Friday's Favorite OTR

Escape: "Conqueror's Isle" 3/5/49

The crew of a Navy bomber crash lands on a remote island in the Pacific near the end of World War II. Four years later, the pilot turns up on a raft with a wild story about the inhabitants of that island.

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Roman Holiday

Read/Watch 'em In Order #91

Our journey through the August 1939 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories now takes us back in time to ancient Rome. "Roman Holiday," by Kelvin Kent, is perhaps my favorite story so far in this issue.

The idea is to send both a college professor and a carnival barker back in time to imperial Rome. Which of them would prosper? Would the academic knowledge of the professor be more useful than the practical street-smarts of the barker.

The barker is our protagonist. Peter Manx is an average guy in most ways, but was picked for this experiment because he learned Latin from his high school teacher mother. His personal motivation for agreeing to time travel is the promise of one hundred dollars.

The time travel method projects the traveler's mind into the random body of a person in ancient Rome. Manx ends up in the body of a sneak thief about to get beaten up by a soldier, but a little ju-jitsu gets him out of that. With the few coins in his pocket, a knife and a few marbles he bought off some kids, he makes a primitive pinball machine and soon has most of Rome clamoring to give him money for a chance to play.

By the way, kids did play marbles in Rome. I looked it up because I suspected the writer has slipped in an anachronism, but I was wrong.

Manx is quite a success for a time, buying interest in a tavern has he expands the pinball operation and even getting himself elected magistrate. But street-smarts fail him when he mis-gauges the attitude of the common Roman citizen. He and the professor end up in the arena, facing hungry lions. But Manx has one more trick up his sleeve that just might get them out of there alive.


"Roman Holiday" is fun and funny, written in a straightforward prose with real wit and a reasonable understanding of human nature. It's rare to find a funny science fiction story that doesn't parody science fiction tropes & cliches directly, but draws the humor out of the situation and characters.

It wasn't until I got to this point in writing my post that I realized I hadn't looked up the author yet to learn a little more about him. Well, Kelvin Kent is a pen name used by Henry Kuttner and Albert K. Barnes. They co-wrote this one, then used the pen name for 11 more stories about Peter Manx running time traveling errands, working together again on one story and dividing the remaining 10 stories between them as solo efforts.

One of the joys of studying the pulp magazines is that it's pretty much impossible to know about every story and you are always stumbling on something fun to read that you previously had no idea existed. The Peter Manx stories were all published in Thrilling Wonder Stories, which are available online. So when I finish the stories in this issue, I may spin the "In Order" series off to look at the rest of Peter's adventures.

In the meantime, this particular issue is available HERE.

Robot vs. Robot

G.I. Robot, who first appeared in Star Spangled War Stories #101 in 1961, is one of writer Bob Kanigher's most magnificent creations. A experimental combat machine, G.I Robot was supposedly emotionless and would perform the task of fighting the Axis with mechanical efficiency. But there were always subtle hints that maybe--just maybe--the Robot had feelings.

The early G.I. Robot stories were drawn by Ross Andru, who had the ability to put just a hint of emotion into the robot's unchanging visage. I have no idea how Andru did that, but by golly he did.

Today, we're looking at a later Robot story from Weird War Tales #122 (April 1983). Kanigher is still the writer, with George Tuska. And Tuska is almost (if not quite) as good at giving the Robot a subtle sense of emotion as was Andru.

By the way, this story involves the fourth version of the Robot. G.I. Robots take a lot of casualties, which kind of makes you wish that they don't have emotions.

This Robot is J.A.K.E. 2 (Jungle Autonomous Killer Experimental) and his human partner is Sgt. Coker . The two are with a marine unit on a Pacific island, tasked with the job of sinking a Japanese ship that is bringing tanks to the island.

Coker and J.A.K.E. fail to sink the ship, but J.A.K.E. pretty handily takes care of the tanks with a volley of mini-bazooka rockets fired from his fingertips.

This is, of course, awesome. But there is a detail of story construction that is open to criticism. The marines were in a panic about the Japanese tanks being delivered, implying they have no anti-armor weapons at all. Coker and J.A.K.E. nearly get killed in a desperate attempt to stop the tanks from getting to the island. But then J.A.K.E. destroys the tanks in a single casual gesture. So why were they considered such a threat in the first place?

But that's a small criticism. All these shenanigans are simply to set up the meat of the story, in which the Japanese send a Sumo Wrestler Robot to destroy J.A.K.E.

They've tried a Samurai Robot 9 issues earlier. A Japanese officer mentions they had also tried a Geisha Robot, which I don't think we actually ever see in a G.I. Robot story. I try to keep my blog family friendly, so I won't speculate on how exactly a Geisha Robot tried to do away with J.A.K.E.

