When I was a child growing up in the 70s, the 1950s were being mythologized on stage, screen, and in song (American Graffiti, Happy Days, Grease, etc.). I was born in 1967, but my parents had come of age in the 50s and it was through their reminiscences that my fascination with the era took hold.


One of my mother's favorite programs to recall was Captain Video and his Video Rangers, a science-fiction television show that aired from 1949-1955, aimed at kids but which soon built up a respectable following among adults as well. Like many offerings from the mostly-forgotten Dumont network, it was the first of its genre on television and would spawn scores of imitators. So whether you prefer Star Trek to Lost in Space, or The Outer Limits to Doctor Who, all TV depictions of sci-fi begin here. Today, fewer than 30 episodes are believed to survive.


The 1951 Captain Video comic book from Fawcett had a few advantages over its micro-budgeted inspiration. First, it was in color! Additionally, it was able to take its characters to wild, interstellar destinations, portray powerful space-craft, and weird, unearthly creatures that would be impossible for the show to present credibly.

Working from scripts by a sadly unidentified writer, EC legend George Evans handles the bulk of the art chores throughout the series' imaginative, six issue run. His likenesses to the show's cast are faithful and the action proceeds at a vigorous pace. Evans' style really makes the fantastic sci-fi elements stand out against his more realistic depictions of the human characters. Photo covers adorn most issues.

The Three Musketeers
Adapted by Naunerle Farr
Artwork by Alex Niño




I encountered this particular adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers in the early '80s. Of course, I already knew of d'Artagnan and the Musketeers from the Richard Lester movies of the early '70s, which were regularly shown on British TV when I was a kid, but this was as close as I'd gotten to actually reading the source material up to that point.

Initially published in the U.S. in 1974 as part of the Pendulum Illustrated Classics series, this adaptation was later reprinted in colour in Marvel Classics Comics #12 in 1976. But it didn't appear in the UK until 1981, along with a number of other volumes from the Pendulum Illustrated Classics series (re-titled for the British market as "Classics Illustrated").

Overall, it's a pretty faithful adaption of the novel, although it does kinda skip over some of the book's more superfluous scenes. That isn't necessarily a bad thing though, because it allows the comic to focus in on the core of the storyline instead: a perfect decision by Naunerle Farr, given that the book was squarely aimed at school-aged children. Alex Niño's artwork is very nice, with plenty of detail, and some exciting depictions of the novel's swashbuckling action sequences. Niño also gives the central cast very distinctive faces, with his Constance Bonacieux and the story's femme fatale, Milady de Winter, being very beautiful looking creatures indeed.

Re-reading this today, it hasn't aged terribly well, to be honest: much of the dialogue is quite clunky, while the use of a typeface style font and sharp, square speech balloons is like a blight on Niño's artwork. But in spite of that, the artwork still shines and Dumas's adventure really does come to life on the page.

I read this adaptation so much as a kid that, to this day, whenever anyone mentions the Three Musketeers, panels from the comic leap into my mind. For that reason alone, I knew it had to be on my list.

I expect this will be a recurring theme in this year's selections. It is certainly my rationalization for at least one pick.

This is the kind of selection that rocks my world. Well done.

This shows up much higher on my list.

And here we go!

#12: The Infinite Horizon
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Drawn: Phil Noto 
(2007-2011)




An adaptation of Homer's Odyssey, Duggan creates a gorgeous tale of a soldier's long journey home after years of war in the Middle East. In the not-too-distant future a small group of abandoned soldiers are lead home by one man, known as The Captain. Bleak in nature, The Captain faces modern day tests in which his counterpart Odysseus faced, sirens and a cyclops.  Traversing halfway around the world to get back to his family, he had to survive the final hours of war.  Gerry Duggan, if you haven't read his work, did an exemplary run on Deadpool, great runs on Nova,  and Guardians of The Galaxy.  This book from Image, Duggan gets a little more intimate and serious with Homer and grounds the timeless story in real world settings.  Phil Noto, whose artwork I adore, drew and painted 6 issues of amazingness.  Stoic soldiers, shifty characters and doe-eyed innocent faces. It's very moody and moving..

I can't believe I didn't think of this as an adaptation! Great choice.

This is why I love this event, I've never heard of this book but it sounds absolutely amazing and I can't wait to track it down.