Secret Sanctum of Captain Video

Before Supergirl, There was...Supergirl!

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

With a New Supergirl Movie Opening This Week...

...we thought we'd offer a look at the never-reprinted comic adaptation of the previous flick about the Girl of Steel...which played in theatres over 40 years ago!

(Note: We ran the re-presentation in 2015, when the Supergirl TV series that ran on CBS and The CW debuted, so there are links to related websites that no longer work!)

Click on the links below to the posts in both this blog and our "sister"
RetroBlog, Heroines!...
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Conclusion

Captain's Library & Theatre CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Part Three: Contact

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

In the past Two Days, You Have Read of Close Enounters of the First Kind and Second Kind!

Cover for Cinefantastique V7N3&4 (1977) by Barclay Shaw
Now, join us as we experience a Close Encounter of the Third Kind!

We interrupt the graphic retelling to present what follows after the Mothership descends, which no graphic print imagery (even by Walt Simonson, Klaus Janson, and Marie Severin) could provide...

Wow!

Now back to the graphic novel...

If you're like me, and you've seen CE3K in all three of it's edits (Original. Special Edition, Director's Cut) you've no doubt noticed differences between the film and the print adaptation!

Luckily, writer/editor Archie Goodwin provided a text feature to explain some of them.
Remember, this was in the dark, primitive days before the Internet, e-mail, portable drives, CD-Roms and other physical media, even DVDs or mass-market videotape...

With all the difficulties they faced, we're lucky this mag wasn't filled with blank pages!

Thank you for joining us on this look back almost a half-century to Steven Spielberg's first alien encounter movie!

Now Go See the New Movie...

Disclosure Day

Captain's Library CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Part Two: Evidence

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We have Already Witnessed a Close Encounter of the First Kind (Sighting)...

Unpublished ad design

...now, we're going to the next level!

To Be Concluded, Tomorrow!

You'll note that penciller Walt Simonson and inker Klaus Janson didn't render the main characters to resemble their screen counterparts!
This continued a trend from Marvel's Planet of the Apes movie adaptations which also did not illustrate the humans like astronauts Taylor (Charlton Heston), Brent (James Franciscus), and mute Nova (Linda Harrison) to look like the performers (though the renderings of the ape characters closely-resembled the prosthetic make-ups)!
(Interestingly, British comics adapting the Planet of the Apes TV series before CE3K did draw the human astronauts Virdon and Burke to look like actors Ron Harper and James Naughton, as we showed HERE and HERE!
For the record, most of the later movie and TV adaptations by the House of Ideas (as Marvel called itself back then) did, in fact, use performers' likenesses.

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Captain's Library & Theatre CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Part One: Sighting

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We Have Already Seen

...unexplainable events are occurring all over thw world!
While they seem unconnected, there are those who believe there is a link...

Here's how it played on-screen...remember , writer Archie Goodwin, penciler Walt Simonson, inker Klaus Janson, and colorist Marie Severin had only two pages to fit all this in!

Now, on with the story...

Again, let's see the actual scene in the film.

Personally, I believe no one could've done a better job rendering it on the page!

Let's wind up the chapter...

Tomorrow: Evidence!
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Captain's Library CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Prologue

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

With the Opening of His New Film about Alien Contact...

by Stephen Spielberg, we thought it only appropriate to "bookend" it with his first alien contact film from almost a half-century ago...

Tomorrow: Sighting!

Written by Archie Goodwin, penciled by Walt Simonson, and inked by Klaus Janson, this adaptation of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in Marvel Comics Super Special #3 (1978) was a unique experience for the comic creatives!

With no actual danger/threat and little violent "action", but lots of spectacle involving deliberately-nebulous spacecraft with few visual details, Simonson and Janson had to figure out how to visualize alien vehicles that appeared to be made of...light!
In the 1970s, there was no computer color to enhance artwork and do the tricks we're so used to seeing today!
But colorist Marie Severin was more than up to the challenge, producing some of the best work of her career, aided by the fact this was printed as a slick-stock magazine, not a newsprint comic, and that the people who did the hand-cut color separations were given extra time to follow her color guides exactly!
(A luxury rarely-afforded with regular comic books!)
The end result you're seeing is a triumph of artistic skill by every participant over near-impossible to achieve (at the time) graphic requirements!

Sit back and enjoy the ride!
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Captain's Library MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Conclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Skeletor Destroys the Cosmic Key, Stranding He-Man and Alies on Earth...

...or are they truly trapped, never to return to their beloved Eternia?

A happy ending, right?

