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splash-page

a monstrous creature

public service page

the trio of “sonar creatures”

a one-page house-ad

two-page feature

a wandering octopus meteor

an educational page

The first issue of DC’s MY GREATEST ADVENTURE was cover-dated Jan. - Feb., 1955 (predating the era during which the title was printed with the Comics Code Authority seal on its cover) and ran until its 85th issue, cover-dated Feb., 1964. With the next issue, MY GREATEST ADVENTURE changed its title to DOOM PATROL -- a Marvel-esque superhero series which had premiered in MY GREATEST ADVENTURE No. 80 (June, 1963) until its final issue, No. 124 (July, 1973), a reprint of an earlier “Doom Patrol” story by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani.

Few details about the life and career of DC editor Jack Schiff seem to be available. According to DC writer Alvin Schwartz, “I worked with Schiff for years. I found him intelligent, caring, fair and literate -- a combination which Mort Weisinger, who took over from Schiff was thoroughly lacking. Schiff could write as well. None of the other editors at DC except Kanigher could write, not even Jack Miller who started as a writer and got a job as editor. Schiff was not easy to work with in the sense that he wouldn't swallow a bad plot. But he could plot himself and I remember with pleasure some of the plotting sessions we had. But more than that, Schiff went out of his way to see that writers and artists were treated fairly within the limits of his role as an editor. I remember him fondly, and was supposed to visit him a couple of years before his death and some years after his retirement, while traveling from Florida to my New Brunswick, Canada summer home. Unfortunately, I was unable to make that stopover, so while we had some correspondence, I never saw Jack again after I left DC in 1958. He was the man mostly responsible for the quality of writing and grammar at DC. He always had a Fowler on his desk, and he alone of the editors knew that a subordinate clause containing a subject and predicate even when it was the object of the whole sentence did not use “whom’ but ‘who’. He was, for the comics business, the only quality editor I ever came across.” And comic book fan and radio personality Ken Gale writes of Schiff, “He edited BATMAN comics in the late '50s and early '60s, when the Darknight Detective fought monsters and aliens nearly every issue. Those storylines seemed so out of place and formulized, especially coming as they did between two excellent periods for the character: the late '40s/early '50s of Whitney Ellsworth and the mid-'60s of Julie Schwartz. (We knew who the editors were because they were listed in the indicias' small type in the front of every comic.) By talking to various creators, the early fanzine writers knew that the writers of the wonderful ‘Batman’ stories from the late '40s and early '50s were the same as the ones of the uninspired tales (to be kind) of what came to be known as ‘The Jack Schiff Era,’ so we KNEW where the blame lay: with the editor. Some of the fanzine writers were livid about what Schiff did to one of their favorite characters. "Jack Schiff" became an adjective for an editor who just collected a paycheck, had no feel for the characters and writers he was editing and ruined the good work of his predecessors. In the course of interviewing creators for 'Nuff Said!, I spoke with quite a few writers and artists from the late '40s and early '50s. Each of them thanked me for the nice things I and the callers had to say about their work, but wanted to share the credit with their editor: Jack Schiff. Jack was the real editor then, not Whit Ellsworth, who was more the editor-in-chief although he was the hands-on editor of the Superman books. I admit I was surprised when I first heard that, since it contradicted what I'd been reading about Jack for a couple of DECADES. But then I kept hearing it: praise for Jack Schiff. One of the best editors in the business, so many people called him. He left the writers alone when they wanted to be left alone and gave intelligent guidance when they asked for it. He never told them what kind of stories they had to write or draw (accepted thought said otherwise). He never interfered in a negative way, not like (they name him, so I will as well) Mort Weisinger. (Mort edited the Superman books in the 1950s and ‘60s and is to be credited for introducing many concepts that are considered ‘Classic Superman’ today. His knack for raising sales figures and keeping them high shows him to be excellent at what he did, even as his bluster and personality pissed off a lot of creators with the way he did it). Now that I knew Jack Schiff was responsible for the good stuff, I started asking these creators what happened during the '50s to change the direction of the Batman books from classic great comics to classic bad comics. The assumption had been those science fiction B-movies of the '50s (the movies which make so many old-time science fiction fans cringe at the term ‘sci fi’). But actually, the Superman TV show is what happened. Whitney Ellsworth went to Hollywood to oversee production. He was the perfect choice. Besides editing the Superman comics, he knew a lot of people in Hollywood from when he quit DC after he married an actress in the late '30s and moved to Hollywood for her career. Whit's presence is probably the main reason the source material of ‘mere comic books’ was treated with some respect on the Superman TV show even as the Senate of the United States was condemning them (quite amazing when you think of it in that context). When Whit left New York, Whit's assistant Mort Weisinger became the editor of the Superman titles. So what does this have to do with Batman? DC Comics, especially then, was more like a combination of separate companies, all under different editors, than one company with one universe (for the most part, the ‘DC universe’ really didn't come until much later). But they still all worked in the same office. Mort's rather fiery personality, so I'm told, completely overwhelmed Jack's more introverted personality and he convinced Jack to put more sci fi (meaning that in the pejorative b-movie sense) into BATMAN. Mort was also friendlier with the boss, Jack Liebowitz, which might also have influenced Jack into listening to Mort. I'm sure it seemed logical and commercial to Mort. Those movies were doing well. The concepts were working for Superman, which outsold BATMAN (though the TV show was probably the major influence there, as it would be when the reverse was true in the mid-'60s). Most fans look upon it as trying, and failing, to turn a concept into something it was not. Of course, that is done even more often and with less success in current comics. I'm sure most of you can think of plenty of examples. But leave Jack Schiff alone!” Here is an impressive list of comic book titles -- all published by DC -- edited, at one time or another, by Jack Schiff:

