Saturday, December 6, 2008

The Christmas Gift that Keeps On Giving Year-Round: A 12-Month Calendar!

One of our favorite types of pop culture collectible here at the Atomic Kommie Comics™ offices are calendars, in particular the multi-page 12-month kind, with a different illustration for each month.

I have over a decade's worth of James Bond 007 movie poster calendars.
Each year the new one adorns the wall over my computer.
When the year is over, I cut it up and use the art the next year as mini-posters to decorate whatever vacation place I rent during the summer.
Besides Bond, over the years, I've picked up, or been given, various Star Trek, Star Wars, DC, Marvel, and other licensed property calendars.
I've always enjoyed using them, and often thought of the person who gave them to me!

But, there are pop culture categories and subjects that we've wanted in calendar form as presents for others (or for ourselves), but were never produced!
So, we decided to create them, using the wildest, rarest, kitchiest comic book and pulp magazine covers & movie posters we could find, each image digitally-restored and remastered from hi-rez scans of the original items, NO reprints or low-rez files!

Here are the Atomic Kommie Comics™ 12-Month Calendars (by genre)...

Mystery / Crime
Sherlock Holmes: the Greatest Sleuth of All!™
Crime & Punishment™
Good Girl / Bad Grrrl™

Horror
Horror Comics of the 1950s™

Camp / Kitsch
Seduction of the Innocent!!™

Romance
True Love Comics Tales™

Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Martians, Martians, Martians!™
Commanders of the Cosmos™
Thrilling Science-Fiction Tales™

SuperHeroes
Heroines!™
Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™
MORE Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™
1st Appearance Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™
Flag-Waving Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™
Classic Black Terror
Classic Green Lama
Classic Fighting Yank

Western
Western Comics Adventures™
Real-Life Western Comics™
The Cisco Kid & Pancho™

Military
WAR! Past, Present & Future™

NOT available in stores, only on-line! Order now...before time runs out! ;-)

Friday, December 5, 2008

Put a SUPER GREEN BERET! under your evergreen!

Never failing to capitalize on a pop culture trend, several comics publishers, noticing the 60s popularity of the hit single Ballad of the Green Berets (by Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler & Robin Moore) quickly launched series featuring the elite Army unit.
Most were standard war comics, but one stood out from the rest for sheer weirdness...
What do you get when you combine...
1) Green Berets and the VietNam War with...
2) Teenagers...
and 3) SuperHeroes?
Why, SUPER GREEN BERET, of course!

Green Beret Roger Wilson saves a Vietnamese monk from a wild boar, and in return the grateful priest attaches a pin to his beret which makes it glow.
Home on leave, Roger gives the glowing beret to his teenage nephew Tod Holton, who discovers that, when he puts it on and salutes, he's transformed into a super-powered adult dressed in a soldier's uniform!
Using his new-found powers of teleportation, telepathy, telekinesis, transmutation, time travel, invulnerability, and super-strength, Tod decides to fight Enemies of Our Country, mostly in present-day Asia, but also the American Revolution and World War II, during his two-issue run!
Yes, it's as hokey as it sounds!

We at Atomic Kommie Comics™ felt that we couldn't let such an outrageous character and concept be forgotten, so, as part of our War: Past, Present, & Future™ line, we incorporated Super Green Beret as a light-hearted example of 1960s funkiness to contrast with the seriousness of the World War II and Korean Police Action material (plus we wanted an excuse to make some kool SGB collectibles for ourselves)!

So stick Super Green Beret under the tree or in a stocking for your loved one! It's the next best thing to an original 11.5" GI Joe! (And I should know, since I received one of the first Joes at Christmas, many years ago!)

FREE BONUS: An early Christmas present for you: link to an online reprint of Super Green Beret!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Either naughty OR nice at Christmastime? We have a grrrl for you!

One of the most notorious Golden Age characters, Phantom Lady was also one of the first costumed superheroines, beating out Wonder Woman (who debuted in All-Star Comics #8) in 1941 by several months!

Like a number of 1940s comics characters, she was created by an independent comic book studio for an established publisher, in this case, Quality Comics, debuting in Police Comics #1 which also featured the first appearances of Plastic Man, FireBrand, and The Human Bomb.
After a year, her strip was canceled by Quality, and the character was offered to Fox Comics, where she was promoted to her own comic, which started with #13, since it took over the numbering of an already existing title.
Her costume was modified by legendary "good girl" artist Matt Baker to expose more of her (ahem) assets and a number of covers featured her being captured and tied up by evildoers.
It is this version which became notorious by becoming one of the primary examples in Dr. Fredric Wertham's crusade against comics detailed in his book Seduction of the Innocent.

