The Secret Squadron: Children's Books

Showing posts with label Children's Books. Show all posts

Tom Corbett's Wonder Book of Space (Wonder Books, NY, 1953)

Written by Marcia Martin and illustrated by Frank Vaughn, this is one of those amazing pearls that could have only been created in the early 1950's, when we hadn't yet actually gone, you know, up there.

So here's what I propose: close your eyes, breathe deep, let go of your worries. You just came from school and the cereals were waiting for you. Kellogg's of course. You wouldn't have any other, because these were the ones with Tom Corbett, your hero! You put on your Space Cadet cap, you wear your Space Cadet belt (you never take off your Tom Corbett ring, of course) and go sit on the couch to read your new book.

So relax... you're going on an adventure with Tom Corbett himself!

[Hoping I'm not infringing on someone's copyright, should there be an issue with this please send an email and the pages will be removed. I just hope not -- this is too good not to be shared... ]

"Captain Midnight's Trick and Riddle Book" (Skelly Oil, 1939)

A 1939 Skelly Oil premium for Flight Patrol members, which also re-uses an earlier promotional shot of original Captain Midnight actor Bill Bouchey with helmet and goggles. The pocket size book has 30 pages of magic tricks and 300 riddles with their answers.

"Welcome Mary Mouse!" by Enid Blyton (1950)

"Mary Mouse is a fictional character "imagined" by Enid Blyton, a prolific British children's author, in the mid 20th century. Mary Mouse is a mouse exiled from her mousehole who becomes a maid at the dolls' house, employed by Sailor Doll.

The original publications were in an unusual format (15cm x 7cm softback pictorial). Due to the austerity and paper shortages of the times, during and after World War II, the first editions were cheaply made with simple colour illustration and stapled bindings overstuck with linen edging.

Loved mainly by girls, this character's memory has lived on. The original books (published by Brockhampton Book Co Ltd, Leicester, UK at a price of one shilling) are highly collectable, perhaps because few remain in reasonable condition. The books were immensely popular in Blyton's days and eventually sold in a million copies."

-- from Wikipedia

The Shadow - Books

Rather than list every book individually, as there are rather a lot I chose to list them all under the same heading. This is where all the Shadow reprints will go, plus some assorted books. For further information on the paperbacks (and everything else Shadow-related) I recommend "The Shadow - Master of Darkness" website. You can find the original pulps listed elsewhere on the Secret Squadron.

Belmont (1963-1967)

Agência Portuguesa de Revistas

Portugal, circa 1965. This reprints the Belmont #6, "Cry Shadow!"

Gosset and Dunlap (1966)

Bantam (1969-1970)

Pyramid/Jove (1974-1978)

Covers by Jim Steranko, except number 13 of the Jove edition.
I'm missing Jove's #1, #11 and #12.
(My thanks to Tony Robertson who pointed out that Jove's #3 was not by Steranko and that he repainted the cover for Jove's #13, but it was never published.
You can find all the Steranko covers here.)

The cover on the right for #4, "Hands in the Dark", was misprinted for the 2nd printing of the paperback. It was actually the cover for #6. I have two copies of the original and correct #4, one of which is signed by Steranko, so the other is available for trade.