Atomic Mouse #1

History

Al Fago — who had previously attracted young readers with his 'Frisky Fables' humor comics — served simultaneously as writer, penciler, inker, and editor of the series, with the Grand Comics Database crediting him under his full name Alfred V. Fago in the indicia. The book was technically published under the Capitol Stories, Inc. imprint (branded 'A Capitol Publication'), the corporate umbrella Charlton used at the time, rather than the Charlton Comics Group name that would later become more familiar on the indicia. His brother Vince Fago — who at the time was distancing himself from comic books to protect his reputation as a newspaper strip artist working on a daily 'Peter Rabbit' strip — contributed some cover and interior work, though sources differ on the precise extent and creative credit split between the two brothers. Al Fago left the series around issue #24, after which Pat Masulli took over as executive editor and artists such as George Wildman and Jon D'Agostino carried the title forward.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First appearance and complete origin of Atomic Mouse (real name: Cimota Mouse — 'atomic' spelled backwards), told in the lead story 'Atomic Mouse: A Star Is Born.'
• The character's origin: an ordinary mouse shrunk to atomic size by an evil wizard, then empowered by U-235 pills dispensed by Professor Invento, setting him on a career fighting the villainous Count Gatto and his sidekick Shadow.
• Written, penciled, and inked entirely by Al Fago, who also served as editor of the issue; published under the Capitol Stories, Inc. imprint, Charlton's corporate publishing name at the time.
• The issue is 36 pages, full color, and was published on a bi-monthly schedule — the frequency maintained across the original series.
• Issue #1 contains four Atomic Mouse stories plus an illustrated text story titled 'There's Magic in U-235 for Atomic Mouse' and a back-cover pin-up — establishing the anthology-within-a-title format that defined the run.
• The original series ran 52 confirmed issues through a February 1963 cover date, making Atomic Mouse Charlton's longest-continuously-published superhero title, outlasting Thunderbolt, Captain Atom, and Blue Beetle in uninterrupted run length at that publisher.
• Fago followed the success of this issue by creating Atomic Rabbit (1955) and Atom the Cat, both featuring nearly identical power mechanics, establishing a pattern of atomic-animal heroes unique to Charlton's 1950s lineup.
• The character was revived in reprint form by Charlton in the mid-1980s and later by writer Mike Curtis and penciler Charles Ettinger for Shanda Fantasy Arts, whose three-issue series (2001–2004) juxtaposed reprints of Fago's original work with all-new stories reimagining Atomic Mouse as a comic-book character transported into reality.

Full credits