Underwater world

An interior illustration by Frank Kelly Freas for Erik Fennel’s story, “The Lost Tribes of Venus,” in the May 1954 edition of Planet Stories. The cover illustration, also attributed to Freas, is a masterpiece of barely-there swimsuit illustration:

I’ll bet the bluenoses really had to peer at that one to make sure some postal regulation wasn’t being violated (serves them right). You can download the image in large size.

This issue of Planet Stories is available to be read at and downloaded from the Internet Archive.

Apprendre le français LXXIX: Appât Pages 88-90

La jolie jeune femme semble bien contrôler le monstre.

N'importe qui serait enthousiaste au sujet de ce spectacle.

Chiba Moe explique son travail.

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PAGE 88 (Four panels)

Panel 1: Chiba underwater in the tank. She is swimming upright and has taken a fish out of the bag tied to her belt, which she is holding in her hand. One of the creature’s tentacles is extending toward her.

Panel 2: One of the tentacles is wrapped around the fish. The other has grabbed onto one of the shoulder straps of Chiba’s suit and is pulling it down.

Panel 3: The Cub Scouts again, who are staring at this scene gap-mouthed and obviously very interested in what will happen next.

Panel 4: Chiba using her free hand to swat at the tentacles aiming at molesting her. Her shoulder strep is down around her upper arm.

PAGE 89 (Three panels)

Panel 1: Chiba wagging her finger at the retreating tentacle (indicate both with motion lines).

Panel 2: Chiba taking a “bow” underwater to her audience.

Panel 3: Probably the bottom half of the page – wide view of the Cub Scouts now on their feat and applauding.

SFX – APPLAUSE (1): CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP…

Translation (1): CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP…

PAGE 90 (Four panels)

Panel 1: Chiba, standing at the top of the tank, quite wet still in her one-piece bathing suit, being interviewed.

Chiba (1): 私は海事センターでショーを演じるために、私の県出身の別の若い女性と一緒に雇われました。

SUBTITLE (2): I was hired along with other young women from my prefecture to put on shows at the Maritime Center.

Comment (2) : If the target language for translation is Japanese, the translator need not provide translations of Japanese dialog unless he or she wishes to make suggestions for improvement (the existing Japanese dialog is translated from the “subtitles,” which were what was actually written.

Translation (2): J’ai été engagée avec d’autres jeunes femmes de ma préfecture pour organiser des expositions dans le centre d’études marines.

CAPTION (3): Chiba Moe, Marine Center show worker.

Translation (3): Chiba Moe, travaillant au centre d’études marines.

Panel 2: Incorporated photograph from http://www.erosblog.com/2008/12/16/nude-pearl-diver/

CAPTION – CHIBA NARRATING (4): 私たちはみな、海女 (真珠貝を採る女性潜水士) の村の出身なので、水中で働く素晴らしい伝統があります。

SUBTITLE (5): We are all from villages of ama (women pearl divers), so we have a great tradition of working underwater.

Translation (5): Nous provenons toutes de villages d’ama (femmes plongeuses qui récoltent des perles), c’est pourquoi nous avons une grande expérience du travail sous-marin.

Panel 3: “Still photograph” of a group of other divers, also attractive young Japanese women in swimsuits just like Chiba’s, standing at the base of the tank and posed in a group. All are smiling, and one has raised her hand in a “V” sign.

CAPTION – CHIBA NARRATING (6): 私たちのグループがあり、餌やりショーを行うために、一緒に働いています。とても人気です。

SUBTITLE (7): There is a group of us. We work together to put on feeding shows. They’re very popular.

Translation (7): Nous sommes plusieurs. Nous travaillons ensemble pour organiser des spectacles lors desquels la créature se nourrit.

Panel 4: Back to the interview. Chiba is grinning.

Chiba (8): 私は本当に自分の仕事が好きです。

SUBTITLE (9): I really like my job.

Translation (9): J’aime vraiment mon travail.

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A cocktail dress might be the least plausible space costume yet

Another uncredited illustration from Planet Stories, in this instance the Spring 1944 number, illustrating a story “Wanderers of the Wolf Moon” by Nelson S. Bond. The cover, by Graham Ingles (1915-1991) appears to illustrate the same story and does not disappoint:

This issue — ads for War Bonds and all — is available to be read at and downloaded from the Internet Archive.

There are stories by Leigh Brackett (1915-1978) and Ray Bradbury.

Apprendre le français LXXVIII: Appât Page 87

PAGE 87 (Four panels)

Panel 1: CHIBA MOE (“Chiba”), a very attractive young Japanese woman wearing a white one-piece swimsuit that has a logo for the Marine Center above the left breast stands on a diving board in position to make a dive. The swimsuit, while a one-piece, seems designed to emphasize some sex appeal, especially cleavage. Around Chiba’s waist there is a belt with a bag of sorts attached. The diving board extends over the tank containing the creature.

CAPTION (1): At Energexecon Center, a few years later.

Translation (1): Au centre Energexecon, quelques années plus tard.

Panel 2: Chiba going into the water, her legs and lower half still out as she is in mid-dive.

SFX – DIVE (2): Splash!

Translation (2): Splash !

Panel 3: A group of Cub Scouts in uniform, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the Center outside the pool. They are looking up, fascinated.

Panel 4: Chiba descending into the tank on her dive, underwater and surrounded by bubbles.

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Apprendre le français LXXVII: Appât Page 86

PAGE 86 (Four panels)

Panel 1: Turpentine, in a white labcoat, standing next to the side of the tank. He is being interviewed. In the part of the tank that is visible behind him, there’s nothing but water.

Turpentine (1): Well, we had some difficult times there, but it is remarkable how we succeeded in the end.

Translation (1): Eh bien, nous avons eu des moments difficiles, mais il est remarquable de constater que nous avons finalement réussi.

Panel 2: Turpentine facing the tank and placing one hand on the glass.

Turpentine (2): We’ll study the Creature and find out what makes it tick. I’d say that its woman-eating days are over.

Translation (2): Nous allons étudier la créature et découvrir ses secrets. Elle ne dévorera plus jamais de femmes.

Panel 3: Turpentine facing outward from the glass again. In the background, un-noted by him, a tentacle has snaked into the shot. This tentacle has an eye at its end, wide open in this panel.

Turpentine (3): I believe humanity will benefit a great deal from the study of Gynophagos turpentinii.

Comment (3): Same conventions on Linnean species names apply as above.

Translation (3): Je crois que l’humanité profitera grandement de l’étude du Gynophagos turpentinii.

Unseen interviewer (out-of-panel balloon) (4): Wasn’t it supposed to be named Gynophagos honeywoodiae?

Translation (4): Elle n’était pas censée s’appeler Gynophagos honeywoodiae ?

Panel 4: Turpentine looking a bit perplexed and annoyed. Behind him, the eye-tentacle has contorted into an Angry Squint, as similar as possible to the same Angry Squint made by Claudia Honeywood.

Turpentine (5): I’m sorry, but I have no recollection of that.

Translation (5): Je suis désolé, mais je n’ai aucun souvenir de cela.

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When Sex Met Space

Hat tip on this illustration to Not Pulp Covers and that site’s associated Twitter feed. The illustration is presented without attribution there, but a search of the Internet Speculative Fiction Database turns up that this is a page from the September 1953 edition of Planet Stories. The illustration is uncredited.

Planet Stories had a tendency to sexy covers. Galactic Central gives us one for this edition:

Gotta love those form-fitting spacesuits! This cover is also uncredited, although a number of sources believe that it is work by Frank Kelly Freas. Unfortunately the Internet Archive does not appear to have this particular edition in its holdings at this time.