What is extraordinary about these posters is that they had not been lovingly preserved by a collector. Instead, they had initially been glued one on top of each other for display one replacing another each time a new release came to town and then peeled off in one stack. While most posters would have been thrown out at that point, these were saved to be stuffed into the walls of an attic for insulation, where they had remained for 80 years.
John Carter of Mars aka Dotar Sojat of Barsoom
The turn of the 20th century must have been a wonderful time for those interested in the sky and astronomy. In 1910, Halley’s Comet made a particularly spectacular pass of the Earth, coming so close that the planet passed through the tail of the comet. In Arizona, astronomer Percival Lowell was nightly scanning the planet Mars where he had detected evidence of canals* on that planet and had already published a book on them in 1906 called Mars and its Canals. Canals that he supposed were designed to transport water from the wetter polar regions of the planet to the dryer parts. Canals that had to have been designed and built by—something.
It was under these conditions that author Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan, would write his first story chronicling Virginian John Carter and his adventures on the planet Mars in the book A Princess of Mars (1917).
Click here to continue reading this column on the character and upcoming movie John Carter.
Game of Thrones Season 2 Posters
Community PaleyFest Poster
Strikeforce: Morituri Collected Editions
The first and second collected volumes of the comic series Strikeforce: Morituri which covers the first 26 issues are available with the third due later this spring. From Marvel:
A savage alien race called the Horde has invaded Earth, enslaving its people and plundering its resources. Scientists have devised a method of fighting back – the Morituri Process, which grants enhanced abilities to a select few compatible humans – but the transformation is fatal within a year. Now, a handful of brave volunteers make up Strikeforce: Morituri – an elite, experimental and highly effective fighting force against the depredations of the Horde. But the heat of every battle, the celebration of every victory and every quiet moment alone is tainted by the inescapable knowledge that – win or lose – their fate is sealed.
If you dug X-Men:First Class and the TV series Falling Skies you’ll also like Strikeforce: Morituri.
