The Atom team-up ad

Finally the unpredictability of my work has caught up to the Titan, so there are gaping post holes. I'm actually surprised I made it this far.

Back to work here, I offer an Atom ad! This, to me, is a beauty. Achieves all it set out to, I would imagine. You've got catchy colors, with the text nicely spread out but not all over the place. It grabs you.

"Fistic Fireworks." It says that. It really says that.

Doesn't hurt that you've got a sweet Gil Kane cover there with the two Atom's being smacked around.
Who the hell is this "Thinker?!" I've got to know!

As always, available at your local newsstand.

The Atom: Who's Who entry

A little ways back, thanks to the suggestion by Robquaman, I posted the first of the T3 related DC Who's Who entries with the Atom. The shrinking one. Here we are having ourselves some Al Pratt Who's Who-ness. Yanno... the first one.

We've got some great Atom artistry going on there from Rick Hoberg and Romeo Tanghal, two men more than familiar with the mighty mite throughout the years.

It's as good a place as any to really see the changes Al went through during his tenure. While he's quite super-heroic looking in his second look, the first one can smell your fear. And that's WITH entire head piece intact, lending to quite a good amount of the fear.
Sans tights was another matter.

Atomic bonus: Treat yourself to some fine chest hair, occurring in the background.

Comic Cavalcade ad

Now there's a fun ad!

Hop Harrigan!

Al Pratt stuff is few and far, but the time had arrived for this ad. I like him charging towards the viewer while the Flash,GL, and WW seem... confused.

As always, at your favorite newsdealer.

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Also, do yourselves a favor if you haven't already, and head on over to Michael Netzer's page where Martian saving continues. You'll be treated with Steven Segal references, assorted news, pleas from Martian fans, and the beautiful beginnings of an Aquaman sketch for Rob of the shrine featuring the Martian Manhunter... and the Atom!

Atom Pocket Super Hero

I've got Sword of the Atom coming up, but I need to get one of these pocket heroes on here. Let me just say, I love these things. Love them. They're just seriously cool little figures (cool is in the eye of the beholder) from the ever so giving DC Direct.
That said, I do have a gripe with the pocket heroes line. A complaint. It's in the ball park of what I normally complain about. But I'll save it for the big Pocker Super Heroes extravaganza.

So you've got original incarnation Al Pratt here complete with bikini bottom, packaged along with Dr. Mid-Nite, which I thought was pretty cool. I mean, when they're just sitting there on the shelf, alone, while variations of Batman, and Superman, and Superman's family, and Krypto, and the GL squad go flying off the shelves... at least the Doc can see in the dark. So they won't be scared.


Very cool figures and DCD made pretty much any hero you would want, so if you haven't already, track yourself down a pocket hero. I personally have my geekfest unopened ones, and then loosies who hang around causing trouble.

Hembeck back cover: The Comic Reader

I posted the first of the Hembeck's here.

That one up there? Oh yeah. That's right. Second.

This is the back cover of The Comic Reader #197 from 1981, done by Fred Hembeck and I believe Bill Anderson.

Look at them all! Palling around, hanging about. Legends and heroes meeting up!

What we like to see here is of course the Atom's. There's Al leaning down to shake Ray's hand. Ray of course has led to many back problems throughout the hero world. He's amongst friends here, just mingle at your normal height.

Maybe it's costume only.

Or perhaps he's wary that he and Pratt may go at it again.

Even with the two Atom's on here, my attention always goes to whatever tom foolery is about to unfold around Dr. Fate. It's obvious Supes is just talking him up so that Martian Manhunter can pants him. Then when he curses and reaches down to pull his trousers up, the helmet comes off and it's the old "Helmet of Nabu keep away" game that they love to play at these things.
You can totally see that Hawkman doesn't know what the hell they're doing, but he wants in on the good stuff.

Every now and then they'll give Fate the ol "all right, we were just joking" and hand the helmet back to him, only for him to try and put it on with great difficulty, thanks to a Ray Palmer infestation.

That's what I got from the cover anyway...

Click that sucker for the big picture.

I'm sticking this in that new Hawkman file too, so there!

DC Direct's JSA Atom action figure

Al Pratt was promised and Al Pratt was delivered!.

These are actually some very cool figures from DC Direct as they did all Atom's serious justice in the action figure world. It's a shame there isn't more Al Pratt stuff out there (or any Atom stuff for that matter), and I 100% think his Golden Age costume would have made a fine boxed plastic apron Halloween outfit.
You get both versions of him here, and it gives you a chance to see in hand held detail why his first costume is a creation for all time.
His second version of the costume is more towards the "superhero" get-up than the skinfest he was originally running around in.

Pick these up for your yourself, your child, or a fellow hobbyist, and spread the joy of fist solving justice.

Making the world a better place: With Benton enjoying the first costume's mask, and my brilliant idea of combining Al Pratt's costumes into one beast, I got all crazy. Because I know some people just can't picture that first mask on that second costume. Just can't do it. "There's no way it could work!" some would yell.
So I expertly (quality speaks for itself) cut Al Pratt 1's head off and professionally (almost looks human) pasted it on to Al Pratt 2, to show the world that it can AND will work. It already has...Nuklon? Damage? Anyone...