But, in the near future, if the two young adults aren't at the graveyard because her parents are alive...who finds the Cosmic Key?

Skeletor and his aides?

Have they doomed Eternia by altering history?

We'll never know since there wasn't a sequel!
BTW, those who actually have seen the movie will note that this last chapter is almost totally-different than the actual movie!
Whether that's due to the fact that Star Comics, as Marvel's young-kid-friendly line deliberately toned down the violence (like He-Man's torture), or that they were working from an earlier version of the script is unknown!

Bonus: the trailer for the flick...

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Captain's Library MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE "Part 3"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

When Last We Left the Masters of the Universe...

Home video release poster

...the battle rages on Earth as Skeletor and his minions seek the Cosmic Key, currently in the possession of humans!

The Cataclysmic Conclusion...Tomorrow!

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Captain's Library MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE "Part 2"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We Have Already Seen...

French Theatrical Poster

...Skeletor invades Castle Grayskull and imprisons The Sorceress, draining her power to add to his own.

With the Cosmic Key (which uses musical notes to open dimensional portals), He-Man and his allies attempt a rescue.

But Skeletor's troops force them to hastily retreat, using the Cosmic Key to go to a random location...Earth!

During the transit, they lose the Key...

To Be Continued...Tomorrow!
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Captain's Library MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE "Part 1"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Comics Adaptation of the Movie about He-Man, Skeletor, and the World of Eternia!

But, it's not the adaptation of this movie!

It's the never-reprinted adaptation of this movie from almost 40. years ago!

Tomorrow: To Earth!

You'll note that the main Masters of the Universe characters look like their toy counterparts, not like the actors in the movie (whose costumes differ significantly from the toys)!

That's because the movie adaptation was published by Marvel's juvenile-themed line, Star Comics, which also published the ongoing comic based on the toy line/tv series, and they decided the young audience would be confused if the characters looked different!
New characters like Gwildor and the Earth-based humans were illustrated more like they appeared in the film.
Written by Ralph Macchio (not the Karate Kid actor), penciled by George Tuska (who drew the first MotU mini-series, published by DC in 1983, making him one of the few artists to illustrate the same character published by two comics companies!), and inked by Art Nichols!

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Captain's Library STEPHEN COLBERT'S TEK JANSEN "Return to Space Academy!" Conclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Wed, 20 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We Have Already Seen...

Art by Matt Wagner

...sent to Space Academy for retraining after his last mission went horribly wrong, Tek Jansen, in his inimitable style, stumbled upon...danger!

There are, in fact, three more tales in this storyline, which we'll return to in the (obviously) future!

But there's another standalone Case File with a kool twist ending waiing for you at Atomic Kommie Comics on Saturday as part of (obviously) Space Hero Saturdays!

Dare You Miss It???

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Captain's Library STEPHEN COLBERT'S TEK JANSEN "Invasion of the Optiklons!!!" Conclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We Have Already Seen...

...manly Tek Jansen rescues several dozen beautiful green alien women from the diabolical Psychotto!

After doing what Space Heroes tend to do after rescuing beautiful green (or blue, or orange, or purple, he doesn't discriminate) women, Tek is ordered back to HQ by his boss, Over-Seeress Brainia!

When he sees a cheering crowd at the landing pad, Tek naturally assumes they're there to greet him after another successful mission!

But they're really there to greet the Chief of the Optiklons, who bring advanced technology to end disease, hunger, poverty, and numerous other problems!

Tek believes this is some sort of trick, but is ordered to not interfere...

Though Tek returns to Atomic Kommie Comics on Saturday for (obviously) Space Hero Saturdays, that'll be a separate short story.

This particular plotline continues next Wednesday in (what else)...

Wednesday Worlds of Wonder at Atomic Kommie Comics!

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Captain's Library & Theatre MEN INTO SPACE "Dust and the Depths"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We Have Already Seen...

...a four man-expedition led by this stalwart young fellow, USAF Coloney Edwar MacCauley, has reached the Moon!

They discover underground caverns where, during a moonquake, one of the astronauts sacrifices himself to enable the others to climb out safely.
The three survivors return to the ship, then decide to do another probe into the cavers below...

This adaptation of the conclusion of the 2nd episode of the series, "Moon Landing" is almost totally-different than the aired episode!

It's much more ambitious in scope and would've required far more eleborate SFX than what was shown on TV.

We suspect that, due to the lead time to produce the comic (about three months from scripting to illustrating to printing), comic scripter Gardner DuBois worked from an early draft of the episode from James (Shogun) Clavell.
To compare, we offer you the actual episode by clicking HERE, and it'll open in a new window for your viewing pleasure!