• ACTION COMICS
• ADVENTURE COMICS
• AQUAMAN
• BATMAN
• BLACKHAWK
• BOY COMMANDOS
• BUZZY
• CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN
• DALE EVANS COMICS
• DETECTIVE COMICS
• HOUSE OF MYSTERY
• HOUSE OF SECRETS
• LEADING COMICS
• MORE FUN COMICS
• MY GREATEST ADVENTURES
• MYSTERY IN SPACE
• RIP HUNTER, TIME MASTER
• SECRET ORIGINS
• SHOWCASE
• STAR SPANGLED COMICS
• STRANGE ADVENTURES
• SUPERBOY
• SUPERMAN
• TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
• TOMAHAWK
• WESTERN COMICS
• WORLD’S FINEST COMICS

Cartoonist George Roussos (8/20/1915 – 2/19/2000) maintained an impressive career in comic books and comic strips for sixty years, working for nearly every major publisher and working in every aspect of comic production. The son of Greek-Americans parents, George and his sisters were orphaned as children; he was sent to live at the Brooklyn Orphan Asylum in New York City and attended Public School 125 in the Woodside neighborhood of Queens. "I had no schooling [in art] except the things I learned by myself," Roussos once said. Frank Miller (1898 – 1949), creator of the aviation comic strip BARNEY BAXTER, was a particular influence on Roussos. He once told his close friend Bill Cain, "I was always interested in the newspaper comic strips. I actually learned the basics of comics production from Frank Miller's strip, BARNEY BAXTER. I would imitate Frank's style and send him samples of my work. He'd critique my work and I'd learn from his comments and criticisms." Roussos’ other artistic influences included Chester (DICK TRACY) Gould, Stan (SUPERMAN) Kaye, illustrator Robert Fawcett and Hal (PRINCE VALIANT) Foster. His first job in comic was in 1939, when young Roussos was hired to letter the Spanish-language version of Robert Ripley’s syndicated newspaper panel RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT. George couldn't actually read Spanish but as he told Mark Gruenwald, "It wasn't as hard as it sounds. I know Greek and there's a lot of similarity between the two languages." In 1940, Roussos was one of sixty applicants who answered a classified want-ad looking for cartoonists to assist Bob Kane in drawing National Comics’ (DC) “Batman” stories. Thanks to Frank Miller’s advice and his own skill and experience, Roussos got the job, working with Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson. Finger wrote the stories, Robinson would draw the people and Roussos would do almost everything else, including drawing backgrounds, inking, lettering and sometimes even coloring. He and Robinson would eventually leave Kane’s studio to work directly for National (DC Comics) on “Batman” and other characters, including “The Vigilante”, “Johnny Quick”, “Superman” and “Starman”. One of Roussos’ favorite assignments was as penciler of the DETECTIVE COMICS back-up feature, “Airwave.” Roussos told his friend Dylan Williams , "I had so much fun with this title because I could do almost anything with the character. It was only five pages, so I could go in many directions One thing I did in an ‘Airwave’ was use only shades in gray.” During his time at DC, fellow artist Stan Kaye became George’s friend and mentor. "He helped with illustrations. I would do an illustration every week with opaque colors and he would correct it for me.” Recognized by editors as a specialist in drawing convincing settings and backgrounds. George Roussos was so adept with a brush in his hand that he was given the nickname “Inky” by CRIME DOES NOT PAY artist/editor Bob Wood. (Roussos, on the other hand, referred to himself as "the Old Greek".) Other comic book publishers Roussos worked for during the 1940s included Timely/Marvel Comics, Avon, Standard/Better/Nedor, Family, Fiction House, Hillman Periodicals, Lev Gleason Publications, and Spark, among others. Through DC, Roussos also produced a series of sixteen internationally-distributed educational pamphlets for General Electric in the early 40s. He told Bill Cain, "These pamphlets were distributed in schools throughout the country and South America, Europe and India. I received an extension from the local draft board in order to complete this publication. When the work was over, the bomb ended the draft. This is a good thing for the Army… they might have lost the war!" According to an article in THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, there were 68 million copies of the pamphlets distributed. George also worked on an advertising comic for Thom McAnn Shoes in 1944 and 1945. Around this time, his friend, collaborator and fellow cartoonist Mort Meskin suggested that they open an art school. “We rented this room for about 25 