Dell comics were best known for their TV series tie-ins (click here to read an older post about them) but they gave Gold Key some competition in the 1960s with movie tie-ins as well. This series was known as the Dell Movie Classics and there were quite a few titles in their line-up, all of them featuring juicy painted illustrations or photo covers.
This one - Master of the World (#1157) - was released in conjunction with the American International adventure film of the same name starring Vincent Price, Charles Bronson, and Henry Hull. The film tried trying to capture the grandeur of Walt Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in 80 Days but since the studio had a smaller budget and the sets were limited, it came off as more of a B+ adventure flick....but an enjoyable one, nonetheless. Since I revisited it a few days ago, it seemed only fitting to feature its comic connection in our Dell series.
The "madman" referred to on the cover is Robur the Conquerer, a Captain Nemo of the air. Jules Verne liked powerful men who destroyed warships and while Captain Nemo was busy sinking them with his submarine, Robur blasted them from above in his flying airship.
This entry in the series features a fantastic painted cover by Don Spaulding depicting one of these warships being destroyed by the airship. Inside, the artwork and inking is very nice, too. Of course, the characters don't resemble the actors exactly but I do not think they were permitted to copy their likenesses.
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