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Captain's Library MEN INTO SPACE "Moon Landing"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000

As the Artemis Moon-Shot Finally Prepares for Launch...

...we're going to show you how we planned to do it even before we sent a single human being into space with the comic adaptation of a TV series from 1959...

To Be Concluded...Thursday!

The Men in Space TV series ran for one season of 38 episodes, the equivalent of three seasons today on broadcast or streaming services, on CBS in 1959-60.

It eschewed typical space-opera stereotypes and plotlines, and presented a realistic "Day after Tomorrow" scenario utilizing info provided by the US Air Force, the then-newly created NASA, actual rocket scientist Dr Werhner von Braun, and designer/futurist Chesley Bonestell!

The story from Dell's Four Color Comics: Men into Space #1083 (1960), adapting the second episode "Moon Landing" scripted by James (Shogun) Clavell was scripted by Gaylord DuBois and illustrated (pencils & inks) by Murphy Anderson!

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Captain's Library MEN INTO SPACE Returns to the Moon...65 Years Later!

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000

As the Artemis moon shot prepares to blast-off...

...we're going to look at the first TV series that fairly-realistically speculated how it would happen!

These covers, from the novelization of the first few episodes of the TV show, give you an idea of the tone of the series.

There was also a one-shot comic which ran three stories, the first of which is synopsized below!

We're running that tale as part of Space Hero Saturdays this coming Saturday!

The remaining two-part story does cover the lunar launch, journey, and landing!

You'll see those chapters right here on Tuesday and Thursday!

But first, let's take a break the way the spacemen do...

No, we're not advocating smoking, but we did want to spotlight the kool, cutting-edge Chesley Bonestell art the series used as the basis for it's production design!

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Captain's Holiday Library: Christmas Comics SMILIN' ED & HIS GANG "Visit Santa Claus Land"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

One of the most popular kids' shows on radio in the 1940s-50s...

...was Smilin' Ed's Buster Brown Gang (later the Buster Brown Show), which had a long-running comic book spin-off!

Note: while this never-reprinted tale from Buster Brown Comic Book #33 (1953) was written by the show's scripter, Hobart Donovan, it's not an adaptation of a radio or tv episode!

Ed McConnell aka "Smilin' Ed" was a long-time radio personality who had his own (adult-oriented) radio show for over a decade before signing with the Buster Brown Shoe Company in 1944 to host their new juvenile radio series.

Smilin' Ed's Buster Brown Gang began on September 2, continuing on NBC radio every Saturday morning at 11:30 through April 11, 1953.

There was an adventure story to open the show, ads for Buster Brown shoes, and Froggy the Gremlin might sing a song or annoy another cast member, such as Shortfellow the Poet or Alkali Pete the Cowboy.

The character Midnight the Cat actually spoke a few lines on the show and Smilin' Ed was always prone to sing a novelty song or two by plunking his magic twanger.
The term "plunking" may have come from McConnell's habit of plunking the strings on his piano to emphasize some of the action in his stories.
McConnell was also the voice of Froggy, putting on a low, gruff, Popeye-like croak.

However, whenever McConnell had to sing a duet with Froggy, announcer Archie Presby was the voice of Froggy.
When there was a live audience, Archie would sometimes dress up in a frog costume and carry on to the delight of the screaming kids.

Additional cast members included June Foray and John Dehner.
Foray was called upon to voice Midnight and Old Grandie the Piano.
Bud Tollefson, the sound effects engineer, growled the voice of Buster's dog Tige.
Child actor Patrick Curtis (Baby Beau Wilkes in Gone With The Wind) played Buster Brown in 1949-50. "That's my dog Tige, he lives in a shoe, I'm Buster Brown, look for me in there too!"

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Christmas Radio Classics
20 Shows on 10 CDs
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Captain's Theatre Thanksgiving Turkey MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

You've Read the Comic Adaptation HERE and HERE...

...now you can watch it, using wharever communications method you choose, HERE!

Captains Library Thanksgiving Turkey MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE Conclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

When Last We Left Rock Slag, Secret Agent...

...actually Fred Flintstone, filing in for the injured lookalike spy, he's trying to make contsct with a femme fatale double agent who will lead him to the evil Green Goose!

Unfortunately, Rock Slag, like most secret agents of the era, is something of a horndog, with at least one woman in every major city...

Hope you've enjoyed the turkey!
But, fear not!
Dessert's coming!