bucks a month and we [set up] chairs and everything. We bought orangeade and made tea and coffee, so the profit went out the window, plus paying the model.” Roussos added comic strips to his repertoire, assisting artists Dan Barry on FLASH GORDON, Charles Flanders on THE LONE RANGER, Dan Heilman on JUDGE PARKER and Sy Barry on THE PHANTOM. He also took over Fred Kida’s art chores on JUDGE WRIGHT in 1947 until its end the next year. Also, Roussos unsuccessfully pitched his own concepts for syndicated newspaper comic strips. One was 2001 A.D. (in 1945), another was AZEENA (in 1967) and a third was TRANSISTO, which George created with writer Bill Finger in the late 1960s. Roussos’ comic-book clients during the 1950s included Atlas/Marvel Comics, Crestwood (which was owned by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby), EC, and St. John. In 1964, George Roussos returned to Marvel, where editor/writer Stan Lee was in need of a fast and good inker. Under the pseudonym “George Bell”, Roussos applied his distinctive rough-hewn style to Jack Kirby’s pencils on FANTASTIC FOUR, THE AVENGERS and SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS, among others. Kirby fans have often derided Roussos’ work on these comics, but it should be noted that George worked extremely quickly on most of these stories. Roussos told the late comics writer, editor and historian Mark Gruenwald, "I could sit down and ink twenty-four pages in about a day. I sat down with a pen and outlined a whole job in about ten hours (less with a brush) then went back and spotted blacks. But I wouldn't bring it in the next day, because I didn't want them to know I was so fast." Besides, Jack Kirby himself was already a fan of George Roussos’ artwork. As evidenced by this issue of HOUSE OF MYSTERY, Roussos also continued working for DC comics off and on through the end of the1960s. Sometimes he would draw the whole package but would also accept gigs as an inker, letterer and/or colorist as well. George even briefly worked for Warren Publishing in 1970 and 1971. For Marvel, George had been doing a significant amount of uncredited coloring for years, and when Marie Severin stepped down from her position, he became Marvel's full-time staff colorist, which eventually became a second career for him. Roussos' amazing color sense reinvented the look of Marvel books, particularly the covers. He believed that colors in comics had to be simple and striking and developed a unique approach to using white that would "make a white seem whiter than the paper it was printed on." he told Gruenwald. George was working on cover proofs and corrections until his death in 2000. He still continued to do hand coloring as a back up, even when computerized coloring became the norm in the 1990s. As usual, playing down his own role, Roussos told Dylan Williams in 1999, "A very easy job, I have now." His friend Dylan Williams described George as a ”philosopher, professional, kind, sincere, comedian, astronomer, humble, gentleman, smart as a whip/sharp as a tack, Leo, photographer and I think somewhere after a million other words you could say, he was a comic artist. He was an extremely humble man, who never saw his own place in comics history as all that big a deal. He wasn't falsely modest, he just saw himself as honestly self-critical. He was always more concerned with the welfare of others; a generous, generous man.” Onetime Marvel staffer “Fabulous” Flo Steinberg described George thusly, “George was many dimensional. He was a very learned guy. He was always reading: papers, books, magazines. He had such eclectic tastes, he could be reading about history, philosophy, ethics, politics or architecture. He was very erudite and had sophisticated tastes. As a young man he had traveled all around the world. He was very modest, that was his way…He was a unique man.” Roussos, always the philosopher, told Dylan Williams his ideas on art: "Our natures are expressed in the way we work. Some people are very meticulous in the way they live, the way they do things, and it expresses itself in their work. When you find a detailed artist, he's usually not a very creative artist. In order to make up for it, he becomes meticulous. When you look at his work you see everything in order. You appraise him on that value. People who are more creative, they are more or less like [their] handwriting. You know how some of the guys write with this wild handwriting, never even, terrible penmanship. The same thing with [their] artwork. Technique, usually, is a disguise for creativity. Sometimes you don't need creativity, you need people with technique. It's a toss up."

