Reissued By Author Thomas G Lammers!

 One of the best references I have seen regarding the Atlas Comics 'Implosion'... was an article that originally appeared in Alter Ego #49 (June 2005)!

Why do I bring this up in our Blog? Because the mainstream public that also reads this Blog doesn't really know that much about 'Atlas Comics', even though 'Easter Eggs' like the issue of Mystery Tales #40 seen above, was placed in an episode of last season's 'Lost' TV Show. (Click here for that blog post.)

With all the 'Marvel' Films now being released, most mainstream viewers are thinking that 'Marvel' is basically a superheroes publishing company.  Well, years before Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four and others were created in the Marvel Universe, the company was known as 'Atlas Comics'.

Among the Atlas Comic Books that hit the newstands from Publisher Martin Goodman and Editor Stan Lee were: Strange Tales, Dippy Duck, Patsy and Hedy, Yellow Claw, Homer the Happy Ghost, Sherry The Showgirl and many more. What happened to make "Atlas Comics", a publisher with scores of titles in all types of comics genres, into what is known as 'Marvel Comics' today?

The answers were printed in a privately published book, "Tales of the Implosion: A History of the 1957 Atlas Implosion". The book was a revised and expanded version of the printed article, "Atlas shrugged. A detailed look at the 1957 'Atlas Implosion' and its effect on comics," which appeared in the magazine Alter Ego (vol. 3) 49: 45-67  in June of 2005.

This book was originally published in 2005, went OOP, and is now re-issued and available once again at the original price, $12 postpaid to any USA or Canada mailing address.  To order this book, e-mail Tom Lammers at tlammers @ new.rr.com if you cannot find it at your usual sources.

Some reference materials never go out of date, but they do sometimes go out of print (OOP)... so this re-issue is a blessing for those that want to know more about the mid-decade of what is now known as 'Marvel Comics'!

January 23rd thru 25th, 2009!

 For those of you that haven't seen Erin Gray before... and live within driving of the Phoenix ComiCon, this may be your opportunity!

I would say that most of the readers of this blog would best know of Erin as a star from a popular TV Show from the late 1970's...

Erin's role as the sleek sophisticated "Colonel Wilma" in the "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" made her name a household word at that time, which continues to this day!

As a brief bio:  

Erin Gray was born January 7th, 1950 in Honolulu. She later moved with her family from Hawaii to California when she was eight years old and stayed in the area graduating from Pacific Palisades High School.

When she was fifteen she had a chance meeting with Nina Blanchard, who was then head of one of Hollywood's top model agencies.  

Seeking to make it in modeling, she moved to New York, where she became one of the town's most sought-after models.  She was in a tier of models who were on TV like Farrah Fawcett, Veronica Hamel and Susan Blakely. I definitely remember her from the 'English Leather cologne ads' where she would declare: "My men wear English Leather--or they wear nothing at all!" .

With that commercial and others for Breck, Clairol, and RC Cola, it was only a matter of time before movie-TV offers came in. She had studied acting with well-known coach Warren Robertson while doing TV commericals.

Universal signed her to a seven-year contract based on her initial performances on TV. She was then cast as a tough-minded newspaper reporter in Irwin Shaw's 'Evening in Byzantium' in 1978. Her performance in that role scored with both critics and audiences, and that led directly to her role in "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" starting in 1979.

Buck Rogers has been on screen and in print during the many decades since his creation. Buck Rogers has also been the subject of a few comic book stories.

I blogged about the TV Show,  "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", being printed in comic book format a while back. Click here to view that archived blog post!

Erin Gray has gone on to do other projects since the TV Show ened, but it is because of her role as "Colonel Wilma Deering" that she is at this convention!

For those that may be able to make this con, here are the details for the Phoenix Comic Con:

Where:  Phoenix Comicon 2009 is being held at the Mesa Convention Center. The Mesa Convention Center is a full-service event facility located in the heart of downtown Mesa, Arizona. The Center is conveniently located just 20 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, and is easily accessed via the Loop 202, Loop 101, and US 60.

When: January 23rd thru 25th

Cost:

Full 3 Day Membership Purchased At The Door $35

Friday Single Day Membership $20
Saturday Single Day Membership $25
Sunday Single Day Membership $15

For additional details:  phoenixcomicon.com

There are also others who will be present at the Phoenix Comic Con, including Jeff Mariotte (click here for our blog about Jeff), and Noel Neill, (click here for our blog about Noel)!

As Mentioned By Bob Eubanks During The Rose Parade January 1st, 2009!

Yes, that is one of our traditions... that Tina and I see one of the repeated showings on New Year's Day of the Rose Parade from Pasadena!

I personally enjoy watching the equestrian units go by, as quite often there is some famous cowboy or cowgirl riding in the parade.

This year, according to Bob Eubanks, who once again was co-host of KTLA's coverage of The Rose Parade, (the 120th Anniverary of the Parade this year!), Monte Hale is the last remaining cowboy from the Republic Films Cowboys Era, that included:

John Wayne, Rex Allen, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Gabby Hayes, Wild Bill Elliott and several more.

Actual Dates: January 17th, 18th, 25th  & 31st, 2009!

It's been a while since I set up at one day comic cons... but I do remember the driving to, and the set up and break down of my booth at them. I get tired just thinking of that! Nowadays Tina and I just stand or sit in line waiting for cons to open (as seen at the top of this blog post)!

I was asked if there are any comic cons in the midwest early this year, by one of our blog readers who has seen a couple of our blog posts on the upcoming Phoenix ComiCon January 23rd thru January 25th. Click here for Noel Neill attending that Con. And click here for Jeff Mariotte attending also!

The main reason I don't usually blog about one day cons, is that most often there may be just one featured guest at that Con. Additionally for those that are into programs on comics, there is usually minimal programming. I realize that is a generalization, and I haven't been to too many one day cons out of our immediate area in the last couple of years.

Here are four shows that are representing themselves to be comic cons. These are presented here as a courtesy to our blog reader that asked the question about any one day cons, and to our other readers who haven't verbally or in writing voiced the same question:

YES....  In Northeastern Arizona !

It happened during our Christmas Vacation Week last month ... while we were checking out the wineries in the Page Springs / Cottonwood area!

The last time we had been in the area we hadn't seen any wineries, matter of fact we didn't know there were any there!

Well this time, since we were snowed out of re-entering Flagstaff, we planned a few more Southern trips out of Sedona.

We went to another winery in Page Springs first, and the host/server there recommended we see Javelina Leap Winery next.

We had hardly starting talking to others standing at the wine bar, when Sally Murphy, the hostess/server there that day told us right off which wines Tina and I would like best.

Darn if she wasn't right on!  I mentioned that were from out of town, and had seen several sights already in the area. I don't always mention right off what we do when we are not in a convention setting. I mentioned I was interested in art, and Sally stated what art I was most interested in.  Right again!

Well, I told her, giving her my card, taking her photo, etc. that she was a true psychic!  Tina got in the swing of things too and stated that Sally should be promoting herself as a wine & art psychic on the web!

Turned out that Sally is also an artist, with the majority of her artwork in an art gallery in Jerome, which we had driven by earlier, but hadn't stopped because of the weather.

Sally isn't a comic book artist, or an artist for book covers, which are whom we usually blog about here... but you might want to take a look anyways at her web site:

myspace.com/sallyjanell 

(Plus she is on FaceBook: Sally Murphy)

For those that think that all Tina and I do are to go to comic cons and pop culture conventions... well, there are times that Tina and I do like to go wine tasting and view art galleries too, LOL!