#Gene Fawcette

[sciencefictiongallery]

Gene Fawcette, 1950s.

[chernobog13]

OUT OF THIS WORLD (vol. 1) #1 (June, 1950). Avon Publications. Cover by Gene Fawcette.

Ho hum. Just another science fiction comic, right?

Normally you'd be right. But this little gem contains the first appearance of the one-and-only Crom the Barbarian!

Yes, decades before a certain Cimmerian first appeared at Marvel Comics, writer Gardner Fox and artist John Giunta brought a very Conan-esque barbarian to the four-color pages.

Curiously, Crom's tribe - emigrating from Northern Eurasia (perhaps Siberia, where blond hair is thought to have originated) - is called the Aesir. That's the collective name of the Norse gods of myth, not Asgardians, as Stan Lee and company would have you believe. Oddly enough, though, Crom makes reference to characters from Norse myth (Thor, Jormundgandir, Freya, Garm, Uller), as well as mythological characters from other countries (Set, Nessus). And another guy even invokes Zeus' name (here spelled "Zues").

Crom was a very neighborly guy. According to the text, "To Crom, all men who were not Aesir were enemies. They must be killed, that his tribe might become rich and prosperous."

I could make a MAGA joke here, but that's too easy and obvious.

Crom also deftly wields a sword with the heartwarming moniker Skull-Cracker. He often talks to the sword, encouraging it to drink its fill of his enemies' blood. A real sweetheart, this Crom is.

Crom is also quite the lusty fellow with an appreciative eye for the ladies. In just ten short pages he finds three different lasses that tickle his fancy.

The last gal turned out to be a queen. Originally, she tried to knife Crom in the back because he was stealing a treasure from her vault.

Crom's response to that was "the barbarian way:" he grabbed her and kissed her until she fell limp in his arms.

Politically correct this ain't.

Speaking of political, it is said that "Crom's gorilla-like strength, the cunning of his sword-hand" (plus his ability to leap like a deer) "swept (away) the soft, politically appointed guards before him."

Back to the queen: despite Crom using her as a hostage to cover his escape, and threatening to kill her if she doesn't cooperate, two panels later she's in love with him and wants him to rule by her side as king.

That Crom, what a guy!

Like the Cimmerian he is likely based on, Crom is not role-model material. Mildly entertaining, yes, but I can see parents - especially mothers - back in the 1950s getting upset that little Johnny is reading this sort of stuff in a comic book.

Still, the story is relatively important because it is, arguably, the first Robert E. Howard-style sword and sorcery tale in comics. And as we all know by now, it would certainly not be the last.

[cccovers]

An Earth Man on Venus cover by Gene Fawcette.

[tomoleary]

Space Detective (Avon, 1951-1952)

1 by Wally Wood, 2 by Wood and Joe Orlando, 3 by Everett Kinstler and 4 by Gene Fawcette

[pulpsandcomics2]

Space Detective #1 July 1951 cover: pencils by Joe Orlando and ink by Wally Wood

#2 November 1951 cover: pencils by Wally Wood and ink by Joe Orlando

#3 February 1952 cover by Everett Kinstler

#4 July 1952 cover by Gene Fawcette

[balu8]

Wonder Comics 19: Tara; The Secret Bride of Bharbon

by Gene Fawcette (pencils and inks-source Grand Comics Database)

Pines

[wanderingmind867]

Marvel's parody of their Captain Marvel comic. I love now many small details Roy Thomas and Gene Colan work in here. Five references to Fawcett Comics (that I spotted, at least). A cameo from Billy Batson, as well as from Popeye and from Namor/Spock. Roy Thomas working in a LOTR joke with Mordor being a place named on Captain Marvel's suitcase. There's just so many fun details here. (Not Brand Echh #9):

[milliondollarbaby87]

Mea Culpa (2024) Review

Mea is a very ambitious criminal defense attornery who wants to become a partner at her firm and decides to take on the case of Zyair an artist who is accused of murdering his girlfriend, this will put her up against her brother in law in court which doesn’t go down very well with her husband and extended family. ⭐️ Continue reading Mea Culpa (2024) Review

[pizzaqueen]

How did so many thrash metal dudes in the 80s have such shiny, bouncy hair? Was it all the head banging?

[stonathandreamer]

Glasses

🔸 Stonathan Masterlist

Synopsys: In which Jonathan finds out Steve wears glasses.

A/N: Steve Harrington wears glasses and that is not up for debate!

Jonathan pulls up in front of the Harrington residence, spotting two cars parked in the driveway. He takes a deep breath. Having to deal with Steve's parents can be exhausting at times.

Mrs. Harrington is a nice lady but can also be slightly snobbish at times, while Mr. Harrington has the personality of a rock worn by the tides; he's just there, not caring about anything - wife and son included. Jonathan tried talking to him once; his only response was 'hum'. According to Steve, his dad only talks to him when he wants to chastise his life choices, poor grades, or lack of a real, decent job.

