Doug: Welcome to another comic book covers challenge. Today it's not Mike S. (aka Martinex1) steering the ship, but Edo Bosnar. Edo has a nice riff on multiple ideas, so take it away!
Edo Bosnar: The inspiration for this one is the recent “Suggestions
Unboxed” post about non-Big 2 comics. So today we’re going to be spending that hypothetical buck
on a selection of Bronze Age comics not published by Marvel or DC. But
additionally, no “kiddie” stuff, either: so no Archies, no funny animals, no
friendly ghosts or sad sacks and especially NO Richie Rich. Nope, just serious
and sophisticated fare for us today, the super-hero, action, horror, etc. comics
vying for our attention on the spinner racks of the Bronze Age in that
veritable sea of titles put out by the Big 2.
So here are your choices – since I’m sure many are not very
familiar with these titles, I included some details on the contents obtained at
the very useful Grand Comics Database. As usual, the
price you pay is the one featured on the cover:
E-man (Charlton) no.2,
$0.20, December 1973. Cover by Joe Staton, “The Entropy Twins” by Nicola
Cuti and Joe Staton; back-up feature: “Enter Killjoy” by Steve Ditko.
Red Circle Sorcery
(Red Circle) no. 9, $0.25, October 1974. Cover by Gray Morrow. “If I Were
King” (by Marv Channing and Alex Toth), “The Devil’s in Borley!” (story and art
by Pat Boyette), “The Goal is Death!” (by Marv Channing and Vicente Alcazar),
“Come In and Meet the Piano Player” (by Marv Channing and Carlos Pino), and a
text story, “The Journey” by Marv Channing, illustrated by Gray Morrow).
Destructor
(Atlas/Seaboard) no. 1, $0.25, February 1975. Cover by Larry Lieber and
Wally Wood.“The … Birth of a Hero” by Archie Goodwin, Steve Ditko and Wally
Wood.
Phoenix (Atlas/Seaboard)
no. 3, $0.25, June 1975. Cover by Frank Thorne. “The Day of the Devil” by
Gabriel Levy and Sal Amendola; Back-up feature, starring the Dark Avenger: “The
Rat Pack!” by John Albano, Pat Broderick and Terry Austin.
Tales of Evil
(Atlas/Seaboard) no. 3, $0.25, July 1975. Cover by Rich Buckler.
“Man-Monster!” by Tony Isabella, Rich Buckler (co-plotters), Gary Friedrich
(script), Rich Buckler (pencils) and Mike Vosburg (inks). Back-up feature:
“Vampire Killer Still at Large” by Gabriel Levy and Romero.
Tragg and the Sky
Gods (Gold Key/Western) no. 2, $0.25, September 1975. Cover by Jesse
Santos.“The Day the Earth Thundered” by Don Glut and Jesse Santos.
Demon Hunter
(Atlas/Seaboard) no. 1, $0.25, September 1975. Cover by Rich Buckler.“The
Harvester of Eyes” by David Anthony Kraft and Rich Buckler.
Magnus, Robot-Fighter
(Whitman/Western) no. 42, $0.25, January 1976 [complete reprint of Magnus,
Robot Figther no. 19 from August 1967].Cover by Vic Prezio (at least that’s
who’s credited with the 1967 cover, which looks exactly like this one). “Fear
Unlimited” by Russ Manning; back-up feature: “An Alien Phobia” by Russ Manning.
The Occult Files of
Dr. Spektor (Gold Key/Western) no. 24, $0.30, February 1977. Cover by Jesse
Santos.“Dragon Fire” by Don Glut and Jesse Santos.
Doomsday +1 (Charlton)
no. 10, $0.35, January 1979. Cover by John Byrne. “Hidden Empire!” by Joe
Gill and John Byrne (reprints the story from Doomsday +1 no. 4 from 1976).
Doctor Solar, Man of
the Atom (Whitman/Western) no. 29, $0.50, October 1981. Cover by Dan
Spiegle. “Li’Rae” by Roger McKenzie and Dan Spiegle; back-up feature: “The
Steel-smashing Return of Magnus, Robot Fighter” by Roger McKenzie and Frank
Bolle.
Charlton Bullseye
(Charlton) no. 4, $0.50, November 1981. Cover by Larry Houston. “The
Vanguards” by Larry Houston (art and story).