Tales To ASTONISH

The "brother" to TALES OF SUSPENSE, TALES TO ASTONISH likewise began life as a "giant monster" book populated by an endless series of such creatures created by Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others. Both books, like STRANGE TALES and JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY, would eventually evolve into homes for superhero series.

In the case of ASTONISH, it began in the unlikely form of yet another "monster" story-- "The Man In The Ant-Hill" in TTA #27 (Jan'62).  Instead of yet another giant monster menacing mankind, this was more "personal", as a scientist working on a shrinking formula tests it in himself, then finds himself accidentally trapped at miniature size and menaced by what, to him, is now suddenly a group of giant monsters-- ANTS!

Every once in awhile, one of these stories would inspire a sequel. But in this case, the sequel that did arrive a mere 8 months later took on a form few might have expected, as "Dr. Henry Pym" not only returned to his previously "abandoned" research, but donned a costume and helmet which allowed him to communicate with-- and order about-- an ant colony. And what does he DO with his new ant army? Why-- FIGHT CRIME! What else?

Of course the idea is loopy-- I think that's the point. THE ASTONISHING ANT-MAN is one of those ideas that is just screaming for a feature-film to be based on it. Even now, at the end of 2011, as we've seen big-budget movies based on The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, with The Avengers coming, WHERE is our Ant-Man film???

Oh well, we'll just have to make do with the original comics. The entire run was reprinted in THE ESSENTIAL ANT-MAN in 2002, and quickly became one of my favorite such books.  It's wild, it's crazy, it's borderline insane-- but most of all, it's FUN!!

Here's the covers; some I've managed to "restore" over the last few years, the rest I did just this week! Lots yet to go, but with luck I'll get to more of them... eventually.

TALES TO ASTONISH 27  /  art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers   (January 1962)

TALES TO ASTONISH 35  /  art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers   (September 1962)

TALES TO ASTONISH 36  /  art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers   (October 1962)

TALES TO ASTONISH 37  /  art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers   (November 1962)

TALES TO ASTONISH 38  /
art by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky   (December 1962)

TALES TO ASTONISH 39  /  art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers   (January 1963)

TALES TO ASTONISH 40  /  art by JACK KIRBY   (February 1963)

TALES TO ASTONISH 41  /  art by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers   (March 1963)

TALES TO ASTONISH 42  /  art by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky   (April 1963)

TALES TO ASTONISH 43  /  art by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky   (May 1963)

Ant-Man's FINAL adventure!! (as a SOLO hero, that is)

ANT-MAN continues in Part 2 !

Artwork Copyright (C) Marvel Comics /
Raw scan for #27 from Heritage Auctions
Raw scans for #35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 & 43 supplied by Barry Pearl
Restorations by Henry Kujawa