Wednesday, January 13, 2016

TRAPPED IN A VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA !!!



Gold Key Comics came out with the comic book based on one of my favorite television series, Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. It showcased many of my favorite artists, Mike Sekowsky, Don Heck & Alberto Giolitti. I was ecstatic when Hermes Books released the two volume hardcover, reprinting the series, especially since I have not reacquired all of the issues I owned growing up.   




The pilot episode of the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, "Eleven Days to Zero" was filmed in color but shown in black-and-white (in color on the DVD release.) We're introduced to the futuristic nuclear submarine S.S.R.N. Seaview and the lead members of her crew, including the designer and builder  Admiral Harriman Nelson (Richard Basehart) and Commander Lee Crane (David Hedison), who becomes the Seaview's captain after the murder of her original commanding officer. The submarine is based at the Nelson Institute of Marine Research (NIMR) in Santa Barbara, California and is often moored some 500 feet below NIMR in a secret underground submarine pen carved out of solid rock. The Seaview is officially for undersea marine research and visits many exotic locations in the Seven Seas, but its secret mission is to defend the planet from all threats, global and extraterrestrial.

If you're a fan of the show, or comic books, you don't want to miss this exceptional two volume hardcover collection!
 










Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea #1   Man-made tidal waves bait a trap for Submarine Seaview in the undersea fortress of mysterious DOCTOR GAMMA!  
"Man Beneath the Sea"
Weird undersea craft. 

"The Last Survivor"

The crew of the Seaview investigate a mysterious tidal wave disaster, trying to locate the lone survivor.
Written by Dick (Jet Dream, Land of the Giants, Man from U.N.C.L.E.) Wood with art by Mike (Justice League of America, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Man from U.N.C.L.E.) Sekowsky & Don (The Avengers, Iron Man, Man from U.N.C.L.E.) Heck.
"Atomic Energy"
Atomic hospital. 
Painted front cover (many of the painted covers included small photographs of Richard Basehart and/or David Hedison) & a photo pin-up of Nelson & Crane on the back cover. Pin-ups ran through the first seven issues.
Issue number hand lettered in bottom right of lower panel on 1st page.
12 cents for most of the run, increasing to 15 cents with issue #14.
No ads. 







Love the Gold Key tradition of pin-ups. 

Dr. Gamma was the villain in the TV pilot episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and was carried through to menace Nelson, Crane and the intrepid crew of Seaview in the inaugural issue of the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea comic book tie-in from Gold Key comics.

Cover to the first paperback, a tie-in to the motion picture Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Written by legendary sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea first appeared in Four Color #1230. This issue was an adaptation of the motion picture magnificently illustrated by Sam (Voyage to the Deep) Glanzman.

The Whitman hardcover was written by esteemed author Raymond F. Jones, author of Colossus: The Forbin Project.

Even though sporrting a cover from the TV series, this paperback was a reprint of the tie-in to the movie.
Always loved the cover to this paperback gem.

Outstanding book covering the TV series! Don't miss it!
 

Fun book on the TV series.

There were various forms of marketing for the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV series, including books, Viewmaster, scale models, trading cards and a lunchbox. Luckily, I have been able to find much of this merchandise, although the lunchbox still eludes me. 

Still enjoy the Viewmaster slides, still have this one.
 

Moebius Models has captured exceptional detail on the scale models!
 




Live Large My Friends!

Thank You!
The two fillers from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea #1.

The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV series, as well as the motion picture are available on DVD. On the DVD, the pilot episode for the TV series is in color, as opposed to shown in black & white on TV.




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