This issue’s 7 & 2/3-page MY GREATEST ADVENTURE lead story is “We Were Ruled By The Emperor-Beast”, drawn by George “Inky” Roussos. It opens with the following splash-page introduction:

INTRODUCTORY NARRATIVE CAPTION:
Life was serene and joyful on Pleasure Island, until, in a matter of moments, it was transformed into NIGHTMARE ISLAND! For a monstrous creature had literally dropped from the skies, and to our dismay, we learned that…WE WERE RULED BY THE EMPEROR BEAST

“We Were Ruled By The Emperor-Beast” begins in earnest as this story’s narrator, a fellow named Bob, introduces us to his “partners”, Frank Bagby and Horace Trenton. The trio is on a fishing vacation on Pleasure Island, located “some ten miles off the mainland”. Before they can start their “early morning fish fry” (yechhh!), they react to an earth-shaking sound effect of something crashing in the woods nearby. Rushing to investigate, the trio finds a wrecked rocket ship. But the vessel from space turns out to be empty, and from its open hatch is a trail of smashed lumber leading to the only town on the island:

FRANK BAGBY:
Oh, no! Whoever was inside crawled out and made his way through the woods! But look at the trail! He must be enormous and have super-strength!

HORACE TRENTON:
He can’t be human! He must’ve come from outer space -- and thunderations! He’s going towards the village!

Speeding in their jeep, the three vacationers arrive in town, where they encounter a monstrous creature with shaggy purple fur, three eyes and elastic, coiling arms like a “Slinky” toy. (It’s unfortunate, though, that George “Inky” Roussos never really captured the loopy-armed look of the “emperor-beast” as it appears on the cover of this comic.) The way it’s squatting on the roof of that New England-style building, it looks like it’s using the edifice as a toilet!

BOB:
Good grief! There it is -- the thing from that rocket ship!

