Wednesday, March 23, 2011

MAN FROM ATLANTIS Marvel Comics Cover Gallery

John Buscema/Joe Sinnot
Ernie Chan
Alan Weiss
Gil Kane/Tony DeZuniga
Pablo Marcos
Ernie Chan
Ed Hannigan/Rudy Nebres
The Man From Atlantis comic book from Marvel was actually pretty awesome, with a mix of adapted TV stories and new adventures by writer Bill Mantlo - including a batshit insane concluding three-parter set in an Arctic lost world that also featured technologically-assisted talking dogs that prefigured the ones in Up by almost 30 years! Mantlo was always something of a twisted genius. Most issues were illustrated by the veteran team of Frank Robbins and Frank Springer.

Heroic aqua-man Mark Harris was pitted against some formidable adversaries - villains included not only the TV show's Mr. Schubert, but a high-tech super pirate named Skorba, as well. It was a really fun series that could tell stories beyond the budgets of the television series. Unfortunately, the show was a ratings flop, and the comic died quickly.

I bought the first two issues when they came out, but no longer have them. I picked up three of the later ones last fall, and hope to complete the set one of these days. I liked the book a lot.

Cover scans courtesy of the Grand Comics Database.

 Bonus: Gene Colan & Frank Giacoia's original art for a Mark Harris pin-up that appeared in the double-sized first issue:

5 comments:

  1. That Gene Colan pin-up made my whole day thanks.

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  2. The TV show was a flop? Yet it gets mentioned so often. I guess it's talked about more than it's been seen

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  3. By the standards by which networks judge success - ratings - it was a flop. But for many of us who were sci-fi loving kids at the time, it is fondly remembered.

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  4. Cool pin-up, thanks for sharing.

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  5. I wasn't a HUGE fan of the tv series, but thanks to this entry, I'll try to get the comics!

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