[Downunder Dan]

As this was the second last issue of Captain Atom's run, I also thought it was interesting that they were still advertising the fan club. I wonder how long it continued once the comic disappeared?

According to John Ryan in Panel to Panel, it seems that the fan club was really only the way to get the membership 'badge' - a glow-in-the-dark Captain Atom ring. Graeme Cliff suggests there was a bit more in From 'Sunbeams' to Sunset - he mentions the ring, and that club members could participate in contests, but unlike other comics fan clubs I haven't seen competitions mentioned. (Also fan club members promised to do at least one good deed each day!)

It's possible the club might have gone further, but Atlas Publications was shut down in 1958. Atlas was founded by a partnership of Jack Bellew, George Warnecke and Clive Turnbull, all journalists who had become frustrated working for the established Melbourne press. (They've been described as 'a syndicate of well-off lefty journalists'.) They published a range of things - comics, magazines aimed at boys and girls, the Family Circle, westerns, a science fiction story magazine, and three men's magazines that were banned in Queensland for being to racy. And then Jack Bellew died in 1957 after a short illness, and things fell apart. George Warnecke moved to Ireland later the same year, and its likely that most of what published on into 1958 had been prepared in 1957. Without Atlas, there was no Captain Atom and no fan club. Small publishers were normal in the Australian golden age, and the loss of one key man would do the company in. And the end was coming: the lifting of the ban on American comics and the growth of television created an adapt or die situation for all of them.

[Morgus]

‘Downunder’, someday someone is going to untangle ALL the various and sundry Family Circle enterprises I keep running into! Mom used to buy a magazine of that name in the ’70’s, they finally went under in 2019. There was a restaurant chain with a franchise in town that FINALLY went under a year or so ago. And now you tell me there was a mag with the name in Melbourne.
By the way, what did they have to do to get banned as too racy in Queensland, I wonder? Just bare ‘mammalian protuberances', as Frank Zappa used to call them? Or the OB-GYN shots that would get PENTHOUSE occasionally banned here in Ontario? Toronto used to be so uptight that there was a man placed at side stage to lower the curtain IMMEDIATELY if The Castles, a MARRIED dance team, dared to try and KISS on their visits to town.
But I digress.
If I had to choose I think I like Captain Atom better, for some reason the style reminds me of Bob Powell. Both are perfectly fine adventures that would fit into any comic company in the US at the time. Sort of makes me wonder why Warren didn’t come to Australia instead of The Philippines when they wanted more economical art after Goodman and the Good Artists left town.
Q.Q.: nice picks as always, and GALAXY QUEST just might be one of the last cult films to make it out of the ’90’s. It’s gotten harder and harder for a movie to find a cult audience anymore, with a lot just crashing and burning and never returning when they don’t get the numbers that the suits want.
Oh, and by the way, the wife says the Family Circle restaurant here in town is still in business, but probably circling the drain.

[The Australian Panther]

They published a range of things - comics, magazines aimed at boys and girls, the Family Circle, westerns, a science fiction story magazine, and three men's magazines that were banned in Queensland for being to racy.

Famiiy Circle was an Australian licensed version publication of the US parent magazine, if I remember - still available until quite recently.
It wouldn't have taken much to be banned in Queensland in the early 50's. There were still censorship boards operating quite actively in Australian states at that time. I'm sure quite a lot of US comics, of the Crime and Horror type were likely banned in Australia, and not just EC books. . 

By the way, what did they have to do to get banned as too racy in Queensland, I wonder? Just bare ‘mammalian protuberances', as Frank Zappa used to call them? Or the OB-GYN shots that would get PENTHOUSE occasionally banned here in Ontario? 

  We are talking the 50's and early 60's here Morgus, anything like that would have probably gotten you a prison sentence.
Australian Men's Magazines in that period?
Think the kind of 'lurid' pulps that Martin Goodman's Atlas used to publish. 
cheers!