HORACE TRENTON:
What’s wrong with the people? They just stand there, rigid and gaping -- as if hypnotized!

FRANK BAGBY:
It toppled the telephone poles and tore the wires! We’ll have to get to the mainland for help! Let’s whip back to the cove where our boat’s anchored!

But before they can make their escape, the three buddies are plucked out of their jeep by the huge, clawed hand of the monster:

CREATURE:
Do not attempt that again! No one shall leave this village without my permission!

HORACE TRENTON:
For Pete’s sake! The thing is TALKING -- our language!

CREATURE:
You belong here -- with my other subjects!

BOB:
SUBJECTS? You mean -- ?

CREATURE:
I shall explain shortly! But now, I will release them from the spell under which I put them! SAKAMA! I want your attention! You must not fear me! I will make a wise and just ruler!

BOB:
Huh? Our RULER?

CREATURE:
En route to our world, I was able to study your language and your ways! I have powers that dwarf your mightiest weapons! Do not try to defy me!

But while the monster blathers on to the trio of mainlanders, one of the island villagers sneaks off and pilots a speedboat away from the docks. But as he heads out onto the bay, the three-eyed creature finally notices him:

NARRATIVE CAPTION (Bob speaking):
Attracted by the sound of the departing boat, the terrifying tyrant turned its head and emitted rays from its eyes…The rays lanced across the water, bent and closed on the boat like pincers…bringing it back, to be set gently down…

CREATURE:
I am not angry over THIS escape attempt! But I warn you -- do not provoke me again! I have shown you that I am all-powerful! You would do well to remember it!

Soon, under the creature’s orders, Bob, Frank and Horace tow the wreckage of the rocket ship into town using the villagers’ construction equipment. While doing this, something occurs to Bob that he shares with his pals:

BOB:
I just thought of something, Horace! I don’t have to be an engineer like you to realize, if that creature can lift a boat so easily -- why can’t it lift this rocket ship and move it to town?

HORACE TRENTON:
How should I know? Let’s get this job over with -- and stop asking questions!

BOB:
Hey -- you don’t have to get so sore!

Two days later, having deliver the damaged space ship into the heart of town, Bob and Frank confer:

FRANK BAGBY:
Listen -- I just saw Horace! He’s with the creature!

BOB:
What on Earth is he up to?

On the other side of town, we find Horace still having a confab with the alien conqueror:

CREATURE:
Earthman, I wanted to speak to you! You are unlike the others! You seem to know your place, and are cooperating with me!

HORACE TRENTON:
It is futile to defy one so powerful! You will need help to rule here -- and throughout your domain! I might be of service!

CREATURE:
Why? What do you desire in return?

HORACE TRENTON:
I have long desired wealth! This is my chance to get it! If I help you, perhaps you will reward me!

CREATURE:
I admire your honesty! Now, I will tell you something…I was a mere beast on my planet, where I was had to submit to scientific experiments! I was given strange powers -- AND some intelligence…With my newly acquired intelligence and great powers, I escaped and attempted to rule my world! But threatened with capture, I fled in a rocket craft -- only to crash here! When my ship is repaired, we will leave to spread my rule over this entire planet! I accept your help and will reward you accordingly…

Later, Bob and Frank confront Horace:

BOB:
Horace -- ! What in blazes are you up to -- getting chummy with that creature?

HORACE TRENTON:
I have my instructions -- and a list of repairs to be made on the power unit! I want you and Frank to start on them at once! Come along!

Horace leads them inside the space ship’s engine room, where they find a glowing white cube:

BOB:
Don’t you know everyone’s calling you a collaborator?

HORACE TRENTON:
There’s the trouble -- that block of glowing metal! It supplies the power but has broken from its braces! My instructions are to get that power unit back on its braces inside the housing, then weld the break in the housing!

BOB:
Wait a minute! If that thing gives off POWER, maybe it’s giving off something ELSE -- something DEADLY! That thing could be like an atomic reactor, which gives off harmful radiation, if not kept behind a lead shield!