Anyway, we get a fight scene between the two robots that Tuska does a wonderful job of illustrating. At first it looks as if J.A.K.E.is going to lose, but Coker gives him a "remember you're a Marine!" speech and J.A.K.E. pulls off a come-from-behind victory.

He then carries Coker through a mine field, but without warning the soldier beforehand that he has mine detectors in his feet and there was no danger.

So does J.A.K.E. respond to Coker's speech during the fight against the other robot? Does he show a sense of humor in carrying Coker through the mine field and giving the sergeant a scare? Does he have emotion? Does he dream?

Coker isn't sure. And neither are we.

That's it for now. Next week, we'll look at one of the many times Batman and Superman teamed up.

Cover Cavalcade

Jack Vance was a superb writer who was also fortunate enough to have some great cover artists help sell his books.

Friday's Favorite OTR

Dragnet: "The Helen Corday Murder" 7/7/49

A young lady is murdered. The crime scene yields a few weak clues. A lot of leg work and an intense third-degree with a suspect is needed to nail the killer.


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Pluto and Space Pirates

Read/Watch 'em In Order #90

We continue our journey through the August 1939 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories with "The Dweller in Outer Darkness," by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.

This one is pure space opera, something I have no problem with when done well. "Dweller," though, is only mostly done well. Long was a prolific writer for the pulps and later as a novelist and his stuff is usually quite good. This story, though, has a few flaws that keep it from flowing smoothly.

It's set on Pluto, being explored for the first time by a small ship with a crew of three. The narrator, Mark Banner, is in love with fellow crew person Helen Torrey. But Helen has eyes only for Peter Miles, who has the air of a reckless adventurer about him and is willing to take chances that Mark will not. That Mark is constantly critical of Miles' risk-taking ("Heroics and science don't mix") doesn't make him look good in Helen's eyes.

After acquiring a specimen of an apparently dead and vaguely human life form, the three blast off for Earth. But when they are intercepted and captured by the ruthless space pirate Delcha, we get to see which of the crew really has courage. We'll also get to see if the Plutonian life form is actually dead or merely waiting for the right conditions to wake it up.

The setting and plot are fine and Long succeeds in making the climax appropriately creepy. The drawback is the techno-babble. Of course, this is space opera, where super-scientific devices are common and a degree of techno-babble is necessary to explain those devices. Long simply spends a few too many words during the relatively short tale explaining the "science" behind several weapons and protective belts the characters are using. There are moments in science fiction when the author just needs to say "force field belt" or "stun gun" and then just leave it at that.

But, as I said, the story turns effectively creepy when the Plutonian thing turns out to be not-quite-dead and any story that involves a space pirate gets points for that alone, so "The Dweller in Outer Darkness" is worth a read.

Remember that you can find this issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories online HERE.

Captain America Fought Zombies Before Zombies Were Cool!

I am not a fan of modern zombie fiction. In part, this is because of my distaste for graphic violence, which I think is one of the worst things that ever happened to the horror genre. It is also, in part, simply a matter of personal preference. Give me a dead guy raised by voodoo or because of a curse rather than a world-wide zombie plague and I'll then be okay with the story. The second episode of the 1974/75 TV series The Night Stalker involved a voodoo-created zombie and contains one of the purely scariest moments ever produced in fiction from any medium.

But there at least one Zombie Apocalypse story that I enjoy. We have to go back to All-Winners Comics #1 (Summer 1941) to find it, but by golly, it's there.

The comic contained five stories respectively featuring the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner, the Black Marvel, the Angel and Captain America. It's Cap who has to deal with the Zombies.

These particular zombies are created by a Nazi mad scientist, who is kidnapping hobos, turning them into mindless killing machines that feel no pain, then having them rampage and destroy American military assets.

Joe Simon wrote the story and Jack Kirby illustrated it. It was a story that depends on really creepy images to work effectively and generate the appropriate horrific atmosphere. I think Kirby's best work as an artist came in the 1960s and 1970s, but he succeeds beautifully here in hitting that creepy vibe. The panels showing us the rampaging zombies put any thing from a George Romero movie to shame.

Anyway, Cap and Bucky go undercover as hobos, get kidnapped, and (after the villain conveniently explains his plan) beat up the bad guys and put a stop to this particular Zombie Apocalypse.

If you like modern zombie films and TV shows, then I have no problem with that. There's much of it I have never watched, so my opinion isn't a well-educated one and I freely admit it is based on personal preference. Just as I would hope no one would be dismissive of the fiction I can be passionate about, I hope that I would never be dismissive of someone else's tastes.