[SuperScrounge]

Q.Q.: nice picks as always, and GALAXY QUEST just might be one of the last cult films to make it out of the ’90’s. It’s gotten harder and harder for a movie to find a cult audience anymore

I believe the reason why it only had a cult audience was because the studio didn't expect it to do well and didn't spend money on marketing. When they did realize that it could be a hit, they considered a marketing campaign, but decided it was too late. *sigh*

[Quirky Quokka]

As this was the second last issue of Captain Atom's run, I also thought it was interesting that they were still advertising the fan club. I wonder how long it continued once the comic disappeared?

According to John Ryan in Panel to Panel, it seems that the fan club was really only the way to get the membership 'badge' - a glow-in-the-dark Captain Atom ring. Graeme Cliff suggests there was a bit more in From 'Sunbeams' to Sunset - he mentions the ring, and that club members could participate in contests, but unlike other comics fan clubs I haven't seen competitions mentioned. (Also fan club members promised to do at least one good deed each day!)

It's possible the club might have gone further, but Atlas Publications was shut down in 1958. Atlas was founded by a partnership of Jack Bellew, George Warnecke and Clive Turnbull, all journalists who had become frustrated working for the established Melbourne press. (They've been described as 'a syndicate of well-off lefty journalists'.) They published a range of things - comics, magazines aimed at boys and girls, the Family Circle, westerns, a science fiction story magazine, and three men's magazines that were banned in Queensland for being to racy. And then Jack Bellew died in 1957 after a short illness, and things fell apart. George Warnecke moved to Ireland later the same year, and its likely that most of what published on into 1958 had been prepared in 1957. Without Atlas, there was no Captain Atom and no fan club. Small publishers were normal in the Australian golden age, and the loss of one key man would do the company in. And the end was coming: the lifting of the ban on American comics and the growth of television created an adapt or die situation for all of them.

Thanks for the extra info, Dan. I have the 'Sunbeams to Sunsets' book, but had missed some of the facts you mention. Re your comment about the problem with small presses, maybe that's why a number of comics ended quite suddenly. If a key person left, there goes the company or at least the comic book. Lucky that Frew is still able to reprint some of the old ones like Catman, the Panther, the Shadow, Sir Falcon, Captain Strato, Phantom Commander and others.

Cheers

QQ

[Quirky Quokka]

Morgus said:

Q.Q.: nice picks as always, and GALAXY QUEST just might be one of the last cult films to make it out of the ’90’s. It’s gotten harder and harder for a movie to find a cult audience anymore, with a lot just crashing and burning and never returning when they don’t get the numbers that the suits want.

and SuperScrounge said:

I believe the reason why it only had a cult audience was because the studio didn't expect it to do well and didn't spend money on marketing. When they did realize that it could be a hit, they considered a marketing campaign, but decided it was too late. *sigh*

I'm glad you liked them, Morgus. I thought they'd be up your alley 

Re Galaxy Quest and cult films, I guess streaming has really changed the game in terms of how we view films. Some movies go straight to streaming, and if you don't subscribe to that channel, you don't get the movie. I think what made Galaxy Quest special was that it was a spoof, but with a lot of heart. You could tell the writers, director, etc respected the craft, and they had a classic hero's journey story with Tim Allen's character. It made ComicCons cool, and shows like 'Big Bang Theory' capitalised on that, making comic book stores cool. So many great lines and a great cast. One of my all-time favourite movies.

Did you see the doco they did for the 20th anniversary? It was on Amazon Prime, but I'm not sure if it's still there. 'Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary'. Really good.

Cheers

QQ

[Downunder Dan]

By the way, what did they have to do to get banned as too racy in Queensland, I wonder? Just bare ‘mammalian protuberances', as Frank Zappa used to call them? Or the OB-GYN shots that would get PENTHOUSE occasionally banned here in Ontario? Toronto used to be so uptight that there was a man placed at side stage to lower the curtain IMMEDIATELY if The Castles, a MARRIED dance team, dared to try and KISS on their visits to town.