HORACE TRENTON:
True, except we’d have felt the ill effects by now! The radiations on their world must differ from ours -- so we’re not harmed!

Using one of the derricks, Horace hauls the glowing power unit out of the rocket ship, dangling it in front of the alarmed alien:

VILLAGER:
What’s the collaborator up to? Why is he lifting the power unit OUT of the ship and toward the creature?

CREATURE:
YOU FOOL! KEEP IT AWAY FROM ME!

NARRATIVE CAPTION (Bob speaking):
From its fierce eyes darted the rays, which snapped shut like a vice on the cab…

HORACE TRENTON (thinking):
It wrecked the cab -- but not the derrick arm -- which is swinging the glowing power unit toward the creature! GET BACK!

NARRATIVE CAPTION (Bob speaking):
Then, as the derrick arm swung closer to the beast…

VILLAGER:
The creature is fading away -- as if disintegrating!

Later, with the menace over, the three fishing buddies compare notes:

BOB:
The glowing power unit DID radiate something -- something that was destructive to the beast!

HORACE TRENTON:
Yes -- that’s why it ordered US to bring the ship in and fix it! The creature’s powers were useless against the radiation! And it had to get the power unit back into the insulated housing!

BOB:
Hey! I get it! You won the beast’s confidence, then figured out its weakness, waiting your chance to destroy it!

HORACE TRENTON:
I couldn’t tip my hand -- even to you -- for fear it would somehow know my plan! But we finally swung the deal -- partner!

Also included in this issue of MY GREATEST ADVENTURE are the following stories, features and advertisements:

• “What’s Wrong With These Pictures?”, a black-and-white, inside-front-cover public service page, written by Jack Schiff, drawn by Bernard Baily and lettered by Gaspar Saladino.

• “I Fought The Sonar Creatures”, drawn by Nick Cardy. -- “Everyday noises go on around you and people take them for granted, never questioning the mysteries of sound! But the professor and I were exceptions to this rule, which is why we’ll never forget that day when…I FOUGHT THE SONAR CREATURES”. Professor Duncan and his assistant -- and this story’s narrator -- Frank demonstrate the professor’s new invention for a visiting reporter. It’s a “sonic gun”, which “fires” sound waves, not bullets. Firing at a target held by Frank (hmm, kinda odd that this is the second character named “Frank” in this issue of MY GREATEST ADVENTURE, ain’t it?), Professor Duncan explains, “Sound waves strike the sensitive light cells, illuminating them! Now, if I fire at an object in total darkness…the gun serves as ‘eyes’! The waves bounce off a given object and register its distance from the firing!” Professor Duncan also points out that sound doesn’t travel in a vacuum, so he uses a vacuum chamber to test his “sound transmutator”, an experimental device that coverts sound into color so that it can be sent through a vacuum. Then the professor unveils his newest invention, the larger “atomic transmutator”, which will not only convert sound into color and transmit it, but also convert it back into sound and add force to it, as well. But when he operates the atomic transmutator at full force, it goes out of control, hurling Frank from his feet and shattering the laboratory’s windows. Professor Duncan resorts to using a sledgehammer to smash his latest invention before it vibrates them to death. But his experience being battered by the atomic transmutator seems to have affected Frank’s sense of hearing, magnifying normal noises -- a dropped paper clip sounds to him like a piece of heavy instrument hitting the floor -- and sensing other noises otherwise too subtle to detect by the human ear. When Frank hears an “unusual movement” outside the lab, he, the professor and the reporter rush outside to find the lab’s garage collapsed, as if hit by an invisible, intangible object. Fetching the sonic gun from the lab, Frank -- who comments that he’s become “some sort of human sonar device” -- uses it to send out waves that, when bounced back to him, will allow Frank to sketch the contours of any invisible objects or forces, including one of the three invisible creatures that’ve apparently been moving in and around the lab. As the invisible invaders begin to demolish the house attached to the laboratory, Frank and the professor lure them into the lab by activating the small transmutator, while aiming the sonic gun at the doorway. As the trio of “sonar creatures” enter Professor Duncan’s lab, the transmutator causes them to take on glowing colors. Then, forcing them into the vacuum chamber with the irritating effects of the sonar gun, Frank ducks back outside before locking its door closed. Then the professor pumps all of the air out of the chamber, causing the sonar creatures to become weakened and eventually dissolve. Professor Duncan explains, “Sound can’t travel in a vacuum…the SONAR CREATURES had to ‘die’!” With the threat over and the atomic transmutator destroyed, Frank takes a short stay in the hospital until his hearing returns to normal. But as he rests in an adjustable bed, he asks Professor Duncan not to drop any paper clips in the meantime.

