Genre
Science Fiction
Characters
Col. Ed McCauley (photo of William Lundigan)
First Line
Col. Ed McCauley leads three men on an expedition to the moon!
Notes
In the cover photo, William Lundigan is standing by a painting by space artist Chesley Bonestell, whose signature is clearly visible.
Foreword/Afterword
Men Into Space (1 page)
Synopsis
Previews of two stories in the issue.
Pencils
?; ? (photo)
Inks
?; ? (photo)
Letters
typeset
Genre
Science Fiction
Characters
Col. Ed McCauley (photo of William Lundigan)
Notes
Inside front cover; black and white. Four panels with typeset text under them, also a head and shoulders photo of William Lundigan as Col. Ed McCauley.
Comic Story
Space Probe (10 pages)
Synopsis
Col. Ed McCauley heads the three-man crew making the first manned flight into outer space. Due to a malfunction of the second stage they must make repairs in space. They return to Earth successfully, but because of the disruption caused by the repairs are forced to land on the north polar icecap. There they must wait for rescue before being overcome by sub-zero cold.
Feature
Men Into Space
Genre
Science Fiction
Characters
Col. Ed McCauley; Major George Wolfe; Lt. James Wallace; Mary McCauley; Pete McCauley
Script submitted on August 22, 1959. Script credit provided by David Porta from "Gaylord Du Bois's Account Books Sorted by Title / compiled from the original account books by Randall W. Scott" (1985).
Comic Story
Moon Landing (10 pages)
Synopsis
Col. McCauley heads the first manned landing on the moon. He and three crewman explore a crater, but a moonquake causes a boulder to fall and injure crewman Gilman. While McCauley and the others are using a rope to haul the injured man out of the crater, there is a dust explosion. Three men make it out, but the injured man cuts himself loose and is buried in the dust and dies.
Feature
Men Into Space
Genre
Science Fiction
Characters
Col. Ed McCauley; Pat Gilman; George Wolfe; Jim Wallace
Story continues in next sequence. Script submitted on August 28, 1959. Script credit provided by David Porta from "Gaylord Du Bois's Account Books Sorted by Title / compiled from the original account books by Randall W. Scott" (1985).
Comic Story
The Dust and the Depths (12 pages)
Synopsis
The three remaining spacemen explore a nearby mountain range. Inside a cave they find indications of a thin atmosphere in the depths. Meanwhile a meteor shower bombards the area, hitting their spacecraft and rendering it unusable. Their one-man space "lifeboat" is still operable and they draw lots to see who will man it back to Earth to bring a rescue mission. The remaining two men stay in the caverns and use their equipment to condense enough oxygen to remain alive until help comes. McCauley makes it back to Earth, but it will be two months or longer before a rescue mission can be launched.
Feature
Men Into Space
Genre
Science Fiction
Characters
Col. Ed McCauley; George Wolfe; Jim Wallace; Mary McCauley (cameo); Pete McCauley (cameo)
Story continues from Sequence 3. Last panel is Dell's "A Pledge to Parents". Script submitted on September 9, 1959. Script credit provided by David Porta from "Gaylord Du Bois's Account Books Sorted by Title / compiled from the original account books by Randall W. Scott" (1985).
Inside back cover; black and white. Men Into Space logo is on story, but no characters appear. Script submitted on October 3, 1959. Script credit provided by David Porta from "Gaylord Du Bois's Account Books Sorted by Title / compiled from the original account books by Randall W. Scott" (1985).
Back cover; color. Men Into Space logo is on story, but no identifiable characters appear. Script submitted on October 3, 1959. Script credit provided by David Porta from "Gaylord Du Bois's Account Books Sorted by Title / compiled from the original account books by Randall W. Scott" (1985).
This sequence is replaced by an ad in some copies (see sequence 7).
Advertisement
Imagine "Touring" England for only 10¢ (1 page)
Feature
American Geographical Society's Around the World Program
Pencils
?; ? (photographs)
Inks
?; ? (photographs)
Colors
?; ? (photographs)
Letters
typeset
Notes
This sequence replaced by comic story in some copies (see sequence 6).
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.