My previous knowledge of the Queensland Censorship Board banning a publication was a comic called The Scorpion, which was a villain-led, and the objection was that he beat the police always won (well, for four issues). Gordon & Gotch, the main distributor to newsagencies in Australia (then and now) apparently found this to complex to deal with, and dropped the comic altogether and the small company publishing it went out of business. As the Shadow said, "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit - crime does not pay!" You can read the last issue of The Scorpion at https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=87899.

Also, I'd love to see a fight between the Sorpion and the Raven!

[The Australian Panther]

Captain Atom 63
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=75725
I like the art in this a lot.
Also, if there were #62 issues before this, I would like to read them.
The references to earlier happenings that we have here in the narrative are intriguing.
For instance, what's Princess Lais's story? 
I'm thinking that there are a a number of influences that went into making up this character.
He has a magic word and his powers are reminiscent of both Fawcett's Captain Marvel and Superman. Princess Lais puts me in mind of Mandrake's princess Narda.
Ghost Plane
Good Art, well-told story.
It's unusual that he takes Lais with him wherever he flies in this story.
Flying Saucers
There things look like spinning Vinyl records.
Once again, he carries Princess Lais around with him. However she is a remarkably passive presence.
The creators have some interesting ideas in these two stories.
Back page.
The film projector gun.
Captain Atom films in 30 episodes. Presumably still versions of the original comics. 
This also had film of :- Grey Domino, Lone Wolf, Captain Atom, Ghost Rider, Sgt Pat and Flynn of the FBI.
If that still exists, it would be a great find.
Was there also an Australian 'Ghost Rider'?   

cheers!

[The Australian Panther]

The Crimson Comet Comic 13
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=86584
I've always been a huge fan of the Crimson Comet - I was introduced to the character quite early as some of the later John Dixon issues were still available in second-hand shops in the early 60's.
Apart from the superior art,what has always impressed me about the character was that in his 'secret identity' he is a hunchback. Most winged characters ignore the obvious fact that it would be impossible to hide two huge wings growing out of your back. Marvel's Warren Worthington for example.
DC's Hawkman used to have artificial wings, don't know if he still does.
The story.
More flying saucers!
The incredible shrinking woman?
6 years before Richard Matheson's book, 'The incredible shrinking man' 
Enjoyable!
Cheers!
Robb Tomorrow.
   

[Quirky Quokka]

Captain Atom 63
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=75725
I like the art in this a lot.
Also, if there were #62 issues before this, I would like to read them.
The references to earlier happenings that we have here in the narrative are intriguing.
For instance, what's Princess Lais's story? 
...

Back page.
The film projector gun.
Captain Atom films in 30 episodes. Presumably still versions of the original comics. 
This also had film of :- Grey Domino, Lone Wolf, Captain Atom, Ghost Rider, Sgt Pat and Flynn of the FBI.

...

If that still exists, it would be a great find.
Was there also an Australian 'Ghost Rider'?   

Hi Panther

I'm glad you liked Captain Atom. We have Issue #1 on CB+ and it gives the origin story, including that of Princess Lais.

Yes, I'd love to see those 'films' you could watch with the projector gun. Like you, I imagine they're just slides of stills from the comics, but would have been quite a hoot to invite your friends round to watch one.

And yes, there does appear to be an Australian Ghost Rider, and Issue #1 is on CB+

https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=88039

According to "From Sunbeams to Sunset", it ran from 1951 to 1956, with 57 issues. It was usually the lead story in the comic, but was backed up with US Western reprints. "Ghost Rider chronicled the exploits of Steve Jarrett, who donned a mask as a disguise. Jarrett conducted a 'one man war against crime and wickedness'. He was a 'former confederate soldier' and had a partner called 'the Marisposa kid'. Though if he had a partner, he didn't really carry on a 'one man war'! We also have the American one on the site. They appear to be different, but I didn't look in much detail.

