Expert: Chris Brown - 6/30/2010

Question
I wonder if you can tell me about a comic book from the late fifties or early sixties as described:
"An alien enlists the help of a fisherman in a flat-bottom boat with an outboard motor hanging off the back.  The alien makes alterations to the boat enabling the boat to hover and fly.  The fisherman is allowed to keep the altered boat for helping the alien.  That is as much as I remember.
Can you tell me the publisher, the year, was it a series, or a single, how much would it be worth today?
Please and thank you for your time and help.

Sam

Answer
Hi Sam

Sorry I am not able to identify this story from the information you provided.  I would guess it was a story from one of the Marvel fantasy titles, either Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, Strange Tales, Amazing Adult Fantasy or Journey into Mystery.  (Earlier in the 50s, there were many other titles, but these were the main fantasy titles by the end of the 50s and into the 60s.)

However, it could have also been in one of the DC titles: House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Strange Adventures or Mystery in Space.

Finally, it could have appeared in one of ACG's titles: Adventures into the Unknown, Forbidden Worlds or Unknown Worlds.

Sadly, no one has produced any kind of index of these stories that would provide an easy reference to look up a story based on the information you provided.  If you think you might recognize the comic by its cover, there are websites where you can scan covers of comics from this period to see if anything looks familiar, such as www.comics.org

Of course, if you remember any more details, such as which company's comics you were buying, what artist might have drawn it, a narrower range for when it might have been published, etc., that would help narrow down the search.

Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Chris