Posted By Dan Greenfield on Sep 8, 2023 | 2 comments

In praise of the unsung series, with art by Jack Kirby and Wallace Wood…

By PETER BOSCH

On September 8, 1958 — 65 years ago — the daily comic strip Sky Masters of the Space Force made its debut in more than 300 newspapers. The feature was written by Dave and Dick Wood, and penciled by Jack Kirby with inking by Wallace Wood. (Around the same time, Wood was also providing inks for Kirby on DC’s Challengers of the Unknown comic book.) A Sunday strip followed February 8, 1959, with a separate storyline, with art again by Kirby and Wood.

At the start of the strip, Sky Masters was fresh from the Space Academy, anxious to be an astronaut. (This was before anyone had actually been in space yet.) He would quickly get his chance and his adventures included the rigors of space on the human mind and body, rescuing a fellow astronaut thought lost in space, saboteurs, a human-like robot, and a publicity-seeking female aviator using him to become the first female astronaut. Sky managed to stay in control and win out every time.

Wallace Wood left the strip in July 1959 and Dick Ayers became Kirby’s inker through January 13, 1961. Kirby then inked himself until the strip ended February 25, 1961. (The Sunday strip had ended February 7, 1960, a year prior.)

The complete dailies and Sundays have been reprinted in several books and publications like Comics Revue. They are definitely worth seeking out.

Check out 13 FABULOUS IMAGES: A SKY MASTERS OF THE SPACE FORCE 65th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION:

(All strips below are penciled by Kirby and inked by Wallace Wood, unless noted otherwise.)

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The first daily strip, September 8, 1958. Note: “Wood” in the second panel does not refer to Wallace Wood but, rather, the brothers Dave and Dick Wood, the writers of the strip.

September 9, 1958

October 1, 1958

October 7, 1958. This strip was printed horizontally, as shown here, in newspapers.

October 8, 1958

December 2, 1958

December 3, 1958

January 30, 1959

January 31, 1959. These two strips were printed in the format seen here, which must have driven newspaper editors crazy.

March 6, 1959

July 23, 1959. Inks by Dick Ayers.

July 24, 1959. Inks by Dick Ayers.

April 26, 1959, Sunday strip

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MORE

— COMIC BOOK DEATH MATCH: Jack Kirby’s FANTASTIC FOUR vs. Jack Kirby’s THOR. Click here.

— Dig These 13 Unpublished JACK KIRBY MARVEL Covers. Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. He has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. Peter lives in Hollywood.