Number 391


The scourge of Atlantis


Dick Ayers returns to Pappy's with a soggy tale from Strange Worlds #2 from 1959. The first issue of Strange Worlds was the first title published after a hiatus when Martin Goodman, publisher, sold his Atlas Distribution company, then had to seek distribution from his competition, DC Comics. Strange Worlds is post-Atlas, but pre-Marvel Comics. "I Am The Scourge Of Atlantis" is obviously not part of the Sub-Mariner/Marvel Universe. It owes its ending to "Ping Pong" in Mad. Oops. Should I have posted a SPOILER ALERT tag before telling you that?

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This is one of those novelty company ads from comic books. Some of these items seem almost terroristic: Hot Seat! Sneezing Powder! Itching Powder! Exploding fountain pen! How about scaring the crap out of your parents with a hypo needle that seems to plunge into your arm? "Mom! Dad! Watch me jolt up some heroin, yok yok!" Weapons of mass destruction: a sling shot with "riflelike accuracy. Excellent for targets or small game." Balanced throwing knives...little brothers watch out. You will be a target.

Of course we have the famous X-Ray Specs and "Throw Your Voice" gizmo. I'm sure plenty of kids threw them down in disgust when they realized they'd been duped.

Nowadays we need stuff like Fake Muslim Beard, Exploding Cell Phone, Shoe With Fuse. Real laugh-out-loud fun stuff.