Captain's Library: CAPTAIN VIDEO "Island of Conquerors"

Our blog's namesake hero returns in a tale from his final issue...

...battling mechanized monsters who plot to take over the planet!

This story from Fawcett Comics' Captain Video #6 (1951) was penciled by George Evans and inked by Martin Thal.

You'll note that the Captain and Video Ranger now look like actors Al Hodge and Don Hastings, who played them on TV, instead of the generic "handsome hero" look of issues 1-4. 

Unlike some of the more fantastic stories the comic produced, this one could have been done as a tv production, especially with the "human-looking" robots!

Support Small Business!

Visit the

Collectibles Store

Captain's Library: CAPTAIN VIDEO "Missiles of Doom"

It's been too long since we presented a tale of our blog's namesake...

...so here he is, back in action, doing what he does best; defending America with super-science, this time, from his arch-enemy, Dr Pauli!

This story from Fawcett Comics' Captain Video #5 (1951) was penciled by George Evans and inked by Martin Thal.

You'll note that the Captain and Video Ranger now look like actors Al Hodge and Don Hastings, who played them on TV, instead of the generic "handsome hero". 

(but Dr Pauli still doesn't look like actor Hal Conklin.)

And, the story is far more elaborate and far-reaching than anything ever shown on tv (or even the movie serial).

Only in the comic, unencumbered by financial or special effect restrictions, was the full, unfettered potential of the show realized.

Support Small Business!

Visit the

Collectibles Store

Captain's Library: CAPTAIN VIDEO "Dark Side of the Moon" Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

Aliens operating on the Dark Side of the Moon plan to attack Earth, and only Captain Video (with the Video Ranger) can stop them...

Due to it's low-budget nature, the Captain Video TV series and movie serial usually showed aliens who looked like this...

The "alien invasion force" from Captain Video; the Serial. Note Captain Video (Judd Holdren) and the Ranger on the left in clever disguises.

Only in the comic, unencumbered by financial or special effect restrictions, was the full, unfettered potential of the show realized.
This story from Fawcett Comics' Captain Video #5 (1951) was penciled by George Evans and inked by Martin Thal.

Support Small Business!

Visit the

Collectibles Store

Captain's Library: CAPTAIN VIDEO "Dark Side of the Moon" Part 1

Yes, Ed Norton's idol, TV's first space commander, takes a major turn with this story as he now looks like Al Hodge, the actor who played him on the show.

 Now this is an alien invasion on a level the tv show simply didn't have the budget to present!
To be continued, tomorrow!

Same Blog Time!

Same Blog Feed!

Support Small Business!

Visit the

Collectibles Store

Captain's Library: CAPTAIN VIDEO "Project X" Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

Captain Video and his aide, the Video Ranger, present world leaders with a way to build bridges across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, with the same metal alloys used in constructing the evil robot Makano.
The United Nations agrees to finance a several-mile-long test bridge between two Pacific islands.
But Bundello Britt, wealthy munitions manufacturer, has other ideas.
Several weeks later, as construction proceeds, the site is attacked by an amphibious assault force.
Captain Video pursues the enemy, but, though he sinks a couple of them, most escape.
Video devises a speedy two-man submarine to ambush the attackers when they reappear.
When the fiends attack again, he destroys most of them and pursues them to their underwater base, which he damages heavily.
Bundello Britt self-destructs the base to destroy the evidence of his participation.
With the enemy base gone, and Video vigilant and ready for another attack, things settle down at the test bridge site...

Now that was epic!

We're starting to see a move away from stories that follow the tv series format in terms of scale.

A tale like this would've made a great feature film version had the show survived a year or two longer.

Art by George Evans & Martin Thal.

Support Small Business!

Visit the

Collectibles Store

Captain's Library: CAPTAIN VIDEO "Project X" Part 1

Captain Video doesn't do anything small, even when saving the world...

...as seen in the final story from Captain Video #3 (1951)

What Awaits Our Heroes at Project X?
Is the danger over?
Find out tomorrow!

Support Small Business!

Visit the

Collectibles Store