Jonathan shook his head slightly, got out of his car, and walked to the front door, gently knocking on it. Jonathan swung his arms back and forth as he waited, feeling the chilly night breeze at the back of his neck. It was a rather cold night with light rain forecasted. He had an umbrella in the backseat of the car in case of emergencies.

A commotion was heard from the inside - the unmistakable voices of Mr. and Mrs. Harrington, probably asking each other to answer the door. It swung open a few seconds later, revealing Mrs. Harrington in a beautiful (and obviously expensive) black dress.

"Oh, Jonathan, it's you! Come in, honey." She gestured for him to come inside while adjusting her pearl necklace. "Steven mentioned you two would hang out tonight. He's in his room getting ready. You know the way!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Harrington. You look beautiful, by the way."

Mrs. Harrington smiled as she fixed her hair - she was definitely the one who passed Steve the good hair genes.

"Who was it?" Mr. Harrington's monotonous voice came from the living room.

"Just Jonathan!"

"Who?"

"Jonathan!" She yelled far too loudly. "Steve's friend! The one who's always with him!"

Friend, he mentally scoffed while climbing up the stairs to Steve's room - it was funny just how oblivious these two are, almost like they live in a different universe. According to Dustin, anyone who looked at Steve and Jonathan for more than 10 seconds knew they were dating.

Steve's door was closed, and Jonathan could hear him humming a song, probably from ABBA. He knocked on the door and opened it after hearing a faint "come in."

"Hey, Steve."

The boy in question, who was standing in front of his closet, looking for a jacket that matched the shirt he was wearing, swiftly turned his head around, like he was trying to hide something.

"Jon, hey! H-how are you?"

His hands were behind his back, definitely hiding something.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing."

Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to laugh if it's your Farrah Fawcett hairspray."

"I-it isn't..." He lowered his eyes and sighed. "It's my glasses."

He removed his hands from behind his back, revealing a pair of round, thin-framed glasses.

Steve was always embarrassed about wearing his glasses in public, remembering how Tommy H. always made fun of his fellow classmates who wore glasses, calling them 'four eyes' or other stupid names. So he always wears them when he's at home.

Jonathan looked at Steve's glasses for a few seconds and then looked back at him.

"That makes sense," was all he said, taking Steve aback. He thought his boyfriend was going to tease him or something. Like, why wouldn't he? Everyone made fun of people who wore glasses.

"Huh?"

"You're always squinting your eyes. I thought it was just a bad habit," he replied, shrugging, eyes turning to look at the glasses in Steve's hand. "Can... Can you put them on? Just for a second."

He nodded and put the glasses back on. As soon as he put them on, a fond smile appeared on Jonathan's face. That was new. Steve knew the glasses made his vision less blurry, but he didn't know that they also made smiles appear on his boyfriend's face.

"What?"

He asked, tilting his head to the right, curious as to why Jonathan was smiling - given that Jonathan Byers was not the type of guy who smiled all the time.

"Nothing. It's just... You look cute with glasses."

His cheeks immediately flushed red.

"R-really? You don't think I look stupid? Or like a nerd? Or..."

"No, I think you look perfect."

Jonathan still had that stupid smile on his face. God, that stupid and cute smile that Steve loved.

Without a second thought, Steve stepped forward and kissed him, taking Jonathan slightly by surprise. They never kissed when Steve's parents were nearby - or within a 2km radius, just in case.

"Steve... Y-your parents!"

"Relax, my dad never comes into my room, and you know my mom, you can hear her from miles away." He gave him a quick peck on the lips before turning his attention back to the closet. "Which jacket do you think is better, the gray or the black one?"

***

Steve went down the stairs (wearing his gray jacket), Jonathan right behind.

"Bye, mom, bye, dad, we're going out!"

"Bye-bye, sweetie... Oh, you're wearing your glasses!"

"Yeah, Jonathan said I should wear them more."

"Really?"

"I just told Steve he shouldn't strain his eyes, unless he wants to wear bigger glasses in the future."

"I've been telling him that for years!"

"Jonathan can be really persuasive, mom." He rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting this conversation to continue any longer. "Anyway, we're leaving. C'mon, Jonathan!"

He grabbed his (boy)friend's arm and quickly left the house.

Jonathan drove on the last date, so today it's Steve's turn. He opened the passenger seat's door for Jonathan, giving him a quick bow.

"Monsieur."

What a gentleman. Jonathan rolled his eyes while trying to contain a smile.

"So... Where are we going?"

He asked when Steve got in the car.

"There's this new restaurant that opened recently. I think you're gonna love it!" He started the car. "And if you don't like it... It was all Robin's idea."

"You ask Robin for date ideas?"

"No, she just gives them without me having to ask."

The date went perfectly. Jonathan loved the place Robin suggested, and after dinner, they drove aimlessly through town (something they both find relaxing), listening to music and holding hands - and occasionally kissing whenever they stopped at a red light and no one was there to see them.