Tomorrow: The Actual, Uncut Movie!
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Captains Library Thanksgiving Turkey MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The Final Project from the Original 1960s Flintstones Series...

...was this musical animated feature film capitalizing on the multi-media Spy Craze of the mid-1960s!

At this point, the movie has a music video...

Now back to the comic...

To be Concluded...Tomorrow!

Much like Sean Connery's James Bond, Rock Slag apparently had (at least) one girl in every major city!

Adapted by writer Carl Fallberg from an early version of the movie script by Harvey Bullock and Ray Allen, and penciled by Pete Alvarado, it lacks a lot of the "set piece" action sequences you'll see in the uncut film when we link to it on Saturday, though the parts that are in the comic are literally verbatim from the movie dialogue!

Trivia: As soon as the TV series wrapped production after 166 episodes, the creatives jumped into production on this movie.

While Alan Reed, who performed Fred's voice on the original series also did so here, Henry Corden provided Fred's singing voice, and took over for Reed as Fred in sequel series and movies after Alan passed away!

Note: The comic was issued as part of the ongoing Gold Key Flintstones comic (#36 in 1966), instead of a one-shot!

Despite the TV series' cancellation, the comic was popular enough to continue at Gold Key until #60 in 1970, then switched over to Charlton for another 50 issues until 1977!

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Captain's 50th Anniversary Theatre & Library SPACE: 1999 "Breakaway" Conclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

We Have Already Seen...

It's the year 1999, and Commander John Koenig has just assumed command of Moonbase Alpha!

His assignment: prepare the Meta Probe crew, who will launch shortly to explore a rogue planet that's entered the Solar System.
But something...not disease nor radiation...is crippling and killing the Meta Probe crew, as well as other Moonbase personnel!
Koenig, Medical officer Dr Helena Russell, and renowned scientist Professor Victor Bergman figure out that magnetic radiation from Nuclear Waste Disposal Area #1 all the affected people worked near caused their physical decay and deaths.
Shortly after they've implemented safeguards, Waste Dump #1's contents combust, destroying the site.
The much larger Nuclear Waste Disposal Area #2, which had been showing similar readings, now begins the same progression towards fission/fusion.
To forestall that, the entire base's staff begin trying to extract and spread out the nuclear waste over the surface of the Moon...

As we continue, you can listen to the audio by clicking HERE

(The audio will open in a new window and you'll have to set the playback at 7:20 to continue from where it left off yesterday.) and read the comic!

Think of it as a podcast...with visuals!

Penciled by Russ Heath & Rich Buckler and inked by Dick Giordano & Terry Austin, this original-material comic was one of two produced by Power Records in 1975.

The scripter of the adaptation of the pilot episode is unknown.

The other comic/record, "Return to the Beginning" wasn't an adaptation of a TV episode, but a new story by an unknown writer.
Here's a kool bonus for you...audio from all seven of Power Records' Space: 1999 episodes!
Just click on the ep's title and the audio will open up in a new window.
"Breakaway" (without the comic book), along with "Death's Other Dominion" and "Mission of the Darians" were released on a 33 1/3 LP record album.
"Return to the Beginning" (also without the comic book), along with another original story, "It Played So Softly On the Ear" and adaptations of episodes "End of Eternity" and "Dragon's Domain"were on a second 33 13 LP record album.

Enjoy!

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Captain's 50th Anniversary Theatre & Library SPACE: 1999 "Breakaway" Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

You Saw the "Semi-Animated Comic" of This Tale HERE.

Now you can listen to the audio by clicking HERE (The audio will open in a new window.) and read it as a comic!
Think of it as a podcast...with visuals!

Pause the audio, since the story will continue...tomorrow!

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Space: 1999
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Captain's 50th Anniversary Library SPACE: 1999 "Breakaway"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Just as There Were Three Graphic Versions of the Pilot Episode "Breakaway"...

...there were three prose versions of tthat episode, including two that weren't seen in America!
For example, this short story appeared in the first British Space: 1999 Annual, a hardcover which featured prose and comic stories as well as background info and games!

There was also a prose adaptation in the first Space: 1999 novelization by EC Tubb, published in both America and England, incorporating the first four episodes.
Tubb also wrote Space: 1999 "Earthfall" a double-length novel re-adapting "Breakaway", but ignoring everything after that, creating a new narrative spanning decades and returning the second generation of Alphans, along with elderly survivors of Breakaway, to a devastated Earth!

It was, until recently, available only in England!

Next Week: Our Space: 1999 Retrospective Concludes with the Actual "Breakway" Comic Book from Power Records!