Believing that both the "naughty" and "nice' versions of the character have a place in pop culture history, Atomic Kommie Comics™ has included the classic superheroine in not one, but two different sections of our store!
In the Heroines!™ collection, we have the G-rated "empowered" version, kicking evil butts right and left!
And, in Seduction of the Innocent!!™, we have the PG-13, more risque version, including the famous cover included in Dr. Wertham's book!
She's also featured on both our Heroines and Good Girl / Bad Grrrl 12-Month Calendars!

If you're looking for classy, yet kitchy, gifts, you can't go wrong with our selection of Phantom Lady goodies for the pop culture / comics aficionado in your life!
Let him (or her) unwrap Phantom Lady this Christmas! They'll thank you for it! ;-)

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Space: the Final Frontier for Christmas Gifts...

Since the 1890s, and the heyday of Jules Verne & H.G. Wells, science fiction-themed presents have found a place under the Christmas tree and in Xmas stockings for the young (and young at heart)!
Continuing that entertaining tradition, Atomic Kommie Comics™ is proud to offer our line of retro-design sci-fi/fantasy collectibles, The Future WAS Fantastic!™, for both kids AND adults!
We're talking 12-month calendars, mousepads, mugs, magnets, t-shirts, sweatshirts and other goodies featuring some of the niftiest illustrations from the comic books, pulp magazines, and movie posters of the 1930s-1960s, all digitally-restored and remastered!
Spaceships with wings and big fins!
Ray Guns that can zap an army in a flash!
Slimy Aliens!
Killer Robots!
Heroes in bubble-helmeted tight spacesuits!
Heroines in even tighter space suits!
Never did the future look so...stylish!
If you're looking for something in the vein of Star Wars or Star Trek (You did know that George Lucas wanted to remake Flash Gordon, but King Features didn't want to trust a young director whose biggest credit at that point was American Graffiti, didn't you?), here's the stuff that provided the visual inspiration for today's hi-tech flights of fantasy!
Enjoy, and may your rocket tubes never overheat...

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Give GOLD (Golden Lad, that is) at Christmas!

One of the few Golden Age teen heroes both with his own comic book and not an established hero's sidekick, Golden Lad had a five-issue run in 1946-47 featuring art by comic art legends Jerry Robinson (who created Batman's foe, The Joker) and Mort Meskin!

High-school student Tommy Preston discovered an ancient Aztec artifact, the Heart of Gold in his grandfather's antique shop. (wonder if grandpop handled some of Indiana Jones' transactions...)
(The Heart of Gold had been empowered by "the blood of a thousand martyred Aztecs" to grant power to anyone who fought for justice.)
Holding the artifact and saying its name, Tommy was transformed into Golden Lad, with the abilities of flight, super strength, and size-changing.

Trivia: unlike Captain Marvel, who changed from a kid into an adult hero when he said "SHAZAM!", Tommy still looks like his teenage self as Golden Lad, just in green tights, yet no one who knows him as Tommy recognizes him when he's Golden Lad! Go figure!

As part of our Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ line, he's one of the more obscure characters since he hadn't been revived since 1946 until Alex Ross brought him back for a cameo in the first Project SuperPowers mini-series!
Digging thru the Atomic Kommie Comics™ archives, we found all five issues, and decided on the three best covers (including the first and final ones) for Golden Lad, giving him his own section!

If you're looking for a kool affordable Golden Age comic collectible for your pop-culture-fan loved one, you can't go wrong with a Golden Lad goodie as a stocking stuffer (unless you happen to find the Heart of Gold in an antique shop)!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Welcome to Cyber Monday...and FREE Shipping!

It's that time of year again...Cyber Monday! The day when you point your browsers towards the ULTIMATE shopping experience...ONLINE SHOPPING!

So, let your fingers do the walking...to Atomic Kommie Comics™

Whether it's superheroes, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, western, romance, martial arts, war, or crime, you'll find limited-edition collectibles designed by pop culture aficionados (us) for fellow pop culture aficionados (you).
We create and sell stuff based on classic retro imagery that we would buy if someone else offered it, but nobody else does (When was the last time you saw a Purple Claw or Rocket Kelly shirt?)!
Every piece of art we use is shot directly from original vintage books, comics, and posters, then digitally-restored and remastered! We never use reprints or low-rez files from the Internet!

Choose from...
Cool Christmas™ Santa Claus! Ebenezer Scrooge! Frosty the SnowMan!

