BEACH BUM COMICS : LURED INTO A TRAP BEYOND PLUTO

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

LURED INTO A TRAP BEYOND PLUTO - BUCK ROGERS !!!

Due to a life-support malfunction, astronaut Buck Rogers is accidentally frozen for 504 years before his spacecraft is discovered adrift in the year 2491. The combination of gases that froze his body coincidentally comes close to the formula commonly used in the 25th century for cryopreservation, and his rescuers are able to revive him. He learns that civilization on Earth was rebuilt following a devastating nuclear war that occurred on November 22, 1987, and is now under the protection of the Earth Defense Directorate.

Promo art for an unpublished TSR Buck Rogers comic book cover by Clyde Caldwell.

Couldn't resist showing off Frank Frazetta doing Buck Rogers. Marvelous!

Gold Key/Whitman Comics published fourteen issues of a Buck Rogers in the 25th Century comic book based on the TV series. The first couple of issues adapted the movie, but picked up the numbering from a Buck Rogers revival in the 1960s. The comic books started with #2, because #1 was published in the year 1964 in the style of the old comic strips.

Rudy Nebres did the cover for the last issue.

Terrific Al McWilliams art on a ad for Buck Rogers.

Starting with #5, new adventures were created in the series continuity. The first three issues (#2-#4) were reprinted in a "Giant Movie Edition" and was distributed by Marvel Comics. Ironically, the comic outlived the series by several months. #10 was never published and this comic book series was cancelled after #16. The comic book remained within the continuity of Season 1 and did not feature any characters from Season 2.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century #1 Mysterious disappearances in outer space lure Buck into a trap beyond the farthest planet!
"The Space Slavers"
Tiny aliens capture both Buck's team and Barney's gang by telepathic mind control, forcing them and others to mine heavy minerals which the aliens' own planet lacks. Discovering that the effect wears off over time, and that eye visors give protection, Buck and Dr. Huer capture the aliens, free the slaves, and send the aliens back to their home system.
Written by the prolific Paul S. Newman with art by Ray (Undersea Agent) Bailey.
Numbered 10128-410 on cover.

Later on in the series, artists included Al (Star Trek) McWilliams, Mike (I Spy) Roy, Frank (Magnus, Robot Fighter) Bolle, Jose (Yellow Submarine) Delbo, Dan (Space Family Robinson) Spiegle & Rudy (Conan) Nebres. You don't want to miss the painted covers either.

Buck Rogers #10 was not published. The Comic Reader #185 said Buck Rogers #10, cover dated 01/1981, was supposed to be released 10/27/1980 and carry the book length "The Madness Without -- The Madness Within" by J. Marc DeMatteis and Al McWilliams. Apparently, this didn't happen due to distribution problems experienced by Western at the time, and it was rescheduled for one of the mass-distributed three-packs, but it doesn't look the missing #10 was included in any of these.