Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Altron-Boy, Pt. 4

 (Continued from Altron-Boy, Pt. 3)

Larry Ivie's MONSTERS & HEROES 4
"LEGENDS OF CREATION: OLYMPUS"
"SWORD OF ALTRON-BOY"


Back on October 13, 2006, I put in an order with Mile High Comics for MONSTERS & HEROES #4, 5, & 7... plus MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #2 (with Sub-Mariner, I'd been getting some Subby books from that era earlier). 

Thinking back, I'm not even sure why or what it was that inspired me, but it my have been my growing interest in fanzine characters and other obscure characters.  I was still 4-1/2 years away from starting my 1st blog, but it's pretty clear I had in mind scanning in, cleaning up and posting the entire ALTRON-BOY series.  Suffice to say, it got delayed... but NOW, after all this time, I'm finally doing it!

It turns out there was a full YEAR between #3 & #4, so delays are par for the course for this series.  This issue contains the 2nd (and final) "Legends Of Creation" episode, and a longer-than-usual "Altron-Boy" episode, preceded with a one-page recap to remind readers what went on before the long gap.

I note that the Edgar Rice Burroughs painting that Larry Ivie did, which is for the book "BARBARIAN", is very fitting, and looks like it could well have been an inspiration for this issue's "Altron-Boy" episode.

Frankly, I can't believe how Ivie ended this episode, and I find myself wondering if it was a reflection of some behind-the-scenes problems going on with the production of the magazine itself.

One thing I definitely noticed about this issue, and that was that the writing on the articles was DRASTICALLY improving over those in the 3 previous issues.  The text sections seemed far less awkward and amaturish, and more confident and professional.  Which makes it a almost a shame I'm not including those parts of the magazine in my blog project.  (But as I've discovered, they CAN be found posted on at least one other blog.  Something to search for!)

This blog page finished on 3-5-2021.

ENJOY!

Larry Ivie's MONSTERS & HEROES  4
cover by LARRY IVIE   (M & H Publications  /  March 1969)

LEGENDS OF CREATION:  "OLYMPUS"
Story & Art by LARRY IVIE  /  Page 12

Page 13

Page 14

Page 15

Page 16
THE CRUSADE AGAINST VOLTAR:  Chapter Six
"SWORD OF ALTRON-BOY"
  /  Page 29

Page 30

Page 31

Page 32

Page 33

Page 34

Page 35

Page 36

Page 37

Page 38

Back Cover  /  Barbarian

An interesting bit of possibly-related trivia:  artist Gray Morrow illustrated a couple of Larry Ivie stories in early issues of Warren's CREEPYMorrow later did all the storyboards for the 2nd & 3rd seasons of the "SPIDER-MAN" cartoon series.  The episode "Thunder Rumble" aired on 12-28-1968.  Given how magazine cover-dates are often 2-3 months in advance, this issue's cover may have come out around the SAME time as that TV episode!

MONSTERS & HEROES  Copyright (C) LARRY IVIE.

Scans from MY collection!
     with special thanks to Mile High Star Comics.

"Thunder Rumble" screen-capture from MY collection!

Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa.

For more:
See more Larry Ivie art at the ERBzine site.
See the Gods Of Mars gallery at the ERBzine site.
Read the obituary/tribute to Larry Ivie at Buzz Dixon's site.
Read Sandy Plunkett's article about Larry Ivie in ALTER EGO 152.

See the Larry Ivie Gallery of Illustrations!
Read CAPTIVE BRIDE OF THE APE MEN!
Read THE LAST WAR!
Read SKY BOY!   (Coming soon!)
Read the entire ALTRON-BOY series!

(Continued in Altron-Boy, Pt. 5)

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