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Atlas/Seaboard. It didn't burn long, it didn't burn bright and it crashed as much as it burned but burn it did - and at significant cost.
Launched by Marvel's former publisher Martin Goodman, for the alleged purpose of visiting vengeance upon Cadence Industries for not hiring his son Chip as Marvel's new editorial director, much money was flung at the project and much talent was hired to work for it.
As those books started to flood the spinner racks of the western world, it seemed a whole new era had arrived in the US comic industry. One that might sweep aside Marvel, DC, Charlton, Gold Key, Dell and all others, in a tidal wave of unadulterated ambition.
In this case, that other mag being Warren's Famous Monsters of Filmland.
As the cover informs, us, issue #1 features articles about Planet of the Apes and Christopher Lee's Dracula, plus The Exorcist and Gorgo.
It also, I believe, contains pieces about Star Trek, Curse of the Werewolf, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Monsters of Hercules.
I suspect the fellow on the cover is the Cyclops from The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. Therefore, I shall assume there's also an article about that movie too.
But here's a book which bucked the trend of Atlas/Seaboard titles only lasting for four issues before disappearing, by only lasting for one issue before disappearing.
It's true. Never again would we see this book but, while it's among us, it does, at least, give us such breath-defying tales as The Cruel Cliffs of Malaspina, The Devil's Chapel, The Black Unicorn, Mommy Save Me From the Night Monsters and Asylum, as well as providing me with my own personal star-scope.
Who could demand more in exchange for their money?
Not me, even though Mommy Save Me From the Night Monsters doesn't exactly scream, "Romance," at me.
And was this mag too a rip-off of anything else?
I suspect it may have been designed as a, "homage," to Dell's Gothic Romances published in 1970 whose first issue also featured a front cover painting of a young woman fleeing a sinister house.
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6 comments:
I was a massive fan of the Atlas line of comics at the time and had every issue (as you noted they were all over the place in the UK) except Gothic Romance and Vicki . I picked up all 4 issues of the Vicki around 1990, then gave almost every one of my Atlas books to a charity shop. Seemingly Gothic Romance featured illos by Neal Adams, Howie Chaykin etc.
Even now Atlas books dont seem to be of interest to comic book fans , I saw a few issues of Police Action, the Scorpion and the Brute for sale in Glasgow at 50p each they've been in the back issue section for nearly a year now. Saying that their black and white mags were excellent.
Paul, I think the two issues of THRILLING ADVENTURE STORIES were the absolute best comics Atlas/Seaboard produced. I don’t really remember their two horror-themed b/w comics very well.
Steve, there was another GOTHIC ROMANCES mag from another publisher that ran for two or three issues in the early 70s. And Marvel published 3 issues of a mag called GOTHIC TALES OF LOVE in 1975, meaning that Marvel was following Atlas’ lead for once.
b.t.
For some bizarre reason there seemed to be lots of copies of Thrilling Adventure Stories #1 on sale round my way back then. But try to find any of the US Marvel b&w mags? Forget it.
Anyway, it was terrible. I mean, Tiger-Man? Come on, b.t.
Iirc there was a story drawn by Russ Heath in it though (set in a WW2 prison camp?) That was the only thing you could say for the mag really... that it had a few pages of nice Russ Heath artwork in the back.
I suppose that might well have been enough to make it the best Atlas title.
-sean
I'd never heard of Atlas/Seaboard until a few years ago.
sean:
A quick refresh of my memory at the GCD, and yes, that first Tiger-man story wasn’t so hot and I’m never too keen on Leo Summers and Jack Sparling art. But as you mentioned, there’s that nicely drawn Russ Heath WWII story and I thought Frank Thorne’s art on the Lawrence of Arabia story was pretty good.
The second issue of THRILLING ADVENTURE was better overall, with another nifty Russ Heath story, a cool sword and sorcery story by Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson, stories illustrated by John Severin and Alex Toth and a very SAVAGE TALES-esque cover by Neal Adams.
b.t.
Oh, and for anyone who’s interested, there’s a copy of Atlas’ GOTHIC ROMANCES up on eBay even as we speak. The seller has posted the interior illustrations by Chaykin, Adams and Colon. They’re only asking 900 bucks for it :D
b.t.
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