The Outer Limits premiered on ABC-TV in the US on 16th September 1963, and a short-lived comic, published by Dell Publishing, followed in 1964, running for just 18 issues, despite the lasting popularity and influence of the SF anthology show that inspired it.
The TV show – currently cropping up in the Talking Pictures schedule here in the UK, screening episodes such as Harlan Ellison’s SF-noir tale, “Demon with a Glass Hand” – fared better, running for 49 episodes in its original run, and enjoying a revival in 1995, with Variety reporting in 2019 that its return was in development.
The creation of Leslie Stevens, just like The Twilight Zone, the original series, its emphasis more often on SF than fantasy or the supernatural, has had a lasting influence.
Dell’s The Outer Limits comic debuted with a striking cover credited to the enigmatic Victor “Vic” Prezio (21st March 1924 – 24th December 1976), a prolific pulp artist best known for his work illustrating men’s adventure magazines, such as Adventure Magazine, True Adventures and All Man Magazine.
A native New Yorker, born in the Bronx, very little is known about him, but in 2021, historical researcher and writer Catherine Beyer Hurst, the sister of Ghost Army expert and author Rick Beyer, appealed for more information, having discovered he served in the Ghost Army during World War Two, drafted aged just 18.
Among other things, Catherine is a contributor to The Ghost Army Facebook group, discussing the work of those who helped to fool the Nazis in Europe with inflatable tanks and sound recordings of moving armies, that were blasted from trucks using wire recording devices.
The Ghost Army was the first mobile, multimedia, tactical deception unit in US Army, in part composed of the men of the 603rd Engineers Camouflage Battalion. The brainchild of Colonel Billy Harris and Major Ralph Ingersoll, both American military planners based in London, the unit included artists recruited from art schools, art jobs, and ad agencies, mostly in New York, Philadelphia, and the surrounding areas.
Following the war, the unit’s soldiers were sworn to secrecy, records were classified, and equipment packed away. Except for a newspaper article right after the war, no one spoke publicly about the deceivers until a 1985 Smithsonian article. Although knowledge of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops was then public, it was still officially classified until the mid-1990s.
Hurst discovered Prezio was one of the member of the unit, and perhaps his membership of this secretive organisation goes some way to explain why he shunned any potential limelight.
His striking comic and magazine cover work is, however, a lasting testimony to his talent, and well worth seeking out online to enjoy.
• Comic Vine: The Outer Limits Cover Gallery
• Victor Prezio – Ghost Army Profile
• Victor Prezio: Pulp Artists Gallery
• Victor Prezio: Invaluable Art Profile
The Outer Limits
• Wikipedia: The Outer Limits | Episode Guide
• We Are Controlling Transmission
An episode of The Outer Limits a Day as seen through the eyes of Peter Enfantino and John Scoleri
The Ghost Army
• The Ghost Army Legacy Project
The Ghost Army used inflatable tanks, sound effects, radio trickery and imagination to fool the Germans on the battlefields of Europe. The unsung heroes of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Company Special carried out 25 battlefield deceptions in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and Italy. They saved thousands of lives and helped win the war, but their efforts were kept secret for fifty years and were only recently officially recognised with the award of a Congressional Gold Medal.
The mission of The Ghost Army Legacy Project is to preserve and honor the legacy of these men. This website offers histories of the two units, primary source documents, biographical material on the soldiers, and more
• America’s The National WWII Museum has previously featured exhibitions about The Ghost Army
• The Ghost Army: Canvas and Camouflage
It’s no secret that many World War Two veterans returned home reticent to discuss their wartime experiences, but for members of the Ghost Army, silence was not a choice – it was a mandate
• The Ghost Army of World War II, by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles, details the fascinating story of this top-secret unit that used inflatable tanks, sound effects, and illusions to fool the Germans on the battlefields of Europe. This updated edition was published by Princeton Architectural Press in October 2023. It includes a new chapter and more than 15 new photos | More information about this and a related PBS documentary at ghostarmy.com
• The Outer Limits Comic Shop – Franklin, Tennessee
- About the Author
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds, Science Fiction, Television, US Comics