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Space: 1999 "Breakaway" by EC Tubb

(which adapts the first four episodes)

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Space: 1999 "Earthfall" by EC Tubb

(which adapts "Breakaway", and then diverges from the TV series)
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Captain's 50th Anniversary Library SPACE: 1999 "Moonless Night"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Our final graphic adaptation of the pilot episode, "Breakaway", from the first issue of the color Charlton comic series.

Script by Nicola Cuti (who also wrote last week's "The Last Moonrise").

Art by Joe Staton (who, most recently, helped reboot the long-running Dick Tracy newspaper strip).

Next Week:
The Never-Seen-in-America Illustrated Short Story Adaptation of "Breakaway" from the 1975 British Space: 1999 Annual!

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Space: 1999
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Captain's 50th Anniversary Library: SPACE: 1999 "The Last Moonrise"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

We presented the first of three different comic adaptations of the pilot episode, "Breakaway".

Today, we offer the second adaptation, from #1 of Charlton's Space: 1999 b/w magazine.

Written by Nicola Cuti, drawn by Gray Morrow.

It's interesting to see how much is left out of the five-page story, as opposed to the twenty-page Power Records version, which is much more complete.

Artist Gray Morrow was also the magazine's art editor, and painted all eight covers, some of which were reused on merchandise like t-shirts and puzzles.

The cover art for #1, shown above, was also used as advertising key art for first season print ads.

Next Week:

...the Four-Color Comic Adaptation!

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Captain's 50th Anniversary Theatre SPACE: 1999 "Breakaway"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Space: 1999 debuted in 1975 with a major licensing push, including audio adventures, novelizations (along with original novels), and both comic books and b/w magazines.
Power Records, the premier children's audio line of the era did two lp record albums and two comic book/45 record adventures, including the pilot episode "Breakaway".
Charlton Comics published two different series, one as a standard four-color comic, the other a b/w magazine, both of which adapted the pilot episode with far different results.
With three different graphic adaptations (not including the prose novelization from Pocket Books), "Breakaway" was the single most adapted sci-fi movie or tv show in history, until Battlestar Galactica came along in 1979.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Space: 1999, on Wednesdays though October, we're going to present all three adaptations of "Breakaway", plus the prose short story from the rarely-seen-in-America hardcover Space: 1999 Annual published in England!
First up, the Power Records version, complete with soundtrack!
(After all, it was meant as a read-along adventure!)

The writer who adapted the screenplay is unknown, but the art is by Rich Buckler, Dick Giordano, Frank McLaughlin, and Neal Adams' Continuity Studios crew.
Trivia: While the various American licensors had the rights to use the likenesses of most of the cast, for some reason recently-deceased actor Prentis Hancock couldn't be used as Paul Morrow!

In all the American comics (including the two Power Records stories), artist/art director Gray Morrow served as the visual model for Paul Morrow!
However, the British comic strips in the Annuals and Look-In Magazine did use Prentiss' mustachioed visage as the stalwart Main Mission Controller!

Next Wednesday, the b/w magazine version.

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Captain's Library: STAR TREK "Planet of the Robots"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt Reid) — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000

You've seen the various comics from Gold Key, Marvel, DC, IDW, etc....

...but, if you're an American reader, you've likely never seen this!

Captain Kurt?

The Enterprise lands on a planet?

Spock shouting?

Lt Bailey, who was left on the Fesarius with Balok in the episode "Corbomite Maneuver" is still aboard the Enterprise?

It was 1969.

Star Trek had not yet aired in England.

The publisher of the wildly-successful weekly comic magazine TV Century 21, which featured strips based on the various Gerry Anderson series (Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, etc.), decided to launch a new weekly magazine showcasing the currently-running Anderson series, Joe 90.

Entitled Joe 90: Top Secret, it also featured a couple of two-page strips about imported American TV series, Star Trek and Land of the Giants.

Since the shows hadn't yet aired in England, the writers and artist Harry Lindfield were working off whatever print material and photo reference was sent from America.

(Apparently they didn't send them a copy of Stephen Whitfield's Making of Star Trek, which explains things like the Enterprise being unable to land on a planet's surface.)

The storylines usually ran six weeks, but could go longer if required.

Because the Trek strip had the centerfold slot, it allowed for panels running thru what would be the interior gutters on any other page, giving them a wide Sunday newspaper-strip feel and layout.

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Star Trek: the Newspaper Comics
1979-1981
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Star Trek: the Newspaper Comics
1981-1983
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