Cheers

QQ

[Quirky Quokka]

The Crimson Comet Comic 13
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=86584
I've always been a huge fan of the Crimson Comet - I was introduced to the character quite early as some of the later John Dixon issues were still available in second-hand shops in the early 60's.
Apart from the superior art,what has always impressed me about the character was that in his 'secret identity' he is a hunchback. Most winged characters ignore the obvious fact that it would be impossible to hide two huge wings growing out of your back. Marvel's Warren Worthington for example.
DC's Hawkman used to have artificial wings, don't know if he still does.
The story.
More flying saucers!
The incredible shrinking woman?
6 years before Richard Matheson's book, 'The incredible shrinking man' 
Enjoyable!
Cheers!
Robb Tomorrow.

Hi Panther

I first came across The Crimson Comet in a John Dixon special that Frew put out. I liked the whole volume so much that I went back and bought the other John Dixon special they'd done. (Though my favourite is Captain Strato. Too bad he only lasted three issues.) Apparently Dixon drew the first seven of the Crimson Comet books, and unfortunately, the copies we have on CB+ start at #8. My Sunbeams book doesn't say exactly when he returned, except that it was later in the title's first series. Though we do have Issue #59 on the site, and it has a signed John Dixon cover, so I assume he also did the artwork inside. He was always really good at drawing aircraft, and there are plenty of those in #59.

https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=65349

I still like the art in these other ones though. A step above a lot of others from that time.

Cheers

QQ

[Quirky Quokka]

Hi everyone

Thanks for all of the interesting discussions. On average, and plot holes aside, it seems most of us found something good to say about these ones. As a kid of the 1960s, I never knew any of these comics existed until I joined this group. Thanks to Downunder Dan for uploading more Aussie titles recently and for joining our chat about these ones.

I'll just make a few wrapping-up comments, as I've already said bits and pieces during the fortnight.

Captain Atom #63

I agree with those who found a few plot holes and credibility stretches (even for a superhero comic), but I still liked it. There are a few nods to US Golden Era comics (e.g., Superman-like powers and a magic word similar to Captain Marvel), though a lot of Aussie kids wouldn't have seen those comics during the post-war ban on American comics. We did, however, have the TV shows like Superman.

Like a number of you said, Princess Lais was a fairly passive character and could have been used to much greater effect. I also smiled when she was carried along at high altitude for hours while wearing a skirt. The poor woman would have frozen before they got to their destination. I've only read three Captain Atom stories so far, and she's been fairly passive in each of them, so I don't know if she takes more of an active role in some of the other stories.

If you're interested, check out the origin story in #1.

https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=79005

It kind of makes more sense if you know the origins of both characters. It's interesting historically, with the first issue coming only a few years after Hiroshima, with the realisation that atomic power could be used for good or evil. The social conscience comes through in that first issue, and I'm sure that would have continued.

You can also see how the art really developed as they went along. We looked at the second-last comic in the run and I think the art is much better. I wonder if any of the 75 000 members of the fan club still have their Captain Atom ring?

Crimson Comet #13

We have a number of issues on the site, but I picked this one because the story took most of the issue and I liked the sci-fi feel. The format looks like a newspaper strip, with two rows of 3-panels, but I'm not sure it was ever a strip? Possibly just a way of getting as much story as possible into the 24-page format.

When Cecily comes to Ralph's office to ask for help, it reminded me of Mary Astor's Brigid O'Shaunessey in 'The Maltese Falcon'. Is this woman on the level? But it turns out she was and it gives The Crimson Comet a great opportunity to head off into space.

There are of course some stretches in credibility, but I'm happy to go with that for this kind of comic. I liked the story overall, and the longer format gave it time to develop. I also liked the art, though as Robb noted, they couldn't seem to decide what size the Neputians were. I love the cover. It's just the sort of thing that would have had me reaching into the spinner rack at the shop across the road from where I lived (though maybe in my teens). Alas, I never saw any of these comics. I think Albert Devine was the artist. He drew the Crimson Comet from about 1950-1952. Unfortunately, we don't have any of the first seven on the site that were drawn by John Dixon, but we do have one of his later ones (Issue 59).

https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=65349

Thanks again, everyone. I've enjoyed digging into these two. Robb will be here with some new selections tomorrow.

Cheers

QQ