PLANET COMICS #1 (JANUARY 1940)

 Space opera!

Bug-eyed monsters!

Good Girl Art!

Science and reality be damned!

I felt like a kid again reading this first issue of Fiction House's Planet Comics, title which ran for 73 issues from January 1940 to the Winter 1953 issue.  As was the case with many of Fiction House's comics books, this title was a spin-off from one of their pulp magazines, in this case Planet Stories, venerable pulp that was home to such great writers as Leigh Brackett,the early Rau Bradbury, Philip K. Dick (his first published story), Poul Anderson, Nelson S. Bond,  Theodore Sturgeon, and Ross Rocklynne. (The comic book managed to eke out two more issues than its namesake pulp, which lasted for 71 issues.)  Such a heady list of writers did not, alas, contribute to the comic book, although among the comic's many writers were Walter Gibson and Frank Belknap Long.  Planet Comics unique in its portrayal od strong female characters, often drawn by woman artists such as Lily Renee, Marcia Snyder, Ruth Atkinson, and Fran Hopper.  It's male artists included Murphy Anerson, George Tuskas, and John Cullen Murphy (best known for his long run with Prince Valiant).

In this premiere issue we find:

• "The One-Eyed Monster Men of Mars," illustrated by Dick BV\riefer.   This was the first adventure featuring Flint Baker, one of Planet Comics' longest-running heroes, a space hero who eventually became part of the "Space Rangers."  Here, flint completes a rocker begun by his father ands heads off to Mar with a crew of frred convicts.  There, they dicover the corpse of an earlier explorer and a warning to stay away from the dark side of the planet.  Along for the ride is stowaway reporter Mimi Wilson, a gorgeous red-head with a great pair of legs.  The rocket ship looks like something from an old AIP Jules Verne movie; the futuristic city on the light side could have come from H.G. Wells's Things to Come; Princess Viga od Mars wears a brief outfit showing a lot of skin; the one-eyed monsters are armless with deadly prehensile tails; evil villain Sarkpo wants to kill the Princess and mate with Mimi (gasp!); and Flint and his crew must save not only the ladies, but the planet!  What's not to like?
• "Auro, Lord of Jupiter" was the son of Professor John Harwich and a space version of Tarzan.  Orphaned and stranded on Jupiter, where his Earth muscles made hm strong as steel on the aien planet, and where he is befriended by a giant saber-toothed tiger.  The ape-like natives of the planet consider him their leader and call bim "Auro," which means unconquerable.  The evil ruler of Neptune has captured an Earth ship, and has taken its ossupants as slaves, but Martha Gale, an assistant pilot, manages to escape and land on Jupiter, where she enlists Auro and his followers to hhellp overthrow the evil Neptunian.  A fierfe battle ensues and Auro (naturally) comes out on top.  Oddly, although Helen is a good-looking woman, there is no good girl art or skimpy costumes.  I gues you can'r have everything.  Auro continued as a regular in Planet Comics, but with issue 41, he was reimagined as Charles Edson who, after crshing on Jupiter, has his spirit transferred to the body of the original Auro.
• "The Red Comet" is the mystery man of the universe. (He has an "intra-atopmioc space adjuster" that can expand his  body to gigantic proportions. Vogt)