Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: fiction house, golden age, maurice whitman
Fiction House star artist Maurice Whitman covered Man O’ Mars #1, an attempt by the publisher to survive the turmoil of the mid-1950s.
Article Summary
- Maurice Whitman’s iconic cover art graces Man O’Mars #1 amidst Fiction House’s decline.
- Set amid the 1950s comic book industry turmoil, Fiction House attempts new titles.
- Man O’Mars features Earth’s defense against Martian threats by trained human rebels.
- Despite Whitman’s cover and Anderson’s story, Man O’Mars ended after its first issue.
Man O’ Mars #1 came during perilous times for Fiction House as a comic book publisher. By the time it hit in 1953, the entire comic book industry was in turmoil due to the moral panic that would soon result in the Comics Code. Fiction House had ended its Sheena title a short time prior, and the character would also lose her place in Jumbo Comics. The publisher’s long-running Rangers Comics had also recently ended. Fiction House would try a handful of new titles during 1952-1953 with little success. Man O’ Mars is one of the most memorable of these has a stand-out Maurice Whitman cover, and there’s a Man O’ Mars #1 (Fiction House, 1953) Condition: VG- up for auction in the 2024 June 2-4 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122423 at Heritage Auctions.
Influenced by countless Martian sagas before it from John Carter to Buck Rogers, the title features the saga of John Hunter, the leader of a group of humans raised and trained by rebel Martians to guard against the a return attack on Earth by the military leaders of Mars after a previous invasion attempt had failed. John Hunter and his Marsmen ultimately succeeded in foiling this new attack. With this danger averted, Hunter prepared to take the Marsmen back to Earth, seemingly setting the stage for the Man O’ Mars series.
Maurice Whitman (June 10, 1922 – May 9, 1983) worked via a number of the major comic production studios of his day including Funnies, Inc., Chesler Studio, and Iger Studio among others, creating comic book art for publishers including Charlton, DC Comics and Fiction House. He is best known for his gorgeous Good Girl art comic book covers which practically define the late Fiction House era.
Despite Maurice Whitman’s noteworthy cover attempt and solid interior material that included a back-up story by the legendary Murphy Anderson, Man O’ Mars would only last a single issue. Fiction House would exit the comic book business a little over a year later. One of the high points of Fiction House’s later days,
there’s a Man O’ Mars #1 (Fiction House, 1953) Condition: VG- up for auction in the 2024 June 2-4 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction #122423 at Heritage Auctions.
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