Crime & Punishment™ The Good, The Bad, & the Graphic!

The Future WAS Fantastic!™ From Before Time Began to the Edge of Infinity, we have something for every sci-fi/fantasy fan (like the beautiful Maria [above] from the classic movie Metropolis).

Heroines!™ The so-called "weaker" sex RULES!

Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ With new comics from Alex Ross & Erik Larsen (Project SuperPowers & The Next Issue Project, respectively), some long-ignored heroes FINALLY get their due! And WE provide the kool kollectibles they never had in the 1940s, using the original Golden Age comic books!

Seduction of the Innocent!!™ Before videogames came along, comics, tv, and movies were said to be the contributing factors to JUVENILE DELINQUENCY! I say...CELEBRATE the stuff your grandparents said would warp your parents' minds! After all, they turned out OK, didn't they? Didn't they? Oh, well... Rated PG!

Horror Comics of the 1950s™ MORE stuff your grandparents didn't want your parents to see! Also rated PG!

Pop Art Martial Arts™ EVERYBODY was kung-fu fighting...including men, women...and CYBORGS?

War: Past, Present, & Future™ See war thru the eyes of those who witnessed it, those who dreamed about it, and those whose job was to make you want to be part of it.

Western Comics Adventures™ The Thrilling Days of Yesteryear! When men were REAL men, women were REAL women, and EVERYBODY carried guns!

True Love Comics Tales™ Comics aren't just about spandex-clad characters in battles of cosmic import!
They also tell intimate tales of heartbreak & true love, betrayal & redemption, and misery & joy!

and
Tykes, Toddlers & Tiny Tots (and Their Mommies)!™ G-rated classic cartoon designs for kids 6 & under (and their moms)!

And here's the BEST part...
TODAY, Cyber Monday, ONLY!
FREE SHIPPING on ALL orders!
Enter code FEMHOL14 at checkout.
*Free Economy or Standard shipping. Delivery address must be within the United States and cannot be a PO Box. All orders will be Economy shipping unless the order is not eligible for Economy shipping (e.g., order exceeds Economy weight restrictions). Coupon code must be entered at CafePress.com check out. Promotion starts on December 1, 2008, at 12:00 a.m. (PST) and ends on December 1, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. (PST). Cannot be combined with any other CafePress.com offers, discounts or coupons and this offer may change, be modified or cancelled at anytime without notice.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Getting ready for Cyber Monday--the BIGGEST online shopping day before Christmas!

Well, we've spiffed up the place, and we're donning our holiday best to welcome you to Atomic Kommie Comics™, a nerdvana for pop culture addicts with a taste for retro!

Take this Santa Claus illustration for example!
He's from a classic 1950s comic book cover, back in the day when every publisher did holiday-themed covers, usually featuring their most popular characters like Superman or Bugs Bunny celebrating the season!
(We obviously can't use those characters, but we've managed to find several other famous comic characters for our Christmas in the Comics line! But I digress...)
Some publishers did standalone Santa Claus-oriented one-shot titles as well, and it is from those long-lost one-shots (none of which have ever been reprinted!) that we draw upon for our Santa Claus--the Big Man Himself! line.
This is the definitive Baby Boomer-era Santa, the Kris Kringle your parents (and you) remember from your childhoods.
In a dozen different designs, he's...
Checking his list, twice!
Driving a very compact car thru the snow!
Putting presents under the tree!
Getting spiffed up by the elves!
Leading a band of toys making Christmas music!
Playing with a toy railroad set! (Even Santa deserves a break!)
And, in the ultimate Atomic Era image, riding a rocket sled to deliver presents!

He's on (among many other goodies) eco-friendly canvas shopping tote bags, sweatshirts (and hoodies), hot cocoa mugs, tree ornaments, and of course, greeting cards as single cards, and economy-minded 10 or 20-pak sets (PLUS: the 10 & 20 paks have FREE personalization! E-mail atomickommiecomics(at)gmail.com for details, after you replace the (at) with @ !)

It's authentic vintage art, digitally-restored and remastered for your gift-giving pleasure!
If you're feeling all warm & fuzzy this Christmas, you can't go wrong with klassy kitch like this!
Plus we have SnowMan, our Frosty friend, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, and, for those with a grouchier bent, Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol!

Shop early!
You don't want your presents to you loved ones to get delayed in transit! (The Post Office, UPS & FedEx, while quite good at what they do, don't have Santa's knack for never missing Christmas!)
Dare you take the chance?