Number 1936: Little House on Mars

If nothing else, this episode of the Ghost from Nedor’s Thrilling Comics #17 (1941) should serve as a jaw-dropping example of how many elements can be dropped into a story. Time machine to Mars. Red Martian rocks holding the essential component to a successful defense weapon for America. A little house, almost a log cabin, really, on Mars protected by a bunch of ugly little men with ray guns. And out of the door to said house comes a tall blonde girl in a bra top and miniskirt.

Oh, and the Ghost is a comic book magician, so there is some of that finger-waving hokus-pokus going on, also.

The Grand Comics Database credits the art to Ed Wexler, and the story to Richard E. Hughes. Hughes, who was also the editor, stuck with the comics until his death in the late '60s. In my opinion Hughes’ magnum opus was the Herbie series, which made the goings-on in a screwball tale like this Ghost story seem almost normal. But Herbie was intentionally funny.

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