***

The next day, Jonathan drove Will and Mike to Starcourt Mall - they wanted to buy some comic books and 'it was too hot to ride their bikes', a shitty way of saying 'we're too lazy to bike there'.

Well, since he was already there, Jonathan might as well stop by Scoops Ahoy and pay Steve a visit - and no, he did not think about it when Will and Mike asked for a ride to the mall.

The ice cream parlor wasn't as busy as he thought, given that today was quite warm. Steve was leaning over the counter, head down, reading a magazine.

"Hey, Steve." His head shot up as soon as he heard his boyfriend's voice. Aside from the wide smile, there was something else that caught Jonathan's attention. "You're wearing your glasses?"

"Yep!" He pushed his glasses gently with the index finger of his right hand. "Figured I should wear them more. Don't want my eyesight to worsen for not wearing them, y'know."

"Liar!" Robin yelled from the back room. "He's only wearing them because you said he looks cute with them."

Steve turned beet red while Jonathan just smiled and shook his head.

"Well..." Jonathan leaned closer. "You look cuter when you wear them with your uniform."

He got even redder - a little more and Steve will explode.

Robin rolled her eyes and made a mark on a board with "Steve x Jonathan" written on it.

Steve: 3 x Jonathan: 7.

[comicsart3]

Tara, Outlaw of the Universe, was unusual for a Golden Age heroine in that she led an outlaw gang of men, Robin Hood-style, in an effort to save earth from any number of monsters, pirates and aliens looking to destroy it. Tara’s outlaw status, together with that of her sidekicks, Robin and Malo, occurred when they were forced to provoke war between Earth and Mars when the Martian ambassador freed the evil pirate Atto, whom Tara had captured and had brought back to earth to face justice. Although her adventures were action-packed, Tara enjoyed a run of just six comics, the last five issues of Wonder Comics and her final jaunt in a single story in Thrilling Comics. Basically Tara and her friends were an interplanetary version of Pirates of the Caribbean, but despite the silliness, the stories are great fun, and Tara herself a resourceful leader of men.

In the page featured a disguised Tara and Robin are on Mars, hunting for a serum to cure a deadly virus unleashed on Earth by a dancer named Leela who turns out to be a Martian spy. They really should have made an RKO TV series out of Tara’s adventures.

This page is from the Tara story The Death That Grew, published in Wonder Comics #20 (October 1948). Art was by Gene Fawcette.

Source: Darkworlds Quarterly website, March 2020 and comicbookplus

[frenchcurious]

Gene Fawcett - Esquisse originale pour le comic strip ''Our New Age'' (Publishers-Hall Syndicate, 1973) - Source Heritage Auctions.

[emotionalsupportbastardmen]

I just know Alison Cooper and Alex Drake are both standing on the sidelines during round two, pretending to be disapproving of Julian Fawcett and Gene Hunt for fighting literal children, but secretly enjoying it.

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 6.11

Beer Birthdays

Carl Paul Gottfried von Linde; refrigerator inventor (1842)

Anton Ruh (1845)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Peter Dinklage; actor (1969)

Hugh Laurie; actor (1959)

Vince Lombardi; Green Bay Packers coach (1913)

Richard Strauss; composer (1864)

Gene Wilder; actor (1933)

Famous Birthdays

Adrienne Barbeau; actor (1945)

William Baziiots; artist (1912)

Frank Beard; rock drummer (1949)

John Constable; artist (1776)

Jacques Cousteau; oceanographer (1910)

Joey Dee; rock singer (1940)

Chad Everett; actor (1936)

Millicent Fawcett; British suffragist, feminist (1847)

Dave Gardner; comedian (1926)

Jan IV, Duke of Brabant (1403)

Ben Jonson; English writer (1572)

Shia LaBeouf; actor (1986)

Shelly Manne; jazz drummer (1920)

Joe Montana; San Francisco 49ers QB (1956)

Ernie Nevers; Chicago Cardinals FB (1903)

Hazel Scott; pianist, singer (1920)

Jackie Stewart; auto racer (1939)

William Styron; writer (1925)

Richard Todd; actor (1919)

Donnie Van Zandt; rock guitarist (1952)

Bartolomeo Vanzetti; Italian anarchist (1888)

[travelingcryptologist]

The adventures of Myles Cabot on Venus, based on Ralph Milne Farley’s 1924 novel “The Radio Man” which was retitled “An Earth Man on Venus”.

Cover by Gene Fawcette, inner cover introduction and story’s pencils and inks by Wally Wood.

Part 3/3.

[wanderingmind867]

I haven't gotten to the Not Brand Echh issue where they parody Captain Mar-Vell, but I did skim a few pages once before. And the thing I really found fun about it is how Gene Colan (who I believe was the artist for it) managed to insert like 50 different references to the original Captain Marvel, Billy Batson of Fawcett Comics fame. And so the comic pretty much became just as much a parody of the old Captain Marvel as it was about Marvel's new one. And i found that really fun.