OT - Late 60's era science fiction comic book series

Does anyone remember the name of a science fiction comic book series,
published in the late 60's and perhaps the early 70's, that featured a
"nuclear family" of Dad, Mom, and teenage brother and sister
traveling through space in a large H-shaped spacecraft?

The spacecraft was roughly 10 stories tall. The center horizontal
portion of the vehicle was topped by a large dome-shaped transparency
equipped with a large telescope. I vaguely remember that magnetism had
a major role in vehicle propulsion. Its primary mission was research
and I am not sure I remember it having any armament at all.

I also seem to recall that each of the vertical portions of the
H-shaped vehicle were topped with a transparent material and that these
areas were used as green houses. The lower portion of a least one of
these vertical components had two hangers for space shuttles that
featured large transparencies under which there were bucket seats for 4
- 6 passengers. Generally, the shuttles seemed to be for the teenagers
to go out, away from the strictures of adult supervision, and find new
ways to get in trouble.

At this point, the memory fades. . . . And I cannot remember anything
else. Does this ring any bells for anyone?

Thanks in advance.

John

On 11 Apr 2006 20:43:05 -0700, "John" wrote:

Does anyone remember the name of a science fiction comic book series,
published in the late 60's and perhaps the early 70's, that featured a
"nuclear family" of Dad, Mom, and teenage brother and sister
traveling through space in a large H-shaped spacecraft?

...."Space Family Robinson", which became the basis for Irwin Allen's
"Lost In Space" series after he'd found a copy of an issue in an
airport book store and decided to read something cheap on a short
flight. By the time he'd landed, he'd decided to essentially ripoff
the concept - a family lost in space - and combine the concept with
that of "Swiss Family Robinson". This led to a pilot episode
internally titled by 20th Century Fox's TV division *and See-BS as
"Space Family Robinson", but titled "Lost In Space" on screen. When
the pilot sold, See-BS asked for an antagonist of sorts to be added to
the cast, which led to Dr. Smith being added to the cast. Ditto for
the Robot, although that was more for marketing purposes than anything
else. The two additions helped solidify the arguement/lie that Irwin
didn't ripoff the Gold Key comic, although Gold Key got to retitle
their comic as "Lost In Space" without having to pay 20th Fox or Irwin
any royalties.

....The family, incedentally, consisted of Professor Craig Robinson,
his wife June, their twins Tim and Tam, and two pets, a dog named
Clancy and a parrot named Yakker. Writing credits are still somewhat
in question, as Gold Key didn't keep their records after the folded,
but the majority of the art was obviously Dan Spiegel, one of the
really underrated and underappreciated talents in the comic field.

OM
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"OM" wrote in message
...
On 11 Apr 2006 20:43:05 -0700, "John" wrote:

Does anyone remember the name of a science fiction comic book series,
published in the late 60's and perhaps the early 70's, that featured a
"nuclear family" of Dad, Mom, and teenage brother and sister
traveling through space in a large H-shaped spacecraft?

..."Space Family Robinson", which became the basis for Irwin Allen's
"Lost In Space" series after he'd found a copy of an issue in an
airport book store and decided to read something cheap on a short
flight. By the time he'd landed, he'd decided to essentially ripoff
the concept - a family lost in space - and combine the concept with
that of "Swiss Family Robinson".

I definitely remember finding some of these old comics and reading them back
in the 70s.

The ones I had they had traveled back in time somehow and were on a
pre-Noachian Mars.

OM wrote:

...The family, incedentally, consisted of Professor Craig Robinson,
his wife June, their twins Tim and Tam, and two pets, a dog named
Clancy and a parrot named Yakker. Writing credits are still somewhat
in question, as Gold Key didn't keep their records after the folded,
but the majority of the art was obviously Dan Spiegel, one of the
really underrated and underappreciated talents in the comic field.




I always remember that their shuttlecraft looked like a pencil sharpener
I had. Never could figure out where the engines on the main ship
were....in those rectangular towers at either end?
This is _not_ the way I remember that comic:
http://members.fortunecity.com/lisfa...t_Tortured.JPG
What's next? Turok and Andar's alternative relationship? Tin coming out
of the closet and onto Iron?

Pat

On Fri, 14 Apr 2006 07:46:30 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:

I always remember that their shuttlecraft looked like a pencil sharpener
I had. Never could figure out where the engines on the main ship
were....in those rectangular towers at either end?

....Actually, Dan Spiegel *did* base the shuttle design on a pencil
sharpener that was a hot seller circa 1960-64, thanks to its
"space-age" design *and* the fact that the bubble did a great job at
keeping the shavings from going all over the place. I think these went
out of production in the mid-70's, because that was the last time I
ever saw one on the shelves in the office supply sections.

....As for Space Station One, there weren't any "engines" for thrust,
as the thing used some sort of warp field generator to move around. Of
course, I always thought the station looked like it was based on the
shape of a View Master.

This is _not_ the way I remember that comic:
http://members.fortunecity.com/lisfa...t_Tortured.JPG

....That was Innovation's long-departed and missed TV series
continuation. Bill Mumy was actually involved in the second major arc,
which had the Robinsons finally make it to Alpha Centauri, only to not
only find out it was inhabited already, but that "Aeolus 14 Umbra"
wasn't an enemy spy agency that hired Dr. Smith, but the aliens
themselves who didn't want humans reaching their world - especially
with technology that the humans gloamed from one of their own crashed
vehicles! From what I got out of Bill a couple of years ago, the arc
would have ended with the Centaurians getting a major wake-up call as
to how much a bunch of jerks they were, and inviting the Robinsons to
go back to Earth and tell their people they were welcome to join in
friendship. However, the one really evil Centaurian would have
sabotaged the J2's navigation system, and the ship would have instead
wound up in a galaxy where science doesn't work, and magic does.

Alas, Innovation folded when the Comics Implosion of the mid-90's
screwed the industry both ways from Sodom. Which is why we also never
got to see a continuation series for "Forbidden Planet" either...

What's next? Turok and Andar's alternative relationship? Tin coming out
of the closet and onto Iron?

....Nah, you'll never see Turok or Andy swapping wampum in the wigwam,
but as for Tin ann Iron...the closest thing that ever came to pass was
when Mike Sekowsky(*) destroyed the Metal Men in the late 60's was
when Tin and Led were given secret identities of a pair of Simon &
Garfunkle knockoffs called "Ledby Hand & Tinker"(**). A poofter act,
considering that they *ran* from their female fans rather than letting
them discover just how satisfying robot love can be.

(*) Sekowsky tops my list of worst comic book artists ever. While he
could draw the female figure rather well, he also couldn't draw super
hero males without using a goddamn oaken beer barrel for the torso
shape. Superman always looked as if he'd eaten too many
"All-You-Can-Eat" roast babootch specials at Gor-Oh's Kandorian
Buffet, and Batman looked more padded than Adam West ever appeared in.
To make matters worse, when he drew people flying, they looked as if
they weren't in control of their trajectory, and were about to fall
all over the place. And to add insult to injury, most hand gestures
were really, *REALLY* limp wristed to a seriously gay extent.

Still, he *was* the perfect artist for the Inferior Five...

(**) On the other hand, there have been comic historians who claim
that Ledby & Tinker were based more on The Beagles from the
short-lived cartoon of the same name. I concede the point has
possibilites...

OM
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] Let's face it: Sometimes you *need* [
] an obnoxious opinion in your day! [
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