Weird Worlds is an American comic book science fiction anthology series published by DC Comics that originally ran from 1972 to 1974 for a total of 10 issues.[1][2] The title's name was partially inspired by the sales success of Weird War Tales and Weird Western Tales.[3] A second series was published in 2011.

Weird Worlds
Weird Worlds #1 (September 1972), art by Joe Kubert.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
FormatOngoing series
Genre
Publication dateVol. 1: September 1972 – October–November 1974
Vol. 2: March 2011 – August 2011
No. of issuesVol. 1: 10
Vol. 2: 6
Creative team
Written by
Artist(s)
List
Editor(s)
List

Original series

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Weird Worlds published features based on writer Edgar Rice Burroughs' creations which DC had obtained the licensing rights. This included the "John Carter of Mars" feature, by scripter Marv Wolfman and artist Murphy Anderson, which moved from Tarzan #209, and the "Pellucidar" feature from Korak, Son of Tarzan #46 drawn by Alan Weiss, Michael Kaluta, and Dan Green.[4]

These features ran until issue #7 (October 1973) until it became economically infeasible for DC to continue publishing so many adaptations of Burroughs' work.[5] "John Carter" would re-appear in Tarzan Family #62–64 and "Pellucidar" in Tarzan Family #66.

A new feature began in issue #8, Dennis O'Neil and Howard Chaykin's Ironwolf,[6] which ran through issue #10. The release of the last issue of Weird Worlds was delayed for several months due to a nationwide paper shortage.[7] The Weird Worlds stories were reprinted in an Ironwolf one-shot in March 1987.[8]

Second series

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The title was relaunched in March 2011 and ran for six issues.[9] It featured Lobo and two new characters: Aaron Lopresti's Garbage Man and Kevin Maguire's Tanga.

In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, the characters appeared in the title My Greatest Adventure.

References

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  1. ^ Weird Worlds at the Grand Comics Database
  2. ^ Overstreet, Robert M. (2019). Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (49th ed.). Timonium, Maryland: Gemstone Publishing. p. 1148. ISBN 978-1603602334.
  3. ^ Daniels, Les (1995). DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes. New York, New York: Bulfinch Press. p. 153. ISBN 0821220764. 'Carmine Infantino and I found out that the word weird sold well', [editor Joe] Orlando recalls. 'So DC created Weird War and Weird Western.
  4. ^ Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 84. ISBN 978-1605490564.
  5. ^ Schweier, Philip (February 2015). "Iron Wolf". Back Issue! (78). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 42.
  6. ^ McAvennie, Michael (2010). "1970s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. After the debut tale by acclaimed artist Howard Chaykin and co-scripter Denny O'Neil, Ironwolf became the lead protagonist in the Weird Worlds [title].
  7. ^ Wells, John (October 24, 1997), "'Lost' DC: 1971–1975", Comics Buyer's Guide (1249), Iola, Wisconsin: 125, In the wake of a nationwide paper shortage, DC canceled several of its lower-selling titles in late 1973...[Supergirl #10] and three other completed comic books slated for release in November 1973 (Secret Origins #7, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #137, and Weird Worlds #10) were put on hold until the summer of 1974.
  8. ^ "Ironwolf #1". Grand Comics Database.
  9. ^ Weird Worlds vol. 2 at the Grand Comics Database
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