But for me, this Captain America story--published 27 years before Night of the Living Dead gave birth to modern Zombie movies--this is a story that shows us how to do such a story right.

Next week, we'll go on a mission with G.I. Robot as he takes on a Japanese Sumo-robot.

Cover Cavalcade

A fun Steve Ditko cover from 1954.

Friday's Favorite OTR

Ozzie and Harriet: "Lodge of the Unicorn" 9/16/45

In order to join a lodge, Ozzie must go through the day agreeing with absolutely everything said to him.

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For More Fun, Add a Gatling Gun

Novelist and screenwriter Clair Huffaker published the novel Badman in 1958. The title character is a guy named Jack Tawlin (called "Taw"), who has just gotten out of prison and who has a reputation as a gunman and a trouble maker.

Taw, though, wants to go straight and live a quiet life. He arrives at the town of Pawnee Fork, where his brother Jess works as a shipping clerk for a mining company. His good intentions don't last very long after that, since Jess and several others are planning to rob the mining company's next gold shipment and want Taw to be a part of this. When Taw has to kill a man in self-defense, he comes to the conclusion that he'll never be allowed to leave his past behind. He might as well join in on the robbery.

There are several aspects to all this that make it interesting. The first interesting thing is the wagon that will carry the gold. It's armor plated and guarded by over two dozen men. To separate the wagon from the guards and then get the wagon to wreck itself in a gully will require a complex, multi-part plan that includes--among other things--blowing up a bridge at just the right moment and tricking a tribe of Sioux into attacking the guards at also just the right moment. If any one part of the plan goes awry, the whole thing can fall apart.

The second interesting thing is the way Jess is obviously manipulating his brother into becoming a part of the gang. It's easy to see--but Taw can't see it. He sees his little brother as a friend and someone who is in need of guidance. Taw cannot see Jess for what the despicable worm he is. Heck, Jess' wife Christine warns Taw that he's being set up as a fall guy and will never live to see his share of the gold. But Taw's blind spot regarding his sibling cannot be overcome.

That's the irony of the title. Badman apparently refers to Taw, but many of those involved in the gold robbery are probably worse than he is.

The novel is a really, really good one. Huffaker builds tension steadily in the events leading up to the robbery and during the unexpectedly rainy night in which the gang pulls off the job. Then events spiral out of control for pretty much everyone involved, with Taw getting a chance to do something noble that makes us feel he's earned a happy ending.

If he can live long enough to get a happy ending, that is.

In 1967, Huffaker wrote the screenplay for a movie version that would star John Wayne. The film takes the basic premise (coming up with an intricate plan to rob an armored wagon carrying gold) and plugs in new characters and an entirely different atmosphere. The novel was full of dark tension and moments of violent action. The movie is full of a sense of fun and, though it still has its share of violent action, it has a completely different feel to the story.

Jack Tawlin becomes Taw Jackson, played by the Duke. He's still getting out of prison, but this time its after being framed by mine owner Frank Pierce, who wanted Taw's ranch after gold was discovered on it. Pierce also hired a gunman to shoot Taw, though the tough rancher survives the wound. Now that Taw is out, he plans to rob the War Wagon to get payment for the ranch he was cheated out of. So where the novel version of Taw needed a chance to redeem himself before we could really root for him, the movie version of Taw is simply given a moral justification for the robbery right from the get-go.

The first act of the movie involves Taw putting the gang he needs together. This includes a gunfighter and safe cracker named Lomax, who also happens to be the guy who shot Taw. But Lomax is the only safe cracker Taw knows.

Lomax is played by Kirk Douglas and its the pairing of Wayne and Douglas that really makes the movie stand out. The two play off each other perfectly and both at least appear to be having enormous fun playing their parts.

The movie was directed by Burt Kennedy, who also added some humor to the script--something Huffaker apparently disliked but which the finished product shows to be the right decision. Both production crew and actors were vets at making Westerns and the end result is 101 minutes of solid entertainment.

Also, the War Wagon just looks cool. One interesting thing about the movie version of the wagon is the addition of a gatling gun. In the book, it is mentioned that a gatling gun was considered for the wagon, but dismissed as unnecessary. But in the movie, the wagon actually has a gatling-armed turret on top. The idea of that weapon was probably just too visually cool to leave out of the film.

95 times out of 100, the movie version of a book is never quite as good as the book itself. But in this case, the book and the movie split too far apart in characterization, theme and atmosphere to make them comparable. Each is its own animal and each is great in its own right.