• “The Reader’s Choice! Now Superman-DC Gives You TWO Magazines Featuring Adventures Of The Brand-New Heroes YOU Asked For!”, a one-page house-ad for BRAVE AND THE BOLD No. 29, April-May, 1960 (featuring the “Justice League Of America”) and SHOWCASE No. 26, May-June, 1960 (featuring “Rip Hunter, Time Master”).

• “The Rocket Lanes Of Tomorrow”, drawn by Jack Kirby. (This two-page feature was originally published in REAL FACT COMICS No. 7, March - April, 1947.)

• “I Became A Human Space Ship”, drawn by Ruben Moreira. -- “In this universe of infinite possibilities, anything can happen…but probably the most fantastic possible event happened to ME! Those little aliens were ingenious beyond belief, and the strange trick they played on me makes me marvel even now! And I’m sure YOU will, too, when you see how…I BECAME A HUMAN SPACE SHIP”. After an unnamed duck hunter witnesses the marshlands crash of a miniature space ship, he approaches it to get a better look. When he’s bathed in a blinding, blue ray-flash, he hears a weird voice -- inside of his head! -- accompanied by mental images of tiny humans salvaging scientific equipment from the wreckage of their vessel: “Earthman…Can you hear us? We are communicating with you by TELEPATHY! You need only THINK, and we shall ‘hear’ your thoughts! We are a very tiny people from another solar system! Our space ship crashed here! All our scientific equipment is intact…and we can build another space ship from Earth materials! However, our engine is smashed beyond repair! In order to fire our fuel, we need a motor that puts out a certain type of high-frequency wave pattern!” Trying to convince himself that he’s dreaming, the duck hunter’s hopes are dashed when he encounters, face-to-tiny-face, the owner of that “weird” voice, a red-and-yellow-dressed humanoid alien approximately two inches tall! “We stunned you because we NEED you -- desperately! Listen carefully…This is important -- very important! Se searched all over to build an engine such as we need…but we met with no success -- until now!” The pint-size alien goes on to explain, “I am sure you know that the HUMAN BRAIN constantly emits high-frequency waves of a very special pattern! It so happens, by some strange coincidence, that YOUR brain waves which we detected when you were still miles away…” (Our story’s narrator faints before the visitor from another planet can finish his words.) When the duck-hunting human awakens, he finds himself being lowered -- by some sort of complicated mini-winches -- into a clear plastic, hinged shell of a space ship, complete with wings, tail fins and a fuel tank. After being sealed inside, he’s outfitted with a clear plastic helmet. “This helmet will amplify the high-frequency current emitted by your brain, and connect with our fuel tank!” In dismay, our space-age Gulliver realizes, “Oh, no! They’re making an ENGINE out of me…a HUMAN engine!” After hours of preparation, the unfortunate Earthman involuntarily blasts off, carrying a number of miniature passengers, including one in each of his helmet’s two earpieces. As the space-borne duck hunter rockets through the heavens, he becomes drowsy, but his alien captors wake him up to relate a story. Years earlier, alien creatures as large as the Earthman came to their planet, destroying their civilization and depleting their food and water. From that point on, they surrounded their world with a force field that will shrink anyone who passes through it to only a few inches in height. When the hunter asks how he will be affected by the force field, he receives the apologetic answer that he, too, will be shrunken, never to return to Earth. But before he can ponder his fate, he’s attacked by “a wandering octopus meteor”, but his alien “pilots” destroy it with an “atomic blaster” before the featureless thing can grab the Earthman with its segmented tentacles. But as they approach the aliens’ home planet, they’re approached by “a Plantanian space ship”, manned by their “deadly enemies” and armed with enough heavy-duty weapons to blast them out of the sky. The quick-thinking Earthman has an idea and inquires of his alien captors, “Can you make this space ship spin rapidly on its own axis?” This action temporarily transforms the “human space ship” into an electromagnet, one which attracts thousands of “tiny, metallic meteorites”, which coat the surface of the hunter’s clear plastic shell, perfectly camouflaging it from the Plantanians’ notice. Finally, after losing the coating of magnetized meteorites, they finally penetrate the force field surrounding their planet with a blinding flash, causing the Earthman to lose consciousness. When he wakes up, the duck hunter is astounded to discover that he’s retained his normal size. His pilot explains, “We have a secret method of opening a path through the force field, which we used so you wouldn’t be reduced! You helped us, so we didn’t want you to suffer!” So why did they withhold this information from their worrying human space ship? “If you remember, just before we told you about the force field…you became drowsy! Well, THINKING produced the high-frequency waves that powered our fuel…and if you fell asleep, our power plant would have been turned off! Since our supplies for the trip were limited, we had to keep you thinking and alert ALL the time!” After putting him back inside the shell of their space ship, refueled it and set the controls to automatic pilot, the tiny aliens send the duck hunter back to Earth Once there, he turns to the reader and remarks, “Clever, weren’t they? They sure kept me awake…But I don’t blame them, do you?”

