Posted By Dan Greenfield on Apr 30, 2025 | 3 comments

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 64 years ago…

This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott Tipton and I are selecting comics that came out the week of April 30, 1961.

Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of April 23, 1981. Click here to check it out.

(Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are technically the comics that went on sale between April 27 and May 3.)

So, let’s set the scene: Americans couldn’t wait to turn the calendar page from April to May. The month had done significant damage to the nation’s psyche, with the one-two punch of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s successful first manned flight to space — including an orbit, to boot — and the bloody, catastrophic failure of the April 17 Bay of Pigs invasion, in which exiles, with direct American financial and military support and guidance, attempted to capture Cuba from the Castro regime.

The Bay of Pigs debacle only lasted days, but even on May 2, 22 invaders who’d been in hiding were captured. Besides being a national embarrassment, the Bay of Pigs only served to push Cuba and the Soviets closer together. It also emboldened Fidel Castro, who on May 1 announced there would be no more elections in the island nation.

Soviet cosmonaut yuri gagarin, first man in space, in the capsule of vostok 1, april 12, 1961. (Photo by: Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Gagarin’s successful flight, meanwhile, put the nation on edge. Kennedy privately messaged Vice President Lyndon Johnson, who served as chairman of the National Aeronautics and Space Council: “Do we have a chance of beating the Soviets in the race to be the first to go the moon and back with a man?”

There was reason for hope, however. This week, NASA was making the final preparations for Project Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard’s May 5 voyage aboard Freedom 7, which would make him the first American to reach space. (He would not achieve orbit, however.)

Shepard in his Project Mercury flight suit

Meanwhile, racial tensions were flaring: On May 3, a group of prominent civil rights leaders, including John Lewis and Stokely Carmichael, held the “Last Supper” in Washington, D.C. They believed that those at the dinner would be killed in the South when they began the Congress of Racial Equality’s new iteration of the Freedom Rides the next day. (The rides, met with savage violence by racist Southern whites, remain a stain on the American soul.)

IN OTHER NEWS

— On May 1, Harper Lee was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

— It meant hardly anything to anybody at the time, other than those involved, but on April 30, Lee Harvey Oswald married Marina Prusakova in Minsk, Belarus.

— On May 1, U.S. airline hijackings to Cuba became de rigeur. Miami electrician Antuilio Ortiz entered the cockpit of National Airlines Flight 337, shortly after it took off from Marathon, Fla., to Key West, then forced the pilot to fly to Havana. Over the next 12 years or so, there would be 185 successful hijackings until intense security measures were put into place by the U.S, at the end of 1972. Took them long enough.

Genocidal maniac looks like beleaguered accountant.

— World focus was on the Israeli trial of evil Nazi official Adolf Eichmann, one of the key architects of the Holocaust and one of the most monstrous beings to ever walk the Earth. Eichmann had escaped to Argentina after the war but in 1960 was tracked down and apprehended by badass Mossad agents.

— On April 30, Eastern Air Lines revolutionized commuter travel by inaugurating the Eastern Air-Shuttle, hourly flights between New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Boston and Washington.

— Little noticed around the world, Luciano Pavarotti, a 25-year-old tenor, on April 29 made his operatic debut, performing La bohème in his native Italy.

It was a great time to be a baseball fan. The 1961 season, which had opened earlier in April, featured the majors’ first modern expansion teams — the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators of the American League. At the same time, the original Senators had moved and become the Minnesota Twins. On April 28, Milwaukee Braves great Warren Spahn threw his second career no-hitter at the age of 41, beating the visiting San Francisco Giants, 1-0.

Two days later, the Giants’ Willie Mays had what he called “the greatest game of my career”: He hit four home runs in a 14–4 win over the Braves, whose Hank Aaron hit two homers. On May 2, Mickey Mantle hit his eighth homer of the young season, a grand-slam in the Yankees’ 6-4, 10-inning win in Minnesota. The next day, fellow Yankees slugger Roger Maris hit his second of the year, in a 7-3 victory over the Twins. Mantle and Maris — the M&M Boys — would vie for home run supremacy the rest of the season, for a Yankees team that is still considered one of the all-time best.

It was the off-season, but the NFL was also making news. On April 27, the league recognized Canton, Ohio, as the future home of the Hall of Fame.

And, on April 29, ABC’s Wide World of Sports, hosted by Jim McKay, made its debut, with coverage of the Penn Relays and the Drake Relays.

Walt Disney Productions’ The Absent-Minded Professor, starring Fred “Captain Marvel was modeled after me” MacMurray, was No. 1 at the box office. Other hits included the epics Exodus and The Guns of Navarone. For fans of schlock, there was Konga and Gorgo — which would each become Charlton Comics mainstays. Then there was The Beast of Yucca Flats, featuring the great Tor Johnson in his final movie role.

Westerns ruled the airwaves: Gunsmoke, Wagon Train and Have Gun — Will Travel, were among the top ratings leaders. Other hits included The Red Skelton Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Danny Thomas Show, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason and Father Knows Best.

Del Shannon’s Runaway was the No. 1 song in America, while Bobby Lewis’ raucous Tossin’ and Turnin’ was released April 30. Elvis, on the other hand, had a hit album — his G.I. Blues soundtrack, while other popular LPs included Calcutta! by Lawrence Welk, the Exodus soundtrack, and the original cast recording of Broadway’s Camelot, starring Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet.

But something was blowing in the wind. A 19-year-old musician from Minnesota in April played his first major gig in New York City, opening for John Lee Hooker at Greenwich Village’s Gerdes Folk City. Bob Dylan was starting to make a name for himself on the folk scene.

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Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

Adventure Comics #285, DC. The introduction of that most Silver Age of Silver Age features — Tales of the Bizarro World! In this opening story, Bizarro Jr. brings shame to his family by being — gasp! — too smart! Plus, Bizarro Krypto makes the scene! James Gunn take note!

Scott adds: This am worst comic ever. Me hate it.

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Journey Into Mystery #70, Atlas. Ah, the Sandman! When the soon-to-become Marvel was unwittingly trying out ideas for its superhero villains. Written by either Stan Lee or Larry Lieber (or both), with art by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.

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Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #67, Archie. I think only Mad was timelier than Archie Comics. I also like that Betty is sticking to her guns here. She’s the best.

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I Love Lucy Comics #32, Dell. Perhaps the Greatest Sitcom of All Time was well into reruns, but that didn’t stop Dell, which saw this series through for another three issues after this one.

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Reptilicus #1, Charlton. Another Grade-Z monster movie snapped up by Charlton!

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Sea Hunt #10, Dell. If you read this comic out loud, you have to do it through gritted teeth.

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Our Army at War #108, DC. Behold the work of Jerry Grandenetti

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Hot Rods and Racing Cars #53, Charlton. Reminder that I still haven’t done a feature on hot-rod comics…

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Scott Tipton, contributor-at-large, 13th Dimension

Detective Comics #292, DC. They seem very blasé at the sight of Giant Batman.

Dan adds: 1961 Batman, courtesy of editor Jack Schiff, kids!

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Action Comics #277, DC. Where’s Beppo the Super-Monkey when you need him?

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Strange Adventures #129, DC. Always remember to lift with your legs.

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MORE

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of April 23 — in 1981! Click here.

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of April 16 — in 1964! Click here.

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Primary comics sources: Mike’s Amazing World of Comics, the Grand Comics Database.