In the tradition of Larry Ivie's MONSTERS & HEROES came QUESTAR, a magazine that featured articles on sci-fi movies, and some comic-strips. Apparently it ran for 13 issues before sinking without a trace. Well, I'm here to unearth a part of this forgotten gem (Or whatever it is.)
The 2nd comics story in QUESTAR #4 was the creation of legendary sci-fi movie fan, historian, collector & magazine editor Forrest J. Ackerman, and artist James Warhola. "JUST IMAGINE: JEANNIE!" was very much in the tradition of the 1st episode of "VAMPIRELLA", another character who got her start thanks to Forry, and who also started out a lot more light-hearted than she soon became. "JEANNIE" pays tribute to the 1930 feature film "JUST IMAGINE", a sci-fi musical (of all things!). With more than a small tip-of-the-hat to BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY, Warhola's art give it a look one might more expect from a fashion magazine than a sci-fi series. I've no idea if the story that started here continued in the next (or any other later) issue. If it does, it's so far been 35 years since I read this episode, not knowing how our heroine gets out of her predicament at the end.
QUESTAR 4
Cover by PHIL WILSON (M W Communications / August 1979)
story by Forrest J. Ackerman / art by JAMES WARHOLA / Page 32
"Just Imagine: Jeannie!"
Copyright (C) 1979 Forrest J. Ackerman & James Warhola
Scans from my collection.
For more:
Read the SFE / Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction entry on Questar
Read The Por Por Books Blog page on Questar
Read the Forrest J Ackerman page at Wikipedia!
Read the James Warhola page at Wikipedia!
See more art at The Many Lives Of James Warhola site!
Read about the film JUST IMAGINE at Wikipedia!
Read about the film JUST IMAGINE at the Huffington Post site!
Wow. I had all of those Questar issues and remember this comic pretty well. For the record, the gentleman carrying Jeannie on her shoulders is modeled on Issac Asimov and I think there were a few more (or a LOT more) sci-fi references as the series went on. I forget how many issues it ran or if were ever concluded properly. But it definitely got a few more parts after that first installment.
ReplyDeleteIssue 5's "Just Imagine Jeanie" Story is more interseting to me as it was about her adventures on Altair Iv with Dr, Morbius, Robby and a 6-year-old Alta. Even the Id got into the story!. I wish I still had a copy (mine was destroyed in a flood) or that someone would scan it and post it!
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