Here's an odd little item, a briefly-running anthology mag called Adventure Illustrated that, as you can see, featured some top talent. I don't know the back story behind this magazine, but I sure would like to. If anyone has any info, drop me a line...Anyway, after the nice cover by Jim Starlin(love all the blues) there's an editorial of intent by publisher Hal Schuster, declaring "modern comics do not truly serve as a place to break new ground." Ain't that the truth. There's a handsomely-designed two-page contents page that really gives this a feeling of class, for lack of a better word--like the publishers think this material is special and its going to be treated as such. Amazing the different a table of contents can make!
First up is "Magenta Core" by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz, the first chapter of a contintuing story about hard-bitten space explorers. Nice work by Sienkiewicz, who you didn't see doing space material too often.
Next is "Stinger Ray" by Pat Boyette, an unusual tale of an inventor in a small town who has built a machine that can transport people across space and time. Beautiful artwork by Boyette.
Third is "Rayder" by Mark Evanier, Mike Sekowsky, and Al Gordon, a fun story about a group of scientists whose experiments are halted by a 1984-like group of overlords called The Tribunal. When they destroy the group's experiments, arresting and killing those involved, Rayder decides to continue the experiments--concerned with cloning and regenerating life--and buck the system. A solid tale of adventure, featuring some nice work by Sekowsky.
Next is a text feature called "The Viriginian" with spot illustrations by Don Heck, which reads like something out of the Saturday Evening Post--a tale of adventure out in the Old West!
Last is "Matrix"(!) by John Warner and Tom Sutton, an outer-space tale featuring sentient, space-swimming dolphins, dimension-hopping, and space piracy! Detailed page designs ala Alex Nino from Sutton.
Definitely some interesting material here, purposely going against the superhero-dominated marketplace of the time(1981). I don't know how many more issues NMP published, but I'd like to get my hands on 'em!
2 comments:
There was only 1 issue of Adventure Illustrated, though a 2nd was planned. Also put out by New Media in a similar vein and format was Fantasy Illustrated #1.
New Media Publishing was an arm of the Hal and Jack Schuster direct market distribution company New Media/Irjax. They are best known for ending Phil Seuling's monopolistic distribution arrangements with DC and Marvel by lawsuit.
The reason no more issues of the two above mags came out is that the distribution company filed for bankrupcy in 1982. New Media Publishing continued putting out second rate publications like Comic Feature and a horde of Star Trek mags like Enterprise Incidents.
- Tim Stroup
tim-
wow, thanks for the info! all interesting stuff...
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