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1951 Prison Break Comic Book - Crime Never Pays by vfedele13

Crime Never Pays! Vintage 1951 issue of Prison Break Comic Book. Comic Book. This issue is a little worse for wear, but still deserves to be seen. No detective/police or true crime comic book would be complete without some great graphics on the cover to “bait” a prospective buyer. It’s always a thrill when it’s from Vinnie DeVille!

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! – “True Demons and Monsters.” Gold Key 10208-104, April 1971, featuring “Spring-Heel Jack” on the cover. by lhboudreau

In Victorian England, the scariest boogeyman was a devil-man who could jump unnaturally high and who desecrated graveyards by leaping over tombstones. Some said he was a demon, while others thought he was just an extraordinarily agile human, but no matter what you believed about the legend, Spring-Heel Jack was a name that inspired fear among the folk.

The vast urban legend built around Spring-Heel Jack influenced many aspects of Victorian life. For decades his name was equated with the bogeyman, as a means of scaring children into behaving by telling them if they were not good, Spring-Heel Jack would leap up and peer in at them through their bedroom windows, by night.

The character was written into penny dreadful stories during the latter half of the 19th century, initially as a villain and then in increasingly heroic roles. By the early 1900s he was being represented as a costumed, altruistic avenger of wrongs and protector of the innocent, effectively becoming a precursor to pulp fiction and then comic book superheroes.

“Sergeant Preston of the Yukon,” Vol. 1, No. 21 (Nov.-Jan., 1957). The Case of the Whispering Raven. by lhboudreau

This Dell comic was based on the American weekly television series on CBS from September 29, 1955 to September 25, 1958. Eash half-hour episode was filmed in color in mountainous sections of California and Colorado.

Richard Simmons starred as Sergeant Preston, who patrolled the Yukon Territory in search of renegades and outlaws, during the time of the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s. In every episode, Preston was assisted by his Alaskan Malamute “Yukon King,” who had been raised by a female wolf. In episodes taking place in the summer, Preston rode his horse “Rex.”

The show’s theme music was the overture to Emil von Reznicek’s opera “Donna Diana.” As the theme played the announcer stated: “Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police, with Yukon King, swiftest and strongest lead dog, breaking the trail in the relentless pursuit of lawbreakers in the wild days of the Yukon.” At the end of each episode, Preston would turn to his dog and say “Well, King, this case is closed.” [Source: Wikipedia]

Complete Season 1 on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7LEndi8KEQ&list=PL_GX3mCTia1...

“Space Patrol,” Vol. 1, No. 1 (Summer 1952). Cover by Norm Saunders. Comic book based on the early sci-fi TV series. by lhboudreau

"Space Patrol" was a pioneering science fiction TV series that aired from March 1950 to February 1955. It was a unique blend of adventure and science fiction, set in the distant 30th century. The show followed the thrilling escapades of Commander-in-Chief Buzz Corry (Ed Kemmer) of the United Planets Space Patrol and his youthful sidekick, Cadet Happy (Lyn Osborn), as they combated cosmic villains and their nefarious plots.

Originally targeted at a younger audience through television, radio, and comic books, "Space Patrol" quickly garnered a significant adult following. By 1954, it was consistently ranked among the top 10 shows broadcast on Saturdays. The series was not just a form of entertainment; it also engaged its audience through interactive marketing strategies. For instance, it featured commercial tie-ins with toys and mail-order premiums during the commercial breaks, often integrating the premium of the month into the storyline, which allowed young viewers to feel like they were part of the adventure.

One of the most notable promotions was the "Name the Planet" contest, where the winner received a life-sized model of the show's Terra IV spaceship. This prize was a giant trailer shaped like the spacecraft featured in the series.

The show's influence extended beyond the screen and airwaves, with many national magazines documenting the "Space Patrol" phenomenon. While not all episodes have survived, many of the 30-minute TV episodes are still available in various video and DVD formats. [Sources: Wikipedia, Alchetron.com, and archive.org]