• “Your Passport To Amazing Adventures!”, a 1/3-page house-ad for TOMAHAWK No. 68, May-June,1960, HOUSE OF MYSTERY No. 98, May, 1960 and BLACKHAWK No. 148, May, 1960.

• “I Became The Fiery Demon”, a one-page text-story written by Jack Miller.

• A one-page gag-strip starring “Peter Puptent, Explorer”, written and drawn by cartoonist Henry Boltinoff.

• A one-page gag-strip starring “Professor Eureka”, written and drawn by cartoonist Henry Boltinoff.

• “This Famous Symbol Is Your Guarantee Of The Best In Comics Reading”, a 1/3-page house-ad for WORLD’S FINEST COMICS No. 109, May, 1960 and DETECTIVE COMICS No. 278, April, 1960.

• “Science Says You're Wrong if You Believe That --“, an educational page written and drawn by Morris Waldinger.

• “Do You Want Spending Money? Sell These Popular Patriotic And Religious Mottoes”, an ad soliciting for door-to-door salespeople to vend “beautiful glittering mottoes” for “Stephens Credit Sales”.

• “In 15 Minutes I’ll Prove You Can Have A Rugged, Virile, He-Man Body!”, a black-and-white, inside-back-cover ad for mail-order bodybuilding courses from “Joe Weider”.

• “Boys! Girls! Ladies! Men! Win A Beautiful Signet Ring Engraved With Your Own Initial -- It’s Fun! It’s Easy! * All You Do Is… * Name These Famous U.S. Presidents”, a back-cover ad soliciting for door-to-door salespeople to vend “White Cloverine Brand Salve” for the “Wilson Chemical Co.”

ODDBALL FACTOID – Editor Jack Schiff wrote most, if not all, of DC Comics’ public service pages during the 1950s and 1960s!

New Next Week: ODDBALL COMIC #1,008, January 14, 2008: What do you get when you combine a famous commercial spokescharacter who’s gotta bolt of lightning jutting out from between his legs…dinosaurs…E.C. Comics…and the Hollywood studio responsible for “Woody Woodpecker” cartoons? How about “REDDY MADE MAGIC”, a comic book -- that originally bore a cover-price of only a nickel! -- starring ODDBALL icon REDDY KILOWATT as he tells us “the amazing true story of electricity”! Shocking stuff, eh?

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